# A monster under the bed



## elchivito (Apr 18, 2010)

i'll try to be brief. I really don't know what to do. Natasha is an ~5 year old beautiful spayed tricolor. She was raised from kittenhood by my father in law who lived alone. He recently passed away. There were lots of people traipsing through his house for days after his passing and Natasha hid. My wife made sure she had food, water and a clean box. She has always been a "one man cat". 

Worried about her fate we brought her home to our multicat household and gave her the spare bedroom to get used to before meeting the others. That was two plus weeks ago. At first when we went in to see to her she'd roll around, purr and let us pet her but wouldn't come out from under the bed. Recently she's become upset when we come in to talk to her or feed her. She has hissed and lashed out several times, ripping me a good one when I tried to replace her food bowl. If I sit on the bed and talk to her eventually I'll hear her purring but if I put my hand near her she'll lash out. 
She is eating well and using her box at the end of the bed, but I am very worried about her long term. Any suggestions?


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

awe..poor girl..sounds like she both misses her owner and is scared and stressed...keep going in her room often, speak softy and encourage her to come to you...the purring is a good sign she was relaxing...just be patient...maybe wear gloves lol


----------



## Serenity Woods (Apr 2, 2012)

Like Happybleats said, time and patience are probably your best allies to win her over. Is there any chance you could get an old blanket or clothes from her old home that would smell familiar to her?

We recently added several cats to our household, and like you, they had a bedroom of their own for a few weeks. We ended up taking off the regular bedroom door and replacing it (temporarily) with a screen door, so the new kitties could get to know our cats without a brawl breaking out. It worked surprisingly well for us. Having the screen door up also meant that the new kitties didn't feel as isolated from what was going on in the rest of the house.

Is your new cat at all playful? Sometimes a toy, like a feather on a string, or a laser pointer, can draw a nervous kitty out of hiding, when their urge to play overcomes their uncertainty.

One other thing you might want to look into. There's a product called Feliway which is supposed to calm cats down by mimicking certain pheromones. We've had mixed success with it. It's available through Amazon. You can read the reviews and see what you think.

Best of luck to you.


----------



## elchivito (Apr 18, 2010)

I have the Feliway atomizer plugged in behind "her" bed and it doesn't seem to be doing much. She hissed at the laser pointer. We gave her my father in law's blanket right off his bed. She sleeps on it under there. Maybe she needs more time. I also notice she isn't drinking water from the water bowl and so I am mixing water with her canned food. She get enough that way I think as she's peeing in her box daily.


----------



## elchivito (Apr 18, 2010)

Thinking of catnip if I can find some that's really fresh.


----------



## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

might try water from your father in laws home as well...I know with goats they can be picky...


----------



## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

2 weeks is not a long adjustment time for a cat, BUT it is very bizarre that she was initially friendly and has now become aggressive. I would really consider taking her to the vet for a check up and possible urine analysis. The stress of the entire situation may have caused something to flare up.

If you place the food, litter, and water further away in the same bedroom (not under the bed) will she still use them when you aren't there? Catnip is a great idea, but I would put it just a foot away from the bed so she would have to come out to get it.

Unfortunately purring is a very deceiving trait, it can certainly indicate pleasure, but cats also use it when in a lot of pain, when dying, and to try to calm themselves when extremely scared. 

It is very nice of you and your wife to make this effort, kudos. Cats are difficult but I'm sure she can learn to love you & your wife, Sorry about the loss of your Father in law.

You may try feeding her good quality can food twice a day rather than free-feeding dry food. That way your entrance to the room will signal yummy food (even if she doesn't come out to eat it right away).


----------

