Calming a scared cat

I'm so stressed out right now! Peanut has been hiding under the bed for two days since his checkup. He's a Maine Coon but he's acting like a wild thing. Coco is fine, but I'm worried Peanut will get injured hiding in tight spots with his size. Has anyone else had a cat that suddenly becomes this skittish? I just want to get him to calm down enough to eat without me having to sneak food under the bed.

I tried the towel trick vhoward suggested in that thread about scooping, but he bolted the moment I got close. It's really frustrating because I know he's just scared, not angry, but I don't know how to bridge that gap!

Oh Beth, I am so sorry you're going through this. I know exactly how helpless it feels when they just disappear. Bella did the same thing after her last round of treatments. I just let her be. I put a soft blanket over her carrier when I moved it so she had some cover, but I didn't force interaction. It took her about four days to come out on her own. Patience is really hard, but pushing them usually makes it worse. Have you tried the quiet room setup from your own thread on safe zones? Sometimes just removing the visual stimuli helps them decompress.

Gus does this when we have visitors. He hides in the closet for hours. I don't try to pull him out. I just leave a bowl of wet food near the door and walk away. It's not about forcing trust, it's about letting them come to you. If you keep hovering, they stay frozen. I read in this thread about hissing that the goal is to lower their heart rate, not to make them play. Give him space. He'll come out when he feels safe.

Hey!! 🐱 totally get the stress. Luna is the shyest cat ever and she hides for days when new people come over. I swear by the pheromone diffusers. I plugged one in the room and she came out within an hour. Not magic, but it helps lower the tension. Check out dana's thread on diffusers if you haven't tried that yet. Also, I talk to her in a really soft voice while I do chores nearby. She thinks I'm ignoring her, so she relaxes. Try that! ✨

yo beth, just keep the room dim. my cat ivy is super skittish too. we had a storm last week and she wouldn't come out for like 12 hours. i just turned off the big lights and played some lo-fi music on low. she eventually came out to check on me. don't rush it. if he's not eating or hiding for more than 48 hours, you might need to look at vet advice for stress but for now, chill vibes only. 🕶️

This is a very common question here, especially with rescues. For a comprehensive step-by-step guide on handling scared and feral cats, please refer to the pinned guide. It covers everything from environmental adjustments to feeding strategies. Beth, since you've already tried the towel method and quiet room setup, the next step is usually consistent, low-pressure feeding as described in sharon's thread on feeding. Keep updating us!