Rescue cat with nervous human!

[clouddweller]

Hi all - I picked up a beautiful seven year old rescue on Saturday. She is a long haired tabby, and seems to be settling in well. Still a bit nervous, as I expected, and I think has a bit of a nervous tummy as well, as she has had a couple of loose poos. My concern (if you can call it that) is that I am super-nervous, not of the cat but for the cat, and I think I am worrying her by following her around, and going to find her if I don't see her for a while. I suppose I'm looking for some reassurance that it really is normal for cats to sit in the same place (built in wardrobe, for example) for hours at a time....

This sounds silly, I know. Particularly as I grew up with cats. Does anyone have an experience to share that might help me relax a bit?

I'm afraid it gets no better! I'm a super anxious cat parent. And I've had mine 3.5 years. I still woke up and prodded one of them as I thought she wasn't breathing! Mine have had a lot of health issues though!

If you change whatever food she was on at the rescue place, then she could take time to adapt to the new stuff. Chopping and changing won't do her or you any good, if you want to try something new, add it to her 'my tum is fine with this' food very gradually increasing the new food and decreasing the older one.

Stop following her around, find something else to do while she's getting settled. She needs to explore and find her safe places and comfortable places so she can relax into her new life. If she's feeling that somewhere could be a safe place for her then you turn up and disturb her, she'll have to start all over again. That won't help her anxiety.

When she wants your attention and your company, she'll come to you and let you know.

Until then, be patient.

Mine were rescue kits and are now about her age, they go out, come back after a few minutes and eat breakfast, one goes out again, the other either lazes around or plays. currently they have both been asleep for at least 2 hours and will probably stay in a zen state until their evening meal. They do move around, one has a couple of fairly consistent sleeping places, the other likes to use several different ones during the day and a couple of different ones during the night.

Thanks, BlankTimes! I am using the same food as the rescue, which is why I thought it might be nerves? She has also pooed normally....

She's curled up beside me on the sofa at the moment :) We have quite a small house, mostly open plan, so on balance I think it makes sense she would look for somewhere enclosed to curl up and feel safe. I've been so impressed with how confident she's been since she arrived (jumped out of her carrier and got on with it!) that I've probably forgotten a bit that she's still somewhere brand new and figuring it out.

I guess we'll get used to each other. I was just surprised at my own nerves!

As the food's the same, it could be a bit of nervous tummy.

I think you're both doing fine, it always takes time to get used to someone new in your life, you tend to hyperfocus on them where really as inferior humans we should just sit tight and await our instructions

Mine tend to sleep about 20 hours in every 24, and depending on their mood one of the favorite places is tucked into the back corner of the wardrobe (ancient clothes on the base so comfy, door is never closed). I think they like the dark and security, they can hide up there and as they are black I have to look hard to see them . Boycat also has a cubby hole place between boxes in the "junk" room, which he uses a bit in the summer presumably because it['s cooler than the wardrobe - but he is a cat with very little brain & what he does have is a bit mixed up, so who knows why he does anything!

I'd also say completely normal. My cat has her (chosen) sleeping places as on the sofa, on the top of the back of the other sofa, various window sills, under the bed,on the bed, on the laundry pile, in the towel cupboard, in a random box we have in a spare bedroom. We also have lots of purpose bought beds,igloos etc that she never chooses to use !