Is my rescue cat making progress?

[Bettie]

Hi... First time posting...
My partner and I recently adopted a beautiful Ginger girl, she is 2. I grew up with rescue cats, so I have some experience of rescue, but this is my first as an adult.

She has been hiding all the time which I expected (coming up to 3 weeks since we got her now). What I want to know is, is she making progress?
I have been bringing her a spoon with various tests and wet food when I visit her in her safe room. She usually eats the treats, less interested in the wet food (think she is a bit fussy, she seems to like tuna and ham, but I want to be careful giving her too much human food...)
She'll come out at night, play like crazy with her mice toys and then once we are up, she will go back to her hiding spot. Today she decided to go on top of the bookshelf instead of hide. So I gave her treats on the shelf and retreated to the other side of the room. She watched me and eventually ate the treats, then she started to move and jumped off the bookshelf onto the floor and ran into her hiding spot. Did I upset her and scare her into her spot or is this a sign she is feeling more confident around me because she is no longer frozen in place?
I have since given her a spoonful of treats and wet food in her hiding spot and she stayed there. I have noticed she isn't an overeater and when she is done with her treats she turns away from the spoon, I take it to mean she wants the smelly food gone from her spot, so I tend to move it when she turns away.

Sorry I know this is a long post, I just really want her go be happy and feel safe. I think she is happy at night, but I'm not sure how she feels during the day.
TIA

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, welcome! She's definitely making progress

Try sitting, or even lying on the floor and read to her or just work on your laptop or whatever.

Don't look at her directly for any length of time, that can seem aggressive to cats.

Give her some emotional space to learn about you and the household routines, smells, sounds etc.

 

[Bettie]

Thanks! I really hope she is, just want her to feel safe!

I forgot to say, I read to her each morning. She seems to respond to my voice. I get slow blinks when I speak or sing to her... she is the only one in the house who appreciates my terrible singing!

I'm visiting her in her room on a schedule so she knows what to expect.

 

[poolcat]

Sounds like you're doing a great job! It's hard to see how much progress she's making when it's going slowly. You could keep a list and make a note every new thing she does. It's normal for a cat to come out at night to explore when they're in a new place. Eventually, when she finds out she can trust you, she'll start coming out more during the day.

If you're trying to encourage her to come out while you're in the room, maybe you shouldn't give her treats in her hiding spot. I'd be more inclined to leave a treat a little bit away from where she hides for her to eat later, as long as she sees that you're the one who provided it.

 

[Bettie]

Thank you!

I think part of it is I'm not sure what is progress, I don't want to misread her.

I have been giving the treats in her hiding place because, until a few days ago, she wasn't interested in taking them from me. My plan next is to get her to have them just out from her hiding spot. I've sort of been gently pulling the spoon out from her hiding spot to see how far she'll come out.
I'm really hoping in the next few days she will decide to take the treat outside her hiding spot! Fingers crossed!

I am pretty certain she looks far less scared than she did before. She'll wash with me in the room on her cat tree, but only at night and only if the light in her room is off. I take that as a good sign

 

[poolcat]

I expect you'll look back on this and wonder what you were concerned about. I do whenever a nervous foster cat has taken her own sweet time about coming out of hiding and acting like a normal cat. They always have, eventually! Cats can pick up on our emotions, so if you can manage to be relaxed around her it will help her realize that there's nothing to be afraid of. I hope you'll give us updates on her progress.

 

[tabbytom]

Sorry I know this is a long post, I just really want her go be happy and feel safe. I think she is happy at night, but I'm not sure how she feels during the day.
TIA

Thank you for adopting this ginger girl!

I think everyday there is progress but sometimes it's not noticeable due to our anxiousness and expectations. I agree with the above posters comments and suggestions.

Just to add on, you may want to visit her more often and also announce your arrival by calling her name out in a soft sweet voice before you enter the room. And also, don't just move in right away as the sudden appearance may startle her. Stand at the door, see whirr she is, then you maker yourself smaller by kneeling down and slowly inch towards her and stop at a safe distance. Talk to her, show her the food or even have a cat wand with you and start playing with her. Have some interaction with her before food.

Leave one or two of your clean unwashed non perfumed garments with her so that your familiar scents are still around even though you are not there.

Yes, get her to get use to your voice and if she's responding with slow blinks, that's a good sign. If you can get close to her, hide a treat in your hand and let her smell your hand and slowly open up your fist and let her eat from your hand. Reason for this is if she smells your hand, it could mean that she's not very afraid to come near you and if she takes the treat from your hand, it shows that her confidence level have gone up. Also a fist imitates another cat's head and cats like to do head bumps with each other. If she does smell your fist, just use the back of your fist and gently rub her chin. This was to show that you are no threat to her and you love her.
I'm not saying that you must try this out now but find the right time to to it.

Do keep us posted of the progress and ask any questions you have. There's no such thing as a stupid question regarding this matter and also do post photos of her for us to see if you can.

 

[Kwik]

Hi Bettie and welcome to TCS,congratulations on your new furbaby

I'd like to suggest you bring her meals away from her hiding spot-her hiding spot should be her hiding spot and it should remain her space,by giving her treats or food or anything is not enticing her to come out but actually showing her that her hiding spot is not so safe-so she's not getting a chance to settle down when you are in the room and she's uneasy..... just a little insight,cats certainly need their very own space where they can relax until they feel it us safe to come out

You can place her food dish close enough to her hiding spot so she'll feel safe enough to come out and eat knowing she can quickly retreat back to her space if she feels threatened... as she begins to come out for her meals you can gradually move her bowl further and further away---- you see,first cats should be familiar with their environment ,familiarizing with you comes next.....as she gets more and more comfortable in her new territory she will feel confident to get to know you .Cats are territorial,without establishing territory they are very warey of everything around them( of course very social cats only need to explore and learn where everything is because humans pose no threat to them.

My advice is to reel it in and let her get comfortable in her safe room,certainly you should be in there but almost as unintrusively as possible,lie on the ground at a distance she's comfortable with....

Routine is important,predictability makes for a confident ,comfortable kitty-regular meal times etc.....Let her safe room indeed feel "safe" first,sounds like she needs to be socialized,you will cover much ground when you start the process after she is comfortable with her safe room first-doesnt take long but she's got to be allowed to move at her pace....

May I ask what her story is,was she a TNR,a stray,an outside kitty ,how long has she been in the shelter....it would be helpful to know a little background info as it seems she's not had any socialization......

 

[Bettie]

I expect you'll look back on this and wonder what you were concerned about. I do whenever a nervous foster cat has taken her own sweet time about coming out of hiding and acting like a normal cat. They always have, eventually! Cats can pick up on our emotions, so if you can manage to be relaxed around her it will help her realize that there's nothing to be afraid of. I hope you'll give us updates on her progress.

If you want updates, there will be updates! She is my whole world right now. She's just so beautiful

 

[Bettie]

Hi Bettie and welcome to TCS,congratulations on your new furbaby

I'd like to suggest you bring her meals away from her hiding spot-her hiding spot should be her hiding spot and it should remain her space,by giving her treats or food or anything is not enticing her to come out but actually showing her that her hiding spot is not so safe-so she's not getting a chance to settle down when you are in the room and she's uneasy..... just a little insight,cats certainly need their very own space where they can relax until they feel it us safe to come out

You can place her food dish close enough to her hiding spot so she'll feel safe enough to come out and eat knowing she can quickly retreat back to her space if she feels threatened... as she begins to come out for her meals you can gradually move her bowl further and further away---- you see,first cats should be familiar with their environment ,familiarizing with you comes next.....as she gets more and more comfortable in her new territory she will feel confident to get to know you .Cats are territorial,without establishing territory they are very warey of everything around them( of course very social cats only need to explore and learn where everything is because humans pose no threat to them.

My advice is to reel it in and let her get comfortable in her safe room,certainly you should be in there but almost as unintrusively as possible,lie on the ground at a distance she's comfortable with....

Routine is important,predictability makes for a confident ,comfortable kitty-regular meal times etc.....Let her safe room indeed feel "safe" first,sounds like she needs to be socialized,you will cover much ground when you start the process after she is comfortable with her safe room first-doesnt take long but she's got to be allowed to move at her pace....

May I ask what her story is,was she a TNR,a stray,an outside kitty ,how long has she been in the shelter....it would be helpful to know a little background info as it seems she's not had any socialization......

I wasn't given much info about her. Just that she was hiding a lot at the shelter, she moved from one rescue shelter to another. I think beginning of August she was taken in by one shelter and then a week or 2 later she was at the one I got her from. The rescue centre wanted to get her out ASAP because she was scared and they thought a quiet environment would help. She must have had a family once because she was already neutered when she came to the shelter. So she was in the shelter about 4 weeks total, but 2 different ones and now she's been with me just under 3 weeks, so it's still very early days and she's been moved around a bit, she probably thinks she's going to be whisked away again any minute!
She isn't aggressive at all, just scared. I'm beginning to think she wasn't socialised properly too. She's not feral, but she isn't quite domesticated either.
The last semi-feral I had was so different. He used to attack us and bite our ankles, he is a family cat, lives with my parents. He's a very old man now and just meows loudly constantly for attention and cuddles.
I know I can help her, I just want to make sure I'm doing the best I can for her

 

[Kwik]

Let me encourage you to please not think" oh no,I'm doing everything wrong ".... No,you're doing everything right,you're giving her a forever home and love.... all the other stuff just needs a little tweaking,no doubt you are super excited to show her you will not harm her and are anxious for her to respond.... she will Bettie,I assure you

My intentions are to help you understand kitties needs and her perspective so that you can see lots of progress and have a wonderful relationship with your baby girl without any guesswork or trial and error.... 3weeks is not long but believe me if you give her about a week to acclimate without much interference she'll feel alot more comfortable and be ready for you to start working with her.....

Not 4 months ago I took in a 7yr old rogue feral into my multicat household ( 4 cats)... His hiding spot is still his safe spot and will remain "his" for as long as he needs it,he rarely retreats to it unless the landscapers are making unbearable noise outside tye windows- but it's his safety zone,the place not even I imvade..... 4 months later and he is usually lying about my feet in the middle of the living room where all the busyness is-cats playing,phones ringing,TV going......that's safe space is the sense of security,I don't bother my cats in their preferred alone spaces ,I only need to call their names and they come out-it's trust building and advantageous for mutual respect

 

[Kwik]

I wasn't given much info about her. Just that she was hiding a lot at the shelter, she moved from one rescue shelter to another. I think beginning of August she was taken in by one shelter and then a week or 2 later she was at the one I got her from. The rescue centre wanted to get her out ASAP because she was scared and they thought a quiet environment would help. She must have had a family once because she was already neutered when she came to the shelter. So she was in the shelter about 4 weeks total, but 2 different ones and now she's been with me just under 3 weeks, so it's still very early days and she's been moved around a bit, she probably thinks she's going to be whisked away again any minute!
She isn't aggressive at all, just scared. I'm beginning to think she wasn't socialised properly too. She's not feral, but she isn't quite domesticated either.
The last semi-feral I had was so different. He used to attack us and bite our ankles, he is a family cat, lives with my parents. He's a very old man now and just meows loudly constantly for attention and cuddles.
I know I can help her, I just want to make sure I'm doing the best I can for her

Makes sense,no I don't believe she's a semi feral from what you described- possibly and indoor outdoor cat thst strayed and was brought to the shelter,not socialized but fed and obviously was familiar with indoors.... what you provided here is alot of info really,her behavior at tye shelter is a good indication of her past... hiding,terrified and not aggressive so she was once someone's cat- probably got zero attention but now she can have a fresh start and be the wonderful loving companion nobody ever gave her the opportunity to be!

Since she's been moved around so frequently it's really important to let her familiarize herself with her new environment,it's perfect she has one room,her safe room for starters- your going to see a different cat emerge when she establishes her room as her territory,next comes your bonding and then she'll have YOU and her already established territory to explore the rest of tye house to expand her territory....

I do hope this encourages you to have great expectations because I already know she's one terrific kitty

 

[Kwik]

Bettie
What's her name? Love to see a photo of her if you have yet. we loooooove photos!

 

[Bettie]

Makes sense,no I don't believe she's a semi feral from what you described- possibly and indoor outdoor cat thst strayed and was brought to the shelter,not socialized but fed and obviously was familiar with indoors.... what you provided here is alot of info really,her behavior at tye shelter is a good indication of her past... hiding,terrified and not aggressive so she was once someone's cat- probably got zero attention but now she can have a fresh start and be the wonderful loving companion nobody ever gave her the opportunity to be!

Since she's been moved around so frequently it's really important to let her familiarize herself with her new environment,it's perfect she has one room,her safe room for starters- your going to see a different cat emerge when she establishes her room as her territory,next comes your bonding and then she'll have YOU and her already established territory to explore the rest of tye house to expand her territory....

I do hope this encourages you to have great expectations because I already know she's one terrific kitty

Thanks.
I think she's amazing no matter what. I'm just a sucker for animals and I waited so long to get my own rescue because I wanted to be able to provide everything she needed. We finally moved into our forever home with enough space for a cat to have her own room and I was searching for the special kitty. She is IT!

My SO got me the pet cam so I can watch her and it brings me so much joy watching her play.

 

[Bettie]

Bettie
What's her name? Love to see a photo of her if you have yet. we loooooove photos!

Her name is Pumpkin. I don't really have photos yet, as she is hiding. The only ones I have managed are quite dark, or the one from her first day where she looks terrified!

 

[Eurocat]

Hi there
You‘re doing a great job and she‘s beautiful!
As s very amateur p.s. to everything else that has been said, I would suggest if possible initially trying to spend as much time with her (playing, feeding, quietly talking) in the times she feels more confident - which will be after dusk/ in the late evening/( or very early morning). You already see that she is already grooming with you in the room then, and I found the extra boost of confidence ferals get at this time helps to break the ice and makes daytime visits subsequently less threatening.
With my cats, play time in the late evening served as the golden bridge.(Though I was a walking zombie for a couple of months
All the best!

 

[Bettie]

Hi there
You‘re doing a great job and she‘s beautiful!
As s very amateur p.s. to everything else that has been said, I would suggest if possible initially trying to spend as much time with her (playing, feeding, quietly talking) in the times she feels more confident - which will be after dusk/ in the late evening/( or very early morning). You already see that she is already grooming with you in the room then, and I found the extra boost of confidence ferals get at this time helps to break the ice and makes daytime visits subsequently less threatening.
With my cats, play time in the late evening served as the golden bridge.(Though I was a walking zombie for a couple of months
All the best!

Thanks!
I hang out with her in her room in the evening. I keep the light out and she will come down from her perch and she has eaten a couple of times with me lying in the room quietly.

I have tried playing, but she doesn't really engage. A couple of nights ago, she very nearly pounced on the toy I was pulling along the ground, but not quite. Other than that she just ignores me when I try to play. It was quite a challenge to wave a wand toy in an appropriately prey-like manner while lying on the floor with as minimal movement as I could manage!
I'm hoping she might start playing with me soon, she loves to play by herself and her play overnight is getting ever more excited and noisy!

I'm really glad I posted here! It's really showing me she is making progress - not necessarily with me, but she is showing more and more signs of confidence

 

[Kwik]

Her name is Pumpkin. I don't really have photos yet, as she is hiding. The only ones I have managed are quite dark, or the one from her first day where she looks terrified!

She's GORGEOUS - oh my goodness she is so beautiful!!!!!

Congrats on your new home too Bettie,I'm so happy to hear you and Pumpkin are in your forever home

We are here for you,as time goes on you can look at the photo and see how far she's come..... poor baby but of course she was terrified- you had to see poor Timmy from outside 7years to inside and caged,I couldn't watch TV for a month,he was terrified of the giant people, gargantuan squirrels and terydactal sized birds on the big screen TV,lol- now he watches TV from right in front of it.....she'll be fine,she has a loving pet parent

 

[Bettie]

She's GORGEOUS - oh my goodness she is so beautiful!!!!!

Congrats on your new home too Bettie,I'm so happy to hear you and Pumpkin are in your forever home

We are here for you,as time goes on you can look at the photo and see how far she's come..... poor baby but of course she was terrified- you had to see poor Timmy from outside 7years to inside and caged,I couldn't watch TV for a month,he was terrified of the giant people, gargantuan squirrels and terydactal sized birds on the big screen TV,lol- now he watches TV from right in front of it.....she'll be fine,she has a loving pet parent

Thank you, I don't think she knows how beautiful she is yet, but I'll make sure she here's everyday from here on out!
She looks better than that photo now, her pupils are slim now and her head isn't down, her ears are up and listening. I'll try and get a comparison pic in the next few days

 

[Bettie]

Just a photo update. She's looking quite relaxed today.
She had a little play with me in the dark last night. Only for a minute or two, then she seemed to remember I was at the other end of the wand toy and backed away. But progress!