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Junior Member
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Last Login: 10/21/2009 7:39:56 PM
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I have been caring for my cat, Colt, since January. He was about 4-5 months old when he decided to make his home in the backyard of my parent's house. I developed quite a bond with him...I would feed him everyday, play with him, and eventually he would come over to me and sit on my lap and curl up and sleep.
I really took care of him, I took him to the vet to get all his shots and when he had a tick stuck in his neck which caused his third eyelid to protrude, I made sure to get him to the vet right away.
When I got married two weeks ago, my husband and I decided to take Colt in to our new apartment. We took him to the vet and had him neutered.
I thought this would be the best thing for him...now that I moved out of my parent's house, there was no one to take care of him like I do, and he had recently began engaging in horrible fights with another neighborhood cat. In early September, he was chased up a tree twice by this other cat and his face was cut up and he had a pretty bad gash on his tail.
But now that Colt is in the apartment, he won't come out from under my bed. I made the mistake of putting a cat bed under there for him, and now he just doesn't want to leave. I manage to get him out to feed him, but he usually runs under the bed again right away. Last night when he came out to eat, I closed the bedroom door, but then he just hid behind the toilet and then, later, between the couch and the wall.
I don't know what to do. I feel like I did the wrong thing by taking him in. My husband and mother both keep telling me I did the right thing...my Mom said a couple of weeks ago she saw two dead cats on the road by the house. My parents live near an expressway, and I know it is likely that Colt would eventually get hurt.
But what can I do to make him happier? I have considered expensive cat furniture (we have some but nothing huge yet) and getting another cat...although that could make things worse right now.
He used to be so friendly and happy....now he just seems sad.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
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Supreme Being
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| Yep - give him time. It's a big adjustment for you - but you are able to make those decisions and understand the changes. Colt doesn't understand, nor did he have any input. He's scared! His entire world has changed. Under your bed is his "safe" area. Don't feed him under there, but don't try to keep him from going there whenever he feels like it. See if you can get him playing - chasing a laser light's a good game - and praise him whenever he comes out. Do make sure he is eating and drinking, you don't want him to get sick. Congrats on your marriage! I bet Colt will start to venture out again soon and you'll find that he's once again a happy cat. Let us know!
Cats_Dolls  
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Supreme Being
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I agree with cat dolls.
  
"The really great thing about cats is their endless variety. One can pick a cat to fit any kind of decor, color scheme, income, personality, mood. But under the fur, whatever color it may be, there still lies, essentially unchanged, one of the world's free souls." Eric Gurnery
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Senior Member
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| Good advice as usual, Cats Dolls! Give the kitty some time to adjust to the new surroundings. You might also want to lavish him with love and affection when he does venture out, make it a positive experience for him. I'm sure he will be fine in no time.
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Forum Guru
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Time will tell, he is in a totally unfamiliar environment, something that he is not used to.
I suggest getting a Feliway, something you plug into your wall outlet, that releases a pheromone, that will calm your cat and give him a sense of security.
also, just stay calm around him and act like nothing is wrong, with time he will turn.
Dogs think their human, Cats know they are .
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Forum Guru
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I agree with everyone else. Many cats are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment and routine and will hide when those changes occur. Sometimes they hide for a few hours, sometimes for as long as a year or more. All of the keys to helping them adjust have already been recommended by others on this thread.
Don't try to force your cat out of hiding or take away his favorite hiding places. He needs them right now to feel safe in your new home. Once he realizes that your home IS safe, he'll start coming out of hiding on his own. These first forays out of his hidey holes will probably occur at night under cover of darkness after you've gone to bed and the house is quiet. This will be his time to explore and identify any perceived threats in his new environment. Assuming nothing threatens him during these explorations in the dark, he'll eventually start coming out during daylight hours, too.
This all has to be in his timeframe. You can sit on the floor by the bed and keep him company, and you can try to tease him out with a laser pointer or wand toy. You can read aloud to him so he is comforted by your voice. Just don't try to force him out. It's his fear, and he will deal with it in his own time.
Do NOT bring another cat into the mix! That will just solidify his fear and give him a realistic threat from which to hide. That will ABSOLUTELY make things worse for him. All he needs is your loving and very patient support.
Don't worry. He'll come out when he's ready. But I would not recommend fussing over him when he does. That may trigger a fear response. Just go about your business and acknowledge him with a casual, "Oh, there you are. I'm glad to see you came out from under the bed today." Let him initiate any direct contact with you. The more you allow him to call the shots, the more empowered and confident he will feel in his ability to keep himself safe.
Laurie
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http://lfrazer.com
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Junior Member
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Thanks guys
He was a little better last night. He ate dinner and went under the bed again but came out around 10:30 and wanted to play a lot. I played with him a long time, and then he sniffed and looked around the rest of the night and was playing some more this morning.
He was back under the bed and sleeping when I left this morning. Hopefully he is getting used to things. My brother got him a mouse toy he seems to love and I think he comes out to look for it.
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Supreme Being
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| Glad to hear is he doing better. Pretty soon he will realize he's got it pretty well and completely take over the house.
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Junior Member
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| Yeah, he's getting better and better but it seems like the time he wants to play is in the middle of the night, haha. the other day he woke me up at 2 am and was playing with his toys. but i guess he is most comfortable when it's dark and quiet.
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Supreme Being
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| Cats are nocturnal creatures - their natural active times happen at night. Can you get him some toys that don't make a lot of noise that he can enjoy while you are sleeping? Ours have some stuffed toys that they toss around and sometimes carry around - on occasion I've awakened to find a toy in bed with us!
Cats_Dolls
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