I need advice, please. I recently adopted two cats. They are sisters (litter mates) and came from a home where their owner passed away. The family of the deceased individual wanted to euthanize them (they are only 5 yrs. old), but eventually they ended up at an animal rescue place and then came to me.
One of them has adapted very well and orders me around on a regular basis. But the other one is much shyer. I use a scooter to get around, and she is very scared of it. So she has taken up residence inside the never-used recliner in my living room. I am disabled and cannot get down on the floor to coax her out of her lair. It's been over a week and all I get are occasional glimpses of her tail and butt as she saunters in the opposite direction.
Any suggestions? I feel terrible that I adopted two cats, but have contact with only one of them. Thank you.
Before you get too concerned, give her another week. She may adjust on her own. I adopted a kitten that had spent a very long time an a 2 ft x 2 ft cage, and was completely overwhelmed by my large 9 room house with the high ceilings. She also hid in small spaces, including up inside my reclining chair, which worried me greatly. It took her a couple of weeks to get used to the new smells, noises and wide open spaces, but she did relax a bit over time. It's possible she might be exploring a bit already after you are down for the night.
Some cats take time to get used to their surroundings. We had a cat named Chutney, a feral female, pregnant at the time we found her. She gave birth to three cats that survived and spent time with them as a mother cat would. However, she did not like being around us. Her children were great and we kept them. At one time the ten of us lived in a home, three stories. Chutney would disappear but would appear if one of her babies made a sound. I think it took about six years and a move before she would allow us to hold her. Eventually she would jump up on our laps and Nap. A great cat that once put Kate and I in the hospital, we tried to catch her to take her to the vet, she did not want to go. One cute thing she did. We learned that we were not to try to catch her bare handed. We could get her into a bedroom and put a cat mover in with her. If we entered the room right she would go into the container and we could get her to the vet. The vet would always go and get the gloves before treating her. She was a great rather small cat. Her babies were part Maine Coon and grew to a large size. Chutney would all under her children, quite amazing.
It's only been a week....leave her strictly alone ("coaxing" will only creep her out!)
She will warm up much faster if she can make up her own mind, just go about your business matter-of-factly.
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