# New kitten hiding, hissing



## Willow3500 (Jul 16, 2015)

Hello,
I just adopted a 3 month old kitten from the APL. He had been there a month and allowed people to handle him without incident. Now he has been here 3 days and is hiding most of the time. He has his own room with a gate at the door. I have 2 other cats and two dogs. The dogs are very cat friendly.When I go in to feed him and come to close he growls and hisses. Is this normal behavior for a kitten? The last couple of kittens I got were so friendly you had to keep them off you or they would crawl up to your head. 
I have gone into the room now with moist food on a plate and have gradually moved it closer to me. He has a choice to come out and eat or stay hiding. He will come out but as soon as I move or cough he gets scared and goes away. Will he always be afraid? I realize it is early on but as I said I have not seen this in so young a kitten.
Any help or information would be greatly appreciated. I am in this for the long haul.


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## DebS (Jun 14, 2015)

I am so glad to hear that you are in this for the long haul. I think he is probably overwhelmed by the new environment and other animal smells. I'll bet he will come around, but it may take a long time. My last cat learned to trust me very slowly but she did, indeed, learn to trust.


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## vlapinta (Apr 29, 2015)

It just takes lots of time and patience. He is hissing because he is frightened. I would leave him in the room by himself for a while until he gets more comfortable with his surroundings. Then I would start doing a slow intro with your other cats. 
Cat-to-Cat Introductions | Jackson Galaxy

Cat-to-Cat Introductions | Little Big Cat

Crisco would run and hide when I first got him and he came from a breeder's house with cats and kittens. I learned I had to have a lot of patience. Good luck with your new addition!


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## littlecatblue (Sep 3, 2013)

It may take some time. I would encourage you to continue with the gate for a week or so. There is also the idea of hiding away all the other animals and letting kitten explore the rest of the house without them there, to get their smells, learn about them. Put the other animals in her area. She can smell them when she gets back. 

It takes a long time, sometimes, to assimilate a new animal. My newest kitten is 10 years old, and she hid under the bed for three weeks. When we moved, I asked my sister to watch her as I had to live in temporary housing for a few months. That cat hid for three solid months, maybe longer, with nobody but an 85 year old woman and my single, 40 year old sister around. What was she scared of?


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Sometimes they do better in a much smaller space at first like a dog kennel. The new home and room has him overwhelmed. If you have a dog kennel big enough to hold a small litter box (anything can be used - a dishpan, a baking pan, etc.) food and water and a nice comfy bed, that will make him feel more secure. Put a blanket over the top and sides. Kitten will not explore the rest of the house or the room until he feels secure in his smaller space. Even a small bathroom is better than a large room right now. Spend one on one time with him, snuggling and feeding and just being there near him.

Time is your best friend and a patient heart. He will be fine in time, but it may take awhile - like weeks, before he is comfortable with you and the home. Just remember, hard won love is the best.


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