Very Nervous Cat Who Has Never Hissed Before Has Started Hissing,,!

[oof]

My parents got our cat about 4/3 months ago, and they simply let her explore the house on her own, meaning we rarely got to see her. Luna, our cat, was bullied by other cats in her previous household (never specified whether it was physical or not) so we decided to adopt her, but the bullying made her incredibly scared and nervous of everyone.

About three days ago my parents decided to take everyone on a vacation at a new house, and this time they decided to lock her in a small room with a treadmill so we (more so me) can try to get more comfortable with her.

It’s been alright so far, as in she has let me pet her once and pushed her head into my hand (not sure if good sign), and I’ve been really quiet and slow around her, making sure to avoid eye contact. She’s usually really quiet and doesn’t move at all when you’re around her.

Thing is, yesterday, I was giving her a treat at the end of a 20 minute visit, and I guess I got too close because she hissed for the first time.

This morning, I went to feed her, and when I opened the door she stared straight at me and hissed. I promptly closed the door and waited for her to move, and after a good ten minutes I opened the door again but she wasn’t hiding and hissed again. I closed the door once again, waited for her to hide and then filled her food bowl, water bowl, and cleaned her litter box.

She hasn’t ever hissed before.

Now I’m not so sure on what to do, or if I should keep on visiting for that long, or whether I should approach her,,? What should I do?

I only have maybe four days left here, and I want to get her as comfortable with us as possible before we have to go back to our house.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Hi O oof ,

I think Luna's week-long va-cay is just not as ideal for her as it might be fun for you! Just understanding that might help take some of the pressure off of you. Remember that she has been used to having various hiding places at your regular house, and now she has just one strange room --whose smells are weird and unfamiliar-- and it is a room which, to her, has only one way to get out: the door where you keep coming in and out to visit her (blocking her escape!). After three days, she might be learning that this new territory (remember, she doesn't realize it is a temporary thing!) is something that she will have to fight for. I think the beginning of her hissing could be a sign of her stress over that, and over maybe not having adequate "relief spaces" (hiding places) to ease her stress. Does she have any cardboard boxes, overturned laundry baskets -- any type of hiding place outfitted with a comfy blanket that smells familiar to her, where she can chill out in the room? If not, maybe you could set up some hiding places for her. You could even just put a dining chair in the room, and drape a blanket over the seat, so that the underneath space under the seat becomes a type of dark tent for her and a good hiding place where she can just be a quiet little mouse while you come and go.

I wouldn't stop visiting her, as it certainly is a good chance for her to get more used to you... but just set up a regular daily visiting pattern, use calm voices, don't approach her (let her approach you, if you get so lucky as to have her do that!)...

This is a helpful article, too
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home

 

[oof]

Hi O oof ,

I think Luna's week-long va-cay is just not as ideal for her as it might be fun for you! Just understanding that might help take some of the pressure off of you. Remember that she has been used to having various hiding places at your regular house, and now she has just one strange room --whose smells are weird and unfamiliar-- and it is a room which, to her, has only one way to get out: the door where you keep coming in and out to visit her (blocking her escape!). After three days, she might be learning that this new territory (remember, she doesn't realize it is a temporary thing!) is something that she will have to fight for. I think the beginning of her hissing could be a sign of her stress over that, and over maybe not having adequate "relief spaces" (hiding places) to ease her stress. Does she have any cardboard boxes, overturned laundry baskets -- any type of hiding place outfitted with a comfy blanket that smells familiar to her, where she can chill out in the room? If not, maybe you could set up some hiding places for her. You could even just put a dining chair in the room, and drape a blanket over the seat, so that the underneath space under the seat becomes a type of dark tent for her and a good hiding place where she can just be a quiet little mouse while you come and go.

I wouldn't stop visiting her, as it certainly is a good chance for her to get more used to you... but just set up a regular daily visiting pattern, use calm voices, don't approach her (let her approach you, if you get so lucky as to have her do that!)...

This is a helpful article, too
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home

Hi thanks for the reply !!! We have one spot for her to hide, should we provide more for her though?

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Good question.
I would! Give her several hiding choices, if you are able to. What living thing on this earth does not appreciate choice?


She is used to having a wider territory and some choices, so I think giving her more choices would indeed help. Is there a tall piece of furniture in that room, too? (If not, no big deal since you only have a few more days there at that house.) Cats like to be high up in order to survey things and feel like they have more control. She had more control at the other house; here- not so much! I think you do well to pay attention to her hisses and other communications, and try not to worry that this will be a "forever" behavior. If she hisses, she wants you to back off. Doing so will make her more confident, and also that she has some sense of communication with you. If you guys give and take like that, she'll learn to trust you, I think. It's all part of letting the cat decide when they want to approach you.

Once back at the usual house, it may take time once again to get her to open up... but it sounds like she had some hard experiences prior to being your companion, so that may just take a lot of time for her to develop a sense of trust and comfort.

 

[oof]

Good question.
I would! Give her several hiding choices, if you are able to. What living thing on this earth does not appreciate choice?


She is used to having a wider territory and some choices, so I think giving her more choices would indeed help. Is there a tall piece of furniture in that room, too? (If not, no big deal since you only have a few more days there at that house.) Cats like to be high up in order to survey things and feel like they have more control. She had more control at the other house; here- not so much! I think you do well to pay attention to her hisses and other communications, and try not to worry that this will be a "forever" behavior. If she hisses, she wants you to back off. Doing so will make her more confident, and also that she has some sense of communication with you. If you guys give and take like that, she'll learn to trust you, I think. It's all part of letting the cat decide when they want to approach you.

Once back at the usual house, it may take time once again to get her to open up... but it sounds like she had some hard experiences prior to being your companion, so that may just take a lot of time for her to develop a sense of trust and comfort.

Ahh thank you so much!! We have a treadmill, but to be honest, it seems like she likes hiding under things more than climbing things. Thanks again!