Hi everyone,
I recently had to shelter my cat Demmu, because he was having severe behavioral problems which were getting worse and worse, no matter how much I tried to love him.
It nearly broke my heart to do it, but it really was the only choice; I felt like a failure.
So I decided to try again with someone new. So yesterday, I went to the local chapter of the humane society and adopted someone new, a very sweet and affectionate (if a tad overweight) 6-year-old named Kitty Boy, who head-butted me repeatedly in the cat-room they had set up, and wasn't shy of lying down and showing me his belly to rub. (Plus, I figured nobody ever gives older cats a chance, so I would.)
Anyway, I got him home, and made what I think is a bad mistake. Instead of giving him his own little room for a while -- which I only today learned is what I was supposed to do -- I set his carrier down in the living room and let him out; he spent the next few hours exploring the living room and bedroom, occasionally letting me pet him though still acting quite shy of me; he would rub up on me (he even let me rub his belly a few times), but if I came near him (I did not approach him intentionally; he just happened to be near the fridge or bathroom, etcetera), he would slink away or bolt, keeping a watchful eye on me. He ate his dinner in the kitchen and used the litter-box once (I think), and then promptly went and hid himself away in the box-springs of my mattress, where he has been (mostly) ever since, at least as far as *I've* been able to tell. (I hope he isn't going woo-woo in there; I really do.) He peeks out every now and again to see if it's safe, but if I'm around, he retreats. I understand that this is perfectly normal -- i.e., that cats usually spend their first few days in hiding when at a new place -- but what I'm worried about is that I failed to give him his own room for the first few days, and how that will affect him from now on.
For what it's worth, I DID rectify the problem. This morning, I moved his litter, food, and water into the bedroom where he's hiding, and then pulled the door to (with a big enough space for him to get out if he wants to), hoping that would help him. I'm worried that I might have messed up big time, though, by not doing this in the first place and instead gave him the entire apartment at first. But I'm afraid the relocation of the food and litter might also confuse him, since he's only been here a day or so. Worse, I'm expecting company this morning -- a friend (and cat lover, though he doesn't have one), who will probably be staying over until the early afternoon hours. I'm worried that the presence of another person will make him even more reticent than he is now.
So did I do the right thing by putting his things in that room and giving him his space, even if it was a day or so late? Did I really screw up big time? Or what?
I recently had to shelter my cat Demmu, because he was having severe behavioral problems which were getting worse and worse, no matter how much I tried to love him.
So I decided to try again with someone new. So yesterday, I went to the local chapter of the humane society and adopted someone new, a very sweet and affectionate (if a tad overweight) 6-year-old named Kitty Boy, who head-butted me repeatedly in the cat-room they had set up, and wasn't shy of lying down and showing me his belly to rub. (Plus, I figured nobody ever gives older cats a chance, so I would.)
Anyway, I got him home, and made what I think is a bad mistake. Instead of giving him his own little room for a while -- which I only today learned is what I was supposed to do -- I set his carrier down in the living room and let him out; he spent the next few hours exploring the living room and bedroom, occasionally letting me pet him though still acting quite shy of me; he would rub up on me (he even let me rub his belly a few times), but if I came near him (I did not approach him intentionally; he just happened to be near the fridge or bathroom, etcetera), he would slink away or bolt, keeping a watchful eye on me. He ate his dinner in the kitchen and used the litter-box once (I think), and then promptly went and hid himself away in the box-springs of my mattress, where he has been (mostly) ever since, at least as far as *I've* been able to tell. (I hope he isn't going woo-woo in there; I really do.) He peeks out every now and again to see if it's safe, but if I'm around, he retreats. I understand that this is perfectly normal -- i.e., that cats usually spend their first few days in hiding when at a new place -- but what I'm worried about is that I failed to give him his own room for the first few days, and how that will affect him from now on.
For what it's worth, I DID rectify the problem. This morning, I moved his litter, food, and water into the bedroom where he's hiding, and then pulled the door to (with a big enough space for him to get out if he wants to), hoping that would help him. I'm worried that I might have messed up big time, though, by not doing this in the first place and instead gave him the entire apartment at first. But I'm afraid the relocation of the food and litter might also confuse him, since he's only been here a day or so. Worse, I'm expecting company this morning -- a friend (and cat lover, though he doesn't have one), who will probably be staying over until the early afternoon hours. I'm worried that the presence of another person will make him even more reticent than he is now.
So did I do the right thing by putting his things in that room and giving him his space, even if it was a day or so late? Did I really screw up big time? Or what?
