Adopted world's most frightened cat

[stuff_it]

I looked through the conservatory window into the garden, and saw the cat was under the fence between our garden and the neighbours, sticking his head out looking at me. I went back into the kitchen. A little later the cat came to the lounge window. I was in the kitchen on the phone, and watched as he came into the lounge and made his way towards the food. He started eating the food and I moved towards the open doorway between the lounge/kitchen. But the slightest movement from me was enough to get the cat up on the side-table and ready to jump back out the window. I paused, waited for the cat to go back to the food. Then when it was eating again I walked quickly and confidently to the desk, without looking at the cat, intending to close the window. But the cat leapt out long before I had a chance to close it.

Now I'm back at my computer on the desk by the open window. The cat has eaten all the wet food but not the biscuit. We'll see if he comes back at the windowsill, but I don't think he will be brave or stupid enough to come inside if he sees me sitting here.

Ahah!

Start closing off the conservatory and filling it with cat shizzle, even one fo those stupid towers with hidey holes (liberally applied with catnip) or a 'cat hammock' on the one turned on radiator...

Make the conservatory 'his space', it's not like you need to hang out in there in the winter. Eventually install a cat door that will go through the lower brick wall and keep doing the same, but only after he's pwned it as his. Avoid going out there much, but make sure there's heating etc, perhaps leave one radiator on with one of those cat hammocks? If there a re blinds between house and conservatory keep them closed a good long time. Do not whatever you do open the doors into the main house, Make him think it's his yard, that the conservatory is his, that he has in fact landed on is feet. Worry about the rest later.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Making the conservatory his space is a good idea. I'd be tempted to be more dramatic than that though, if I could, and to trap him in the conservatory and keep him in it/the rest of the house for a while. Doing that does work - he'll start to think of the house as 'his' after a time. He may hide himself away behind a sofa or something for hours, but that's ok - that's just him finding a place that he feels safe in.

 

[pogofish]

What flavour?

Salt and Vinegar but she goes nuts for several flavours, also hot curries, and a strange range of other foods - Pretty much she loves all the food the Tabby won't touch. Useful!

 

[i'mnotsofast]

Ahah!

Start closing off the conservatory and filling it with cat shizzle, even one fo those stupid towers with hidey holes (liberally applied with catnip) or a 'cat hammock' on the one turned on radiator...

Make the conservatory 'his space', it's not like you need to hang out in there in the winter. Eventually install a cat door that will go through the lower brick wall and keep doing the same, but only after he's pwned it as his. Avoid going out there much, but make sure there's heating etc, perhaps leave one radiator on with one of those cat hammocks? If there a re blinds between house and conservatory keep them closed a good long time. Do not whatever you do open the doors into the main house, Make him think it's his yard, that the conservatory is his, that he has in fact landed on is feet. Worry about the rest later.

The conservatory is definitely a great room we can use when the cat is indoors. When we first got the cat, before it got outside, we left it alone in the conservatory with its litter tray, toys, and food. Then we'd leave the kitchen door open and it would explore the rest of the house at night.

But we can't leave the conservatory outside door open, because foxes come in. We can't make a catflap to the outdoors because it's a UPVC conservatory and we would have to somehow smash up a door-height piece of glass. We can't make a hole through the solid brick wall between the conservatory and kitchen because that's where the kitchen worksurface and light switches are. The lower brick wall is where the washing machine is on one side, and kitchen units on the other. And anyway we're renting.

All that said, yes, when we've got the cat back inside we will try to get it back into the conservatory and leave him to settle in there.

 

[i'mnotsofast]

Maybe instead of being in the lounge every evening, I could try being in my bedroom, or even heaven forbid going out the house and doing something exciting with my life. Then the cat can make its own way in through the window and explore the house. And we could put the food in the conservatory so it would have to walk further through the flat. I'm not sure how much use that would be though because it would still scarper the moment it heard me coming along the corridor.

 

[i'mnotsofast]

Making the conservatory his space is a good idea. I'd be tempted to be more dramatic than that though, if I could, and to trap him in the conservatory and keep him in it/the rest of the house for a while. Doing that does work - he'll start to think of the house as 'his' after a time. He may hide himself away behind a sofa or something for hours, but that's ok - that's just him finding a place that he feels safe in.

Yes that's exactly what happened when he first got here. He hid behind the sofa in the conservatory, and behind a spare mattress leaning against the wall, but he was gradually exploring the house.

Life would be so much easier if I had never let him outside!!! He got out within the first 5 days of being here, which I know was a mistake as you're meant to keep them in for 2-4 weeks.

 

[i'mnotsofast]

Also when the cat is at the window or in the room, I should try not looking at him, right? Because kitteh is scared of eye contact?

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Salt and Vinegar but she goes nuts for several flavours, also hot curries, and a strange range of other foods - Pretty much she loves all the food the Tabby won't touch. Useful!

Prawn Cocktail?

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Also when the cat is at the window or in the room, I should try not looking at him, right? Because kitteh is scared of eye contact?

Yes, you were told ages ago to just ignore him for a while. When you're not looking, then he'll start slinking around

 

[sim667]

I'm skipping most of the thread as it seemed to have descended into swearing. You need to trap the cat inside, it will catch you out but eventually you will out smart it as you have opposable thumbs and are able to think logically.

Keep the cat inside for about 4 or 5 weeks, let it hide and explore, it needs time to get comfortable, at the moment it probably thinks as your house as a place to 'steal' food from, then fuck off again.

Make sure it's plenty of food, and water, and clean kitty litter, and maybe get a feliway plugin. It'll come round eventually

 

[xenon]

Not read whole thread. But why do you have to leave the door open? Give the cat it's food. If it want's to fuck off and hide behind the sofa, let it. It'll get bored and wwander round eventually, assuming no one's trying to grab it. If it goes out to do it's business, let it out. Don't let it back in til it's at the door.

Otherwise just get a teddy bear instead.

 

[smmudge]

What you need to do is get someone to wait outside the window, camouflaged and not moving at all. Put food inside. As soon as person outside sees the cat go in, close the window from the outside. Voila window is closed before kitty knows what's going on and can't get out again!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Not read whole thread.

 

[i'mnotsofast]

Not read whole thread. But why do you have to leave the door open? Give the cat it's food. If it want's to fuck off and hide behind the sofa, let it. It'll get bored and wwander round eventually, assuming no one's trying to grab it. If it goes out to do it's business, let it out. Don't let it back in til it's at the door.

Otherwise just get a teddy bear instead.

The cat is never in, apart from for maybe 5-10 minutes in the evening when it comes in to eat. He's terrified of us, and I started this thread because I was wondering if he will ever change. At the moment it's basically a stray cat who we're feeding.

 

[i'mnotsofast]

By the way would it be fair to call Haruki a feral or semi-feral cat??

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I'm skipping most of the thread as it seemed to have descended into swearing. You need to trap the cat inside, it will catch you out but eventually you will out smart it as you have opposable thumbs and are able to think logically.

Keep the cat inside for about 4 or 5 weeks, let it hide and explore, it needs time to get comfortable, at the moment it probably thinks as your house as a place to 'steal' food from, then fuck off again.

Make sure it's plenty of food, and water, and clean kitty litter, and maybe get a feliway plugin. It'll come round eventually

This is the answer, and has been suggested several times. TBH this thread should have been done a month ago:

'I've just got a cat and I don't know the first thing about looking after him. What do you recommend...'

 

[pogofish]

Prawn Cocktail?

Real prawns are something they both go nuts for!

Dunno about the crisps, I rarely eat that flavour

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Real prawns are something they both go nuts for!

Dunno about the crisps, I rarely eat that flavour

Maybe you should try prawn cocktail on the cats

I've often wondered why there's not salmon flavoured crisps

 

[smmudge]

Also when you've got kitty in, get some really scrummy treat of some sort and put it with his food. Get him proper addicted like. Then stop putting it with his food and only allow him to get it if he takes it out of your hand. Hopefully after a bit of coaxing he won't be able to resist, and will soon realise that you are in fact the source of the great happiness that is delicious food.

 

[xenon]

The cat is never in, apart from for maybe 5-10 minutes in the evening when it comes in to eat. He's terrified of us, and I started this thread because I was wondering if he will ever change. At the moment it's basically a stray cat who we're feeding.

I've skipped to the end

You just need to let cats be, IME. As long as they're fed, watered and not being ran over, / infected. If they want to be round peple, they will in the end. My mate's got a couple of cats. One quite friendly, the other one completely freaks out and scrambles if I so much as go in the same room. This was the bolder of the 2 as a kitten. (Don't recall ever stepping on his tail or something). Cats are idiosyncratic at the best of times.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

My cat was nervous as hell when he was young. He's a big ball of impossibly affectionate, slightly dribbly fluff now he's old.

 

[geminisnake]

By the way would it be fair to call Haruki a feral or semi-feral cat??

I'd go with semi feral. I didn't expect to come back to 7 pages!! So not gonna read it all but glad you seem to have had some advice and you're gonna persevere with him I think he'll come round. Mala(our cat) did. It does take time though Oh, if you are looking for treats Mala loves the sticks of meat stuff you get from Aldi. BIG purrs for them!

 

[i'mnotsofast]

I'VE GOT THE CAT INSIDE!!!

 

[i'mnotsofast]

And its first reaction was of terror!! It jumped up from the desk to the ceiling, it tried jumping out of the closed window! Then it looked at me, realized it wasn't getting out, and walked into the conservatory. I'll close it in there now.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I'VE GOT THE CAT INSIDE!!!

Yes, but IS THE WINDOW SHUT?!

 

[smmudge]

You just need to let cats be, IME. As long as they're fed, watered and not being ran over, / infected.

This is a bit more than a cat that gets a bit scared from time to time though. It's a cat that's genuinely terrified to the detriment of his well-being, so as a responsible pet owner i'mnotsofast does have a duty to do something more than let him be.

 

[temper_tantrum]

Well done. Now try not to traumatise it too much by treating it like a dog.

 

[Spymaster]

I'VE GOT THE CAT INSIDE!!!

Well done.

Now say goodbye to your furniture.

 

[purenarcotic]

Finally.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Well done. Now try not to traumatise it too much by treating it like a dog.

Indeed. Let him be if possible.