# New Cat Scared and Crying



## Vertigo (Jan 9, 2010)

Hi all - first time poster.

I had a 2-year-old brother/sister pair until my poor little Emma was hit by a car in December. A lady I know was fostering a stray and her 6 kittens and offered me one. She is spayed, has her shots and is about 7-8 months old.

Since she's been here last night, all she's done is hide under my bed or behind the washing machine and cry - loudly. I tried to put her in the bathroom and let her have her own space, but she REALLY didn't like that. If I try to pet her and soothe her while she's hiding, she hisses but once I get her and pick her up she purrs like a motorboat. Kaiser, my male cat, who I expected to freak-out, has been curious and friendly. Any suggestions on how I can lure her out into the land of the living and get her accustomed to her new home? She'll have to be indoors for awhile before I'll be ready to let her out. I also need to work on litter box training. As we speak, I noticed a present she left me under the Christmas tree ;o/ Thanks for your help.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Welcome to CatForum and I hope we can help.
First, she has *just* been up-rooted from everything she knows and plunked down in a strange area, with strange human and strange cat smells. Nothing is familiar to her so I think it is perfectly normal that she is frightened. Next, it seems you've given her the entire house (?) and I think that is too much sensory overload. In general, I feel it is best to give a new kitten/cat their own "safe-room" to adjust to everything new. I like for that room to have a save "cave" for the kitty to hide in, but still be accessible to me for petting and handling as she adjusts in her new home. Everything she needs is right there for her: food, water, litterbox, safe place to hide and a friendly person to come visit with her. Finally, after she has adjusted to the room and feels confident enough to begin to show interest about what is on the other side of the door, *then* you can allow her to explore and expand her territory. I like to do room-by-room, starting with the master bath, then master bath and master bedroom and from there, the hallway to the rest of our home. For her first forays, YOU explore WITH her, to help keep her confidence up. Try to keep all experiences good ones and at the first sign of her showing nervousness or fright, help her get safely/quickly back to her "safe areas" that she IS comfortable in. 
Little by little she will adjust to the whole house and her new kitty house-mate. 
In addition, the same way I described helping her adjust to her new home, you'll have to do the same thing with your resident cat. Doing a slow introduction helps prevent any instinctual squabbles over defending of territory and/or resources. It is instinctual, and we must take that into account when intro-ing new pets together. ...though I find it much easier to intro kitten/young adult cats, adult/adult intros can also go well.
Best of luck!
heidi =^..^=


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## Vertigo (Jan 9, 2010)

Thanks Heidi! I've since moved her into the bathroom, where she's taken permanent residence in the corner of the closet protected by stacks of TP. I'm a little worried that she hasn't eaten yet or even come out of the closet to check out the bathroom.

I caught Kaiser hissing at her when I went to get her from under the bed, so I'll keep them separated for the time being.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I would do a slow, gradual introduction. First, I would put a drop of vanilla on the back of each cat's neck. I think the new kitten misses her littermates and home, so I'm sure she'll appreciate Kaiser, if you take your time with the introduction. Separate them and keep the doors closed; they'll probably communicate under the door. Exchange bedding back and forth, and then exchange rooms. Of course, you will want to have quiet visits with her, so she knows she's loved. Just speak to her, quietly and calmly, and keep moving the food dish closer to you every day. This way, she'll have a friend, as you gradually introduce the two cats. 

After she's comfortable with you, try to exchange her room with your cat's room. The next step would be to put her or your cat in a carrier and put them in the same room. You'll want to have treats and interactive toys for them when they can see one another, so that it's not an unpleasant experience. 

Observe their behavior, and make sure they are more friendly before introducing them face to face. This should take approximately two weeks. Of course, you will have to monitor them when they are together. I wish you the best. I'm sure they're both lonely, so with any luck at all, they should accept one another and become friends. After losing a dear cat to a car, I have decided to keep my cats in the house. It has been many years, and they have been happy indoors. Of course, in Gt. Britain, this is not the custom, and I understand. Good luck!


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## Vertigo (Jan 9, 2010)

I'm trying to follow your ideas, but I am having some problems, if you could take a moment to read.

I've had Lily for about 2 days now. As I said, she was fostered from a stray, so she is an outdoors cat. She has been in the laundry room and the bathroom over the last couple of days and she wants OUT! When Kaiser is outdoors I've been letting her into the kitchen and living room area to wander, but she is still sits by the door and cries loudly enough that the neighbors in my house (triplex) have heard her. I tried to put her in the cat carrier and introduce them that way, so she can start to have some freedom, but he show no interest in her unless she's out of the cage and very near to him...then he hisses and swats. And she just continues crying when she's in there. There has not been a moment of peace since 3AM when she started crying. My house is pretty small. The only two rooms I can put her in are the laundry room/entry way and the bathroom. I don't feel right keeping a cat in confinement in two little rooms for longer than I already have, especially when she wants out of them so badly. 

The laundry room door to the outside has a full pane-glass door that Kaiser has seen her through while he's outside. Judging by the way he was striking the glass and hissing, he's was not receptive to having her in his house ;o) She on the other hand, seems very eager to meet him. He is a muscular, large cat, more like a small dog. (and very pretty) He played pretty rough with Emma, so I'm worried what he might do to her if they are not friends. She's really, really tiny. Any more tips or ideas? This is a lot more frustrating then I thought it would be!


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Oh! It seems like I can feel your frustration. I hope I can help, most of my cat-to-cat intros go pretty smoothly and I just don't have very much experience with cats being combative. Perhaps Mitts & Tess (Merry) will see this and chime in, otherwise you could shoot her a PM. Merry works with feral cats and has great taming and socialization skills.
My own home is multi-cat, and I simply feel that our cats are accustomed to living with a lot of cats, just because that is how it has always been. Once the newcomer smells like everyone else, there is very little hissing and everyone has integrated well. I do not know if that is skill or luck. 
...probably more of the latter and less of the former. :wink 
Anyhow, to intro the cats to each other, I like to swap-scents. You can rub two towels over both cats, back and forth, back/forth and then leave a towel with each cat to sniff and 'explore'. Also, when I pet the new kitties, I let the established ones smell my hands with the new-cat-scent on them, and I do the same for the new kitty, carrying scents of my established cats to them.
To help intro the kitties when they begin to show interest in each other, I will open the door between them a crack. I hold my hand around the door and press my knuckles into the doorjamb so it is cracked open my finger-width. The kitties can sniff and 'footsie' through that crack. When that goes well (_minimal hissing and continued interest_) I will crack the door open a bit wider so they can see each other with at least one eye and sniff noses. It is at this point I usually allow my friendliest cat in to 'visit' with the newcomer and when that goes well, perhaps another friendly cat and then shortly after that, everyone is fine and they all have the run of the house.
Another trick up my sleeve is to reward good behavior. When they are nearby and/or can see/hear each other, I offer treats when there is no hissing. It is sort of a game of conditioning by creating an opportunity for Good Things to happen when the two cats are near each other and relaxed and calm. This can be done with treats, physical petting, verbal praise and sometimes using play-toys to distract each cat seperately by giving them something desireable to focus on.

Other tips that could prove invaluably helpful, though I haven't used them:
Vanilla, putting a dot on their shoulderblades (can't lick/groom it off) so they both carry the same scent. _I do not know if this works because everyone smells the same, it masks the other 'strange' smells or simply overpowers and the vanilla is *all* they can smell._
Feliway plug-ins produce a cat-calming pheromone into the air. This is an olfactory message that "everything is all right, cool and mellow". Sounds hippy-ish, but it has worked dramatic results for many peeps.
Composure Liquid and/or Rescue Remedy are things that can be put in water, food or given orally and also help to calm a kitty.

Anyhow, I hope you've found this helpful for you...good luck!
heidi =^..^=


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