I've adopted two seven year old brothers... neutered orange short haired tabbies. Their previous owner is an elderly widow, suffering from Alhzeimers. She had to be admitted to a home between Christmas & New Year's. She never disciplined them and they had the run of the house... countertops, etc...
I saw them once before Christmas, when I agreed to take them. One is quite friendly and loves his petting and will purr loudly. The other is shy and does not respond to petting at all. It appears that neither are lap cats. Both will allow me to pick them up for a few seconds. I don't force it... and put them down immediately.
When I first brought them to my home two weeks ago, I placed them in the basement along with their litter box, toys, scratching post and food & water, (all from their previous home) to allow them to get acclimatized to the new smells and emvironment. The basement is warm & dry, with dozens of hiding places. Their previous home was small, dark & dingy... the basement is as close as I could get to their former abode. I figured I'd leave them alone for the first few days, but each time I went to the basement, I would locate them and talk to them, while keeping a discrete distance away... they showed no fear of me; just the new rooms.
Eventually I started taking away their hiding spots, a few each day until I left them just two... these two are cardboard boxes with openings just large enough for them to enter/exit. Their towels from their carrier cages are inside.
After the third day I could pet the friendlier cat, but he would scurry away & hide as soon as I got up... I sat on the floor with it. Two days ago I brought the boxes (with cats inside) upstairs into a quiet corner of a room. The shy one stays in the box while the friendlier one goes downstairs and stays where his box used to be... that location is still semi hidden.
After the fourth night in their new home, both cats came upstairs and explored the whole house, while we were in bed.... and continue to do so every night, but both will hide during the day... the friendlier one in the basement and the shy one (which I haven't seen in a week) upstairs in his box... I will not force him out... I figure it's a big step just to get him to stay upstairs.
Ever since moving in with me both cats are eating well and using their litter box. While trying to be patient with them, I worry that this may become a new "life style" with them. This would make me nothing more than a zoo keeper and the cats could not be considered pets. I'm planning on giving them a few more weeks to become sociable, then who knows...
Any advice?????
I saw them once before Christmas, when I agreed to take them. One is quite friendly and loves his petting and will purr loudly. The other is shy and does not respond to petting at all. It appears that neither are lap cats. Both will allow me to pick them up for a few seconds. I don't force it... and put them down immediately.
When I first brought them to my home two weeks ago, I placed them in the basement along with their litter box, toys, scratching post and food & water, (all from their previous home) to allow them to get acclimatized to the new smells and emvironment. The basement is warm & dry, with dozens of hiding places. Their previous home was small, dark & dingy... the basement is as close as I could get to their former abode. I figured I'd leave them alone for the first few days, but each time I went to the basement, I would locate them and talk to them, while keeping a discrete distance away... they showed no fear of me; just the new rooms.
Eventually I started taking away their hiding spots, a few each day until I left them just two... these two are cardboard boxes with openings just large enough for them to enter/exit. Their towels from their carrier cages are inside.
After the third day I could pet the friendlier cat, but he would scurry away & hide as soon as I got up... I sat on the floor with it. Two days ago I brought the boxes (with cats inside) upstairs into a quiet corner of a room. The shy one stays in the box while the friendlier one goes downstairs and stays where his box used to be... that location is still semi hidden.
After the fourth night in their new home, both cats came upstairs and explored the whole house, while we were in bed.... and continue to do so every night, but both will hide during the day... the friendlier one in the basement and the shy one (which I haven't seen in a week) upstairs in his box... I will not force him out... I figure it's a big step just to get him to stay upstairs.
Ever since moving in with me both cats are eating well and using their litter box. While trying to be patient with them, I worry that this may become a new "life style" with them. This would make me nothing more than a zoo keeper and the cats could not be considered pets. I'm planning on giving them a few more weeks to become sociable, then who knows...
Any advice?????