I need advice.....

Hi everyone,

I just made this profile because I adopted a 6 month old female cat which I decided to call Vivi.

I've had cats before but most I have raised from a very young age or they were properly socialized once I took over care. I was incredibly hesitant to adopt Vivi because she is not socialized at all but the more time I spent in the room looking at the other cats the more I looked at her and something about her just clicked with me and I decided she would be coming home with me.

When I brought her home she pretty much stayed in the hard case for a few hours didn't want to come out so I left her there with the door off. When she finally came out she hid the entire time. I'm keeping her in the bedroom where I spend most of my time when I'm at home. I'm just looking for advice on how to approach this to make the transition smooth for both of us. I know it'll be a patience game when I made the decision to bring her home and I'm ok with that.

Thank you in advance to all of you.

-Rick

Hi Rick

Congratulations on your adoption & welcome.

As you can see I'm a newbie on this forum myself, but I adopted a feral 5-month old kitten about a yr. & a half ago, & he's adapted admirably.

On a side note, Romeo was already fairly social because a lady took care of him & his sister while living outdoors. She'd bring them inside occasionally, & of the two Romeo was a lot more laid back than his sister. So, I do think personality & the previous human interaction played a role in how quickly he adjusted.

None the less, I think you're on the right track. I kept Romey in my bedroom (with his water & litter box), & fed him in there exclusively for a month. He hid under the bed & furniture a lot, but I'd have daily play sessions with him when he came out. This helped to build trust, & didn't overwhelm him.

Once that time passed, I let him explore at his own pace under my supervision. All the while keeping doors closed to some rooms & opening them up as he got more used to his new world.

I didn't have him meet all my family at once either (or other pets if you have them), & brought them in my room one at a time over those first weeks to acquaint them. With other pets, however, I'd keep kitty isolated for awhile & let them interact for a bit each day in a bigger room once she gets settled.

Encouraging the kitten to play in a particular room will also help build their confidence to adopt it as their territory/home.

Over time I've moved the litterbox & feeding out to the kitchen, & now Romeo saunters, sleeps, & plays all throughout the house (except the basement .

One last thing- I watched a lot of Jackson Galaxy on Youtube. He has great tips to instill confidence in your kitty & cultivate your relationship.

I hope these tips were helpful.

Good luck!
Kris
 

Thank you for caring and adopting this little one.  It will take some time and patience.  It is great that you are keeping him confined in a bathroom for now.  A home with lots of rooms would just be too overwhelming.  Below are some tips and a link to a video for some extra help.

1. Make sure the room is completely cat proofed. If you are using a spare bedroom, pick the bed up or place it flat on the floor. Under a bed is the first place the cat will run to hide. It is next to impossible to then get the cat out. Also block behind all large furniture. Cats can squeeze into very small places and get themselves stuck. Get on the floor and think like a cat. Make sure closets are closed tightly. You do want to have appropriate hiding places. A cat tree with a hiding box is a great idea. Even an old cardboard box with a cozy blanket works well. I like to turn the box so it is facing the wall. This gives the cat a bit of privacy. Do watch for windows, blinds and curtains. Keep windows tightly closed. Put the blinds up and hide the cords/strings. Also watch for curtains.
2 . Be sure to watch direct eye contact. If this bothers or frightens your cat, have your gaze down or over the top of the cats head.

Sit on the floor so that you are not looming over the cat. It can really frighten cats when you sit above them or stand in front of them.

3. When you enter the room, announce your presence. Come in with a special treat. Try to make it something extra special such as plain cooked chicken or canned tuna or salmon. It doesn't have to be much just a small piece. Offer this to the cat once you are sitting. The cat may choose not to eat it in your presence at first. This is ok. You want him/her to associate you with something good.

4. Another food tip is to try Gerber Stage 2 Baby food. It comes in a small glass jar with a blue label ( in the US). You want to use the chicken or turkey. This contains no added spices or sugar, just meat and water. You can try offering some on a plate. Most cats love this and as you progress, you can have the cat move towards eating off a spoon and then eating off your fingers. Remember this is only a training tool and should not be used as a meal replacement.

5. Make your visits short at first, but frequent. I like to visit for 5-10 minutes, then return again in a hour or so. Sit on the floor and talk to your cat. You can even read aloud from a book or magazine. If the cat approaches, remember to keep your gaze down. You can offer a closed fist (knuckles pointing towards the cat). This represents the shape of a cats head. Cats like to head butt other cats or humans to show affection or acceptance.

6. Try playing music for your cat. You can leave it on a radio station that also has some talk. This will continue to allow the cat to get used to human voices. Just have the music calming. I like to leave the music on almost all of the time at first.

7. Try using Feliway plug in diffusers. The phermones are calming to cats. You also can try Composure calming treats or Composure liquid max. Both are nonsedating calming supplements that help a cat to feel more calm. The liquid is easy to mix into wet food.

8. When you are ready to start petting your cat, try making a petting wand. I like to use an old sturdy wand toy (a dowel rod will work too). I take off the toy at the end or just cover it with an old sock. I wrap it around a few times and secure with duct tape. I then cover the sock eith a piece of soft flannel. I can use this to entice the cat with a bit of play and then gently start to touch the cat with the end. I often find it's easier to use when the cats back is to me as they don't see it coming at them. Many cats like to have their rear ends rubbed to it's a good place to start. It often takes a few days and many attempts for the cat to learn to be ok with the wand. Sometimes you will find that it is too soon and you will need to try again in a week or two. After the cat has adjusted to being touched with the petting wand and seems to really enjoy it, you can start to replace your hand with the wand. I like to start with the petting wand and gradually pull it towards my body while my hand is moving to replace it. Start slowly. You can always move back to the wand if it's too soon. Here is a picture of one being used.


9. I found a lot of good tips in the video called “Tough Love”. It's a 3 part video series on the rescue and socialization of feral kittens. http://www.urbancatleague.org/TamingVideo
Here is a link to a great article

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/handling-feral-cats

beardwhisperer said:

Hi everyone,

I just made this profile because I adopted a 6 month old female cat which I decided to call Vivi.

I've had cats before but most I have raised from a very young age or they were properly socialized once I took over care. I was incredibly hesitant to adopt Vivi because she is not socialized at all but the more time I spent in the room looking at the other cats the more I looked at her and something about her just clicked with me and I decided she would be coming home with me.

When I brought her home she pretty much stayed in the hard case for a few hours didn't want to come out so I left her there with the door off. When she finally came out she hid the entire time. I'm keeping her in the bedroom where I spend most of my time when I'm at home. I'm just looking for advice on how to approach this to make the transition smooth for both of us. I know it'll be a patience game when I made the decision to bring her home and I'm ok with that.

Thank you in advance to all of you.

-Rick

Click to expand...

Hi there and welcome!!  You're off to a good start. Keeping Vivi in a safe room is a good way to get her acclimated to a new environment. Here's some tips. 

Whenever you interact with her, stay at her level by sitting or lying on the floor instead of standing or "looming" over her. This is frightening to a cat and can be seen as an act of aggression (think about how small she is and how big you are). It levels the playing field. 

When you look at her, look to the side of her head or just above it. Direct eye contact is considered aggression as well. When you look towards her, close your eyes, keep them shut for a few seconds and then open them. This is the slow blink. This is one of the ways that cats greet each other. All cats understand this. This is saying, "Hi! I see you and I'm not a threat to you." In time, you will see that she will return this greeting. It's a beautiful thing. 

Reach out to her with a closed fist in instead of an open hand. A human fist is about the size of a cat's head. Cats often greet each other with head butts. This is something else that all cats know about. She will come to you when she's ready

Play with her. Right now, your best bet is hands free play. You do not want her to think that your hands and fingers are toys. Wand toys like Da Bird and laser pointers are good ones. Playing with her will help her associate you will good things. 

Give her treats when she behaves in a way that you want. Treats like Pure Bites (freeze dried chicken breast) are a big hit with a lot of cats and they are much healthier than a lot of other treats. Giving her yummy things is another way to help her associate you with good things. 

Talk to her. Tell her about your day, tell her about anything. They always like neighborhood gossip. 

Read to her. I bought baby books for my cat that I had to socialize and it works well. It gets them used to being near you and gets them used to your voice. They also like looking at the pictures. Ok. Maybe that was just me. 

Be patient. Cats are not dogs. They do not give their love and trust indiscriminately. It must be earned but once you get it, you will have formed a very special bond and have a friendship that will last forever. Let her progress the way she needs to just let her know that you're there for her. 

Thank you for taking in this special little girl and feel free to post lots of pictures. We're here if you need any help or encouragement. 

HesSoFluffy said:

 
Hi Rick

Congratulations on your adoption & welcome.

As you can see I'm a newbie on this forum myself, but I adopted a feral 5-month old kitten about a yr. & a half ago, & he's adapted admirably.

On a side note, Romeo was already fairly social because a lady took care of him & his sister while living outdoors. She'd bring them inside occasionally, & of the two Romeo was a lot more laid back than his sister. So, I do think personality & the previous human interaction played a role in how quickly he adjusted.

None the less, I think you're on the right track. I kept Romey in my bedroom (with his water & litter box), & fed him in there exclusively for a month. He hid under the bed & furniture a lot, but I'd have daily play sessions with him when he came out. This helped to build trust, & didn't overwhelm him.

Once that time passed, I let him explore at his own pace under my supervision. All the while keeping doors closed to some rooms & opening them up as he got more used to his new world.

I didn't have him meet all my family at once either (or other pets if you have them), & brought them in my room one at a time over those first weeks to acquaint them. With other pets, however, I'd keep kitty isolated for awhile & let them interact for a bit each day in a bigger room once she gets settled.

Encouraging the kitten to play in a particular room will also help build their confidence to adopt it as their territory/home.

Over time I've moved the litterbox & feeding out to the kitchen, & now Romeo saunters, sleeps, & plays all throughout the house (except the basement .

One last thing- I watched a lot of Jackson Galaxy on Youtube. He has great tips to instill confidence in your kitty & cultivate your relationship.

I hope these tips were helpful.

Good luck!
Kris
 

Click to expand...

Hi and welcome to you also!!  

You're doing great so far and I agree 100% about Jackson Galaxy's videos!! Keep up the good work!    

Welcome, Rick to TCS. I am by far no expert in this, but to start things off, I know the exerts here are going to say that it is a good thing that you are planning on keeping your new kitty in your bedroom, to get her used to her new surroundings and you. They will say, if possible have your bed either on the floor or up against a wall so that she cannot spend the time hiding underneath the bed. Make sure her litter box, food and water are in the room as well. And by all means, PICTURES, PICTURES, please post pictures of your new kitty. I'll leave the rest to someone else. Enjoy your new little one!!!

Kat0121 said:

 
Hi and welcome to you also!!  

You're doing great so far and I agree 100% about Jackson Galaxy's videos!! Keep up the good work!  

 

Click to expand...

Cheers & thank you Kat0121

Everyone here is so knowledgeable, helpful, & friendly. Glad I found the forum.

Thank you everyone. I'll keep all of this in mind. Once she starts showing herself and is a bit more comfortable I'll make sure to post some photos. I'm avoiding overwhelming her as best I can. I'll make sure to check in as things move along.

-Rick

Vivi's already starting to warm up. Still very timid but moving along way faster than I thought she would.

She looks like a little "sweetie pie" congratulations on your progress, it will only get better, bigger and stronger. The two of you have a beautiful journey together ahead of you, enjoy!