Cat No Longer Comes Out Of Room Anymore

[mapetheape]

1. Hey there, my family has been living with two cats, Milo and Cleo since June of 2016 or 2015. Both cats come from the same litter, both big on exploring and running around. Our family took in a cat from a family member in January of 2018, right off the bat Cleo and the new cat Robo didn't appreciate one another's company and began fighting in each others presence. It began with hissing and raising of the fur, and the moved to physical fighting and scratching. At that point, it was decided that Cleo would spend time in a room separate from the rest of the cats, but still big enough for her, a litter box in the bathroom, a cat tree all within a large sized bedroom. Now in July, Cleo cries and growls when brought into another room. Eventually she calms down, but will continue meowing and crying until put back in the other room. I know cats are territorial and they find safe places and whatnot, but it gives me anxiety to think she will only willingly stay in the bedroom instead of spending time outside and in the rest of the house.
2. The new cat Robo will be moving with me back to school in September, but I still fear Cleo won't want to be outside of the room still.

 

[KarenKat]

Poor Cleo! She probably felt that her territory was taken away and is uncomfortable with the new kitty. In time she will probably come back out once she realizes she won’t see Robo.

When we added Olive, Gohan retreated upstairs and stopped entering our basement entirely (her safe room). Now that the cats get along better he is starting to explore. But we have to let him do it in his own time.

I don’t recommend carrying her out. This will make her feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. Instead, maybe you can start feeding her closer to the door. Imagine trying to introduce two cats together, but instead you are reintegrating her with the rest of the territory. Move the food at her comfort level until she starts exploring more. Also playing with her where she can cross the boundary, and give her treats to entice her out. (Or have whoever is home once you leave do things things).

Hopefully in time she will realize that it is her territory again.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Since Robo will be moving with you in September, probably the best thing to do right now, is nothing.

You still have Milo, right. Does Cleo still get along ok with him? If not, once September comes, and it's back to just the 2 of them again, you should probably do the "formal" cat introductions again. Here are the TCS articles on the subject:

Introducing Cats To Cats
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction

Hopefully once Robo is gone, Cleo will no longer be so timid. But if she is, here are some more articles that might be helpful at that time.

How To Get A Cat To Come Out Of Hiding?
16 Top Cat Experts Share Tips For Dealing With Timid Cats
10 Must-know Tips For Happy Living With A Shy Cat