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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.

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Original poster

Struggling first night with rescue

20 replies

cuteglasses · 14/03/2021 08:35

Hi everyone
We brought beautiful Salem home yesterday.
He's 11.
I appreciate he needs time to settle in but this morning I'm dead on my feet!
He's pretty much ok this morning but wouldn't come out from under the sofa last night for me to put him in a room.
Found him sleepy under the sofa this morning, came out for a treat.
Can anyone give me advice on how to help him at night?

OP posts:

Allergictoironing · 14/03/2021 09:15

I used the living room (largest room in my house) as the "home base" for my pair when they came home.

He's probably decided that under the sofa is the safest place for him, so I would let him use that for as long as he wants - one of mine STILL hides behind the sofa if he's scared e.g. stranger at the door, and thinks making a dash for his hidey hole upstairs is too risky.

If Salem is happy to move around the house for food & litter tray, then back for his safe place, then not really any need for him to be restricted to one room only; that's usually recommended so they can call one place home before they expand their territory (plus helps with not letting them escape through open doors & windows!).

Toddlerteaplease · 14/03/2021 09:58

Just leave him too it. Let him come out in his own time. One of mine hid for a week when I first got him.

Sparklingbrook · 14/03/2021 10:02

I second leaving him to it. One older rescue cat we had spent the first few days under the dining table. then turned into the stupidest needy lap cat ever in the end. It just takes a bit of time.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 14/03/2021 10:12

Why do you feel you need to put him in a room?

I second (or fourth) what everyone else has said - just leave him be. I always keep mine in the living room at first as it has litter trays, food and plenty of high spaces (and low spaces) for them to hide out.

Our first cat spent her days hiding under a table, the second hid in a cupboard. The third we got as a more confident kitten but he liked hiding behind the toilet

I just left them - they all settled and emerged within a week.

Chickoletta · 14/03/2021 10:16

Not sure why you’re dead on your feet?

Leave him be and he will come out in his own time. We rescued a young mum and her 5 month old kitten in January. For the first 48 hours the mum found a way to hide inside our sofa by going underneath and squeezing herself inside! She only came out for food. A few weeks on and she’s everywhere but still goes under there from time to time. Be patient, he will come round.

Stickytreacle · 14/03/2021 10:16

Yep leave him where he is happy and go to bed. He's more likely to explore when everyone's asleep and the house is quiet. He'll come round in his own time.

kereh · 14/03/2021 10:17

You need to leave him be. If he feels happy and safe under the sofa then that's where you should let him stay, trying to cajole him out and force him into another room is just unnecessarily exhausting for you and upsetting for him.

thecatneuterer · 14/03/2021 10:22

Agree with everyone else. He's found his spot. Put food, water and litter tray next to the sofa and leave him to it.

Meezer2 · 14/03/2021 10:48

Love his name... 😻

Original poster

cuteglasses · 14/03/2021 11:11

All the advice said a new cat needs to be kept in a single room with all their things so they can get used to being somewhere new, I didn't feel the need to at all. Thought I should follow the given advice, which I didn't. He seems really happy this morning and I'm not forcing him at all. I wouldn't dream of it.
I'm dead on my feet because I've spent all week working in a busy cancer treatment unit.
Hope this helps.

OP posts:

sunflowersandbuttercups · 14/03/2021 11:27

All the advice said a new cat needs to be kept in a single room with all their things so they can get used to being somewhere new

But he'd picked his spot under the sofa, so why did you not just leave him there, put his stuff in the room with him and go to bed?

I think you're overthinking it slightly :)

Toilenstripes · 14/03/2021 11:32

You’re fine, OP. You just want what’s best for him, and honestly it sounds like he’s going to have you trained in no time at all! I think it’s wonderful that you adopted an older cat, as they are so often overlooked. Enjoy him!

LApprentiSorcier · 14/03/2021 11:33

He's doing fine. Leave him in his chosen spot and he'll come out when he's ready.

kereh · 14/03/2021 12:47

All the advice said a new cat needs to be kept in a single room with all their things so they can get used to being somewhere new

Salem clearly didn't get his copy of the new cat handbook.

dementedpixie · 14/03/2021 12:50

Can the living room not be his designated room?
He seems happy there so best to let him stay there

ViperAtTheGatesOfDawn · 14/03/2021 12:51

All the advice said a new cat needs to be kept in a single room with all their things so they can get used to being somewhere new.

Yes, it's good advice, but the idea is that the cat goes straight to that room and stays there until they've settled and can have free run of the house. Capturing and moving a brand new rescue from room to room, as you've discovered, is highly stressful for the cat.

QueenPaw · 14/03/2021 14:40

Honestly don't worry, just let him do what he wants
Mine marched out the carrier, glanced around and then fell asleep on my lap. I was sat frozen like "help? You're meant to hide for a week!!"
I had a room planned out for him and everything but his plan was to spend 24/7 attached to me

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 14/03/2021 14:53

We were adviced to keep in one room because my male cat was so painfully shy he'd have bolted if given too much free reign.
His sister would've wandered about sussing things out .

I volunteered my son to sleep on the sofa in the room with them ( he didn't have to get up early ) , he said they "kept me awake all night eating and jumping n the tabe"

Cat Cam might be your saviour here

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 14/03/2021 22:05

Our girl squished herself under the sofa the first night. We just left her to it, but chatted to her quite a bit. DP went off to bed and eventually she came out and was in my lap until I went to bed myself. She spent the first couple of nights sleeping behind the curtains (?) but by the weekend was ruling the house like she had never lived anywhere else.

We rehomed her directly from her previous family who gave us all her bits and pieces, so I think that might have helped.

StCharlotte · 14/03/2021 22:19

All the advice said a new cat needs to be kept in a single room with all their things so they can get used to being somewhere new

A year ago our two rescues happened yo stick to the living room for a while of their own accord but this was the first time I'd heard this advice and have never bothered with it for previous cats. CORRECTION: previous cats have never bothered with it

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