Please help my scared cat

catmanandrobin

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Hey everyone I adopted 2 cats about 2 months ago 1 is 8 months old and loves everything and everyone the other is 4 years old and was abused by past owner. I originally gave both cats full run of the house but Oscar the older one would hide so much barely eat and poop throughout the house so I put him in 1 room to try an spend alot of time with him and got him eating regularly and using the liter box. I have 3 litter boxes. He wouldn't let me pet him he would hiss Everytime but he would let me get a few inches away with tuna fish. I figured he was ready for more rooms so I let him access the entire basement it is very large. The younger cat puss in Boots chased him around for hours playfully and then he jumped up into the drop ceiling and now he is nowhere to be found. Knowing him he will starve himself before coming out on his own. Any ideas how to coax him out. I don't stand a chance of finding him and I don't think he's too fond of puss in Boots either as he never plays back with him I think he's scared of him too. I thought I was really making progress with him and now he is completely MIA
 

elliesvictim

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It sounds like the older cat is scared. Cats can't be reasoned with so it will view any approach, no matter how nice, as a threat. Don't approach at all put food out and let him be. If he sees your not a threat, eventually he will come to you. No eye contact, no approaching, no addressing.
Don't worry he won't starve.
I used to feed a very skiddish feral in my backyard. It took months but eventually she came closer and let her guard down. She, after a couple of months, would come at sit near me when I was in the back yard. At one stage she followed me upstairs into my apartment to eat. Time heals all wounds.
So patience is probably your best virtue here.
 

hexiesfriend

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It's going to take some time for him to get his nerve up. The younger one is testing him it seems as younger brothers and sisters can. Is there anyway you can keep the younger one away from the drop ceiling opening so the older one can come out? Either way he will eventually come out. I think the older one may need his own turf for awhile to get his nerve. I would let him migrate on his own to the younger ones space and enable him to go back to his own space if he feels threatened. It may take a few tries for him to get comfortable and stay with the other one. Sometimes they never really get there because of the prior abuse. Patience is the key.
 
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catmanandrobin

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Do you think the older one is bothered by him even though they have never hissed at each other
 
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catmanandrobin

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The young one just makes these distinct beeping noises when he's trying to interact with Oscar .
 

hexiesfriend

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The younger one clearly wants to bond with him. It may just be more that he's very insecure right now with his surroundings rather than being scared of the younger one. Either way I still think giving him his turf alone like you initially did just needs to be repeated just now with his space moved to where he is hiding. If there's no hissing that's a good sign. Again this will take some time.
 
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catmanandrobin

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Thanks for the advice I'm new to cats. Would getting another younger cat for him to play with an leave Oscar alone be OK sadly to say I have to put both of my dogs of 10 years down in the mourning because of cancer
 
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catmanandrobin

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Oh my god Oscar just emerged to eat 5 feet away from me this is epic yayyyyy
 
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