what should i do with our cat?

Question

Hi, i wanted to know how to begin taking care of a 2 year old cat that was given to my mom from her office friend. the cat is a female, and currently not very active to us, probably because of not seeing us as her owner. she goes to my room directly under my bed. i try petting her. like for example: she likes getting rubbed on her head. Now what should i or we do , for her to get adjusted to the new environment she's in. how long could it last? will she continually hide under my bed? any advices and suggestions will be greatly appreciated. it's my first time to have a cat as a pet. i have many fish tanks. but not a cat. so pls help me.

Answer 1

Your cat is really stressed out. Its a new environment and a new surrounding and new people. You have to give her time to adjust. The first few weeks she might be like this. You have to talk to her, pet her, and play with her. Eventually, she will get more used to you. Another idea is try handfeeding her and give her some iressistable treats...catnip for example. She is shy and scared. Though this may be her personality here are a few tips to help:

like i said hand feed her
play with her, comfort her
just give it some time....leave her alone, stay in the same room and let HER approach you. You cant expect her to immediatly bond to you. It will take some time but dont worry this is natural....be sure to spay her, take her to the vet and give her plenty of love.

Best of wishes!

Answer 2

It will take time, understanding and plenty of love. Since she's an adult cat, it will probably take longer to adjust to new "people" than a kitten. I hope you plan to keep her indoors. Too many dangers for a cat outside, and besides, she may try to find her way back to her original home, I've heard of it happening. Make sure her litter box is kept very clean, fresh water at all times, and of course a good diet. I feed my two cats 9 Lives dry in the morning, and they get a bit of canned food in the evening. They also enjoy the moist type of cat treats. Encourage her to play, all cats, even adult cats love to play. The more she interacts with you the more she will learn to love and trust you. Feel fortunate to have a great new friend!

Answer 3

Sounds like you've already established a bond by her letting you rub her head.
Just take it slow with her, eventually she will learn to trust and love your family. Consider being taken to somewhere strange, not having familiar things around you, being with people you didn't know or how to react to. This is what this cat is going through right now, but if you let her explore her new home and new family on her terms, she'll become a part of your family.
Give her lots of love, gentle treatment, fresh water, food and a clean litter box.

Answer 4

Just give the cat time. Treats and toys also help. Maybe get some catnip. I am almost positive that your cat will snap out of it. It just takes time. She's in a new weird place ya know? Give the cat lots of love and affection and all should be fine.

Answer 5

I would suggest for you to befriend the cat when she comes out to eat or such. Do not rush her by pulling her out of her safe place. She will come out in her own time. I have had many cats throughout my life and you have to be patient. As well as the fish goes..you may want to keep an eye on her because most cats are very curious creatures.

Answer 6

in my experience (i have six cats), all cats are different and weird in their own ways. when I moved last time, two of the cats hid under a comforter for two days. The others were freaked out, some of them hid, and some of them explored. two of them didn't really adjust for months, one of them is just really shy and afraid of everything.
all you can really do is try to make them feel as welcome as possible. try to find out what kind of treats and toys she likes, and how she likes to be called. try to coax her into your world, and let her know its safe. i see some other people recommended making sure she has an appealing litter box and fresh food and water. cats can be incredibly particular about things.
...there is also this product I've heard of, they sell it at pet stores, called feliway. its not cheap, but i hear it works well for helping calm cats in transition. good luck!

Answer 7

My cat Sammy use to do that because of our other cats and people. Try feeding her treats or giving her catnip. Lore her out more any more each time, as if your "weening" her from under the bed. Good luck.

Answer 8

Ask the previous owner if she was always timid or friendly. I always suggest petting her & hand feeding them kittycat treats.Talking calm & petting her will overcome shyness.Some cats like the belly scratched some hate it.eventually u should be able to call her out fm under the bed.If possible keep her indoors always they r healthier indoors!!!!!

Answer 9

Keeping the cat contained in a small room that does not have a hiding spot is the best thing for her.
When introducing any cat into a new home, there is one thing all cats need--time to adjust to their new space. You can make the adjustment period shorter by letting your cat get to know his or her new home slowly. Many adopters hesitate to confine their cats, thinking it is "mean" but the nicest thing you could do for your cat is give him a "safe space" at first.

Cats are territorial by nature, and their first priority in any situation is establishing and knowing their territory. Only once they are comfortable in their space can they feel comfortable eating, drinking, resting and eliminating.

The safe space should be a small, quiet room (bathrooms, small offices or large walk-in closets are all good candidates) without any hiding spaces such as under the tub or bed, behind a bookshelf, etc. You don't want to have to pull your cat out of hiding to interact with him--that would be getting your visit off to a very bad start. However, you can provide your cat with an acceptable hiding space by tipping a box on its side and putting a towel inside. Many cats also like cat cozies or tee-pee style beds.

The room should be set up with a litterbox on one end of the room, and the food, water and bedding as far away from the litterbox as possible. The cat should be given some safe toys to play with, and should be given visits while confined to this space. Start off slow when visiting your kitty--don't do to much petting or interacting until the cat has had some time to "settle in". Sit in the room and see if the cat will approach you; if not, offer her your hand to sniff and try some gentle face pets. Give your cat frequent breaks and work up to more handling. Be patient and remember, the more love, the quicker they will adjust.

Confinement is especially crucial for shy or fearful cats. Many cats are overwhelmed when they first move into a new place; this is normal behavior. However, for a cat that is fearful by nature, it is even more terrifying to be in an unfamiliar space. Given the free run of the house, a scared cat will often bolt around, looking for a safe place to hide. Many cats injure themselves running into furniture or walls in a panic. They may also hide somewhere unsafe (such as under the stove, inside a reclining chair), and stay in hiding for several days. They may forego eating, or even urinate or defecate in their hiding space. The "safe room" gives them a small space where they feel secure, and will also make them more sociable with you--the less they are worried about their territory, the more interested in YOU they will be! By providing your scared kitty with a cozy or box to hide in, you are making her feel safe in a way that also allows you to pet her while she is hiding (as opposed to trying to crawl under your bed to interact with her!).

You may be wondering when you can be sure that it's okay to let your kitty out of her safe space. For some cats, the confinement period will be only a few hours--for others it could be several weeks. The important thing is that you do not rush your cat into being exposed to more space than she can handle. You will want to see all of the following:

1. The cat is performing his or her natural functions: eating, resting, grooming, using the litterbox.
2. The cat is responsible, allowing you to pet and play with her.
3. The cat is comfortable with you doing normal activities in the room and is not afraid of you when you stand up or walk around.
4. The cat is showing some interest in getting out of the room.

Don't mistake just one signal for readiness. Even a very scared cat may meow or scratch at the door for attention. This does not mean the cat is ready to explore more space--for example, if you notice that the cat meows at the door, but when you open the door, he runs and cowers back in his bed or box, he's not ready.
When possible, expand a cat's territory slowly (especially for fearful cats). You could close all the doors to bedrooms and allow the cat to first explore the hallway and rooms that do not close off (such as the kitchen and living room). If at anytime your cat seems overwhelmed, return him to his safe room for a few hours and try introducing him to the rest of the house later.

Don't feel bad for confining your kitty at first. It will help him relax and adjust to his new surroundings much quicker. The sooner he adjusts, the sooner he will have full run of the house, and the sooner he will feel comfortable in his new home!

Answer 10

Cats don't like change and will probably take anywhere from 3 days to a week, Don't worry mine acts like that too. if he is in a different enviroment. just be happy it's not scratching and hissing at you.