I have adopted a 7 month olds Siamese cat. He is eating fine, using the box fine and is in hiding..when and what can l do...l am old and l just want to pet him and love on him..l need help. Thank you.
I have adopted a 7 month olds Siamese cat. He is eating fine, using the box fine and is in hiding..when and what can l do...l am old and l just want to pet him and love on him..l need help. Thank you.
Hi Sissy,
Being introduced into a new home for a cat (kitten or adult) can be an adjustment for both cat and owner. It just requires abit of time. And some cats take abit longer then others. The breed of Siamese are known to be abit skittish but once you have earned his trust - he will return this love and loyalty to you. As long as he is eating fine, using his litter box correctly and there are no other unusual behaviours then the hiding for now is fairly normal. Try enticing him to come out from hiding by using a wand toy for some playtime therapy. One-on-one playtime interaction is an excellent why to earn his trust and create a bond between the two of you. Lots of gentle verbal praise can help ease his anxiety as well.
I have adopted a 2yr old female cat and she keeps to herself under the bed. She comes out to eat and use the litter box, even with me I view but once done back to the bedroom again. It's been just over 2 weeks and I don't want to force her out because I don't wish to scare her . How long should this process take??
Hi Ty and thanks for this question about your new cat.
It does sound like she is highly anxious.
We need to keep in mind, not only is she in a whole new environment with new smells and people, she may also be missing her previous home.
If you have any pets or children, this could be quite overwhelming for her.
I'd invest in a plug-in adaptor called 'Feliway' which can be plugged in the wall and will release 'Happy cat pheromones' to encourage her to stay calm.
Consider giving her a few weeks of calming supplements in her food to take the edge off. These are safe, all natural products that can really help. Examples of brands include Zylkene and Nutracalm, though there are lots out there.
Try to tempt her by playing with fun toys (laser pointers, wind up mice, string) near her but do not look at her or approach her, let her come to you when she feels confident enough.
If we break her trust by forcing contact and picking her up ot stroking her when she is not ready, this could lead to her being more fearful and may delay the whole process.
High value treats like pieces of chicken or Dreamies may work as a bribe- we can drop them each time we pass her, so she associates our presence with good things happening.
Do make sure her environment has all that she needs; 2 litter trays which are not near her bed or food, and a water bowl that is not near her food.
She may appreciate some hiding spaces too, like a bed on top of a cat tree.
With regards how long, this is highly variable and more timid cats will take longer to come out of their shell.
However, I'd say 3 months to settle in would not be unusual in a nervous cat.
