Our new kitty friend

Recently adopted a cat ofthe age of a year & a half. She was very friendly at the Animal Welfare League. She stood out because she stuck her paws out of the bars of her cage she was in. When we got her home she responded well to the surroundings. She's confined to one room unless someone picks her up & takes her into a different room because she likes to hide so no one can find her.

My first cat hid for several weeks because she was a three year old cat living in a new home. She was also abused. This cat was a stray but is very warm and friendly. She stands up to the two dogs in the house as well. I'm wondering if the hiding will stop & if it does.. when we should expect it to stop.

I'm also a little concerned because she bites a little. I believe it is all in play & her trying to bond with us. For the first two days we scolded her if she tried to bite us. But, now we don't. She only bites while lying on her back after we've played with her stomach or dangled our fingers in front of her or on top of her head. She doesn't really "bite". She clenches our fingers between her top & bottom teeth but not with any force. You can barely feel it. I was wondering if we should not let her do this because it may lead to actual biting because she is scared or aggrivated. If we should try to get her to stop, what should we do you get her to prevent the biting?

Thank you!!

I was watching a vet show on tv and it said for behavior that you don't like,you should ignor it...so when she bites put her down and walk away....let me know if it works...

Thanks.. We'll try that.

Any other suggestions??

How about the hiding thing? Seeing my other cat did this, I'm going to believe it is normal. We have yet to let her have free roam of the house because she's hiding & the dogs could be a problem. We don't think that the dogs will harm her.. she seems like she will stand up to them. She was a stray after all.. so she's probably had experiance with other animals & dogs.

Thanks again!

Don't encourage her to play with your fingers - you are inviting her to bite them and it could get rough. Get a dangly toy for her to play-attack. On the hiding, every cat is different - she could get comfortable in a few days, in extreme cases it can take months. However I do not think you have too much to worry about - it sounds more as if she is just taking stock of you and her new surroundings from a secure vantage point, rather than genuine terror and determination never to be found.

I agree with Jenny. Using your fingers for play is not a good idea. You're making your fingers your kitty's attack "targets".
My four cats are all former strays. And yes, hiding is normal and there is no "set" length of time. It's best to let the cat decide when it's okay to "come out".

Thanks for the help guys!

We've been ignoring the bad behavior & will stop the finger play.

Thank you guys, again!