Settling in a shy/anxious rescue cat

[twobluechickens]

Hi all,

Been a long term lurker on this board, admiring all your beautiful cats, but all being well I will be picking up a rescue cat this weekend, if we like each other when I go to meet her.

My last cat was a confident old lad who made himself at home immediately, but this one is shy and scared of new situations so I want to make it as comfortable for her as possible. It's just me at home, no kids or other pets. I WFH mostly. Any tips welcome! Will check food/litter requirements with the rescue.

Cat tax will be paid when she's arrived!

Aw bless! I used to foster cats ready for rehoming. Just give the cat time and lots of space. Some gentle encouragement with a tasty treat if it's been a few days and it still won't come out for example. you can keep the food and water near the cats hiding spot and gradually move the bowls if you need to but don't put the litter tray next to the food. If your house is quiet and calm I can't see you having many problems but yes lots of time, lots of space. Enjoy!

We rescued a very shy cat around 2 years ago from cats protection. They gave us advice to have a room just for him which we did, and he ended up staying in there for a few weeks. We left the door open but he didn't want to venture out. We mostly just spent time in there with him just sitting reading and occasionally stroking him, which built up his trust in us I think. Eventually he started going into other rooms, and eventually one evening we were sat downstairs and he just wandered in and sat with us! I think just letting him get used to us and the house in his own time was what helped.

He also had a lot of food anxiety as he was kept with a lot of cats before rescue and didn't have much to eat, so he ate all food very quickly and would hiss if we came near while he was eating. Not sure if your cat would be the same, but we just made sure we fed him the same food at the same time everyday until he relaxed. This took ages! But now he just eats what he wants.

I hope it goes well! It's so lovely when they start to feel safe and venture out and trust you more.

Thank you both. She's an older girl and her owner had to go into a home, so hopefully no issues with food. Apparently she prefers to eat her main meal overnight, with biscuits during the day, so I'll stick to that. My desk is in the spare room where she'll be but I can move things out into another room while she's settling in, unless she can cope with boring Teams calls.

Our rescue cat was timid when we bought him home

He had his own room with food in one corner and litter in the other

We left the door ajar so that he could see out if he wanted to. We left a box in the for him to hide in, a bed and some toys

When we went in, we didn’t approach him and would just sit on the floor until he started to approach us - we would then put down a few treats, which he would eventually come over for

It took 5 days before he would let us touch him and another 5 before he would come out of the door

Feliway is always recommended, the giving time and space like people have suggested, good hiding spots both down low and up high. That are safe zones - so you don't go disturbing them when they're in their little den. And when I adopted my two shy boys what I found helpful was identifying the high value treat - turned out to be cooked chicken for mine, but lots of cats really love lickelix/churu. As time went on I'd reward being around me with the tasty chicken opportunity, scary uncomfortable human comes with a tasty chicken treat. At first I'd just put on the floor and retreat and gradually built up to hand feeding them chicken. Won over an anxious fluffy lump who had hidden down the side of some shelves when I first got them and would hiss at me if I even looked in his direction! Now he loves a fuss and actively nips at my ankle if he thinks I'm not stroking him enough.

Watching with interest as I'm in the same boat. She's so nervy and shy, bless her. Good idea about rewarding contact with food/treats.

We adopted an older cat and she settled right in.

Our boy is shy , when we got him we knew this and he was bonded with his sister who gives him confidence .
They are both 5yo now - he's still wary of new situations and someone coming into the house will send him pelting off .
He adores our DD (21yo - my DC are adults ) but really doesn;t trust me . It's a family joke that I come home from work or down the stairs and he slopes out the catdoor .
At the moment he;s asleep on the dining room chair next to me but I'm getting "don't even think about it" vibes . He will let me touch his paws and his chin but that's it .
Our girl is much more Alpha Cat , she'll let you know she;s there .
They aren't cuddly but having them in our home adds something that only cats can give you .
He loves his garden and is more adventurous than her .

Spare room prepped, food and litter (and lick-e-lix) purchased, excitement levels building. Going to get a feliway plug-in tomorrow en route to the rescue. I hope we like each other.

Ooh exciting news .
They should give you something of hers - a blanket or something- that is familiar .
And what food she is eating so you can keep it the same . If you do change it needs to be gradual .

I changed ours over to grainfree biscuits (they have a half scoop in with their supper not a constant supply) , the difference in the smell is amazing !

When our male took his Brave Pills and walked across the floor from the corner table he was hiding under , we all held our breaths and kept silent .

He still looks at me like I'm the supplier to a high class furrier and I'm after skinning him. I bribed him today with a tiny piece of cheddar to win approval .

When our male took his Brave Pills and walked across the floor from the corner table he was hiding under , we all held our breaths and kept silent .

This will be me 😁

I’m hoping that in time she will interrupt Teams calls - several colleagues have cats and I have cat envy when they shove their hairy bums in front of the camera mid-call (the cats, not my colleagues)

Good luck today!

Thank you! She showed absolutely no interest in me at the cattery, all squidged in the corner looking sad, and is now hiding under the bed in the spare room, but I think with a little time she'll be fine, if a little nervous around new people. She came in with her mum, covered in fleas, and her mum was in too bad a state so was PTS, no wonder she looked sad in the photos. We shall see!

Aw bless her little heart , she;s confused and scared .

She'll settle , and get used to her new home and family .
All animals like routine it makes them feel secure . So when she realises she;ll get fed at x+y time and you;ll chat to her a while , she'll trust you .

Ours know when it's Breakfast and Supper and when its Dreamies time you could set a clock by these animals
Our female has taken up residence in the top tier of the cat tower , being of Lady of All She Surveys .

As it'll be a while till you get your CatTax in order , what colour is she ?

She's all black, with big pale green eyes. Really pretty. I think I heard the litter tray being used just before I left to go out tonight so hopefully she's ok. Happy for her to take as long as she needs, there's no hurry.

I hate to say this but my rescue cat of 5 years is STILL anxious.
She hides behind the sofa when worried.
After she was found abandoned outside she refuses to ever go outside again.
Feliway is useless on her.
But she does love to relax with her catnip toys!! Here is a pic of the shy moggie.

Aww black cat ( they are The Best)

I did read they are 18x less likely to be homed and this increases hugely if they are shy .

Hopefully your new feline buries her pooh ( our boy does ) unlike our female who just leaves it parked on top of her litter . They have their own trays , it just evolved that she likes the covered one , he uses the big open tray .

Though it does make us quicker to clean it

Aw she's lovely @lookingforMolly ! It doesn't matter if this one is always anxious, it's just me here, and the occasional visitor.

So, she's eaten some wet food and biscuits, had a wee, and there are paw impressions on the bed cover so she's been up for a look out of the window. Back under the bed, but that's fine. I'm going out for the day but when I'm back this evening I'll sit next to the open door and read my book for a bit, let her get used to me.

Sounds like progress! She sounds very much like my cat, she wouldn't look at me or let me touch her in the rescue. It took 5 days of hiding and just coming out at night before she would let me touch her (plus some looking at me and growling). But then she went all-in with trusting me.

She is very much a bonded lapcat now and loves interrupting zoom calls.

You're giving me hope @Saverage ! When the rescue staff stroked her there was lots of (loud!) purring but I wasn't sure if that was because she was stressed. Apparently she loves being brushed so hopefully we'll work up to that.

Yes, mine would let one member of staff stroke her but it was all very wooden and uncomfortable looking. I had to watch from behind a curtain so as not to freak her out. Then they sent me in to the cubicle to have a go and she clearly didn't want me to touch her so I didn't. She looked so miserable.

Two years on (and even after the first week with me) she was a completely different cat.

Not much progress to report other than she's still under the bed but is eating plenty, there's been a poo and she likes Dreamies (I've left a couple out and they've been snaffled up). I am going to buy one of those high up scratching posts with an enclosed cocoon bed up top to try to lure her out from under the bed so she can see out into the garden at least. It must be very boring under the bed.