How to deal with a scaredy cat

Lucid

I'm moving to a new building tomorrow. I took my cat to my mother's place last night to keep while the rest of the packing and then actual moving get done.

He's never been anywhere since he was taken from the humane society when he was a kitten. So he's extremely frightened. Not only because he's in an unfamiliar place, but because he's never met my mother or her cat. Her cat isn't really a problem. I put my cat in front of him but he didn't seem to care and just went about his business. It's only if they get really close that they get hissy. Hasn't really happened since I took him out of the box though. Hers is an outdoor house cat, so he spends his days galavanting around the neighbourhood.

Anyways, he hasn't eaten or used his litterbox at all since last night. He'll be there a couple of more days, and it can't be healthy for him to be like that. I'm sure he'll just pee on the floor as opposed to the litterbox which I'd feel bad about if it happened.

Is there anything that can be done to help alleviate his fears somewhat, or make him feel more comfortable? So far he's been just hiding under a dresser in a room at my mother's place.

Belruel

does he have his own private room the other cat can't get into? also do not let the other cat use your cat's litterbox if possible.

If you can, just put your cat into a room with a litterbox in the opposite corner from his/her food, and see if it helps.

igamenekkid

Cats don't deal with changes in environment as well as other animals do. Generally it is suggested that when putting a cat into a new environment that you don't give them "full access" to the home all at once, but instead seclude them in a room for a minimum of one week. Full access to a house will overwhelm the cat, and will result in the poor thing hiding away for longer periods of time. Trust me, we brought our cat to our new apartment, and as adventurous and bold as she was, she slept in a closet for two solid weeks.

When we brought a second cat into the house a year later, and he adjusted far better.

ashridah

The few times i've dealt with moving a cat, they've usually been content to hide in a closet or somewhere dark for a few days. Make sure they know where the litter tray is, as soon as they go to a new place, take them immediately to the litter tray, dig their paws into it, and then let them find their way around the place from there. as long as they know where water, food & litter tray is, they'll be self sufficient until they recover. just make sure you don't force them, cats don't deal with stress to well.

The thing that used to eventually bring them out for me was the sight of another (usually neighbours) cat wandering around the windows, at which point they started becoming more territorial and more interested in looking around.

Entriech

As others have said, if at all possible get him his own room in the house and confine him in there. If you've got an old t-shirt or something that you've worn lately, you can take that over to put with his bed. The smell of you will be reassuring to him.

Cats skipping a meal due to stress isn't that uncommon. In the 24 - 48 hour without food range you may want to have some additional steps taken, like offering him a (typically) hard to resist food, like tuna, just to make sure he gets some calories. It's dangerous for a cat to go more than 48 hours without eating.

Bliss 101

When we moved to a new house, our cat (who had lived all his life in the same apartment) freaked out completely until we left some of the empty collapsed carboard boxes leaning against the walls for a few days after unpacking, with just enough space between the boxes and walls to create little corridors the cat could use to sneak around without exposing himself to entire new rooms at once. This tunnel network basically connected his food bowl with a closet hideout in the bedroom, as well as the litter box. It seemed to work pretty well once he emerged from his closet after an initial 24 hour shock; he'd hide behind the boxes and spy on us until he was satisfied that it was safe to commence nightly expeditions to the more open areas. In a week or so he had completely settled in.

Keeping the lights off as much as possible might help too.

Lucid

Yeah, he's just staying in my mother's computer room right now. The door remains closed. He has food, water, and litter inside. He's hissing at her whenever she checks on him though.

ashridah

Lucid wrote: »

Yeah, he's just staying in my mother's computer room right now. The door remains closed. He has food, water, and litter inside. He's hissing at her whenever she checks on him though.

He sounds stressed. did you leave him some unwashed worn clothing of your own for him to sleep on/around? he'll feel more comfortable when there's familiar smells nearby, probably.