Shy Cat, Oh No, Major Project!

[RamblinRosie]

A month ago I adopted a cat, I said I wanted one that would be hard to home. I was thinking ugly, old or missing a limb. They offered me a shy cat.

And, boy is she shy! Initially she bunkered down in the most inaccessible areas of the dining room, but after two weeks she moved back into her igloo.

She’s fully litter trained and has learned when it’s feeding time, she meeps when she wants food. She’s very partial to Dreamies and ham.

She now has full access to the house, but mostly stays in her room (the dining room) but occasionally pops out.

She seems to have a fascination for my male cat Sid, including snuggling up to him the other night and gazing out at her window at him. Hence her new name Nancy.

We’re planning to let her be comfortable in her own time.

Awww bless, she might come round a bit eventually, sounds like you're doing a great job with her anyway!

She sounds lovely. Hopefully she'll come out if her shell.

Nancy😬, love it. I've got a major scaredy cat as well. I've had her since she was 4 weeks old - found her in the road. The vet told me she'd always be a terrified cat and she was correct! She's now 11 years old and is still in a state of high anxiety a lot of the time. Most of my other cats haven't liked her, so I'm glad Sid is good with your Nancy😁

Photo please😺

Our little boy was/is shy , he came from CPL in a bonded pair with his sister , they had to be homed together .
He's been here 3 years and loves DD and DH (but tolerates me)

In the past couple of weeks we've had carpet fitted and a new bed .
Wardrobes delivered
Plumber visit .

Anyone who comes into the house unsettles him.
I defleafed them both which put me firmly in the bad books

It is so worth it to see them gain trust and get their paws under the table .

You do realise that the original Sid and Nancy ended very badly Op 😬

Seriously she sounds fab! But why no photo?

Photo will follow, when I can get one, she’s a bit camera shy.

I do know that the original Sid and Nancy ended poorly, but I just couldn’t resist.

Ha! Just don't let them watch the film on Netflicks

Ours thrive on routine , they like the security of knowing their meal-time , their door being unlocked , DH being here WFH , Dreamies Time
They had each other when they arrived but a big new change for them (and us ) . New scary house and people ...but a garden for them too.

We'd had a cat over 15 years ago but these two were different altogether .It's lovely that she has found her safe secure home and Sid .

Mine were so shy that they spent a year at the rescue before I took them home. They hid a LOT of the time, and it took me 6 months before I could touch the bolder one.

Even now 6 years on, though they both love cuddles with me and roam their domain (house only) as owners they are NOT happy if anyone else comes to the house. Girlcat MAY show herself just to make a point, but Boycat will dive behind the sofa, then make a dash for upstairs when he thinks no-one is looking

Oh op she sounds lovely!

But you haven't paid the Cat Tax. With interest, we will be requiring a picture of her snuggled with Sid.

I have a shy cat, she is a rescue and we adopted her and her sister when the were 4 months old. I didn’t meet either of them at the rehoming shelter, DD17 found them and got in the run and sat on the floor next to where they were both hiding and said we had to have them!
We started them off in our dining room, in a box under a chair with a blanket to hide under. DD then spent a lot of time sitting on the floor and hand feeding them. They soon came out to explore and big sister is a normal cat that loves people and will often try to answer the door.
Little sister remains scared of most things/people except the four of us and when the doorbell goes still rushes to hide in awkward places, behind the fridge, desk, under a bed. She loved lockdown when everyone was at home all day and there were no visitors. She is very affectionate and loves cuddles.

Well, shy cats are certainly the hardest to home. Elderly cats, those missing bits, those with chronic illnesses all find it easier to be homed than shy cats. Shy cats often end up staying at our shelter a year or longer.

And it sounds as though you're doing well. A month is nothing. In six months I'm sure she'll be transformed.

This is the best picture I can currently manage . She likes to be under something. This is her in the sitting room with me for the last couple of hours.

We have moved from hurtling, to scuttling, to mostly trotting and walking.

She now knows when it’s feeding time and mithers for food.

She escaped into the garden a couple of days ago (idiot DH left the door ajar) she had a snoop around then scuttled back in, so I think she’s decided that this is home.

We still can’t touch her, we’re working on the basis of letting her come to us, she’s quite interested in my shoes!

DH says if that’s what she is, that’s what she is, but I know he’s desperate for contact (this is the man who sits on the front half of his chair when working so our other female cat can sit behind him ).

I’m aiming at nothing short of snuggly, but baby steps.

She looks so sweet! that's a good sign, that she came in from the garden.

I have a very shy rescue cat too. She's very jumpy, hides from new people for days (difficult when it's a cat sitter) but is so loving with me. It took a while to get her trust, but she eventually came around and loves her cuddles and lap sitting now.