feral or shy

[buckwheat]

8 month cat run&hides from owner. I have. Buckwheat in my home for 4months now, and haven't been able to touch him. He has visited the vet because I can't catch him. I've put his water and food in his carrier and he just he refuses to eat. I think Buckwheat was poorly socialized. He has 6 siblings, and was living with them, and the mother, when I went to pick him up he was already in taxi, and ready to go. I made the mistake of taking him home without seeing him outside of the taxi. This. Is my first cat/kitten so I really had no idea what to expect. I read lots of books, and utube video's but that's all the info I had. I puthim in a quite room with liter box, water, and dry food his food he was familiar with. He stay in taxi maybe 2hours, and I open the door of taxi and wait for him to come out. He hides under my bedroom dresser, and only comes out at night. I can hear him playing with his toys, and he's eating&drinking his water, but he has nothing to do with me. I went out and go him two scrathing post and floor scrathing board, which clearly he uses, but only at night. He now goes in the rest of the house but only at night I see the signs of toys having been moved. He is so afraid, or ferel I have no idea what to do next........plz help.

 

[katluver4life]

Hello, I'm sorry your having this problem. It does sound as though he was poorly socialized, but not feral, just afraid. You need to spend some time with him, letting him get to know you. I would continue to keep him to 1 room with everything he needs. If you can, try and get a feliway diffuser to put in the room too.

Spend time talking to him, sitting or laying on the floor keeps you in a nonthreatening position. Read a book out load. This is so he gets used to the sound of your voice. With your hand on the floor opened palm up, offer out treats, if he will not come to your hand, put them down and back away a bit. Use wand toys to interact with him, but still allow him to keep his distance. When he starts playing with it, you can slowly move him closer to you. Go slow, but be consistent. Do all this frequently, as much as you can. Playing classical or harp music will help calm him also.

He's young and will learn he is safe and loved. Be patient. Good luck.

 

[whc216]

I was also frustrated with my very first cat/kitten (not sure if you read my thread, but I was also on the similar situation as yours).

She grew up with many other siblings/cats that she was not able to get too much attention from the owner. When I first brought her, which was about 3 weeks ago, she simply hid all day. She hid under the couch for next three days without using litter box and eating food. Fortunately, after 3 days, she finally came out while I was asleep, she used litter box! Since then, she slowly started to move for eating and using litter only at night. After some suggestion from this forum, I also bought Feliway, plug in on my room wall. I don't know if that's the reason, but after a day or so, she started to change the location from under the couch to closet, which is near the Feliway. That was the story of the first week.

Same as your situation, mine came out every night while I was asleep, and playing by herself (I also heard the sound and her toys were moved). When I tried to approach her, then that's when she started to run away! She cried a lot every night that I was not able to sleep some days. Every time I came back from the work, she hid under the closet. I think she did not really get out of the closet at all while I was gone, because I saw no sign of food or litter box. So I decided to leave her alone and do my own work (playing computer, call someone and etc). But I also walked in to my closet once every hour or so to tell her about my awareness. She used to come out of the closet when I turned off all my lights and lay down on my bed, but it slowly became earlier, like 1-2 hours before my bedtime...and so on. That was what happened on second week.

Then I recently started to give her some treats and played with her using laser pointer. That's what I did this week, and I feel that she is slowly gaining the confidence. She used to stay few feet away from me, and whenever I approached to her or had to go near her to do something, she ran away to the closet. Yesterday, I walked across right next to her, and she did not really run away, watched me what was going on! Even yesterday, she started to explore around my house while I was awake!

I have to say that she still hisses at me when I try to pet her. I was not able to pet her for a long period...probably 5 seconds to scratch her head. Often, she hisses before I even try to pet her, but I also sometimes ignore her hissing, and just pet her. I felt like if I get scared of her hissing, I will never get to pet her or something so eh...don't think it's a good way though haha.

She still does not fully trust me, but at least some progress over the past three weeks. I am not so sure if my story will help you out, but it sounds like your cat behaves the same/similar as my first cat too so hopefully, it works out for you too

 

[buckwheat]

Buckwheat ran out the front door, and now I kant find him its been 4wks now

 

[heraymo]

That breaks my heart.

 

[buckwheat]

Thking about getting 2kittens, what do you think? Buckwheat is still gone, I've come to except that

 

[jcat]

B buckwheat
I'm sorry you haven't been able to locate him. Are you going to be able to interact with the kittens before you get them, to make certain they're more outgoing and socialized than Buckwheat?

 

[buckwheat]

I will! I have gotten the kitten as of yet. There just 3wks old as of today I have been incontact with the breeder, she sends me pixs, and let's me know how their doing. I have pixs of eyes closed, and up on their paws.. I asked her to handle them daily, and socialize them both. They are siblings I planning on going to see them soon, just to check on their well being. She would like me to take them at 6wks, but I would rather they stay with mom for 2 more weeks, and receiving them at 8wks old.. I feeling rather comfortable. I will take them both to vet as soon as I get them. Thz for everyone's concerns bout Buckwheat. I pray Buckwheat is safe, and back in his feral community. I really believe Buckwheat was feral, and did not want to be socialized. He was 8mos old when I got him, and even after 4 to 5mos I was still unable to touch him. I was at this point was getting uncomfortable (afraid), and was unable to give him what he needed. After groc shopping I wasn't thinking he would go to the door, and he ran out I believe he wanted to be outside. I left his food outside, and his liter box but he never returned. I don't have any ferel cats in my neighborhood so the birds would eat the food I left out. Now Buckwheat is now ben gone a month. He is now one year old, he a beautiful cat, and I don't think he wants to live inside or be a inside cat. If he does have a feral community I pray they will except him back I been reading, and watching utube videos on kittens socializing them.

 

[buckwheat]

Excuse typos. "I haven't gotten the kitten yet"

 

[jcat]

Six weeks is definitely too young, and eight weeks isn't a whole lot better, because they need their mother to teach them all sorts of things, like using the litter box, not biting, etc.. Twelve to sixteen weeks would be more usual. Has she said why she wants to separate them so early?

 

[buckwheat]

good question I will ask her why? 10 to to 12 wks vet says????

 

[katluver4life]

So sorry to hear Buckwheat ran away.

As jcat said, please wait to take the kittens until they are at least 12 weeks old if you can. They will be much better with socialization by their mom the longer they stay with her. Since they are with a breeder, she should actually know better then to separate them from mom so young. I'm guessing your buying these kittens? If so, I am sure as long as the breeder has her money, she should be willing to keep the kitttens with their mom until they are at a more appropriate age to leave.

 

[jcat]

We got our last cat at 10 weeks because he was getting way too rough with his littermates, but I wish it had been 12 weeks, because he was very "nippy".