My name is Denise and we recently adopted a 1 yr old male. We want to make him feel at home however he refuses to come out of hiding. We were told that he is not very social and comes to you on his terms. We want to make him comfortable and are asking for some advice. We have a pug who could care less that we have a new family member and we know the cat has been raised with dogs. (We haven't renamed him yet) he has been eating and drinking so that is a positive sign. Any advice would help thanks.
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Please help with advice
- Thread starter FMF
- Start date
Pam Flachs
Savannah Super Cat
Hi Denise, and welcome! What generation is your boy? (Higher generation Savannahs--F1-F3--can take longer to acclimate). How long ago did you get him, and did you try quarantining him to one room when he first arrived? If he is free in the entire house, I would suggest containing him somehow to a separate room that you can spend one on one time with him, so he may bond with you and come out of his shell....that room ideally should be one that has his litter box, food dishes, cat trees or other high object he can climb on to feel safe. A large bathroom or bedroom or office is ideal. Spend quiet time with him and do not force interaction on his part. Read out loud so he can get used to your voice. Use a wand toy to see if he will respond, and fill his food bowl when you come so he associates you with good things. This may take some time; and you are correct that he will advance on his own terms. This is not something that can be rushed. It may take a few weeks, or months...remember that as an young adult this is very new to him: a new house, you, a new dog....take your time, and I am glad you are here! I'm sure others who have been down this road will chime in with more detailed advice.
I definitely agree with everything Pam has said. One day is no time at all to expect an adult cat (of any breed) to acclimate to a new home. It is important that he is given limited space such as a bathroom or bedroom with a crate or other place where he can 'hide' if he feels insecure. Don't force interaction but after a couple of days see if he might be interested in playing with a wand toy. As he becomes more accustomed to you he will start becoming more curious about you and his new surroundings. Introduce him to the rest of the house slowly with supervised 'visits' to start with until you are confident he knows the layout well and will have no problem finding his food, water, and litter box. He may never be a lap cat but I think with time and patience you will have a faithful friend.
I just finished this guide which will help you get started. Good luck and continue asking questions. We're here to help.
Thank you very much. He is in our bedroom with everything he needs and we are in the process of building him a huge cat tree. Our room is huge and there are plenty of places to hide. He seemed more at ease this morning and was "talking" to me. He didn't growl or hiss or turn his butt to me, We learned that means "leave me alone". He was with a female from a different litter at his previous home and his prior owner said he may be more social without her.?
A
adamcrssmn
Guest
Hi, FMF. Welcome to the forum! Just be patient and DON'T TRY TO RUSH THINGS!!! We have a female BG who came to us when she was about a year and a half old (with a slew of psychological issues) and I thought that, since we had had her brother for a while, we could skip the whole "easing in" process... Big mistake. She found her way under the attic floor and stayed there for about a week (though she'd come out to eat and use the litter box). Long story short, I had to rip up the floor boards to get her out so we could start all over again with her confined to the bedroom. Every cat is different. Our adult SVs found their way to our place when they were about 2 years old and our F5 male was INSTANTLY happy and content. Our F2 female, on her first night, was a different story... I've never shook so hard petting any animal before (including a lion, bobcat and wolf). We are now best friends and our female BG, while still a psychological disaster
, is also, now, a very loving and affectionate kitty. Just give it time and stay positive!!!
, is also, now, a very loving and affectionate kitty. Just give it time and stay positive!!!
A
adamcrssmn
Guest
Oh, and there's nothing wrong with a little bribery... Our F3 female, Minou, is a "Slinker". When you try to pet her, she gets as low to the ground as possible and "slinks away"... This is not acceptable to me. Now, the only way for her to get boiled chicken is to, "give daddy some loving!" She's still pretty particular about when and where she allows petting, but she's getting better and purs like a blankety-blank when she's "down" with the attention...
Hey Deborah, can I borrow this guide??? It is excellent and just what is needed for kitten buyers!!! Awesome job!!!
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adamcrssmn
Guest
My thoughts exactly!!!
Paige -- you can borrow, share, whatever. That's why I wrote it. Glad you find it useful.