Fostered Cat, Flinching.

[Lil Panda]

Hi all. Sorry this is going to be a long post!

I am quite new to having cats. I have two. Smudge who is a neutered 14 month old and Gina who is between five and six years old and speyed.

I fostered Gina three weeks ago, previous to that she had been in another foster home for over a year. However I don't feel she was well cared for as she has come to me with conjunctivitis, sore pads on 3 of her feet and a problem with her teeth. We are off to the vets again this week to see if the meds given two weeks ago have helped her.

My question is what can I do to help her trust me and calm her and is flinching a sign she has been hit in the past?
She will come for a stroke at night once everything is quiet but then if I move too quickly or she hears any noise she either flinches or darts away and won't come out from her hidey hole under the table.
she even waits all day to use her litter tray as she won't come out if me or my children are in.
Any tips on helping her overcome her fear would be great.

 

[susanm9006]

The flinching and hiding doesn't necessarily mean that she was abused. It can simply be that she was not socialized or poorly socialized as a kitten, or even is just really nervous about being in a new home. The best you can do to help her is to give her space and time to adjust. Let her approach you, move slowly and speak softly to her and recognize that it might take months or even longer before she begins to relax and enjoy your company.

 

[neely]

She sounds very timid. Do you know if there were other cats in her former foster home? From what you described her previous home does not sound ideal. I hope the vet can help with her medical care and you can help with her confidence and trust. I'm sure she has some anxiety as susanm9006 suggested. I agree with giving her space and extra time to adjust. Sit quietly on the floor of the room she is in and don't make any sudden movements. You may want to try a Fellway Diffuser. Here's some info about it: What causes cat stress or cat anxeity
Best of luck, please keep us updated on her progress.

 

[bluebirdy]

I have two kittens that I fostered together since they were only a few months old. One of those kittens continues to flinch at most loud noises or quick movements, and can be touch shy (only likes to be pet for short periods). She is just a bit skittish as a personality trait, and is confident in most other ways (walks around with tail up, likes to meet new people). The other is completely laid back and could passed around between family members without raising a whisker. They've been raised the same by my son and I.

What worked for my skiddish cat is just time. She is still hesitant about new things but sometimes that's an advantage (she waits at the door whereas the other will just bolt out of it to outside). I gave her some natural supplements which seemed to help her move past feeling skittish. I also made sure she had a lot of high perches for when she was feeling uneasy. I didn't force affections, which seemed to help build trust. Now I rub my fingers and she jumps up for a snuggle.

 

[Lil Panda]

I have the feliway diffuser. At first she managed to hide under the kitchen cupboards! I had to block off the area, I gave her a 'den' under the stairs and now we have progressed to her hiding under the dining table.
There were other cats in her previous home and the fosterer said one may have bullied her as she also had a bite mark between her shoulders
I am just trying to make sure I do everything to make her as comfortable as possible.

 

[danteshuman]

Your foster kitty sounds scared. I would do my best to pretend I'm ignoring her. At the same time I would be sure to feed/pet/play/give treats to the other cat in front of her. If she shows any interest include her. Cats learn from other cats. I would try feliway or a calming collar ... of no progress is made in 3-6 months (I think there will be progress) then you could take her to the vet and try prozac. Meanwhile I would be spreading scent soakers all around the place and giving her boxes (on their sides) with towels draped over them to give her hiding places. Try giving her a hiding place in whichever room you spend the most time in. Also try talking to her softly while not looking at her. The slow blink or fake puuurrr help to Good luck.
I looked on the catsite for an article about taming semi-feral cats but I couldn't find one. I hope these sites help
Socializing Feral Community
Taming Ferals - UrbanCatLeague
http://jacksongalaxy.com/blog/2014/06/02/cat-mojo-fraidy-cats
Help socializing two semi feral 7 month old cats