When a kitty is afraid they'll retreat to a space that has a familiar scent. Their urine and feces do have a familiar scent. I had heard an old wives tale that if a cat sits or rests in a litter box that they may be sick, so I'd recommend a vet check up if they haven't had one yet, otherwise try to get kitty acclimated to the space, spend some time with them to help them feel safer.
Best of luck to you and your kitty.
Huh, yeah I guess that makes sense, I was going based on that wives tale. The shelter had their vet check them out and they said they were healthy as ever. I guess I just found it weird since cats are hygienic. Thanks
I would still take him to a vet because shelters are not always honest or thorough when it comes to vet care. My boyfriend and I adopted 2 FIV+ cats because the shelter told us they were healthy as could be and would live normal lives. Let’s just say $700 later we realized both of these cats were actually in very very poor condition and the shelter was negligent af for giving these chronically ill cats to 20 year old first time cat owners. Not all FIV+ cats are like this, and most do live healthy lives, however these cats were far beyond what we were financially and emotionally equipped to care for. I say this to say, a lot of times shelters can miss things such as viruses, worms, parasites, etc. so I highly encourage you to take him to a vet not only for a check up but to establish care in case you ever need a vet!
That's crazy! Is it not normal for them to give you the vet records? Both of my cats had full wellness exams before I could pick them up and I recieved copies of their entire record including those exams to forward to my vet.
I received nothing about them other than they had come from a different shelter as strays and were not adopted by anyone until I brought them home. Just vaccine records and some prior blood test results (with no answers to their condition) is all I got. It broke my heart to have to take them back not knowing if they would be okay. I really hope they found the right treatment and have a happy home now😭 I feel terrible for not being able to give them the home they needed. And big shame on the shelter for giving these high-need cats to someone with zero cat owning experience. I miss those babies and think about them often. If I would’ve had the money I would’ve kept them but I knew it would be selfish to keep them with me suffering and getting worse during the time it would’ve taken me to save up for vet care.
Haha I wouldn’t say they were a breeze considering my next cat had an ongoing mysterious respiratory issue for the majority of the time I’ve had him. $1000 later we think we have it under control. He has a week left of medication and then we will know! He’s made tons of progress and is honestly a whole new cat since being on the medication. I just like to think it was my destiny to be a high-needs cat momma 😂
I volunteer for a rescue fostering and also foster cats I trap off the streets to vet and get loving homes. The women I work with in rescue go above and beyond in trying to help these cats. Keep in mind that the vast majority of vets have ZERO experience in street cats. They are used to dealing with house cats and the accompanying issues. Street cats have vastly different issues and sometimes vets are well meaning but simply cannot accommodate or correctly diagnose issues that street cats and kittens present. I can guarantee you that the people in work that work in Rescue have nothing but good intentions and did not mean to fool you. All of our cats are vetted and by the end of the day have been touched by at least 30 different people physically and also people who have to do paperwork, logistics, vetting, etc. I myself spend thousands of my own money feeding and vetting and on supplies…that’s just what I do and am okay with it. But trust and believe as varied and imperfect as most people in Rescue, are they do not try to fool you in my case and in the case of all the Rescue people I know who volunteer in 🐱Foster for our Rescue we all spent thousands of dollars every year that will not be recouped. It’s just what we do to try and get our cats to adopters and off the street. Vetting Cats off the street cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars for each cat and sometimes thousands if they have medical issues sometimes medical issues slip through the cracks. But each cat or dog that has been vetted by a rescue you can be assured that they have had a sterilization that cost hundreds, and hundreds of dollars in vaccines, dewormers, and other meds. That is the very least that will be spent on them and that is not including the food that the fosters provide and supplies that the fosters provide like litter, etc. that actually really adds up. This is sort of a common theme that people think that they are being fooled, but I think that people are actually very genuine and earnest in Rescue atleast most of them…and this is not purposeful.
It’s difficult to fathom how much time and love and grief goes into rescue. It’s the mundane …laundry and scrubbing and cleaning cages, to the sublime…fostering these lovely creatures and taking care of them. I have 4 loads of laundry myself to do right now in my house and I have to wash them again at least 3-4 times in the washer to get smells out after they are used by the cats at the shelter (cat pee is the worst lol). I drive cats to get appointments, do paperwork, take the cute pics and videos…the work never ever ends. There are always new cats with issues that may need huge amounts of money to get them healthy. I’ve paid for enucleations, antibiotics, surgeries, the list goes on and on. When we give you a kitten or cat that you adopt, behind the scenes there are innumerable people who work tirelessly to give everything they have to get them adopted and off the streets of misery where they are unloved. Whatever you pay in adoption fees, we have paid at least 4-5x over that to get them in loving homes. Gas, food, supplies, vetting, transport vehicles, blankets, litter, toys, etc. Occasionally we get donations but one ill cat will wipe out thousands in donations and here we are where it always is, a huge bill at the vets which needs to be paid.
Cats are poisoned, run over, tortured, etc and we try so very hard to get them in homes where they don’t suffer in the streets with no medical care. I see cats eaten up inside and outside with parasites, worms, fleas, mange, eyes burst, huge open wounds with maggots, broken legs, open fractures, tripods that have feet rotted off, dead kittens, etc. Please give us the benefit of the doubt that we are really trying to help. Thanks for reading lol.
I’m sure they care but it was at best negligent to allow two 20 year olds to adopt those babies in the shape they were in with zero information about their overall health. I was assured they were healthy, but they had bad diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, would not eat. And they didn’t even inform us on one of their food allergies.
Get a shirt you’ve worn in the last few days. Don’t wash it, and put it in her bed, so she has your scent when you aren’t there. You can swap it out every few days so the scent stays fresh.
You can also get a small stuffed toy, spray it with Feliway (cat pheromone calming spray), and give that to her to cuddle.
I see you have more than one cat. You can also put a shirt in their bed and swap them around with the one for your new kitty, so they get used to each other’s scents. I suggested this to someone else who’d just added a cat, and by the next day, they were cuddling on the shirt together.
Seconding what the other commenter said. It's just a safe space for them.
When I first moved into my own apartment, I took in one of my mom's cats that preferred being a single cat and so she obviously knew me but bunned out in her litter box a lot for the first couple of days.
Just keep an eye that she's still eating/drinking and has good energy levels. It's very possible she's exploring the rest of the room when you're not around/at night when it's more quiet
Get her a cave-type bed. She wants to hide.
Have you started to work on introductions? Are you familiar with the process?
After some time you should start scent swapping.
Don't put the item in her bed.
Get a Feliway Optimum diffuser
She’s likely just feeling unsure of herself since she’s new to your home. Try getting her a cat bed and a cat tree if you can. Things that she can associate as hers, and get her scent on them. Right now she’s clinging to her box cause it’s the only thing that smells like her. Cats are incredibly scent oriented creatures. Keep a close eye on her, and put a cat bed out for her maybe near the box to see if you can coax her out. Good luck, and keep us updated ❤️
Uh huh, yeah like I wanted to show a picture of my cat in her litterbox🙄. It was for an example if anyone saw anything weird. Would love to clean it if she let me but she hisses if I remotely get close to her so I rather wait for her to leave, which is rare. Also this was taken when I had to leave for work in the morning so I couldn't fully deal with it until I got back.
I even marked it as NSFW so it wouldn't show so you could've just not opened the post.
Ignore the troll. I work with a lot of ferals, and turn them into lap cats. It's very common for them to spend the first few days hiding in the litterbox. A little pee and poo on their fur won't hurt them. After all, these are animals who lick their own buttholes on a regular basis.
And it's better to leave them alone at this phase. To clean the litterbox, you'd have to chase her out of the one place that she thinks is safe. For now, it's better to let her be a little dirty if it helps her get comfortable in your home.
Your cat is scared, but based on your other comments, she's eating and drinking and is probably exploring the house while you are asleep. She'll get over her litterbox phase in a week or two.
When a kitty is afraid they'll retreat to a space that has a familiar scent. Their urine and feces do have a familiar scent. I had heard an old wives tale that if a cat sits or rests in a litter box that they may be sick, so I'd recommend a vet check up if they haven't had one yet, otherwise try to get kitty acclimated to the space, spend some time with them to help them feel safer. Best of luck to you and your kitty.
Huh, yeah I guess that makes sense, I was going based on that wives tale. The shelter had their vet check them out and they said they were healthy as ever. I guess I just found it weird since cats are hygienic. Thanks
I would still take him to a vet because shelters are not always honest or thorough when it comes to vet care. My boyfriend and I adopted 2 FIV+ cats because the shelter told us they were healthy as could be and would live normal lives. Let’s just say $700 later we realized both of these cats were actually in very very poor condition and the shelter was negligent af for giving these chronically ill cats to 20 year old first time cat owners. Not all FIV+ cats are like this, and most do live healthy lives, however these cats were far beyond what we were financially and emotionally equipped to care for. I say this to say, a lot of times shelters can miss things such as viruses, worms, parasites, etc. so I highly encourage you to take him to a vet not only for a check up but to establish care in case you ever need a vet!
Jesus that's terrible. In that case then will do. Luckily I have pet insurance and a vet👍🏿
Glad to hear OP! Good luck:)
You’re a good bean 🫘 please give us updates!
That's crazy! Is it not normal for them to give you the vet records? Both of my cats had full wellness exams before I could pick them up and I recieved copies of their entire record including those exams to forward to my vet.
I received nothing about them other than they had come from a different shelter as strays and were not adopted by anyone until I brought them home. Just vaccine records and some prior blood test results (with no answers to their condition) is all I got. It broke my heart to have to take them back not knowing if they would be okay. I really hope they found the right treatment and have a happy home now😭 I feel terrible for not being able to give them the home they needed. And big shame on the shelter for giving these high-need cats to someone with zero cat owning experience. I miss those babies and think about them often. If I would’ve had the money I would’ve kept them but I knew it would be selfish to keep them with me suffering and getting worse during the time it would’ve taken me to save up for vet care.
I'm so sorry that happened. I hope your future experiences aren't/weren't as bad
Haha I wouldn’t say they were a breeze considering my next cat had an ongoing mysterious respiratory issue for the majority of the time I’ve had him. $1000 later we think we have it under control. He has a week left of medication and then we will know! He’s made tons of progress and is honestly a whole new cat since being on the medication. I just like to think it was my destiny to be a high-needs cat momma 😂
I feel that. Mine pees protein so I've been dropping $700 every few months just to check her urine :,^)
…but these money pits are so worth it haha
I volunteer for a rescue fostering and also foster cats I trap off the streets to vet and get loving homes. The women I work with in rescue go above and beyond in trying to help these cats. Keep in mind that the vast majority of vets have ZERO experience in street cats. They are used to dealing with house cats and the accompanying issues. Street cats have vastly different issues and sometimes vets are well meaning but simply cannot accommodate or correctly diagnose issues that street cats and kittens present. I can guarantee you that the people in work that work in Rescue have nothing but good intentions and did not mean to fool you. All of our cats are vetted and by the end of the day have been touched by at least 30 different people physically and also people who have to do paperwork, logistics, vetting, etc. I myself spend thousands of my own money feeding and vetting and on supplies…that’s just what I do and am okay with it. But trust and believe as varied and imperfect as most people in Rescue, are they do not try to fool you in my case and in the case of all the Rescue people I know who volunteer in 🐱Foster for our Rescue we all spent thousands of dollars every year that will not be recouped. It’s just what we do to try and get our cats to adopters and off the street. Vetting Cats off the street cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars for each cat and sometimes thousands if they have medical issues sometimes medical issues slip through the cracks. But each cat or dog that has been vetted by a rescue you can be assured that they have had a sterilization that cost hundreds, and hundreds of dollars in vaccines, dewormers, and other meds. That is the very least that will be spent on them and that is not including the food that the fosters provide and supplies that the fosters provide like litter, etc. that actually really adds up. This is sort of a common theme that people think that they are being fooled, but I think that people are actually very genuine and earnest in Rescue atleast most of them…and this is not purposeful.
It’s difficult to fathom how much time and love and grief goes into rescue. It’s the mundane …laundry and scrubbing and cleaning cages, to the sublime…fostering these lovely creatures and taking care of them. I have 4 loads of laundry myself to do right now in my house and I have to wash them again at least 3-4 times in the washer to get smells out after they are used by the cats at the shelter (cat pee is the worst lol). I drive cats to get appointments, do paperwork, take the cute pics and videos…the work never ever ends. There are always new cats with issues that may need huge amounts of money to get them healthy. I’ve paid for enucleations, antibiotics, surgeries, the list goes on and on. When we give you a kitten or cat that you adopt, behind the scenes there are innumerable people who work tirelessly to give everything they have to get them adopted and off the streets of misery where they are unloved. Whatever you pay in adoption fees, we have paid at least 4-5x over that to get them in loving homes. Gas, food, supplies, vetting, transport vehicles, blankets, litter, toys, etc. Occasionally we get donations but one ill cat will wipe out thousands in donations and here we are where it always is, a huge bill at the vets which needs to be paid. Cats are poisoned, run over, tortured, etc and we try so very hard to get them in homes where they don’t suffer in the streets with no medical care. I see cats eaten up inside and outside with parasites, worms, fleas, mange, eyes burst, huge open wounds with maggots, broken legs, open fractures, tripods that have feet rotted off, dead kittens, etc. Please give us the benefit of the doubt that we are really trying to help. Thanks for reading lol.
I’m sure they care but it was at best negligent to allow two 20 year olds to adopt those babies in the shape they were in with zero information about their overall health. I was assured they were healthy, but they had bad diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, would not eat. And they didn’t even inform us on one of their food allergies.
Get a shirt you’ve worn in the last few days. Don’t wash it, and put it in her bed, so she has your scent when you aren’t there. You can swap it out every few days so the scent stays fresh. You can also get a small stuffed toy, spray it with Feliway (cat pheromone calming spray), and give that to her to cuddle. I see you have more than one cat. You can also put a shirt in their bed and swap them around with the one for your new kitty, so they get used to each other’s scents. I suggested this to someone else who’d just added a cat, and by the next day, they were cuddling on the shirt together.
Seconding what the other commenter said. It's just a safe space for them. When I first moved into my own apartment, I took in one of my mom's cats that preferred being a single cat and so she obviously knew me but bunned out in her litter box a lot for the first couple of days. Just keep an eye that she's still eating/drinking and has good energy levels. It's very possible she's exploring the rest of the room when you're not around/at night when it's more quiet
Got it. Yeah she's eating and drinking a lot which is good. I leave the door open at night and lock my cat in my room with me so she can explore
Do they have any places they can hide under like a box, or bed? Put down some towels or blankets for them in the space
No but I can get one. I'm planning on getting blankets to get her in the cage for when I bring her to the vet
Get her a cave-type bed. She wants to hide. Have you started to work on introductions? Are you familiar with the process? After some time you should start scent swapping. Don't put the item in her bed. Get a Feliway Optimum diffuser
She’s likely just feeling unsure of herself since she’s new to your home. Try getting her a cat bed and a cat tree if you can. Things that she can associate as hers, and get her scent on them. Right now she’s clinging to her box cause it’s the only thing that smells like her. Cats are incredibly scent oriented creatures. Keep a close eye on her, and put a cat bed out for her maybe near the box to see if you can coax her out. Good luck, and keep us updated ❤️
She’s very scared, poor baby. Cat nip, treats, soothing voice, and time. Thanks for adopting!!!! Especially an adult.
Clean the litter box Quit posting pictures of your cat lying in their feces. Vacuum the area surrounding the litter box. 🙄
Uh huh, yeah like I wanted to show a picture of my cat in her litterbox🙄. It was for an example if anyone saw anything weird. Would love to clean it if she let me but she hisses if I remotely get close to her so I rather wait for her to leave, which is rare. Also this was taken when I had to leave for work in the morning so I couldn't fully deal with it until I got back. I even marked it as NSFW so it wouldn't show so you could've just not opened the post.
Ignore the troll. I work with a lot of ferals, and turn them into lap cats. It's very common for them to spend the first few days hiding in the litterbox. A little pee and poo on their fur won't hurt them. After all, these are animals who lick their own buttholes on a regular basis. And it's better to leave them alone at this phase. To clean the litterbox, you'd have to chase her out of the one place that she thinks is safe. For now, it's better to let her be a little dirty if it helps her get comfortable in your home. Your cat is scared, but based on your other comments, she's eating and drinking and is probably exploring the house while you are asleep. She'll get over her litterbox phase in a week or two.
Don't worry about this. There are always some crazies online. Take your cat to the vet asap! They're unwell!