Stressed and Scared

a_loveless_gem · Jul 13, 2002

Hi There!

Ok, I followed all the rules for transporting my cat, Russell 1600 kms to his new home. The trip went well and the settling in is going interestingly.

Russell's six months old and he has been in a relatively quiet environment with the occasional bouts of loud music being played. Initially he was quite scared of unfamiliar people but after a while he coped well and became inquisitive and outgoing. The vet thought he initially may have been a feral cat, especially when I presented a flea covered and worm infested sick looking kitten to her. Russell is now a completely house trained indoor cat who enjoys the occasional walks outside when on a lead.

Anyway...his new environment is a lot more noisier, due to one particular guy who refuses to tone it down. I am getting quite annoyed and it's caused a few arguments already and I don't want to leave Russell alone in the house with him. And yes he did say it was perfectly ok to have Russell here.

Russell's fine when it's relatively quiet and behaves confidently. He investigates noises and wanders around freely. When this particular guy makes a racket, Russell vanishes under the sofa due to all the racket made. I've had to him to a quieter area of the house in order to calm him down and only let him out when it's quieter. I don't want to do this to Russell because it's not fair on him.

Is there anything I can do to make Russell's transition easier or maybe even get him used to loud and obnoxious housemates? I am at my wits end.

I'm sorry for writing so much.

hissy · Jul 13, 2002

Hi there,

I am glad the intial move-over went so well. If you can't get this roomie to tone it down (could you offer him headphones?) Russell's only option is he is going to have to get used to the new noise in his world. If he is simply hiding, then you are okay. It is when he stops eating, drinking and peeing, or starts stress shedding that you would need to worry. It is unfortunate that this loud roomie does not take into consideration how sensitive a cat's hearing is. Russell can hear a mouse rustling in the grass several yards away, so this new booming noise in his life must be dreadful for him. He is acting like a feral kitty by hiding, it is his only defense against the noise monster.

You can try to help Russell adapt by subjecting him to noise every now and again. Turn the radio up just a little bit at a time, but don't blast it when Russell is in the room. Do this slowly in increments, make sure he is not close to the speakers, but slowly get him used to more noise. Or, you can just go kick your roomie in the teeth for being such an insenstive jerk! Think that might work?

Good luck!

debra myers · Jul 13, 2002

I am sorry that Russell is having a time of it with this roommate! It is so stressful on a feline to have such chaos around them. Please let us know how things progress with him and the the roommate!
And.....Welcome to thecatsite!

a_loveless_gem · Jul 13, 2002

Hi Again,

Well I've put the recommendations into practice and it seems to be working and he's now just a little uncertain of everyone. And this morning I decided that I would take Russell out of his comfort zone risking any scratches and loud meows and bites.

I wrapped him in a towel and took him out to be with everyone in house, there's 6 people at the moment, (the irritating roomie is making murmurings of moving out). I showed Russell everyone and let them pat him and talk to him in turn and it went well. He even calmed down and when he was let go, instead of vanishing under the sofa, he walked around and skulked.

So this morning I am pleased.

And your black cat,

looks the closest to my Russell. And he's got a white spot on his chest under his chin. He's so soft.

Oh, he even purred this morning and snuggled in bed! :tounge2:

a_loveless_gem

I

my

deb25 · Jul 13, 2002

Poor Russell. I am glad to hear he is doing better. It must be tough on him to adjust to a new house AND all the noise with it. When I moved last year, my one cat, Squirt, stayed on the counter in the kitchen for more than 12 hours. He was afraid to go anywhere in the new house. When he did try to walk around, he was afraid of everything, even the ceiling fans. It took him a few days to feel at home. I hope Russell gets used to his new home too. And wecome to The Cat Site, by the way.

Stressed and Scared

a_loveless_gem

TCS Member

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hissy

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debra myers

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a_loveless_gem

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deb25

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