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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

Nervous rescue cat

37 replies

lepetitfromage · 17/04/2021 17:56

Hi all, have not posted for a long time but need some reassurance from experienced cat people! We brought a lovely 1.5yr old tom home today from a local rescue. He'd been a stray until about 2 months ago but he's been neutered and of course all the health things you'd expect. Was described as a big laid back softie, so I suppose I wasn't expecting him to be so nervous. We brought him home in a carrier but I think the car journey stressed him. Had a safe room set up with all his needs catered for. He got out of the carrier, went straight to the litter tray but got out quickly and tried to hide (ignoring the cat tree with hiding place, of course!). I thought best to leave him to explore the room safely and in his own time so left the room. Peeped in a while later and could not see him but heard soot falling out of the chimney - and of course puss was up there! He came down quickly thankfully, though dirty and terrified obviously, and has worked his way behind a cushion on the couch and stayed there. At what point do I worry? Or do I just keep going in and out and checking him quietly and make sure he is taking food and water? Poor puss. I hate to think of him being stressed! Can I leave him alone tonight if he continues to be this stressed?

OP posts:
Youdontknowwhatyoureonabout · 17/04/2021 18:07

My nervous rescue spend days hiding under a sideboard.
Can you put a box or something in the room so he feel he has somewhere sheltered to hide? Mine doesn’t go in the cat tree hiding place either! My girl took several days to start tiptoeing into rooms with us in, she now happily sits on my knee and sleeps on my bed but still dashes off if anyone makes sudden movements. It’s a big change for him, he will be happier left alone tonight I think rather than someone trying to stay in the room with him. He will come round but it may take a week or two. Congratulations on your boy, what is his name?

Original poster
lepetitfromage · 17/04/2021 18:09

Oh thank you, that is very reassuring. He's plain old Tom at the minute but we may change it. We like old men names! Tom kind of suits him though. Smile

OP posts:
iamthesandstorm · 17/04/2021 18:13

we had a rescue cat once who hid behind the fridge for two weeks. We left food and water out..and she eventually came out. She turned into one of the loveliest cats I have ever known. Over the years we had her she grew in confidence. ,initially very nervous of visitors but gradually came to be quite confident . I think the best thing to do is give them space and allow them to explore their new home at their pace.

Original poster
lepetitfromage · 17/04/2021 18:16

Thank you. And leave him in one room, don't let him explore beyond that for now, right?

OP posts:
Arbadacarba · 17/04/2021 18:19

They can spend days hiding at first. My boy was like that - but now he's a chatty, affectionate cat who'll even tolerate me playing with his toes Grin. He's still nervous of strangers and hides if we have, e.g. a tradesperson round, but as soon as they leave he's fine again.

Don't worry if your cat hides and doesn't seem to be using the tray - they can hold on for ages (a throwback to being in the wild when toileting might have been a signal to predators so they had to wait until it was safe).

Arbadacarba · 17/04/2021 18:20

@lepetitfromage

Thank you. And leave him in one room, don't let him explore beyond that for now, right?
Yes, it's usually best to wait until they show signs of being settled before giving them the run of the house.
nearlynermal · 17/04/2021 18:20

I'm sure time is all he needs. By the way, if you're worried about the chimney, I find it useful to put a pillow in a bin bag and stick it up there as a temporary barrier.

mightyminty · 17/04/2021 18:20

I would recommend just sitting in the room with him for short periods even if he’s still hiding. You could talk to him or just sit there reading. It’s all new to him and he just needs to feel safe and secure and to get used to you.

stayathomer · 17/04/2021 18:21

First few days any cat will be terrified, they've been taken from what they know and brought into a new world. Hopefully he is as described and best of luck OP and congratulations and well done for saving him!

nearlynermal · 17/04/2021 18:22

PS one particularly nice mumsnetter spent hours in the room with her nervous rescue cat reading quietly to him so he could get used to her voice.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 17/04/2021 18:26

Our boy was so nervous (we knew this before we even met him, it was in his CPL blurb) .
Hid under a coffee table for the first few days .

We kept them ( M+F cats) in one room for the first week then let them explore the stairs /hall . Kept the bedroom doors shut etc.

He's still very wary and will excuse himself from a situation not of his liking . Won't be crowded .
But he jumps on our bed at 3am to walk over us .
Goes out in his garden to his shed . Quite a territorial little boy .

Makes the most heart wrenching noise if he has to go in his carrier but an angel at the vet .

The first night I got my DS to sleep on the sofa to keep an eye out .

Neither of our cats are lapcats but they'll sit beside us (or walk over us) if they want ,

Routine , quiet reassurance , time .

Toddlerteaplease · 17/04/2021 18:26

I had one that bid for a week. She had found a gap u far the kitchen units I'd never spotted. Once I knew where she was. I left her too it. I know she came out at night. She eventually appeared after dark 8 days later. Her sister was not impressed as she was definitely in charge from that day onwards. Fortunately the foster carer had warned me that she would hide.

Arbadacarba · 17/04/2021 18:27

@nearlynermal

PS one particularly nice mumsnetter spent hours in the room with her nervous rescue cat reading quietly to him so he could get used to her voice.
I think I remember that thread!

I put my shy boy in my home office. At the time I was WFH a couple of days a week, so he saw me going about my normal work stuff, including the odd call and meeting so he got used to my voice, but not focusing too much attention on him, so he gradually learned that I was harmless. I offered treats from time to time too. If you are WFH at the moment, that might be an option you could look at.

Original poster
lepetitfromage · 17/04/2021 18:55

Oh you've all made me feel better. I was worried that we'd been a bit in his face (we were very excited and trying to talk to him and get a proper look as we've only seen photos due to Covid but I promise we were quiet and gentle) but we drawn right back from him now to give him space and peace. Will pop in periodically and my kids will sit and read in the room with him tomorrow maybe and see how he receives that. I will update with photos in situ but this is the one from the rescue centre that made us fall in love.

Nervous rescue cat
OP posts:
Arbadacarba · 17/04/2021 19:05

He's adorable - what a totally cute face!

iamthesandstorm · 17/04/2021 19:11

He's gorgeous. ,has got a little mark by his nose just like our cat did!

claireb7rg · 17/04/2021 19:33

Oh he's a handsome boy 😍😍

We have a very nervous rescue too, had her just over a week now and she is still very much hiding for most of the day. Her history is ex farm cat though so this is possibly the first time she may have been in a house for longer than an hour or 2...

She had exclusive use of the utility for the first 2 days then we started letting her out into the open plan living area / kitchen. She spends most of the day under the sofa. And goes back into the utility on her own over night. Our other cat mostly leaves her alone but has on occasion been sniffing around her bed area and litter tray.

Have you got a feliway plug in? If not maybe try one to calm him down

StripedLeopard · 17/04/2021 19:40

He'll be fine, he just needs to settle and know that he's safe. I adopted a cat who spent the first 10 days hiding behind the washing machine and only came out at night to eat and use the litter tray. He's now curled up asleep on my lap 😻

georgedawes · 17/04/2021 19:42

All of our cats have been like this. Our last one was so nervous I couldn't get near him for days... he's now the cuddliest most confident cat ever. Has to have a good 1 hour cuddle with me each day, and is the boss of the house too!

Original poster
lepetitfromage · 17/04/2021 20:24

We will move at his pace. Unfortunately its difficult to give him exclusive use of a room as we've no utility or spare room. We have a small second living room and that's where he is but we do need to use it sometimes as well, but will try to avoid. Had not heard of feliway, will look it up and pop to petshop tomorrow

OP posts:
Original poster
lepetitfromage · 17/04/2021 20:25

And looking forward to those cuddles if he can ever bear them!

OP posts:
Youdontknowwhatyoureonabout · 17/04/2021 20:30

What a cutie!
Do come and update when he’s settled in a bit.
My cat hated Feliway btw.

ThreeLadsPointingAtAStar · 17/04/2021 20:32

Oh he's lovely.

One of ours hid for weeks - it was like having a little ghost cat in the house. We knew she was eating and using the litter tray but she wouldn't come out of her hiding place in my study. She'd creep into the bedroom at night and sit on the bedside table looking at us. If we moved a muscle she'd run.

Now, she is queen of the house and rules the roost.

Original poster
lepetitfromage · 17/04/2021 21:06

A little progress. I brought him some cat treats (the dentalife ones which I think are better than dreamies??) He ate a few of those. I left the room and peeped around the corner and his food bowl was empty. He had moved to hide in a different corner then my daughter peeped in and he had climbed back in his pet carrier, hopefully to have a little sleep. Aww, poor little puss! Will check him once more before bed but think best now to let him get on with things. 😍

OP posts:
nearlynermal · 18/04/2021 08:00

OP, if you're in the market for treats, my cats are obsessed with lick-e-lix paste. The liver flavour in particular is like crack cocaine.

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