new cat,settled in great, but behaviour has changed now, advice needed

hey folks

I got an adult indoor cat about 10 days ago that needed rehoming. Her previous owner told me the cat was quite timid.

When i went to see her she was timid, (she needed rehoming because she was not happy living with a big dog!)
but
When i brought her to mine, to my surprise she took to my flat, and me so well i could not believe it, as i was expecting her to hide under the sofa for a few days! From the first night i got her she slept on my bed, came to me loads for fuss etc, the only problem was that she was a bit off her food (but she was on antibiotics then).

Fast forward 10 days or so, and she seems like a different cat... quite timid, scared of sudden movements, hardly eating (she'll eat dry food, but i have not given her that lately as when i did give her it her poo was full of dry bits!,
and im concerned in the hot weather it might be too dehydrating). Or, she will eat a bit of the wet food if you take it out if the bowl and drop it on the mat!

She does not sleep on my bed (or in the day now either) the past 3-4 nights or so, actually she spends most of her time under my bed, i thought this was to keep herself cool since its been very hot.

She will jump on since last night for a bit of a fuss then jump off to back under the bed, not staying on.

So i dont know if its the weather, or we had visitors on fri night, and i dont think she liked the noise/lack of space, invasion of space etc! (she's not brilliant with new people apparantly)

Any suggestions on what to do please?

Thanks : )

oh dear, thats a shame, i expect you thought she was going to be ok!! if you are worried about dehydration, i would recommend either a Catit or Drinkwell water fountain. they encourage the cat to drink more plus they filter & cool the water which is very posh.

i did something similar - rehomed a 14 year old male as he was no longer wanted. he too settled in instantly but after a while he started spraying. this is the problem - i think a new home & doting owner is novelty so old problems stay beneath the surface for a while. he also became fussy with his food after he initially bulked up again. i started to give him a warm fillet of coley/cod every day - he couldn't resist & i have since read that older cats need a pure food like this.

we eventually got marvin a companion after he started to become a little depressed - all problems solved instantly; appetite, mood & spraying. we also discovered that he had always had a companion, so he was most likely lonely.

marvin was also extremely cuddly at the start, this did lessen somewhat in time but i think this was as he got comfortable & sure that we werent going to leave him - which may be what has happened here which is a compliment to you. cats generally like shorts bursts of attention rather than prolonged stroking sessions by nature anyway, so i think she may just be being a typical cat!! they want what they want & off they go!!

what is your home like territory wise?? does she have plently of easily accessible vertical territory?? this can help to make a cat feel more secure in their environment as they can 'survey' it. also, boxes & other covert getaways are great. if noise is a problem, leave a tv or radio on when you arent there to get her used to noise. it may just take her a while to get used to your personal noises & other things that are going on in your home. its all new to her & as an indoor only cat, a complete change of territory must be overwhelming. make sure you play with her as much as you can, make her feel like a good hunter & she will feel more confident.

be patient, she'll come around. cats can't resist love!!

You said she was on antibiotics, has she been sick?

I would consider taking her to be checked out by a vet, or atleast phone up your vet and describe how she's behaving and then take her in if they think you should.