cat home

[Muhammad Yousaf]

Sounds like it might just be an adjustment phase, especially if she’s still

new. Hiding and restlessness are pretty common in the first couple weeks as

cats figure out their environment.

A few things that usually help:

– Vertical space matters more than people think a cat tree or even a clear

shelf gives them a sense of security

– At least one quiet, low-traffic hiding spot she can retreat to (a covered

bed or even a cardboard box works)

– Keep food, water, and litter box in separate areas cats don’t like eating

near where they go to the bathroom

– Give her time without forcing interaction; let her come to you

This new kitten room setup guide covers the basics pretty well if you want a

starting checklist: https://catandmeow.com/cat-home/new-kitten-room-setup/

Should get easier within a couple weeks as she settles in.

catandmeow.com

New kitten room setup: what to prepare before supplies pile up | Cat & Meow

Set up a new kitten room with a calm base camp, safe zones, low-entry litter access, carrier comfort, hazard checks, and simple supplies.

[Chris]

I certainly agree that you are probably working with more of a need to be patient as your cat adjusts to a new environment. This can especially be the case for older cats (and by older, just older than a year) if they’ve been really used to another environment. For kittens, if they haven’t really been in a home before, this can take some adjustment too.

Cats, like all animals, are individuals, so while some may adjust quickly, others may take more time to get comfortable. At a minimum, I expect a good two weeks period. But for some cats, this may take months of adjustment.

I think this is more the situation you’re seeing vs. you doing anything classically “wrong”. When my cats were very young, I started out with just a single room to set everything up in, then gradually expanded that to one level of the house. That way they could get comfortable with exploring the environment in a piecemeal fashion and not get overwhelmed with a very large new space. The tips already provided I think are otherwise very good to start with.

In my own case, it probably helped that the three of them could adjust together. For example, Bart was always more skittish and liked to hide more than his siblings, but I think they helped him be more brave when I first brought them home.

By that, I wouldn’t recommend getting a second cat right now as that can add a whole separate level of adjustment you don’t need to work through, but I think if you just have a single cat, realize that the adjustment may take some time and they have to do that to some degree at their own pace.

• This reply was modified 19 hours, 58 minutes ago by  Chris.