cat seeks refuge

I got my first cat about 1 month ago. She's 2 years old. Making progress coming out of her shell and not hiding all the time, but she does seem to choose very closed in spaces such as behind the piano, or under the couch or squeezed into a corner under a chair, to "hide". Is she just shy, or does she really like those claustrophobic places? Aside from that, her behavior doesn't seem angry or like she's not happy here.

She's just getting used to her new surroundings and family... when cats feel scared they'll look for a tight place to hide because it feels safe.... for example: the 2 loveseats in our living room are recliners, but when the vacuum comes out and turns on, my 15 pound Oliver manages to squeeze himself underneath one of the loveseats and in between all the parts/mechanisms that go with the recliners... I have NO idea how he does it! And he'll usually end up staying under there and falling asleep once the vacuuming is done... he does the same thing when there is a thunderstorm.... he did a lot of hiding and squeezing in tight dark spaces when I first brought him in off the streets - now he's more like a dog: out in the open, very friendly, runs to greet people when they come in... so just give your new kitty some time to acclimate - it's actually a good idea to keep kitties newly brought into a home enclosed in one room (with food/water/litter/toys/etc) for quite awhile, because having an entire house to explore right away at once can be very overwhelming

Originally Posted by ctwosee

I got my first cat about 1 month ago. She's 2 years old. Making progress coming out of her shell and not hiding all the time, but she does seem to choose very closed in spaces such as behind the piano, or under the couch or squeezed into a corner under a chair, to "hide". Is she just shy, or does she really like those claustrophobic places? Aside from that, her behavior doesn't seem angry or like she's not happy here.

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Alley was the same way. She would stay pretty much to just one room. And then she exanded her horizons, she would come sit on my lap while at the computer and she sleeps on my chest at night but she would never venture into the TV room and sit on my lap. Just within the last week that has changed. I thought at first she might have been afraid of the TV noise, but for the last few nights she has been on my lap in the TV room. This has taken about three months. Now at last she seems comfortable in every part of the house. Well, we just signed up for a new house yesterday. It will be about six months before it is built but when we finally move in, I expect that it is going to take quite a while for Alley to adjust. Persi, no problem. But to answer your question, I imagine everything will be fine in time. I worried and worried about Alley but it just took time.

That's actually what Hera is doing now. Reyah came around really quick, but Hera spent more time at the shelter, so she tends to hide a lot more. Give give her some time. Just be patient with her and love her. She'll eventually see that she's there to stay and there is no reason to be scared.