My cat hides during the day and comes out at night

[Pabianacat]

Hi,
One month ago my wife and I adopted a 1 year old female cat, she is spayed and in good health.
She suffered physical abuse from previous owners who had her for 2 weeks.
She is hiding under the sofa during the day even if we are not home, she only comes out at night. We bought a camera to watch her behavior and it seems normal, she eats, play with toys, uses the litter box, look through the window, groom herself, etc.
We have been trying to lure her out of hiding by offering treats, showing her toys, speaking to her in a soft way but she won't come out. At night when she is out she will run under the sofa if she hears us talking on the bedroom or when we go to the bathroom. Basically any noticeable noise we do will send her under the sofa.
We know she will come out when she is ready. We want to know what else we can do to help her overcome the fear of humans she must be experiencing due to the traumatic experience she had.

 

[molly92]

I love this guide for socializing cats: How to Socialize Very Shy or Fearful Cats

You don't have to do it exactly like they did, but there are some great tips. If you can work with her like this from under the couch that could work, but if not you might need to find a way to block off access to under the furniture and set up a nice dark carrier she can hide in and work with her like that. Thank you for taking such good care of her!

 

[di and bob]

Yeah, these things just take time. AND, it will be worth it. I have had cats hide for months, she has been through an awful lot, but eventually she will learn to trust again. Cats have an instinctive fear of humans who have killed, hunted them down, tortured them, since the beginning of time. but they have perservered, and they are still around humans. She will have problems for a long time, there will be set backs too, there always are. But each and every step forward will be etched into your soul, and we can help you get there!

 

[Azazel]

Agree that it takes time. It took my rescue cat a year to truly trust me. She didn’t hide for a year, but she wasn’t truly comfortable around us and she wouldn’t let us hold her until about a year. Now she loves to snuggle in my arms and is attached at the hip.

Do you feed wet food? You could try doing timed wet food feedings rather than leaving kibble out to see if she comes out to eat during the day (obviously don’t let her starve though if she won’t come out). One of the best ways to build a bond is through feeding and letting them know that they are safe to eat next to you.

 

[susanm9006]

As other have said, it takes time. But I do not suggest blocking her hiding/safe space. She is calm, she is acting normally at night and forcing her some place she doesn’t feel safe will only terrify her and slow her progress . My girl lived Inside the back of the sofa for probably a month before she was ready to be seen during the day. Just like mine, yours will eventually start popping out for a second or two while you are present and then for longer periods. You just need to wait it out. I would keep doing what you have been doing. When you are in the room with her, sit on the floor and talk to her or read a book to her and leave a treat, catnip or some wet food for her so she continues to associate you with good things. When she does start showing herself ignore her until she comes to you. Then you can slowly put out your hand and let her sniff. It still might take weeks or even months after that for her to really seek out your attention but if you don’t push her she will get there.

 

[Pabianacat]

We want to thank you all for the information provided it is very helpful, this is our first cat and we want to give her the best life possible.