Bonnie is a 3-year-old tabby and she is extremely shy. She has been in the spare bedroom for two days now. I have a litter box, water, and food in there, but she still hisses when I open the door to check on her. I want to give her a place to decompress without feeling trapped. How do you guys set up a safe space? I read signs of stress in new cats and she fits almost all of them.
Man, shy cats are the worst. Gizmo is a 4-year-old Maine Coon and he is food aggressive, so my setup is totally different. I use a baby gate to keep him out of the kitchen, see keeping cats out of the kitchen. For a shy cat, I would just leave the door open. If you close it, it feels like a trap. Give her an escape route.
I work nights so I am usually home when my cats are awake. Salem is a 3-year-old black cat who is very energetic. I think you need to mask the noise. I use a white noise machine in the hallway. It helps with white noise for anxious cats. Bonnie probably hears the TV and the kids and gets spooked. Keep the volume down in that room.
Mochi is a 2-year-old DSH and he is teething right now, so he chews on everything. I put a heavy blanket over a corner of the room for him. It gives him a sense of security. You could try that for Bonnie. Also, make sure you have enough vertical space. See safe hiding spots for shy cats for ideas on cat trees.
@JenInJersey That is a good point about the noise. I will try the machine. @ValInTampa I agree about the door. I was worried about her getting out, but maybe I just need a gate. How long do you think it takes? I saw a thread on how long to isolate a new cat but the answers were all over the place.
It varies. Gizmo took a week to stop growling at the gate. Bonnie might be faster since she is already in a quiet room. Just be patient. Do not force interaction. Let her come to you. If she is still stressed after 10 days, check toys for high energy cats and see if she needs to burn off energy in a different way, but shy cats usually just need time.
| Topic | Posters | Replies | Views | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| weight management for cats | 5 | 521 | ||
| litter box placement | 6 | 761 | ||
| Managing shy cat behavior | 4 | 1.1k | ||
| signs of cat stress | 5 | 900 | ||
| senior dog energy levels | 4 | 827 |