2.5 Year Old Cat Has Never Left The Bedroom--help

[trizzo0309]

Hello all. Long story short: we got a new cat about two months about from a rescue, he's 2.5 years old, absolutely loving but an incredible scardy cat. He has never left our bedroom since we got him and is always underneath the bed except for once and a while when we are around with him.

I decided to reach out to the rescue woman to see if he just needs to warm up to the place and she told me that in the two years she had him he never left her spare room and made it his little place.

What should I do? How should I proceed? This is really tough news to take.

 

[talkingpeanut]

How does he interact with you? Did he interact with his rescue mom?

Maybe it would help if he didn't have places to hide in the room and could spend more time with you.

 

[abyeb]

Maybe play the radio for him in his room while you're away so that he can get used to hearing human voices.

 

[trizzo0309]

Maybe play the radio for him in his room while you're away so that he can get used to hearing human voices.

He's totally okay with coming out when we are around. He loves our attention but won't leave the room.

 

[trizzo0309]

How does he interact with you? Did he interact with his rescue mom?

Maybe it would help if he didn't have places to hide in the room and could spend more time with you.

He loves hanging out with us in the room to be pet and played with. Just doesn't want to come out from within the room. He'll take a few steps out on occassion then look around all cautious and dive back under the bed. He liked his old mom and loved to be pet.

We were thinking of blocking off under the bed and other places he hides but we think he'll invent some place to hide. What do you think? We just want him happy and to interact with the apartment and us in the living room downstairs.

 

[talkingpeanut]

It's great that he wants to spend time with you. I wouldn't view that as a negative. I would close off areas for him to hide in, though.

 

[trizzo0309]

talkingpeanut That's a good idea. We've had some trouble with the other cats in our apartment so we'll give that a try!

 

[talkingpeanut]

Oh, you didn't mention other cats. How many others do you have? What's the dynamic there?

 

[IndyJones]

Do provide a special private place though for him. Like a cat condo or a hutch.

 

[trizzo0309]

Do provide a special private place though for him. Like a cat condo or a hutch.

He has our entire bedroom and that's his domain. The other cats are not really allowed there.

 

[trizzo0309]

Oh, you didn't mention other cats. How many others do you have? What's the dynamic there?

Four humans live on a three story apartment. Two roommates have two cats and myself and gf have two cats.

My prior cat, Bean, couldn't care less for the new cat. He just doesn't care, is a scardy cat and is non-aggressive.

The two roommates cats are a little more difficult. They are sweet cats but have been pretty abrasive towards this new cat. We keep him in the upstairs bedroom (ours) and he has the whole room to himself (although not a big room). Two old cats have been aggressive towards this new cat and we've tried scent swapping, feeding through doors/gates and not much has helped. The new cat is fine with them for the most part but lately the old cats (mainly one) has gotten pretty aggressive when we bring him into the bedroom to hang out and it doesn't end well.

He'll walk around fine and chill out then he'll dive under the bed where the new cat is and you'll hear a scuffle. Very stressful and frustrating.

 

[talkingpeanut]

It sounds like he needs the whole bedroom to be his safe space for now. Could you try blocking off a floor and expanding his territory?

 

[trizzo0309]

It sounds like he needs the whole bedroom to be his safe space for now. Could you try blocking off a floor and expanding his territory?

talkingpeanut We have been doing this for a week or two now for certain periods of time. When we put all the cats in a bedroom and close the door we put a gate up on the stairs so he can roam the upper level. He generally stays underneath the bed and when he does come out he will go up to the door frame them turn around and come back, unfortunately.

What did happen this weekend was we put some of his food in the hallway with the door closed and he inched out and ate about three inches outside the bedroom which is awesome progress! He was EXTREMELY hesitant the entire time but he did it for a few seconds then would dart back into the bedroom for his safe spot.

Additionally, one night we put all the cats in a bedroom and we laid on the bed with all the lights turned off and we heard him/saw him leaving the bedroom and walking in the hallway a bit. I know cats are nocturnal so maybe he just did it at night with no humans around to bug him? I think this was a good sign.

 

[trizzo0309]

Any other suggestions at all? Could use the help.

 

[maggiedemi]

My cat would spend all her time hiding under the recliner at first, so we had to block it off. Have you tried bringing him out of the bedroom and shutting the door? I feel like if he faced his fear, he might be able to get over it. Maybe have the other cats in another room while you do this at first.

 

[basschick]

if your cat is comfortable in the bedroom, is that a problem?

 

[orange&white]

Other than under the bed, does he have any hidey holes that are more convenient for you to get to him? I'd set up some cardboard boxes with doors cut into two or three sides (where he can go in one door and out another, so he feels safe, but doesn't feel trapped). Maybe you could put one under a bedside table, and one up on a little table if he wants to get up higher.

Other: Cat tree or place to climb?

 

[trizzo0309]

My cat would spend all her time hiding under the recliner at first, so we had to block it off. Have you tried bringing him out of the bedroom and shutting the door? I feel like if he faced his fear, he might be able to get over it. Maybe have the other cats in another room while you do this at first.

M maggiedemi Thank you for your suggestion. The problem is we have never been able to get him out of the bedroom. We can't pick him up (he'll scratch us up). You are probably right though as far as that being what we have to do.

 

[trizzo0309]

if your cat is comfortable in the bedroom, is that a problem?

basschick It's not a bad thing at all but he has never left the bedroom in almost three months. We have his litter box and food in our bedroom and that is obviously not optimal for us or his quality of life. We want him to explore and hang out with us in the living room, etc.

 

[trizzo0309]

Other than under the bed, does he have any hidey holes that are more convenient for you to get to him? I'd set up some cardboard boxes with doors cut into two or three sides (where he can go in one door and out another, so he feels safe, but doesn't feel trapped). Maybe you could put one under a bedside table, and one up on a little table if he wants to get up higher.

Other: Cat tree or place to climb?

orange&white Our bedroom is not very large so we have a dresser that overlooks a window but nothing else that is elevated. We can try a cat tree or installing some cat shelves as I heard those are liked.

We can try the box option but, unfortunately, our bedroom is not very big so a box or two on the floor would just provide so little walking room for us or him.

He's just such a scardey cat and loves going underneath the bed as his safe space. We can try blocking off under the bed but we fear he might jump behind the dresser or wedge himself somewhere that'll be difficult. We don't really know how to block off the bed either since he will run underneath it if we try doing such.

He's very skiddish so it's been difficult trying to block it off.