Adopting kitties from hoarder situations

I just adopted a 6 yr old female long hair orange and white tabby from a rescue group, Kitty Cat Connection, in Kansas City.  They rescued her from a woman who had 40 cats and she had been living in a basement all of her life.  The Foster mom said she was so happy to see the sunshine that she spent most of her days by the windows.  When I met her at the adoption event she was friendly, rubbing on me and loving my pets. She was purring the whole time.  Since I brought her home she has been hiding under the bed and will not let me near her.  I have been putting food and water under the bed but I am not sure if she is eating or my other kitty is eating it.  The other kitty is just a year old and is a bit hissy toward the new kitty.  No major attacks though.  I wanted to put her in a back bed room so she could acclimate gradually but she escaped and has been under the bed since.  Should I leave her to come out on her own, try to force her out knowing it will cause her more trauma?  I am getting worried about her.

Cats have a hard time adjusting to new situations.  This would explain her going under the bed and your other cat being a little hissy.  You may have to keep the other cat out of the room for a while.  If you place a carrier in the room with her and put treats in it, she may adopt it as her hiding place.

I would also sit in the room with her - reading out loud or just talking to her softly.  No sudden moves, no loud noises.  If you do this several times a day, she will eventually come out to explore.

I think the key here is patience.  She has to have time to adjust to the new digs (and new roommate).

Thank you for adopting her!

Thanks for your comments.  I have adopted over 20 kitties that have been abandoned or surrendered and I have never had one quite this shy and fearful. All the other kitties have grown old with me.and passed on. My other girl is a feral that I lured inside with food.  She only took a few days to acclimate and is still very shy but part of the family now.  I have been laying on the floor and taking to the new kitty (Fluffy)  but every time I reach out to have her smell me she goes further away.  I will be very patient with her but I am just fearful she wont eat or use the litter box when she needs to causing issues with her health.  I am at work all day so I can't monitor her.  Does Feliway work with all kitties?

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

I think Ondine gave you some good advice. You can certainly try a feliway plug in. (or comfort zone) I used to find the best prices on Amazon. It may help her feel more relaxed.   I would keep your other kitty shut out of the room. This way it will cut down on her stress, as well as allow you to see if she is eating or not, & put her own litter box in there as well, so she will use it as well.  You usually want to keep kitties apart in the beginning anyway, & do proper introductions, in hopes they will get along. There are many threads here on introductions you can find. 

For now I would order some feliway, or comfort zone (same stuff), & keep them apart,  for her to adjust on her own time, w/o/ stress from the other kitty, & so you can monitor how much / if she is eating, & make sure she is using the litter box.  

I hope she is eating. She has to eat. I also like the idea of a carrier in the room for her to have another place to feel safe. I'd just make sure it doesn't smell like your other cat. She may not go in it if it does. (?).  I'd put a towel in there to make it cozy. (& the treats)  I also used to take the door off. I think they felt safer going in that way, like you weren't going to close them in & take them anywhere.  

Good luck with her. Keep us posted.   

Got nothing to add, Ondine is bang on. I followed that procedure with two feral kittens and got myself two cute little kitties that are almost fully socialized now.

I will cross my fingers and wish you many happy years with her.

Thanks so much.  Unfortunately there are no doors on that room so keeping the other kitties out isn't really an option at this time.  I f I could catch her and put her into another room I could do that but I think that would stress her out even more.  She escaped from the room I originally had her in to introduce her slowly. so my best laid plans got foiled from the beginning.

Can you borrow a baby gate from someone? Cats can jump a baby gate if they really want to, but they often don't for the first few days, especially when the situation calls for caution.  It may give her more of a sense of safety and privacy. If you leave her alone for a day, she will very likely eat and use the litter box, at least at night when you're sleeping. I would hold off trying to approach her or catch her unless it were absolutely necessary, that will just increase her fear. You might want to put some toys, especially catnip ones, in that area to encourage her to come out and play. 

I, too, adopted a six year old cat who came from a hoarding home(over 100 cats)   After being rescued and receiving some socializing,  he became the sweetest cat but kept getting returned to our rescue group because he couldn't acclimate to his new homes.   Finally, I took him home.  I put him in a small room and at first he was scared if the door was open.   Then after almost a year he began making quick runs out and back into the room.  Finally, he felt safe in the entire house.   What I didn't realize at first was how limited his experience had been: he had never seen a window  or stairs or even a sofa.  

I lost him to cancer and I still miss him everyday.   Be patient.   You've just given your kitty a whole new world.   Give her time to adjust and she'll love you for it.

Do you got a closet you could spare?

I kept my kittens in a safe room with a closet for over a month. The closet helped a lot. If you have a closet to spare it wouldn't have to be in a room just easy for the cat to run to when it feels threatened. I think a safe space to run to gives the cat some sense of control over the situation.

A little details of my experience :

I named the female kitten Kitty and the male kitten Rusty. I had them in an empty room but it was rather large, fortunately it has a closet in it. I put their blankets, boxes and toys in the closet and left litter and food in the room. I left the closet door open just enough for them to get in. They liked the smaller darker space to fall back on. At first when I would enter the room both cats ran to the closet, then one and then neither. Took 2-3 weeks before Kitty would not run to the closet and Rusty was only a week maybe more. However, my cats were approximately 8 months old when I trapped them and brought them inside so quite different than your situation. From what I read kittens are typically much more easier and a lot less time. That and I had been feeding them outside for several months so they were probably somewhat familiar with my smell and voice.

Possibly you have a closet you could create a little safe space out of? Leaving it open a crack for the cat to run into when it feels threatened. Put toys, small boxes, and blankets. I put cat nip on the blankets at first hoping it would draw them in. I am not sure if it worked or if they just went in exploring. The closet was within the room I was keeping them in so not a lot of choices for them. Your situation sounds like it could be a bit more difficult to get the cat to discover the closet, that is if you have one that would be appropriate.

I think having the smaller, dark space to fall back on helped my kittens to adjust. I went into the closet as little as possible. I had to put gel in both cats eyes to get rid of infection so I went in a few times a day. When I went in they would back themselves into the small boxes, it was difficult but it had to be done.

Not sure if the closet is feasible for you but thought I would put the idea out there.

Shane, your kitties are adorable.  They are all very lucky.  I am going to try the box idea.  If I could get her to come out from under the bed I think I could coax her into a closet.

 Theyremine, thanks for your perspective.  I never though the smaller spaces and darkness might be a comfort.  And the fact that their experiences have been so limited.......really gave me pause for thought.  I now know I need to look at this from a different perspective.  Thanks for helping me to thin outside the box.  We may have a long road ahead of us but I am determined to help her live her best life. So sorry for your loss.  I just lost my 21 year old rescue a few months ago and know how hard it is.

Thanks everyone for your support.  These kitties all come from such different backgrounds, some that are impossible for us to imagine.  It helps to know a lot of them have a chance because of what you all do.

@candishel

"Shane, your kitties are adorable."

Thank You, I love them all so dearly. I get my love of cats from my grandmother, may she rest in peace. She fed strays and gave me one when I was 16 years old. She always gave to the Humane Society. I am sure she is watching over me from heaven and very proud of me.

So happy to tell you that I finally got Fluffy out from under the bed and into the back bedroom where she is slowly but surely doing better.   She was so hungry for touch that she got the hiccups the first time I started to pet her.  She loves it!  She is still very shy and hides every time I go into the room to see her.  As soon as I touch her she comes out purring.  I know this will take some time but I am so relieved I got her out from under the bed.  Thanks for all your wonderful comments and suggestions.

That's wonderful.  It's such a fabulous feeling when they start to trust.. not matter how tiny the steps, you know you're on your way.

Good Job!  She will soon be part of the household.

Awwwwwww, That is the best news ever!     Now, maybe soon, you will be able to get a picture of her for us. 

This is my little Remy.  I renamed her and she really responds to her new name.  She is coming out more and more each time I go in to see her.

She's a pretty kitty. It is so rewarding when things turn around and it gets easier and easier. Remy has a far better home now and I bet it won't take her long to realize that.

This is my other little feral kitty, Sadie. I have had her fro about 6 years.  Still a bit shy but doing great.

That's a nice shot of Sadie. Nothing wrong with shy. My cat Taz jumped up on the dining room table in front of my mother in-law, sure wish he was shy that day

Awwww, Remy is beautiful!!   Sadie is a cutie too.  Wow, you have two female gingers!     You can see from my Angel boy   I'm partial to ginger kitties.