Rescue cat not happy

[Cathead]

We brought our rescue cat home yesterday and hes really unhappy. He was lovely and fussy at the centre but here he just wants to be invisible, hiding and has started hissing when I pick him up.
Currently have him in the spare room with litter tray, bed, scratching post and a tunnel he can hide in.
He has fleas and I've tried combing him but he hisses at me and wants to get away from me.
Should I just leave him for a while, not try and stroke him, comb him etc?
He dosnt want to explore the house, just hide.....

I'd leave him be for a bit - he's got a huge adjustment to make after the initial excitement of his new home. (And combing can be quite traumatic for them at the best of times, I'm afraid.)

How has his flea issue been addressed?

Yes, just leave him be, it will take a while, he will be very scared and worried. It took our rescue about six months to be fully confident and she is the friendliest most annoying loving cat that I could dream of having.

PS - lots of talking to him is fine in my experience even if you cease the physical contact for a bit.

Let him come for attention on his terms, don't pick him up. He might hide for a few days, the hissing is fear.

polter our cat sat herself down on a chair at the table when our accountant came round for a meeting last week. She stared intently at him for over an hour, the poor man said he felt obliged to give her a rundown of her share options.

He's lucky she didn't give them to him. Some cats have very decided opinions.

Ok thank you, I will leave him be. The spare room door is half open so he can leave if he wants. He's currently sitting in his tunnel not moved for a long time.

It's a noisy household here, lots of children so guess he's really intimidated. The centre were aware of this and said he should be fine with this, I hope so....

He was flea treated (back of his neck) before he left the centre. I noticed a flea on me yesterday hence starting to comb him. I don't like not combing him as worried the fleas will get worse...

Should I go and leave him some food in his room? The litter tray is in there too, will this be ok? Or should I leave the food in the kitchen in the hope that he comes down?

He's crept out last night and had a poo in the hall, I was thinking it might be because the litter tray was in the same room as food (box room)

I would put his food and water in the same room as him, thats a bit odd that he pooed in the hall not the litter tray. Is it the same litter that they used at the centre?

Do you know what flea treatment they used? Advocate was the only thing that worked on my cats.

He will eventually feel a bit braver and come and explore, probably when the house is quieter maybe when the kids are in bed

We brought home our rescue cat last week - the first day he nearly shat himself at the ironing board, cowered behind the sofa and generally looked petrified.

He was constipated and not eating at first but now, 10 days later, I spent last night playing with a catnip mouse and he threads himself around our ankles while we walk around!

He still won't sit on our knees but the centre told us it would take a while. I've had to have some drilling this week so I googled 'relaxing cat music' and played it in 'his room' . He was put into one room (the living room) for four days so he could feel centred, now he can explore a bit but he likes lots of hidey holes so he can retreat when it all gets a bit much!

I have only combed him once and am mostly letting him come to us - I haven't picked him up yet. Good luck!

Cats HATE new places. He needs more time.
I'd get a few more boxes to have as litter trays. Some cats never like litter trays & will only go outside, mind.

Thank you for responses and rescue cat stories. It's reassuring to be able to talk about him and to others who have rehomed.

I do hope he will come around, he's not had a great life so deserves to be happy and I feel bad at the moment he's not happy here.

I'll go and give him some food in his room and will get another litter tray, I'll leave it in the hall where he went before, was actually quite a good place to go.

Love that posy paw.

Never lived in a home , what a lucky boy, adapted well I see.

Isn't it the nicest feeling to rescue?

I reckon he was secretly happy on Day One. Look at those eyes - great satisfaction, I'd say.

Sounds about right.

Just look at his fancy bed there in the background- why would you use that when there is a nice plush sofa?

Especially a darker sofa that you can stretch on and watch all your pale hairs stick to.