What do I do?

The kitchen does not have a door. Basically the other cats have been staying out of the kitchen. I've been going in after them, if they go in. This poor little girl she is so terrified you can see it in the way that she holds herself, and she hasn't had one vocal meow at all. She's supposed to be a talker. She's so quiet and so silent and so unmoving you'd never know she was here.

Oh Hope, I'm sorry! I know I don't have any advice but I'm sending good vibes to both you and Evie! The broom didn't work?

I know this is really serious but please, try not to think about that or you'll only wind yourself up even more. We'll try to think of more ways to help you... is there anyway you can warm up some wet food to entice her? Do you have anything that looks like a giant candy cane so you could kind of hook and pull her out of there? Sorry, I'm not very helpful but I'm trying to be!

Hope, I know this is going to be difficult for you to do, but my advice to you is to confine the other kitties in a room well away from the kitchen and then just ignore her. Don't try to get her out, don't try to tempt her with food or anything else. Just totally forget she is even there.

You've said you left a litter box and food/water out for her in the kitchen - she will come to them when she is ready and not one minute before.

~gf~

I hit the post button before I had finished ...

If she isn't out and exploring your place by tomorrow morning, then call on a neighbor or co-worker to help you move the fridge. But my guess is that she will come out if you are very, very quiet and just leave her alone for now.

Originally Posted by gayef

Don't try to get her out, don't try to tempt her with food or anything else.

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I know I said to try to tempt her with food... I'd go with what she said since I don't really know. But you've got a lot of good advice here so good luck!

I'll leave her alone...Actually my other cats really aren't bothering her. I can shut them up in the little room which is really just a hug walk in closet, but they can and will break out. However, Evie seems to be as afraid of me as she is the cats, if not more. How do I get her to eat before she does damage to her body? What if she's already done damage to her body by not eating, drinking or going to the litter box for more than 24 hours? I think that plane ride traumatized her, then when a stranger picked her up and took her to a strange home, it was more than she could handle. She's not agressive, but God how I wish I could put he mind at rest. How awful for her to have gone through all of that in a day. She left a home she's known all of her life, apparently it was a 4 hour drive for them to get her to the airport, then she gets on a plane and flies to Los Angeles, where a person she's never met picked her up and took her to a strange place. How awful for this poor little thing. She's so beautiful. Pictures can't do her justice.

She's had a traumatic time with the flight etc... so it's natural that she's terrified

Do exactly what Gayef says first because she needs some peace and quiet to get her bearings, then if nothing's been ate or drank by tomorrow you can go on to the next step.

Ok sweet lady, calm down. I didn't mean for you to shove the broom handle at her, I meant if you could get someone to help you move the fridge then use the broom to guide her away. I am truly sorry if I gave you advice that traumatized her more.

If you lower your stress level, she will lower hers. Keep the other cats out of the area. If you have any feliway spray or plug ins, use those in the kitchen. Play classical music really low in the kitchen if you can, keep the lights dim if possible. She is traumatized from the flight and that is understandable. If you have treats, toss them back to her hiding spot in sort of a trail of breadcrumbs if you can. I'm not sure what your set up is, or how she was able to get back behind the fridge, but they choose the most inopportune spots sometimes to hide under. Here at the house, it is usually behind the dishwasher, or under the heater.

If you can get some sardines, use that as her food source- once it is quiet she should catch the scent and want to investigate it. I had one kitty arrive from Orange County a few years ago, the flight traumatized her so much she hid under our dishwasher for days. I couldn't move the dishwasher its a built-in so I just kept tossing treats and catnip back to her to get her out. She wiggled underneath it-

She actually crawled under the fridge and is actually under the fridge and not behind it. I unplugged it, becasue she was laying against the engine. I don't have that protective thing on my fridge I guess it would be called the skirting, so she can go directly under the refridgerator. She's a quiet as a little church mouse. I don't have the TV on or anything, but I know I'll want to watch TV tonight. I will stop bothering her, and I'll try to keep out of the kitchen myself. I'll get food "to go" tonight. I didn't get a chance to get Feliway. I will keep my other boys out of the kitchen as well. Actually, they are both being pretty good. I know Shane is interested in meeting her, but he's not bothering her. I'll bring their food dishes out of the kitchen so they can eat in the living room. Unfortunately, I have a small apartment so it's going to be hard to keep everyone completely away from her, but I'll do my best. Yes, I feel awful about trying to get her to exit from under the refridgerator with the broom handle. I'm pretty stupid sometimes. I thought that was what you meant for me to do. I should have known better. This is my first experience with a cat that has been traumatized like Evie has been. I just feel so badly for her. I wish I could let her know that I will be good to her and just want to love her.

First of all you are NOT stupid! So don't even think that! I am used to handling different cats than most. I should have been clearer in my post to you.

Well, it's almost midnight here in Los Angeles. Evie has not come out yet, and as far as I know she hasn't eaten or had anything to drink. I've left her alone and ignored her, and I've kept the other cats away from her, and set up their feeding and drinking dishes in the little room I was going to keep Evie in. Other than the TV there has been no noise or any real activity going on. I went out to get something to eat. I got a boneless, skinless chicken breast sandwich, and I ate most of it, but saved a small amount to put in a bowl in front of the fridge, in hopes that it would intice her to eat. Still nothing. I am so worried. I really fear I'm going to lose this little girl, as she starves herself to death.

Hope, keep your other cats away in a room for the night, put out several plates of food for Evie, put a litter pan close by and leave out water. Go to bed and let her process the day. Chances are when the house is asleep, she will come out to eat- keep a night light burning in the kitchen if you can, or the stove light on, you just need some kind of indirect lighting to make her feel a bit safer-

Honestly, broom handles and flashlights will only scare her more. If she can move around in there, she can come out, and she will when she is left alone. Right now she sees the world as the most terrifying situation she has ever been in and all her instincts are telling to stay put in the dark where no one can get to her. Even when you leave her alone it will probably be several hours before she will dare to come out. But she will. Don't panic - just let her be. Maybe play some soft music in the kitchen to calm her down and leave her food in easy reach.

Little Evie finally came out from under the refigerator. She's still scared of me, though. I have Simba and Shane locked up in the other room and they are very upset about it.

Ms Evie is now hiding in the cubbards. She's knocked down a few things, but thankfully didn't break anything. As far as I'm concerned, she wants nothing to do with me.

Hope,
I am glad she came out, please know she's not had a chance to get to know you, and she will over time...right now she's simply scared and confused...she's not rejecting you! Imo.

Hang in there, it will get better. I'll leave any other advice to others.

It is good that Evie came out to explore some, now just let her be ... she will sniff around, knock things over, walk all over the place and get her bearings - this is all quite normal and to be expected. Don't push her. Let her come to you and when she is ready to come over and introduce herself, she will.

Keep the boys confined for now - Evie needs to get used to her new environment first then we can work on the introductions.

You are doing fine, sweetie - just remember to breathe.

~gf~

And block access underneath your fridge so she can't get back under there. Have you any indication she has eaten?

I am glad to hear she got herself out from under that fridge. I was wondering the same thing as hissy. Any indication that she's eaten anad had some water? I hope you've had some time to take a few deep breaths. She's gonna be just fine in time. Keep us posted.

Excellent news! My advice now would be to try and move her once only, to a room which is safe (no refrigerators) and which has somethng she can hide in - a large cardbox box or a cupboard, and leave her there for a day or two, while gradually getting her used to the sound of your voice and to you feeding her regularly. Then you can think about opening her up to the rest of hte house to explore at her own pace, and to careful introductions to the others. It iwll be easier for you if she is the one confined, rather than the others, as this will all take some days at least. But you are on the right track. It will all be fine.

SO happy to hear she's out and you've got her somewhere you're happier with. Jazzie did this when she moved in at Christmas- went under the bed for four days, she came out only to eat and use her tray and made it very clear I was one step removed from Lucifer- I know how rejected and sad it must be making you feel, especially when you must have been so looking forward to her arriving and you've been so worried about her. This honestly won't go on forever. In the end all I could do was let Jazzie have her safe space and not invade it, spend time in the room on the floor where I wasn't a threatening presence and talk - although not to her. LOL On the fifth day Jake and I were lying on the floor near the bed playing with a bell, and this little kitten crept out to see what we were doing. The first few weeks she went back under the bed the second something scared her- but now, three months on, she's asleep on my feet as I write and she's the gorgeous little soul I so looked forward to moving in with us. Hang in there sweetie, we're all thinking of you.