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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Rescue cat first day home

29 replies

DoingTheBestICan · 03/05/2017 19:13

We picked up our rescue cat today and she's lovely, she's a 12 year old Bengal and the cutest little thing.
She has been home since lunchtime and took herself off to ds' bedroom, we've made her a little den and she has only ventured out when coaxed with some tidbits of beef and a tin of tuna.
She has ventured into the dining room and has sat herself on one of the chairs.
We have sat on the floor in the same room as she as for 5 minute bursts and she will sometimes come towards us but sometimes tries to hide in the smallest of places.
We've never had a cat before but is this normal? She hasn't had a drink or used the toilet since lunchtime.

OP posts:
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Fluffycloudland77 · 03/05/2017 19:27

I can't comment without pictures.

Ollivander84 · 03/05/2017 19:27

Cats are odd. Some will hide for ages, some stroll straight out. Just give her space and time and carry on as normal

Original poster
DoingTheBestICan · 03/05/2017 19:38

So the box was a quick fix until her new bed comes and I've just found her behind ds'curtains

Rescue cat first day home
Rescue cat first day home
OP posts:
DumbledoresApprentice · 03/05/2017 19:41

We kept ours in one room with food, water and litter tray for a few days. Gave her a chance to settle in a bit and get used to where the litter tray was before exploring the rest of the house. I was at home during the day and sat in the room with her watching TV for some of the day. She wasn't remotely shy though, she's a real floozy and loves strangers.

DumbledoresApprentice · 03/05/2017 19:42

Oh, she's gorgeous!

Original poster
DoingTheBestICan · 03/05/2017 19:47

She seems to like his bedroom so we're going to leave his bedroom door open tonight so she can come and go as she pleases. I hope she likes it here, I'd hate for her to feel scared.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 03/05/2017 19:47

Ah she's a little cracker. Bengals are quite highly strung so give her time & she'll settle.

They can hold their bladders for a couple of days so don't worry.

SmokeCloak · 03/05/2017 19:49

Quite normsl for cats to hide for a few days at first.

Original poster
DoingTheBestICan · 03/05/2017 19:58

Thank you everyone for your help, really appreciate it, being a novice cat slave I have a lot to learn.
She is a beauty isn't she?

OP posts:
Want2beme · 03/05/2017 20:06

Oh, she's very sweet. I hope you have a lovely life together.

If you just imagine that she doesn't know you and has had a whole other life before you. She doesn't know what's going on, just that she's been moved from one place to another. She sounds like she's a cautious girl, so she'll probably take her time becoming familiar with her new life. She needs a place to retreat to and she'll be happy to pop out to see you when she's ready. Its such a joy when they start to settle in and become your boss friend.

Original poster
DoingTheBestICan · 03/05/2017 20:08

Thank you, she's an old lady to at 12 so we just want to give her lots of love and spoil her rotten.

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pumpkinpie5 · 03/05/2017 20:11

She's lovely. We always say keep them in one room for a few days until they settle in. Most rescues are have obviously come in from a cattery pen or limited space so although people like to give them lots of space, they actually feel more secure in just the one room, especially the nervous ones.

Original poster
DoingTheBestICan · 03/05/2017 20:14

Ds is going to bed shortly and she's still on his window sill. Do I move her or shut the curtains on her?

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MycatsaPirate · 03/05/2017 20:14

Oh goodness, she's lovely!

We have four cats, all rescues. One of ours spent six months camped out in teens bedroom and we barely saw her. She is now a fully fledged family member though and quite happy pottering about and lap hopping.

Newest cat was brought home in August, she was so timid we couldn't even get into the room and she was back under the bed. Took weeks of lying on the floor looking at her and talking quietly while lobbing dreamies to her before she made an appearance. She now sleeps on my head me at night and gives me a thorough face wash before we go to sleep.

Make sure there is water, dry food and a litter tray available and leave doors open so she can safely explore while you are all asleep. You may well find her on a bed snoozing in the morning.

Enjoy her. I hope you get lots of lovely years with your new cat.

MycatsaPirate · 03/05/2017 20:15

Just close the curtains. She'll be fine.

Honestly, just go about your day and ignore her and she will get used to you. Try not to worry, she will be absolutely fine and is probably quite happy watching out the window and enjoying the cover of the curtains while she adjusts to the noises of her new home.

metalmum15 · 03/05/2017 20:22

That's perfectly normal for a lot of cats in a new home, they're just adjusting to their new environment. My eldest cat spent days hiding under beds or the dining table. You just need to give them plenty of space, they'll happily come to you when they're ready. Bengal's are quite possibly the most beautiful cats ever!

Original poster
DoingTheBestICan · 03/05/2017 20:23

Once again thank you, I'll put some fresh water and food for her now.
I know she is normally happy as when we went in to see her at the rescue she was purring and swishing round our legs, like you say she just needs to get used to us and her new home.

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allthingslipsticks · 03/05/2017 20:33

OP, congrats on your new cat, she's lovely. Her behaviour is completely normal.

I hope that when you talk about a tin of tuna, you actually mean tuna cat food and not a tin of human grade tuna! You can do some further research, but it is important to feed them actual cat food, preferably wet.

In the meantime, enjoy bonding with your cat ;-)

Original poster
DoingTheBestICan · 03/05/2017 20:36

It was tuna in spring water, omg have I poisoned her?

OP posts:
DumbledoresApprentice · 03/05/2017 20:41

As a one off it won't have done her any harm but cats need to be fed complete cat food for their main meals or they can become deficient in key nutrients. Tuna cat food would have added taurine and other additives that cats need.

allthingslipsticks · 03/05/2017 20:43

Sorry OP, didn't mean to scare you.

One can of tuna (with especially spring water) won't poison her, but it's not ideal. Cat food is produced with special protein (taurine) which cats need to prevent them from going blind. Unfortunately, they don't produce these hormones within their bodies ( much like humans with amino acids). This protein found in every commmercial cat food.

If you need any recommendations, Sheba is quite good as is Purely Holistic, which I buy from Pets at Home.

Toddlerteaplease · 03/05/2017 20:43

What a beauty. One of my rescues hid for a week. Fortunately I'd been pre warned by the foster carer that she would do this. She'd squeezed into a gap in the kitchen I didn't know existed. I left her too it and I finally got to know her 8 days later. It was worth the wait!

Queenie72 · 03/05/2017 20:43

We have had a rescue kitten since January. The first 2 days she hid under the sofa and hardly came out and now she is the friendliest cat ever!!

HemanOrSheRa · 03/05/2017 20:53

She is beautiful! Like others have said, just leave her to it and she'll be fine. Our second cat, Frankie, hid out in DS's room for days! Even now, he sneaks in for a quiet snooze Smile.

Pip, who was about 3 when I cat napped her, spent a couple of weeks hiding behind a massive chest of drawers. I could only see her behind it by rigging up a mirror on a stick! She'd venture out at night (maybe when we were at work) to eat and use her tray. She soon came out and started ruling us with an iron paw and that was the start of the dog's troubles Grin.

problembottom · 03/05/2017 20:54

She is beautiful. 💙