- Aug 27, 2014
- 13,500
- 13,648
- Country
- United States
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- Oriental Orthodox
- Marital Status
- Private
Hi everyone!
So yesterday I took the plunge and got a cat from a shelter. She's an adorable little 11 lb grey and white short hair they named Anastasia, and was very sweet and friendly at the shelter. Predictably, though, since getting her home she has been very scared and stressed. She had apparently only been in the shelter for five days before I picked her out, so of course she's out of sorts. I'm just imagining how jarring it would be for me if I had to move twice in under a week...I don't think I'd be feeling okay either!
Just the same, I'm wondering if anyone who has more experience with cats than I do can give me some tips on how I might help her feel a little more relaxed and secure. My apartment is already pretty quiet, though it is a floor unit, so I there isn't really anything I can do about the upstairs neighbors stomping on the cieling. I've tried to put on some supposedly relaxing videos for cats, but she hasn't responded to the birds chirping, brooks bubbling, etc. She has food and water, and she apparently ate a little food last night after I went to bed, though worryingly I see she has yet to use her litterbox.
As I write this, she is actually hiding in one of the kitchen cabinets, since the cabinet door directly underneath the sink doesn't close all the way. I accidentally startled her this morning after I noticed it was slightly more ajar than usual, so I promptly apologized and put a few treats in there for her as a peace offering. I know I shouldn't give her treats in places she shouldn't be in, but she looked so scared and I felt so bad that I felt like I had to do something to show her I was sorry.
Anyway, I know the #1 thing to do is to just give her time and plenty of space, which I'm doing, but if anyone has any ideas beyond that, I'd love to read them. Thank you!
(This is a screen cap from the YouTube video I originally found her in a few days ago, since she's certainly not ready for her closeup in person right now! )
So yesterday I took the plunge and got a cat from a shelter. She's an adorable little 11 lb grey and white short hair they named Anastasia, and was very sweet and friendly at the shelter. Predictably, though, since getting her home she has been very scared and stressed. She had apparently only been in the shelter for five days before I picked her out, so of course she's out of sorts. I'm just imagining how jarring it would be for me if I had to move twice in under a week...I don't think I'd be feeling okay either!
Just the same, I'm wondering if anyone who has more experience with cats than I do can give me some tips on how I might help her feel a little more relaxed and secure. My apartment is already pretty quiet, though it is a floor unit, so I there isn't really anything I can do about the upstairs neighbors stomping on the cieling. I've tried to put on some supposedly relaxing videos for cats, but she hasn't responded to the birds chirping, brooks bubbling, etc. She has food and water, and she apparently ate a little food last night after I went to bed, though worryingly I see she has yet to use her litterbox.
As I write this, she is actually hiding in one of the kitchen cabinets, since the cabinet door directly underneath the sink doesn't close all the way. I accidentally startled her this morning after I noticed it was slightly more ajar than usual, so I promptly apologized and put a few treats in there for her as a peace offering. I know I shouldn't give her treats in places she shouldn't be in, but she looked so scared and I felt so bad that I felt like I had to do something to show her I was sorry.
Anyway, I know the #1 thing to do is to just give her time and plenty of space, which I'm doing, but if anyone has any ideas beyond that, I'd love to read them. Thank you!
(This is a screen cap from the YouTube video I originally found her in a few days ago, since she's certainly not ready for her closeup in person right now! )