My new 5 year old cat cries only at night in any bedroom doorway

milliebear

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Hi, have recently adopted a five year old British shorthair from an ex breeder, assuming she was kept outside in a large cage like the other cats were when I went to pick her up. My partner and I brought her to her new home on Friday evening and straight away she went into hiding. We did then did our research and first we put her in the bathroom with all her water,food and kitty litter but then realised it wouldn't be the best room for foot traffic so we put her carrier out and she went in and we set up the spare room for her sanctuary room. Going in there every so often to sit on th floor and just talk and sing etc; still in hiding managed to go up and let her smell my hand and given her a few pats but she still scared and not eating.

The last few nights she has been meowing, talking at our bedroom door even at times coming in but mainly just sitting in the door way watching us sleep. I call out softly to say it's ok and out on some cat soothing music which seems to help and tried to get up to comfort her but she ran away. She's is starting to hide in every room of the house but still not coming up to us. This will be her fourth day in her new home so I know it's only early days. I just want to make her transition as nice as possible and want her to know we are going to be loving parents. Does any one have an advice on why she is crying/meowing right near us at night? And any tips on ex breeding into a new home or British short hairs.

Thank you!!!!

Ella
 

catwoman707

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Welcome to our site!

There are several threads lately on shy cats coming from breeders. They are undersocialized by the breeders unfortunately, with very limited human interactions, causing them to be fearful of strangers.

This is not to say in time she won't come around. But it will take time.

She doesn't sound quite as bad as the others though, but still.......

She won't starve herself, so no worries there. They reach a point where fear is overcome by hunger, and their instincts say to eat no matter what!

She cries at night because she is lost and has no idea where she is, and I highly suggest her be closed in to your room with you if possible during the night.

Soon enough the crying will stop and she will realize there is nothing to fear.

In time, she will gain trust, realize this is her home now, she is safe and cared for, a completely foreign life for her, but she will adjust nicely with patience :)
 
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milliebear

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Thank you so much for replying, I really appreciate it. I will try shutting our door with her in it at night, I just don't want her to feel trapped in. I don't mind her waking me up. I might go and get some feliway too. We are lucky she isn't hissing or aggressive towards us at all, it doesn't seem she was brought up with that reaction at all. She just stares at us and walks around from hiding spot to the next really lowley and we just try to ignore her or reassure her with a low tone of her name.
 

catwoman707

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That's pretty much all you can do at this time, at 5 yrs old she has grown quite accustomed to her former life, so patience and understanding will be key here in getting her settled down and adapting to her new home.

And she will, I just want you to know this, she WILL.

The idea of closing her in to your room is to eliminate the overwhelming feeling of the entire house, and just getting comfortable in one room, without closing her out which will make her feel isolated.

You can try feliway, sometimes it helps but sometimes it doesn't.

Good quality catnip can also help if she takes to it. Again, some do and some don't. Hopefully she does!
 
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milliebear

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After using feliway she has tried to leave the room it's in and hissed for the first time when my partner went in for a pat. :-/
 
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