Adopted cat hiding

[MrsM1905]

Hi all,

Just looking for some advice.

We adopted a 7 year old cat on Sunday. Since we brought her home she has hidden under our sofa and refused to come out while we are awake. She is coming out at night, doing the toilet and eating but we are yet to see her out from under the sofa.

We bought a feliway plug in, but not seeing any difference.

Is this normal behaviour? I feel so bad for her, I just want her to feel at ease.

Thank you!

Assuming she's lived in a house/with people before then you just need to give her time. Were you told she's nervous/shy?

She was from a breeder before and had lived outside in kennels so never really been in a house.

They said she was very loving and loved cuddles.

But appreciate that it is a massive adjustment for her. We are willing to be patient with her and give her space but we've never rehomed/adopted before so it's all new to us.

Entirely normal! Mine took a week to emerge but is now ludicrously affectionate. Just give her some time. And perhaps see what happens if you put your hand under the sofa with some Dreamies in it.

Its totally normal. She will come out when she is feeling more confident. Its all new smells and strange noises for her.

I once adopted an older ex breeding Siamese cat who'd spent her life in a large cage - the breeder wanted rid as she never came on heat. She was at first scared of large spaces and lived in the pantry for a while. We were just patient with her and gave her space - we sat near her and chatted to her.

She eventually emerged, came on heat a few months later and we let her have one litter of kittens before spaying her. Obviously she was unhappy in a cage!

Just give her time - it's a big change.

Perfectly normal. Keep being in the same room but quietly getting on with things. Don't force it and let her get used to all the new smells and sounds.

Did she come via a rescue?

Work at a rescue . Yes, totally normal . It will take MONTHS for an animal to settle into a new home. Give them time and their personalities will come out and they will trust you. It takes some cats months just to come close to me. Please don't let this put you off .

We have cats returned within a week because people havnt given it time and they want the perfect cat straight away .

It took our rescue boy three months before he came out of hiding while we were home. He spent the rest of his time hiding in a corner hissing at everyone.

We've had him for six years now and he's like a brand new cat. He loves cuddles and will actively seek them out - he even approaches strangers at the door for attention which he would never have done before. He'll do anything for a Dreamie and gets on amazingly with our other cats.

Just give her time.

Completely normal, I had cats with a similar background. She came out after a week.

Thank you all! It has put my mind at ease.
Bless her it must a lot for her. 😊

Absolutely normal!

We are on adopted rescue cat number 2 in 9 weeks, we Re 10 days in with number 2 and she is finally starting to show confidence and come downstairs.

My previous cat came from breeder and had always lived indoors. We adopted her after a friend's circumstances altered and they could no longer afford her. She had under the kitchen units (she destroyed the air vent in the base boards to get under) for 3 weeks and then suddenly appeared and was a proper lap cat from them on.

Give her time and space. She will come around!!

take a look at #sophiefromromania on twitter - an adopted dog rather than a cat, arrived in Christmas week and has only just started to come out of her shell & stop hiding behind the sofa.

It doesn't sound as if she's got lots of trauma to get over, but it must all be very different for her, and she doesn't know what's going on.

Awww, I promise kitty will be fine !!! Whenever myself or anyone I know has adopted a rescue, it can sometimes be two or three weeks till they start to warm to you a little. A good week to 10 days before they start coming from behind the couch.

Try and tempt kitty out with little treats like dreamies or something. But please don't worry. She's a rescue. She's adopted. She's been ripped from all she knows and she's probably a little bit traumatised at being abandoned originally. This is a big move for her, but I'm sure you're going to be a lovely family and she'll be fine within a few weeks.

Don't rush her - and be patient. My daughter's cat took about six months to properly properly warm to them. You are doing nothing wrong. Enjoy being a cat mom!!!

Took about three months for one of ours to emerge.
We said it was like living with a ghost cat. We knew she was there but never saw her.
She set up home in the spare bedroom and was eating/drinking/using the litter tray but would hide if we were near.

At night she would venture out and we'd hear here moving around the house. After about a month she used to creep into our bedroom and sit on the bedside table watching us - if we moved or spoke she'd scarper.

Now she's an absolute cuddle monster who sleeps in our bedroom and is incredibly affectionate.

I rehomed from a family member ,at aged 10, was on my knee purring ten minutes after being left with me. He was kept in for a month and made himself at home immediately. You just never know with a cat , he had only ever known a loving home and had to come to me as family member had to move to a flat He soon established dominance outside, so very confident. Now 15 and still loves a fight, still a total lap cat. They are all so individual. Am totally incapussatated, trying to write this.