Hiding Cat

[natashab15]

Hi!
I could really use some help. My partner and I adopted a cat about two weeks ago and she has been hiding from us inside the lining of our couch for that entire time. She figured out how to hide comfortably- she’s not trapped or squished or anything- she’s made herself a cool little spot. But we never see her. She’s using the litter box and eating and drinking while we’re gone and definitely explores the room while we’re gone but we never see her. She’s never come out or even poked her head out when we’re there. I’m really starting to lose hope and am wondering if our home is not the right place for her. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

 

[natashab15]

Hi!
I could really use some help. My partner and I adopted a cat (female, three years old) about two weeks ago and she has been hiding from us inside the lining of our couch for that entire time. She figured out how to hide comfortably- she’s not trapped or squished or anything- she’s made herself a cool little spot. But we never see her. She’s using the litter box and eating and drinking while we’re gone and definitely explores the room while we’re gone but we never see her. She’s never come out or even poked her head out when we’re there. I’m really starting to lose hope and am wondering if our home is not the right place for her. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

 

[Tobermory]

Welcome to TCS, N natashab15 ! Glad to have you here although I’m sorry you’ve come with a problem. Can you give us more background? What kind of situation did she come from? A shelter? A private home? Were you able to interact with her before you brought her home? Do you have any other pets? What have you tried to encourage her to come out? The more info you can give us the better!

I adopted a three-year-old semi feral four years ago, and it took months of patience before she started to trust us. I couldn’t really touch Mocha for a couple of months, and it took much longer than that before my husband could pet her. So depending on your kitty’s background (what’s her name?), it could take awhile. But tell us more!

 

[LTS3]

Give it time. Cats need to settle into a new home at their own pace. You can't rush it and doing so will make the cat fearful. Two weeks is hardly any time at all to a cat.

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It's good that the cat is at least eating and drinking and using the litter box and exploring when no one is around.

 

[natashab15]

Welcome to TCS, N natashab15 ! Glad to have you here although I’m sorry you’ve come with a problem. Can you give us more background? What kind of situation did she come from? A shelter? A private home? Were you able to interact with her before you brought her home? Do you have any other pets? What have you tried to encourage her to come out? The more info you can give us the better!

I adopted a three-year-old semi feral four years ago, and it took months of patience before she started to trust us. I couldn’t really touch Mocha for a couple of months, and it took much longer than that before my husband could pet her. So depending on your kitty’s background (what’s her name?), it could take awhile. But tell us more!

Hi! Thank you for getting back to me. Her name is Thimble and she is three. The shelter said she was trapped for a period of time inside a house. I’m worried she won’t ever feel comfortable enough to come out in my apartment. She doesn’t seem good motivated or really like any of the toys we’ve gotten her and due to her hiding spot- she can’t ever see us which concerns me- if she can’t recognize us how would she feel comfortable?

 

[natashab15]

Hi! Thank you for getting back to me. Her name is Thimble and she is three. The shelter said she was trapped for a period of time inside a house. I’m worried she won’t ever feel comfortable enough to come out in my apartment. She doesn’t seem good motivated or really like any of the toys we’ve gotten her and due to her hiding spot- she can’t ever see us which concerns me- if she can’t recognize us how would she feel comfortable?

*food motivated

 

[Elphaba09]

*food motivated

Given time and patience, Thimble will come around. If she was trapped in a house and then not reacclimated to being around people in a safe environment, this is going to be a shock for her. Normally, I would say to leave her in her hiding place, but inside the lining of your couch is not the best place for her to hide. I would give her a week to keep hiding there. During that week, if she comes out, great! If not, find an alternative hiding place for her that gives her a better view of you and your partner. A box with an opening cut out and soft (possibly heated) bedding would work nice, but anything relatively cozy with a front-facing opening would be fine. Then, remove her access to her old spot. (I removed the liner on my couch for one cat that did this very thing.) Since she comes out while you are gone, prepare the new hiding spot a couple of days in advance so she has a chance to go in it while you are gone. You could put some catnip or valerian in it to possibly attract her. Then, on the day of, spray calming spray in your home, gently flush her out, remove her access, and then leave for an hour or so. This will give her time to discover that her old spot is gone and she has a new spot available to her. Once she is settled, start spending time within view of her new spot. You can start moving closer to the spot and talking to her. I know she is not food motivated, but you might find some sort of food that she is particularly fond of and see if she responds. (Our Simon loves sardines. When he was younger, we used them to train him. Now that he is 19 and has lost a lot of weight, we give them to him about once a week to encourage him to eat a little more.) Eventually, she will start to warm up to you and your partner.

All 13 of our cats have are either abandoned strays or formal ferals. Some have been easy. Others have been extremely difficult. In the summer of 2020, we found three kittens in our feral house. They were not exactly feral, but they were not someone's loved pets. Based on their behavior and ages, our evet believes that they were once held together--possilbly with other kittens and cats--in a small cage. (I would add "disgustingly dirty" to describe the cage because they were sick and covered in poop and urine.) Cassian, the oldest by maybe two months, came around the quickest. Iroh is still exceptionally shy and only likes my husband and me. Xanthippe who was in the worst shape mentally and physically, is just starting to let us pet her a little. She will sleep on my foot while I am watching TV--thats been going on for almost a year--and will sleepon my hip in the middle of the night; however, she is very avoidant. She and her brothers have decided that my 8 1/2-year-old 22-lbs male cate named Fennimore is their momma. Xanthippe is his favorite. Both she and Iroh have a hiding place that they run to when they are afraid. Sometimes they stay in there all day, but they like to be near me and Fennimore.

 

[Mjhend]

We have had cats who have hidden for 6 months! All eventually came around.