My cat keeps hiding after I've relocated her to my apartment. Any hints on shaking her moving blues?

Question

I have just moved my cat to my apartment after she had been living without me at my parents' house since January 08. She's been hiding under the bed all day, hasn't eaten, drank anything, nor used the kitty litter box. Have I stepped into a disaster with my cat or will she eventually snap out of her blue funk, I'm shy mode???

Answer 1

its  normal don't worry about just give her time to adjust and then she'll come around. When cats get grounded to a certain place that's where they most comfortable , safe ,secure  and having to move throws everything out of whack they will need time to become grounded at a new location. The best thing for her is to pull her out from under the bed every so often squeeze her kiss her and don't forget the chin scratches and then throw her on the bed and let her be for a while and then do it again later on repeat through out the day . This will get her use to seeing her surroundings and smells of the new place.

Answer 2

Relax, you've not stepped into a distaster, this is a very common and normal response.

Most cats are very very attached to their environment and territory. Many cats are more attached to the house they live in than the people who live with them!

They make it their business to know every inch of their territory - how it looks, how everything smells, all the little hiding spots etc. A cat in unfamiliar territory is an uncomfortable cat.

So taking her into a new environment is a huge change for her - but she will certainly readjust.

I suggest selecting a quiet room, perhaps your bedroom, and setting up her food, water, toys and litterbox. Keep her confined to just this room.

Within a few days, she'll have explored all of that room & will be feeling very safe and comfortable in there. If she starts trying to escape the room after a day or two, then she is ready to have access to the rest of the apartment. If she hasn't tried to follow you out of that room within 5 days, just leave the door open.

Once she has been given run of the whole apartment, be sure to still leave the bedroom door open, so she can retreat back into her 'safe-space' whenever she wishes.

Just let her set the pace, and before long, she'll be acting as if she owns the apartment and has always lived there!

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Just leave her alone. Keep the apartment quiet and relatively dark, she should come around in a day or 2.

Answer 4

Give her time to get used to her new environment. It might take a couple of days or it might take a couple of weeks for her to start roaming. Move her food, water and litter box into the room she's hiding in so it will be handy for her. Good luck!