New Cat More Fearful Of Me After 2 Weeks

[kathyfrank]

Well, I suddenly have a new problem. She seemed curious to look outside her safe room today. So I moved Moe into my bedroom and opened up the safe room door to let her roam. She went right out and seemed to be very curious of everything. She was a little slinked low to the ground but not much. She was checking everything out that she could. Its a small area, and she didn't want to go downstairs. So she got spooked a little by a ceiling fan (thinking it was a bird?) and she ran into my office area which is right next to her safe room. My office area has Moe's cat box and it is filled with stuff. It is a mess to be honest! She initially hid under the giant desk I have in there. I sat with her for a while and then I closed the door to the office and got moe who was still in my bedroom, and let him walk around her safe room for a little bit so he would get those smells. He was in there about 5min and got bored, so I put him back in my bedroom, closed the door, went back to the office and she had moved to another spot and I have no idea where she is now. I'm afraid to go rummaging through the boxes and other junk I have laying around (this is embarrassing-it is a mess) because I think that may startle her more. Sooo, I don't know what to do now. I don't feel comfortable just leaving her with the door open because I have to eventually let Moe out of my bedroom and I don't want them to meet like this. I could just put her food and water in this room, the catbox is in there, and close the door.... she would be okay and it would be like a safe room, but it isn't HER safe room that she was doing so well in. I hate to search for her and grab her and put her back in her original room because that seems so abrupt, but maybe I should? And just when I was so happy with how things were going, we get this hiccup!!!!

 

[Tobermory]

I agree you don’t want to let Moe and new kitty meet like this. You could try rattling her treats to see if that would bring her out. If it does, you can try luring her back to her safe room with treats. Otherwise, I’d just put her food and water in the room where she’s hiding now. (Are you sure she didn’t sneak out and is hiding somewhere else? They can be so quick!) Has she been sleeping on something in Safe Room #1 that you could move into Safe Room #2 so she has her own smell in there?

When I first started leaving the door of Mocha’s safe room open for her to explore, she’d sometimes run into the room next to it when she got spooked. She liked to hide under the bed in that room. She seemed fine there. I wouldn’t worry too much about new kitty in the other room as long as she has food, water, her litter box and a place to hide.

 

[rubysmama]

I agree with Tobermory , if you know for sure she's in that room, put her food, water and litter box in there for the night. And hopefully she'll be waiting out in the open for you in the morning.

 

[kathyfrank]

I found her behind a picture I had propped up under the desk. She was scared. Poor thing. I did take her into her room. She wasn't happy because she was scared, but it was steps away and I knew she would be happy once in there. She went under the dresser and I left her alone for several hours (see, I'm learning!). When I went back in I reached under to give a few pets and she started purring away. I'm going back in soon to say goodnight and I am quite sure she will be back to where we were. I was so afraid this was going to be a big set back. I have been taking a looooong time to name her, but I think I am going to call her gracie. She is such a sweetie. Thank you all for your support <3 <3

 

[Tobermory]

I found her behind a picture I had propped up under the desk. She was scared. Poor thing. I did take her into her room. She wasn't happy because she was scared, but it was steps away and I knew she would be happy once in there. She went under the dresser and I left her alone for several hours (see, I'm learning!). When I went back in I reached under to give a few pets and she started purring away. I'm going back in soon to say goodnight and I am quite sure she will be back to where we were. I was so afraid this was going to be a big set back. I have been taking a looooong time to name her, but I think I am going to call her gracie. She is such a sweetie. Thank you all for your support <3 <3

Gracie.

 

[kathyfrank]

So Gracie is doing fine. She is becoming more and more friendly. YAY!!! I continue to let her come to me, and just hang out in the room when I can. She was sleeping under the dresser or in a soft hut I got her today - not the closet! I cracked the door today and Gracie and Moe eyeballed each other from a distance. Then the door was closed. I think I will do that for a while - maybe several times a week. Any other suggestions on how to proceed would be appreciated. I have read all the articles about cracking the door and allowing smells, feeding treats etc. I have exchanged scents by brushing each with the same brush, and rubbing a washcloth on each....and Gracie is surrounded by Moe smells because he used to sit in the safe room all of the time before she arrived. One thing I have noticed is that she continues to have diarrhea. She seems great - eating and drinking and looking good. She was throughly checked out including a fecal test before I got her. Could this just be the change of food and stress? I give her Moe's dry food which is out all of the time, and wet food once a day.

 

[Tobermory]

Terrific! It sounds like she’s settling in and gaining confidence.

Change of food and stress can definitely cause diarrhea. (Totally different situation from yours, but the combination of those two landed one of my cats in the ER in the middle of the night. And $900 and four days later, she was all better! Ouch.) You might want to add a probiotic to her canned food and perhaps give her all canned and no dry. I started all three on probiotics when I brought Mocha home and have continued to use it daily.

 

[kathyfrank]

Terrific! It sounds like she’s settling in and gaining confidence.

Change of food and stress can definitely cause diarrhea. (Totally different situation from yours, but the combination of those two landed one of my cats in the ER in the middle of the night. And $900 and four days later, she was all better! Ouch.) You might want to add a probiotic to her canned food and perhaps give her all canned and no dry. I started all three on probiotics when I brought Mocha home and have continued to use it daily.

That is a great idea! Thank you!! I actually put fortaflora on Moes wet food to get him to eat it. I’ll start putting it on both.