My roommate and I adopted a 5-6 year old male cat from a very nice shelter two weeks ago. We picked him particularly because he was the most lovable and outgoing of a group of affectionate cats and was a favorite of several shelter employees. He was about one year old when he came to the shelter and has been living there for the last four years, so we recognize that when we brought him home he had to deal with an entirely new environment. After talking with friends who had adopted cats, they warned us that it could take him anywhere from a couple of days to weeks to warm up to us.
That being said, we have not been able to touch him since the first day- he hides behind the refrigerator (which we have now blocked off), under the bed, or in a corner. If we come near him, he hisses (now escalating into spitting and swiping), and if we walk into the same room when he is not in one of his hiding places, he runs off hissing. We know he's not a dog, so we don't want to force our cuddles on him, but we are wondering what happened to the cuddly cat who couldn't stop purring with us at the shelter.
Does he need more time? Are we being impatient? Is he so horribly traumatized that he'll never be the same again? Help!
That being said, we have not been able to touch him since the first day- he hides behind the refrigerator (which we have now blocked off), under the bed, or in a corner. If we come near him, he hisses (now escalating into spitting and swiping), and if we walk into the same room when he is not in one of his hiding places, he runs off hissing. We know he's not a dog, so we don't want to force our cuddles on him, but we are wondering what happened to the cuddly cat who couldn't stop purring with us at the shelter.
Does he need more time? Are we being impatient? Is he so horribly traumatized that he'll never be the same again? Help!