Cat gone into hiding

boombap

I really, really, really, really suggest you try the Feliway diffuser. Another poster has suggested the manual spray which is cheaper but I've personally found the spray very inferior and have heard similar stories from other cat keepers. With the diffuser the output is constant which is obviously a quality appealing to a nervous cat.

The diffusers you can get for about £22 online and the spray about £12. Personally I'd say that spending £22 on the diffuser is £22 well spent whereas £12 on the spray is money down the drain. What I'm trying to say is that don't think the spray is moneysaving despite being cheaper!

If you do decide to get the diffuser then I'd suggest plugging it in on your landing or hallway. It will cover 'general' house areas and should float into her room if the door is ajar.

I know that £22 is a lot for some (including myself) but it does seem to be bloody good!

Best of luck - keep us informed won't ya!

S.

Edit - PS - others have mentioned having the telly on so that she can hear voices to get her used to them. I agree that this is a good idea but perhaps you could leave a radio on tuned to a talk station (BBC4/5 or TalkSport etc) when you're out at work.

dollparts

LittleTinker wrote: »

We once had a cat who was "very shy" and we didnt really see her acting normally at all in the 14 months we had her.
She came out to eat and to use a litter tray but would run if there was the slightest noise or strangers around although she would come out for a stroke from us now and then.

You would be better off taking her out of the bedroom and putting her in the room that you use the most so that she can get used to you moving around etc. Being in a quiet bedroom where nothing happens is compounding the problem and its likely that that is what the original owner did.

She will find a hiding place in your room and can then hear the TV or you moving around or talking on the phone etc. She will get used to the noises and you very quickly......and her trust will build up.
Hopefully, she will come out fully when she feels settled, but being in the bedroom wont help.

I can see the logic in what you're saying but I cannot get close enough to her without her bolting! I made the mistake last week of making her think I was going to pick her up and she scratched my neck and ran away-I was only picking something up she had knocked over in the night and I wanted to make some space for her in her hidey hole!

Still don't understand what is with the loud miaowing though, just seems strange she's so noisy at night yet we do not see now hear her all day long.

h007

dollparts wrote: »

I can see the logic in what you're saying but I cannot get close enough to her without her bolting! I made the mistake last week of making her think I was going to pick her up and she scratched my neck and ran away-I was only picking something up she had knocked over in the night and I wanted to make some space for her in her hidey hole!

Still don't understand what is with the loud miaowing though, just seems strange she's so noisy at night yet we do not see now hear her all day long.

Is she spayed? just thinking the miaowing could be her being in heat?
if not then it is probably because cats are naturally more active at night. if my 2 had the choice they would have us up at 4am.
(when she is abit more confident you can play with her in the evening to wear her out and this should help her sleep at night.)

if you can face it, maybe when she starts miaowing at night get up and see if she actually wants anything - ie is she sitting next to her food bowl?
if not then settle yourself in the room with her and she may be abit bolder at night time and let you pet her

dollparts

LittleTinker wrote: »

We once had a cat who was "very shy" and we didnt really see her acting normally at all in the 14 months we had her.
She came out to eat and to use a litter tray but would run if there was the slightest noise or strangers around although she would come out for a stroke from us now and then.

You would be better off taking her out of the bedroom and putting her in the room that you use the most so that she can get used to you moving around etc. Being in a quiet bedroom where nothing happens is compounding the problem and its likely that that is what the original owner did.

She will find a hiding place in your room and can then hear the TV or you moving around or talking on the phone etc. She will get used to the noises and you very quickly......and her trust will build up.
Hopefully, she will come out fully when she feels settled, but being in the bedroom wont help.

She was on the stairs this morning when my daughter came out of her room! she ran down the stairs and then behind the tv. There was no way she was going to come out so I decided to get her from behind the tv so she could go where she preferred.

I see your point about not having her holed up in one room but it disnt seem fair to keep her down there when she was clearly too terrified to come out-even to eat or use the litter tray thingie.

I stroked her a few times and then lifted her out-she scratched the hell out of my wrist-I now look like I have tried to commit suicide:eek:

And up she went back to her hidey hole. If only she knew we wouldn't dream of hurting the poor little thing

dollparts

h007 wrote: »

Is she spayed? just thinking the miaowing could be her being in heat?she hasn't been spayed yet-she gave was a breeder's cat before, had a litter but breeder was allowing her to recover before spaying as she ended up having a caesarian
if not then it is probably because cats are naturally more active at night. if my 2 had the choice they would have us up at 4am.
(when she is abit more confident you can play with her in the evening to wear her out and this should help her sleep at night.)

if you can face it, maybe when she starts miaowing at night get up and see if she actually wants anything - ie is she sitting next to her food bowl?as soon as I go to her to see why she may be miaowing she is no where to be seen-as soon as she hears footsteps she's off!
if not then settle yourself in the room with her and she may be abit bolder at night time and let you pet her

have tried this many times but reaction is just like the day time ie; no chance she will come out.

she must be so bored of being behind the bed/bookcase

dollparts

squee wrote: »

I really, really, really, really suggest you try the Feliway diffuser. Another poster has suggested the manual spray which is cheaper but I've personally found the spray very inferior and have heard similar stories from other cat keepers. With the diffuser the output is constant which is obviously a quality appealing to a nervous cat.

The diffusers you can get for about £22 online and the spray about £12. Personally I'd say that spending £22 on the diffuser is £22 well spent whereas £12 on the spray is money down the drain. What I'm trying to say is that don't think the spray is moneysaving despite being cheaper!

If you do decide to get the diffuser then I'd suggest plugging it in on your landing or hallway. It will cover 'general' house areas and should float into her room if the door is ajar.

I know that £22 is a lot for some (including myself) but it does seem to be bloody good!

Best of luck - keep us informed won't ya!

S.

Edit - PS - others have mentioned having the telly on so that she can hear voices to get her used to them. I agree that this is a good idea but perhaps you could leave a radio on tuned to a talk station (BBC4/5 or TalkSport etc) when you're out at work.

I work from home so the time she is alone is minimal. I always have the radio on as well.

foreign_correspondent

someone has been breeding off the cat, and it is like this...? the mind boggles. Also, was the breeder letting her recover before speying, or hoping to breed her again - its not unusual for a spay to be carried out at the same time as a c section, and it would have been kinder to the cat than two lots of surgery.

dollparts

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

someone has been breeding off the cat, and it is like this...? the mind boggles. Also, was the breeder letting her recover before speying, or hoping to breed her again - its not unusual for a spay to be carried out at the same time as a c section, and it would have been kinder to the cat than two lots of surgery.

That someone you refer to is a responsible breeder if you would like to know. Are you trying to say that only non-breeding owners have shy or timid cats?

Kinder than two lots of surgery? Maybe in your opinion but in these circumstances it was not advisable. Circumstances of which have no relevance to the topic and more importantly no bearing on her shyness hence the reason I did not go into detail.

Quite why your mind boggles is unclear, but then again if you are so hasty to suspect wrong-doing and foul play as you clearly inferred FC, it goes a long way to explain why you are the only person that has not posted to offer anything of use to anyone wishing to learn more about their pets behaviour. Unless of course they seek a side order of sniping and criticism.

anna_conda

I've had lots of cats, mostly from rescue places. I've always found that kittens settle in quickly (in fact, straight away) as they like the company and are very curious. Older cats (over about a year old) have always acted like your new one, and have found places to hide away. But they always come round in the end, and bit by bit creep out more often.

The further away their food is from the hiding place the better, so that they have to 'explore' to get at it.

I think you and she will do fine, because you are obviously giving her the time she needs.

foreign_correspondent

dollparts wrote: »

That someone you refer to is a responsible breeder if you would like to know. Are you trying to say that only non-breeding owners have shy or timid cats?

Nope, but surely its only common sense only to breed from animals with exemplary temprements. From the description of the cat, I assumed she was an ex stray/feral - has she been a house cat before?

Please dont get angry, I am genuinely surprised that she has been used for breeding, but is so scared of human contact - has she always been like this do you know? Understanding why she is like this may be helpful in working out what to do. Has she always been with other cats? - I guess this may make the transition much harder for her