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Shy Cat Help
I adopted a three year old male cat from a local shelter on January 22. He had been at the shelter since July and came from a hoarder's household. I don't know how extreme the conditions were, but he was one of twenty cats. The shelter is unusual as all the cats live out with each other in a good size room. She doesn't have too many, but it's a cage free environment. He was mingling with the others and took some food from me the first day we met. I was told he will probably hide for a while. His tendency when overwhelmed is to phase out and tune out and turn inward.
He has moved into my bedroom living under the bed. He comes out as soon as I shut the lights out and go to bed. He seems to be enjoying being out at night, roaming around, eating, using the potty and exploring. He sleeps on the sofa too. It's a small house and he leaves signs or makes a noise. If I get up in the night, he sees me and scurries away to hide. I don't mind all this activity. He is eating and at least, active in his own way.
I started reading in the evening in the room next to the bedroom, it's a small sitting room and twice he came out to take a look at me, sitting near the threshold. He's such a cute, quiet little kitty. How do I make him more comfortable? How do I approach such a shy guy and help him find confidence in his new home? I checked in with the shelter manager, and she thought after a week, his progress was good and normal for him. Anybody else experience life with a shy kitty?
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I had a friend in a similar situation and it took months for her to be able to pet the kitty. So I think and patience will cure this problem. So glad you adopted:))
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I think he'll eventually warm to you too; don't give up on him. Have you tried offering treats?
Thank you for giving him a home. I'm betting he'll show you his gratitude sooner or later.
BTW, my cat is a rescued feral. We've had her for years now, and she loves on us, BUT, she still has her boundaries. She does NOT like to be picked up, doesn't like strangers or kids. It took a long while for her to settle in, but she's worth the wait.
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I get the sense--from reading about formerly feral cats--that once he determines that you're not going to eat him, he'll be your loyal friend forever. You did a Good Thing.
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Have you heard of Bach Flower Remedies? They are effective on animals and certain ones will help in your situation. You may already be familiar with Rescue Remedy.
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Congratulations, Cypress! Would love to see pictures sometime!
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Than you for taking him in. While its too bad he wont look nteract with you more, it sounds like he is nicely settled, since he is using a litter box and is eating and drinking. I do hope,he decides to coke oit soon.
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My kitty is terribly shy and retiring even though she's been with me since kitten hood and has never known anything but a pampered life. It's not unusual to find her sleeping entirely under the blankets. One thing I do is make sure to seek her out if I haven't seen her in a while. I'll lift the blankets or peek into the closet and just gently say hi. I don't force her or try and lure her out. Just a quick 'hey, thinking about you' kind of thing. Over the years, she has gotten very affectionate when she is outside of hiding.
some advice from my favorite cat blog- the way of cats:
A little sweet talk can help a lot.
http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/cat-af...ur-voice/27041
Learn to master the kitty kiss. You know, the long, slow blink.
http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/cat-kisses/92
When your kitty does approach, hold out a fist, not your open hand. A fist is about the size of a cat head and appears less threatening than the outstretched hand. A shy/feral cat will see an open hand as a grabbing hand.
http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/cat-af...riendship/3257
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Thanks Sloeginfizz, I'll take a look at the links today. Curious that one way to greet horses is a closed fist hand extended to the nose. A light touch on the nose is okay too. That's how they interact with each other and it's recommended as a better way to approach them. They also respond to a slow blink as a way to say hello. This should be interesting reading.
I'd post photos but I still haven't figured out how to use this feature. I see the click on image button, but my photo is a .jpg usually.