I'm looking for advice on this because I don't want to always bother the welfare officer with these issues, she's got enough on her plate.
I have had a new foster cat for about a week. She was with her previous family from kitten age and she's now about seven, so of course she's nervous about this change. In most ways she's as good as gold, but I'm finding night time a struggle.
During the day she is happy to be upstairs by herself and doze, but once it's the evening she stays close to me constantly and doesn't want to be alone. I tend to keep foster cats downstairs at night because I'm a terrible sleeper, I also have a special pillow because of a neck injury. I was told she doesn't like to sleep alone and was willing to try it, but when I say she likes to stay close to me, it's to the extent that she tries to share my pillow! And she's a little mardy arse if I try to even move her back a bit, so she takes over half the pillow and I have a stiff neck and headache in the morning.
I kept her downstairs last night, for the second time, and both times found her wedged in a little hiding place, terrified. I feel bad because she makes it clear she sleeps in my bed, to the point of prompting me with meows around 11pm!
If I make her sleep downstairs is she likely to get over her fear, or will I be making her miserable?