New Cat, Staying inside covered litter box!

So my Francesca is older, lazy, and after 5 days is maybe starting to get used to myself and more my husband. We are all 3 seniirs. She was got by SPCA.
We were having litter tracking issues, and were advised to make a litter box from a tote.
Its working great, but she hardly comes out! She does have a couple other cubbies. ..any thoughts or ideas? Thanks. Btw, I have no idea how these forums or subscriptions work.

Older cats find it harder to feel at home in new places. There's an excellent article about making your cat feel safe in his/ her new home here.  If you can afford it buy your cat some feliway or something similar to make her feel more comfortable but I think it's just a matter of keeping the cat quiet and making his/ her surroundings as least stressful as possible.

Thank you so much for the info.
Do you think her staying in her litter box all day is okay?

It's not ideal but she obviously feels safe there. As long as she is eating and drinking regularly.

If her body language tells you it's ok to be near her, I'd be sitting down with her, talking quietly and just being a non- threatening presence. The article gives you some pointers. I'd assume she's very stressed and she could possibly naturally be a shy cat. The article links to other articles which talk about dealing with shy cats.   

jrsnyder101,

Maybe this article would be helpful to you

[article="33503"][/article]

I've read that cats will sit in their litter boxes if they are scared/stressed because they are trying to soothe themselves by surrounding themselves with their own scent. The articles that have been provided will give you lots of great tips on how to help Francesca feel safer and help her adjust. She is working on adjusting to her new home and that can take cats time especially senior kitties.

[emoji]10084[/emoji]️ Thank you for adopting a senior kitty [emoji]10084[/emoji]️ Please keep us posted on how Francesca is doing and please let us know if we can help in any way!

HelloMissKitty said:

I've read that cats will sit in their litter boxes if they are scared/stressed because they are trying to soothe themselves by surrounding themselves with their own scent. The articles that have been provided will give you lots of great tips on how to help Francesca feel safer and help her adjust. She is working on adjusting to her new home and that can take cats time especially senior kitties.

[emoji]10084[/emoji]️ Thank you for adopting a senior kitty [emoji]10084[/emoji]️ Please keep us posted on how Francesca is doing and please let us know if we can help in any way!

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That's right HelloMissKitty, they feel more secure in surrounding with their own scents.

Can you give her a cardboard box to hide in instead?   That would be nicer for her and you could put a cozy blanket with maybe a t-shirt you have worn over it so she gets used to your scent too.   I put a box in with all my recent live trapped cats so they can hide there.  Some hide for a week.  

Thank you Anne for your purraise!

Wow! Thanks for all the advice and tips for the newbie!
I put one of my furrie fabrics into her carrier, is that good? She goes in, sometimes even stays awhile.
She is spending more time cuddled up to the hubby and I. Even through the night!
Slowly but surely we are getting closer!
Thanks again for all your help. We need it.

jrsnyder101 said:

Wow! Thanks for all the advice and tips for the newbie!
I put one of my furrie fabrics into her carrier, is that good? She goes in, sometimes even stays awhile.
She is spending more time cuddled up to the hubby and I. Even through the night!
Slowly but surely we are getting closer!
Thanks again for all your help. We need it.

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Sounds like you guys are doing great! And I think Francesca is lucky that you and your husband care enough about her to reach out for help.
Yes, she will love the furry fabric...it will also soak up her scent nicely, which will make her feel better and feel less of a need to sit in her box.
Most cats take time to settle in to a new home. There are lots of great articles in the "articles" section of TCS which cover everything "cat" but please don't ever hesitate to ask if you ever run into questions about Franceseca.

Please keep us posted on how the three of you are getting along [emoji]128522[/emoji]

Hi jrsnyder101 ! Just checking into see how you, your husband and Francesca are doing?

@HelloMissKitty
Thank you so much for checking in on our little family!
Francesca is spending more and more time snuggled up to the Hubby and I, even through the night! But during the day, particularly after I clean her box, she will go back in- for hours. At times digging furiously. I know theres enough litter...how I do it, is to wait for her to come out, then I close the door behind me and sweep, clean box, etc.
I am feeding her half cup am and pm. She doesnt quite finish it...we have decided on Purina One indoor advantage when this bag gets low. Trying to be nutritious, natural, on a budget.
I was looking through paperwork from SPCA, and for breed they have "Russian Blue", do you think she looks like, is a decedent of, or actually IS a Russian Blue? Think I will call them Monday.
Once again Thank you for inquiry. Its nice to know I can reach out, I do not know how to use forums, except to reply.
Do you have cats as well? (Not a great photo of me...)

I'm definitely no expert on breeds but Francesca is a stunning blue kitty, for sure. There is a fun thread where members post photos of their blue kitties:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/274478/post-pictures-of-your-precious-blue-gray-maltese-cats-here

You should post a photo of your girl there for others to admire [emoji]10084[/emoji]️

I think it sounds like Francesca is settling in quite nicely. It takes a while for a cat to settle into a new home especially when they come from a shelter environment, which is tough on kitties. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions, want to let us know how things are going or even if you just want to share photos (my personal favorite part!)

Yes, I'm owned by a six year old brown tabby female (Miss Kitty) whom I adopted from my local human society four years ago:

HelloMissKitty said:

Yes, I'm owned by a six year old brown tabby female (Miss Kitty) whom I adopted from my local human society four years ago:

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HelloMissKitty, what a handsome Mackerel Tabby you have here [emoji]10084[/emoji]️

TabbyTom said:

HelloMissKitty, what a handsome Mackerel Tabby you have here [emoji]10084[/emoji]️

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Thanks so much tabbytom ...very sweet of you to say [emoji]128522[/emoji]

We passed a landmark today! (Other than her living here one week today )
As you know, Francesca has been spending most of her time curled up in her covered litter box...today she spent the day in her carrier that I lined with a furrie fabric! I am so very happy! Right now she is curled up in bed with me!!!
By the way HelloMissKitty, I looked through your photos and they are wonderful!

That's great to hear. Think she has already start to warm up to you and the house. Keep it up! [emoji]128077[/emoji][emoji]127995[/emoji]

jrsnyder101 said:

We passed a landmark today! (Other than her living here one week today )
As you know, Francesca has been spending most of her time curled up in her covered litter box...today she spent the day in her carrier that I lined with a furrie fabric! I am so very happy! Right now she is curled up in bed with me!!!
By the way HelloMissKitty, I looked through your photos and they are wonderful!

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Yay!!!
So happy to hear the great news [emoji]128522[/emoji] ( and happy one week anniversary[emoji]127870[/emoji]). Just keep doing what you are doing because whatever you are doing is making her feel very safe and comfortable.

I remember it was so much fun to see Miss Kitty''s personality shine through once she was comfortable in my home. She was very shy and scared at first and now she is a completely different cat!

Well, it doesn't look like my Francesca is warming up to her new environment as well as I thought.
Yes, she sleeps with us, and spends a little while during the day with me.
But the majority of time is still spent in her room. On a good note, she is splitting her room time between her litter box and her cubby.Not all in her box!
Speaking of box, when I clean in I wait for her to come out, close the door, then clean. Good?
She is eating wonderfully now!
Again, she is new to us, a senior couple, with a senior Francesca. This upcoming Saturday will be 2 weeks from the SPCA. TIA