I have a 1.5yr old Siamese male. He is typically very sweet, plays a little rough some times but rarely ever “mean”. Typically I live in a large Dorm room with him but for this upcoming break i brought him home. I’ve done this with him before and he’s done perfectly fine. I would get to my room at my parents, open his carrier and he would be just fine. This time we are staying in our basement because our kitchen is being renovated which means my room is being used to reach pipes and stuff. When we got home i went into the large room we will be using in the basement and set up all of his things. I let him out and he inquisitively checked the room out. All seemed fine at first, until i went to grab somthing to eat and came back to find him wide eyed and hissing at my every movement. He seems scared yet interested in me. He will try to come to me and reach for me under the door but when i was in with him he went full attack mode. He’s played rough before but this was different, i’ve only ever seen him be like this once before: when he got out of my room and was lost in my house, though he immediately got better once i got him back into my room. When i crack the door open he looks at me and meows. He’ll lay down and looks almost like he’s playful but the moment i talk or move he’s hissing. I’m almost positive the issue is that he doesn’t feel comfortable in the new place and his stress is taken out on me, i was just wondering if there are any tips to help him calm down and be his sweeter self? I’m going to buy a Feliway diffuser today as well as i’ve got him into a large dog crate with some water and i’ve been leaving him in there while i sleep (only for a few hours at a time).
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Cat hissing and behaving erratically after move
- Thread starter Javanatt
- Start Date
Are renovations active when he is acting scared? Even in the basement, the noises might scare the cat.
Another issue is that the basement probably smells totally different from anything he is used too.
Finally, cats don't usually travel well, and if they don't do it often, they lose whatever ability they have gained.
So all in all, this isn't a surprise. I don't know you can do very much other than give him space and time to settle in. And maybe don't bring him next year if there is a way to do that. For every cat that travels well, there are 10 that don't.
Another issue is that the basement probably smells totally different from anything he is used too.
Finally, cats don't usually travel well, and if they don't do it often, they lose whatever ability they have gained.
So all in all, this isn't a surprise. I don't know you can do very much other than give him space and time to settle in. And maybe don't bring him next year if there is a way to do that. For every cat that travels well, there are 10 that don't.
Hi. I agree that the basement probably smells weird to him, and if he can hear renovation noises that is not helping matters any. Do you have items in your 'old' bedroom that you could bring down to the basement - things that he is familiar with since he's made this trip with you before with no problem? Setting up a couple of hiding spots (even as simple as cardboard boxes) might help and allow him to retreat to a 'safe' area; all the better if you have towels/blankets with his or your scent on them to set inside the hiding spots.
Is it possible to take him with you when you go upstairs? It sounds like he needs time to adjust before he is left alone downstairs by himself. And, if renovation noises might be adding to the issue, try playing some music to help drown out any unusual noises. There is even 'cat music' you could use - Spotify (harp music called Cat In My Arms), Youtube, Alexa, RelaxMyCat, and MusicForCats.
Is it possible to take him with you when you go upstairs? It sounds like he needs time to adjust before he is left alone downstairs by himself. And, if renovation noises might be adding to the issue, try playing some music to help drown out any unusual noises. There is even 'cat music' you could use - Spotify (harp music called Cat In My Arms), Youtube, Alexa, RelaxMyCat, and MusicForCats.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
We got home late last night so renovation sounds weren’t present. He’s lightened up a bit, still hisses but rolls around the ground and will let me crack the door and let him. But when i open the door all the way or walk in he seems very spooked and his hairs raise. I got some calming chews but he only licks them and i also got a feliway diffuser. My family may have covid so we are quarantined in the basement so i can’t really bring him upstairs. Also i think he would freak out more
Tensions are high, for good reason. He is in a place he is not used to, so I am not sure you just don't need to give him time to settle down. I would still do things like the music just to see if it might help. And, I am guessing you are stressed too, so he most certainly feels that as well.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #6
That’s kinda what i was thinking. I got the call that my family may have covid while i was packing up and he was in his carrier. I was crying so he may have been made uncomfortable by that. I’ll try the music, he is in our “movie” room so i can play the music on the sound system (turned down to a lower volume for his sensitive ears of course, and that system hasn’t been on at all so i know that’s not the problem) I’m also going to try and get a video of his behavior bc i want to see if people are interpreting his actions the same. He seems like we desperately wants attention but also is just too stimulated.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
Okay, so he was acting a little better. He hasn’t gone at me at all today and i even got him to play with his fish on a rope. He keeps rolling on his belly and leaning into me petting him, but then he’ll hiss. When I went to leave the room he ran after me and started reacting to my movements more. I figured since the basement was closed off i would just let him decide if he wants to explore and he’s been walking around the entire basement for a while now. His demeanor has changed a little, he is hissing barely at all and is chirping every once and a while. Also he is keeping his tail lower to the ground and is flicking it a bit. I read that can be a sign of agitation, but he’s also chirping a lot which i thought was a happy sound? Do you think that maybe he just doesn’t like that room for some reason?
I think he is just being a typical cat and not adjusting to a huge change particularly fast. For most people, trying to bring a cat home for a short period is usually a bad idea. I know you've very successfully done it in the past, but even if you were up in the main house where you'd normally be, the cat might be showing some stress this time around. Certainly the basement is new to him, and may have additional smells or noises. In other words, this is how I'd expect a cat to act being taken to a new place. He'll be fine in time.
I expect you'll know for sure if your cat has gotten a bit less adaptible come semester break, when presumably you'll be up in your room. As noted in the post above, cats get less adaptible with age, so don't be too surprised if that takes some time as well.
