She's been under a bookshelf for four days and only comes out at night, won't let me touch her. I've tried toys, treats, catnip, ignoring her, nothing works!
2006-09-14 14:12:58 · 34 answers · asked by velma13 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
She's probably just shy, she'll come around in a little while, or maybe she's just adopted the bookshelf as her 'den'. If you can try taking the book shelf away for a little bit.
2006-09-14 14:15:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just_hanging_out, April Michelle, and Katrina L have the best answers. I'm just backing up what they say with a little personal experience.
My friend and I found an abandoned kitten a while back and took it in and got it treated for injuries and stuff. However, the kitten hid under her bed or under the futon or behind the dresser... whatever it could do. First my friend kept preventing the kitten from hiding and the cat was very ferociously defensive, hissed at everything, and yowled all the time (partially due to infections which were treated shortly after we got her). Finally, I convinced my friend to let the kitten have half the bed by shoving some blankets back under the bed. That way, the kitten was still within arm's reach if an emergency occurred, but could still feel sufficiently safe and hidden away. This worked out well, and after a couple weeks (including a traumatic vet visit) the kitten was romping about and being just as annoyingly playful as any healthy kitten should be.
My advice is to let the kitten go for a few more days. Have something fun handy like a bottle cap or a shoelace, and if the kitten comes out to satisfy some curiosity, roll the bottle cap toward it or drag the shoelace around on the floor. Kittens are instinctively trying to learn to hunt so once she is fairly comfortable she will not be able to pass up an opportunity to play hunt. When my friend and I started this with her kitten the cat just stared at the tassle (we used a graduation tassle cause we're horrible) and didn't move, but after a while he caught on to the concept and played with it. He would only play with it if we helped him, though!
Kittens are vulnerable... they are children taken from their mothers (though, at a proper age, this is normal.. often kittens are seperated from their mothers too early and it causes some chaos for them)... treat the kitten as though a mother would treat a child, with patience, tolerance, and gentleness. The kitten will come to think of you as a mother and trust you, but it just takes time.
And please, whatever you do, do not drag her out by force or scare her out. :(
2006-09-14 14:38:57 · answer #2 · answered by Jesika 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
DON'T scare her or force her out! She will only trust you less. If you've only had her for 4 days, just give her time. As long as she's coming out to eat, drink, and use the bathroom (I doubt she's messing under the bookcase since cats don't normally like to "hang out" where they defecate) she's going to be fine. She'll get better. Just keep on doing what you're doing, but don't be too pushy. Sit by the bookcase and offer her treats while you talk to her soothingly (and in a happy tone). If you go at her too hard-core, she'll just be more intimidated and put-off. And don't block off the bookcase, either. She needs a place to hide....since she's chosen the bookcase, taking that hiding spot away would only make her more stressed....and she'd probably just find somewhere else to hide, anyway. With time (and patience on your part), she'll begin to realize she can trust you.
2006-09-14 14:26:39 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Velma, this is normal Kitten behavior. I just got kittens and was having the same problem. She is afraid that's all and it can take anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks for her to start to feel safe. You should continue to put food out and water and give her time.
Your kitten has been through a lot recently. She's been taken from her mother and litter mates, and she's living with a strange giant who for all that she knows may decide to eat her for lunch.
You're new kitten won't really start to feel comfortable in your home until she has explored every inch of it, that's what her nighttime activity is about. Just leave her be and she will start to warm up to you.
2006-09-18 11:39:14 · answer #4 · answered by sjoisanne 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The first task is to catch her. Then you should confine her to a place where she cannot hide. Bathrooms are good for this if you have an extra one and you have to check it out thoroughly. I had a kitten go up a small hole at the bottom of a cabinet!
Make whatever space you can spare comfy for her with a litterbox, food and water dishes, and something soft to curl up on which will also keep her warm.
Go in to her with her food and clean water. Get down on the floor and talk to her softly -- all sorts of nonsense, telling her she is so pretty, so sweet, how happy you are she is in your home, etc.
I used to take a book into the room where I kept shy kitties or cats and simply sit and read for a while. A small radio that has soft music and some human voices is also good.
When you can hold her a bit you can stroke firmly the bridge of the nose from the base up through the area between the eyes. This is calming for cats. You can wrap her in a towel and sit her in your lap facing away from you. Take your thumb on the top of both ears and your forefingers underneath the ears and stroke gently from the base of both ears to the tips. This stimulates all the acupuncture sites in her body and gets her undivided attention. Cats get to love this ear stroking.
2006-09-14 14:34:11 · answer #5 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
when I got my kitten a few weeks ago, he spent two days hiding under a table. I got fed up of this and pulled him out and made a real fuss of him, hand fed him some food and encouraged him to sit with me. I also, moved the table to another room where he is not allowed. As a result, I now have a confident lil kitten who terrorises my flatmate!! (apparently his hand is a chew toy)
Try the food thing tho, offering food to her by hand, and taking away her bowl, she'll be hungry within a couple of hours if she is small cos they digest quickly. That way she will associate you as the one that feeds her and she'll get used to you that way. Food with cats is always a good way to go.
2006-09-15 10:16:55 · answer #6 · answered by Fluffy1976 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does she come out and eat when you're not around?If she isn't eating then she could be ill,but if she is eating ,then what she's doing is adjusting to a new,strange place.Give her time,talk to her kindly and leave little treats for her .After a while ,she'll decide that you're ok and she'll come around.I've had (and still do have)lots of cats and they are all different.Some are friendly right away,while others take time,just like people.Be patient and good luck to you and your kitty.
2006-09-14 15:11:47 · answer #7 · answered by Dances With Woofs! 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
DO NOT force her to come out because then you are making it worse for her. she's already scared of you and doesn't trust you, if you force her out then she be even more frightened of you!! just give her time, she'll come out sooner or later. when she does, try to coax her toward you with some food or toy in your hand. she will soon warm up to after that. it just takes time and patience!! leave her be for now and don't startle her or anything like that! you must have just adopted her, I guess. as long as she's eating and going to the potty regularly than she's fine. by the way, you meant behind the bookshelf right?
when I first adopted my (now) 2 yr. old female cat at 5 wks. she was scared to death. you couldn't touch her or even look at her. she was soooo frightened of everybody and everything. I became soooo frustrated with her. but, finally one night, I woke up and she was asleep on bed beside me just purring away!! I was sooo thrilled! it took at least 4 months for me to be able to pet her for a few minutes. now, she's the sweetest most lovable little girl ever!!!
I hope everything works out ok! Good Luck!!
2006-09-14 14:24:48 · answer #8 · answered by *miss lily* 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
leave her she will come out in time she as got to get used to the new surroundings and you i presume youve not had her long and she doesnt sound like her personallity is very out going so it may take a bit longer for her to gain some confidence with you and her surroundings. when she does come out make sure that you do not pressure her with loads of attention let her come to you and make it a nice experience. some cats will always be like this and not enjoy humancompany like others
2006-09-14 21:52:58 · answer #9 · answered by jenny n 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she's a new kitten give her time. When she starts to feel comfortable she will come out. You can pull her out and give her love, but when you put her down she will go right back to hiding. One of my cats took two weeks before he would come out.
2006-09-14 21:32:20 · answer #10 · answered by babyrat269 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋