Bit of reassurance for my new rescue cat

[dentsdubonheur]

Hi everyone - I brought home a rescue cat on Wednesday, so we're going into day 3 of her being home. She's called Harlequin, or Quinn for short, and she's a two-year-old tortie.
I chose her because when I went into the room she was in (to actually look at another cat), she was so friendly - loved coming over for a stroke and a belly rub - that she totally won me over.
Now I've brought her home and she has spent all waking hours hiding in an underbed storage drawer and only coming out at night (I know because I have a little cat camera in her room and it alerts me). Yesterday evening I did manage to spot her sat on the windowsill when I came in, but she looked absolutely terrified of me - all tensed up and crouching in a ball. 😥
I guess I'm just after reassurance that this scaredy cat period will pass - I've read loads of websites and Reddit threads saying this is normal and that sometimes they hide for weeks or even months, but just want to hear your positive stories of cats that came out of their shell.
I live on my own and aged 41 and single I am fully leaning into my 'spinster cat lady' aesthetic 😆 so was really looking forward to having a snuggle bug to keep me company.

@urbanbuddha I think tortoiseshell is 2 colours (neither of them white), calico is 3 colours, they are different.

She's very pretty OP! My rescue hid for 5 days under the kitchen cupboards, I didn't see her at all, just saw food disappearing and litter tray evidence.

She eventually emerged and plonked herself on my lap.

Tortoiseshell is black and ginger. If there's white too it's a tortoiseshell and white.
Calico is the American term.

Oh gawd, the saga continues - she's escaped! It was really hot on Friday and I had the window in my office (which is next to her room) open as I was working from home. She must have slipped out of her room (I'd opened the door that morning to give her more roaming space - big mistake) and got into the office when the door wasn't closed. I'm such an idiot 😞

Initially I didn't think I'd left the door open, and was thinking that she'd hidden somewhere else in the house, so was waiting it out over the weekend to see if she'd reappear, but she didn't touch her food or litter tray all weekend.

I put a post on my local Facebook page yesterday and about 11.30pm last night, someone messaged saying that they thought they'd seen her staring in through their patio doors - it's a house very close to mine, which would make sense.

Headed over there in my PJs with the cat carrier and some Dreamies to shake, but only succeeded in getting the attention of every other neighbourhood cat when they heard the rattle! 😰

I'm so annoyed with myself for what's happened, and just wonder if I'll ever get her back, because she barely knows me or the house where she was, so how will she every get home unless someone traps her?

I rang the rescue centre where I picked her up from and they recommended sprinkling some of her litter around the outside of my house to provide a scent, and to also hang her little blanket that went with her from the rescue centre.

I've just got all fingers crossed and praying so hard that I get her back, otherwise I'll be devastated. 😥

Oh you poor thing! What a nightmare! Are you sure she got out? I thought my rescue cat had escaped but he'd squeezed behind the dishwasher and somehow got underneath our completely enclosed kitchen cupboards.
I do hope she turns up soon. I completely understand the worry and devastation.

Hope she returns soon. Is she chipped with your name and address?

If the lady who messaged me is correct and properly identified her, then yes. It makes sense because otherwise her food would have been going down if she was just hiding at home.

Yep - microchipped with my details - if someone can trap her and get her to a vet then I should get a phone call.

Oh what a worry I'm so sorry this has happened. Don't blame yourself, cats are sneaky! I'm certain you'll get her back

Have you tried going out late on a night when it's quiet like midnight, calling her name and shaking the treats. Wonder if the rescue can help with a cat trap?

You've got a good chance of getting her returned as she's chipped, don't lose hope! I would contact all vets and rescues in your local area and let them know she's lost (and new) in case they do get her brought in. Keep trying where she was last seen. Our local Facebook page is pretty good at reuniting lost pets and owners, fingers crossed!

I could have written this. Actually I did write this...

Facebook 21st July 20xx. Cats have arrived. Staring out the windows. Six weeks until I can dare let them out!
27th July 20xx. Cry. Girlcat has escaped through the one window we hadn't meshed.

Couple of days later:
SHE'S FOUND. Soaking wet in next door's shed. Guess not a happy furry right now. I can finally sleep...

All best wishes @dentsdubonheur

My formerly feral black girl spent her first three weeks hiding under the stairs all day - we gave her food and water there. We knew she came out at night to use the litter tray. These days she's still very independent (three years on) but will come and sit on the table when I'm working and demand a fuss, has learned how to purr and actually she could be caught for vet visits from the start - she'd hiss and growl, but never scratch and bite.

Yours will come around.

If she's still not home, @dentsdubonheur, then more than the litter trick is needed.

If you get onto your local 'lost and found cats' page on Facebook, there should be someone with a trap who can help. Make your own post as well. Posters, door-knocking.

For now, go out late/early with sardines, crouching around parked cars hoping to get a sighting of her.

More help attached. You have to be very proactive.

She's home! Got her back last night - such a relief!

Turns out she had decamped to two doors down garden and was hiding behind their decking. They had spotted her on Monday evening and put food out for her so she wouldn't stray too far, then managed to catch her yesterday evening.

Will be extra vigilant re keeping windows/doors shut (v difficult in this heat but I think the heat will break).

Next challenge is winning her over - I think it will take weeks, maybe even months, but I'm determined!

Here's a little still from the cat cam!

That's great news, @dentsdubonheur.

Just let her go at her own pace. They open up when they feel ready and it can be surprisingly fast or much slower.

International Cat Care have lots of good information:

icatcare.org/advice/helping-your-new-cat-or-kitten-settle-in/

Cats are very attached to places, so she was confident to approach you in a place she was used to, but is very unsure of everything in her new home at the moment.

She's a beauty!

I was thinking of you and am so pleased to hear this news! Her behaviour is very normal. She's frightened and confused but will settle in. I'd keep her in for a good 6 weeks q

Brilliant news! We have 3 rescue cats and one charged into the house and took over on day 1, another hid under a duvet for 4 solid weeks but is now a big cuddlepuss and the other was a year before she'd be confident enough to rest a paw on my shoulder. She will get there if you are patient, consistent and loving.

She will absolutely warm up. I've fostered about 20 cats, many of them scared adults. They almost all take a while to warm up (I've had a grand total of 2 who were friendly straight away!) and for quite a while will prefer to come out and observe you when you're predictable and sleeping. You will get there! She's beautiful btw.

Oh I'm so glad!
😸

She's lovely. So glad you got her back. When we got our first of our current three, she was very quiet and calm in the cat carrier. Didn't make a sound. Got her home to discover she'd somehow managed to poo in it without me realising! She panicked in the house and jumped all over the kitchen worktops. For ages she was terrified of all the kitchen appliances because of the noise.

Now she happily sits on the tumbledryer when it's on, and she comes for pets when she hears the coffee machine!

The other two when we got them (separately) came in like they'd always been here, but even then you could see them grow in confidence with time, and their real personalities emerged. It was weeks before they would let themselves sleep soundly with us in the room. When they started doing that, we knew they had settled.

Your girl will settle too. Torties are famously feisty (all of mine have been!) so you may have a change of personality to look forward too!

Try https://flatcats.co.uk/ for keeping her in while having your windows open. They cut the screens to measure & you fix them on with Velcro - they’re very easy to set up, & I’ve had cats climbing up them with no problem.

We had a bit of a breakthrough over the weekend and she willingly came up to me and was butting her head against my hand, purring, letting me stroke her - it was wonderful. 😻 Next morning, she was back to hiding under the bed, but we're getting there slowly - baby steps! I wish I could post a video of how friendly she was but here's another pic!

lovely update. Please keep us informed. What a beautiful girl

Late to your thread, but what a super picture! Gorgeous,