Need Help With New Adopted Cat’s Behaviour

[ze kwok]

so recently i got this little sweetheart from the shelter, and he has some behaviour problems that i really dunno how to deal with.
so he’s about 1 year old (neutered), he currently does his everything in my room. he’s very shy and nervous and he doesn’t feel comfortable outside of his little house but he drinks and eats fine. he just has been hissing at me as i approach, but never bites if i actually pet him and he enjoys me petting him.
yet he has been crying at night
and peeing and pooping all over the place. i can’t seem to teach him where to litter as he doesn’t even come out of his house when i’m watching him.

i got my other cat, who’s a 2 year old spayed female, she has always been very sweet but since the new cat came she has been very nervous and hasn’t been peeing or pooping. and her appetite has dropped. she always hiss at the new cat when i allow them to make contact but the new cat just has no reaction towards the old cat’s hiss and just chill.
Any help would be appreciated since i barely got any sleep due to him littering on my blankets midnight. thank you

this is my new cat, Bongo, hiding.

 

[susanm9006]

Your kitty is very fearful so it would be best if you did not approach him, but rather wait for him to approach you. Another thing that would help is if you had some place other than your room to have him stay since he is nervous about your presence.

 

[sabian]

Your kitty is very fearful so it would be best if you did not approach him, but rather wait for him to approach you. Another thing that would help is if you had some place other than your room to have him stay since he is nervous about your presence.

I agree. You just need to give him time. Move him to another room if possible. Set him in his litter box if possible. He'll probably jump right out but he may get the idea. If there is a lid on the litter box take it off. I would put him in the bathroom with the litter box and shut the door and give him some alone time. When you are at home or not asleep open the bathroom door and walk away. Keep your other cat away from him for the time being. He's just freaked out and you have to give him time and be patient.

 

[Summercats]

The first two nights with my new cat from a shelter I put him in the bathroom with a bed because that is where his litter box was. Then when I felt confident he would go find it to use it I left him out. It may be if your litter box is in the bedroom, he is a bit nervous if he is shy.

I don't have another cat but my sister for her introduction of a recent foster and a four month old kitten did seperate rooms, alternating which cat was in which room to get them used to the others scent. There was hissing from the older cat for a bit but then they were fine and now play together.

How was your cat in the shelter? Was he shy or more confident?

 

[sabian]

Alternating the cats from one room to the other is a really good idea! I believe I would get him using the litter box first though.

 

[ze kwok]

The first two nights with my new cat from a shelter I put him in the bathroom with a bed because that is where his litter box was. Then when I felt confident he would go find it to use it I left him out. It may be if your litter box is in the bedroom, he is a bit nervous if he is shy.

I don't have another cat but my sister for her introduction of a recent foster and a four month old kitten did seperate rooms, alternating which cat was in which room to get them used to the others scent. There was hissing from the older cat for a bit but then they were fine and now play together.

How was your cat in the shelter? Was he shy or more confident?

I’m kinda confused, as the old cat actually is the one who hisses, yet she doesn’t seem to be scared. And the new cat’s not reacting much to the old cat’s hiss, he remains calm and chill, at least it’s what I can see. So maybe he’s confident? Cuz I’ve read that usually the one who hisses is more insecure. The new cat hisses at people tho.

 

[Summercats]

My sisters cats get along fine now but yes it was the older one hissing at the younger, the younger didn't react. He just wanted to play and now he can

 

[ze kwok]

i hope this is what will happen! the older cat isn’t hissing unless the new cat comes out of his house now. at least none of them tries to fight each other

 

[ze kwok]

so recently i got this little sweetheart from the shelter, and he has some behaviour problems that i really dunno how to deal with.
so he’s about 1 year old (neutered), he currently does his everything in my room. he’s very shy and nervous and he doesn’t feel comfortable outside of his little house but he drinks and eats fine. he just has been hissing at me as i approach, but never bites if i actually pet him and he enjoys me petting him.
yet he has been crying at night
and peeing and pooping all over the place. i can’t seem to teach him where to litter as he doesn’t even come out of his house when i’m watching him.

i got my other cat, who’s a 2 year old spayed female, she has always been very sweet but since the new cat came she has been very nervous and hasn’t been peeing or pooping. and her appetite has dropped. she always hiss at the new cat when i allow them to make contact but the new cat just has no reaction towards the old cat’s hiss and just chill.
Any help would be appreciated since i barely got any sleep due to him littering on my blankets midnight. thank you

this is my new cat, Bongo, hiding.
View attachment 197624

update: Bongo is using the litter box now since I’ve changed back to using the clay litter which he used to use back in the shelter. And he doesn’t hiss as often at me )) thankssss for everyone’s advice I’m positive this is heading the right way!

 

[maggiedemi]

I'm glad it's going better! It sounds like my cats, my female will hiss at my male, but he loves her so much and just wants to play with her. I think male cats tend to be a bit friendlier than females, at least in my experience. Let us know how it goes!

 

[sabian]

update: Bongo is using the litter box now since I’ve changed back to using the clay litter which he used to use back in the shelter. And he doesn’t hiss as often at me )) thankssss for everyone’s advice I’m positive this is heading the right way!

Ah, that makes sense. It don't take much to throw them off kilter sometimes.

 

[sabian]

I'm glad it's going better! It sounds like my cats, my female will hiss at my male, but he loves her so much and just wants to play with her. I think male cats tend to be a bit friendlier than females, at least in my experience. Let us know how it goes!

The females are more temperamental than males. At least everyone I've had was. Male's are more like, whatever dude! My last 3 cats were males. I doubt I'll ever get another female.

 

[ze kwok]

The females are more temperamental than males. At least everyone I've had was. Male's are more like, whatever dude! My last 3 cats were males. I doubt I'll ever get another female.

yes exactly! this is what i see from Bongo He just doesn’t care even when the older cat growls and hisses at him. Which seems to have shaken the older cat’s confidence

 

[ze kwok]

It’s been a week and Bongo isn’t afraid of me anymore, he’s doing everything properly. It’s just that everytime when I allow the two cats to interact, it’s like a stand of, except Bongo always seem like he doesn’t care and my old cat is rather serious about it. Yet Bongo is the one who’s more territorial, he would go give a little punch to my old cat if she smells his litter and stuffs. But when it’s the other way around, my old cat doesn’t seem to care and just stalks him in a distance. They have smelled each other in person tho, like nose-to-nose, but none of them have offered each other to smell their bottom yet. Should I continue to let them interact like this and what should I do? Note: I’ve tried to let them eat together but Bongo is the one who eats, my old cat just watches. But Bongo seems more bothered as I see his tail waving around.

 

[sabian]

Give them a little more time. Try and keep them separated as much as possible. Maybe try putting their food bowls on opposite sides of the room for now. Do you have cat trees, toys and such? How old is the female cat? Do you try and play with either of them? You may have to get 2 litter boxes as well. As long as it doesn't escalate to them all out fighting I wouldn't worry to much for now. Which ever one instigates something call their name and say NO in a firm voice and maybe shoo them away from the other. Keep them in different rooms when your not there. Try this and let me know what happens.

 

[ze kwok]

Give them a little more time. Try and keep them separated as much as possible. Maybe try putting their food bowls on opposite sides of the room for now. Do you have cat trees, toys and such? How old is the female cat? Do you try and play with either of them? You may have to get 2 litter boxes as well. As long as it doesn't escalate to them all out fighting I wouldn't worry to much for now. Which ever one instigates something call their name and say NO in a firm voice and maybe shoo them away from the other. Keep them in different rooms when your not there. Try this and let me know what happens.

They’re living in different rooms other than the time i allow them to see each other. and the female cat is two and a half years old. they already have separate food and litter box and stuffs, but they both like to smell each other’s stuffs, just that the male cat is more protective of his stuffs. so far they haven’t really officially “fight”, just little punches as warnings. they do smell each other’s noses, although it doesn’t really end well, always end with either of them giving a small punch and running away. the male likes to play a lot more, and doesn’t care that much about the female cat’s presence unless the femal gets close or smell his stuffs. but the female refuses to play or eat when the male is present, she lets the male eat her food from her bowl though, doesn’t seem to care that much. i’ve pretty much been telling them to stop when things get tense, but just that i feel like the old female is losing her authority and i’m afraid that it might somehow make her more stressed. although in every encounter the male seems to be the more nervous one as he’s constantly meowing and waving his tail. their relationship is kinda confusing to me...as their behaviour suggests so far.

 

[dreamr]

As someone who has also adopted recently, I'd say that the interaction seems to be fairly normal for such a situation. My advice is to just give them more time. Even though Bongo is the new kitty, his sudden appearance is a change for the other cat as well.

My local shelter recently posted something that stuck with me:

3 Days - Time a pet may take to get over the shock of a change. They may come out of hiding, but this place is still new and kind of scary.

3 Weeks - The time it might take before they finally begin to feel "safe" in the new environment. They finally start getting comfortable enough to let their guard down (maybe) and get to know the other inhabitants.

3 Months - Time it takes for a pet to really start to settle into being "at home". Around this time, they are really starting to form a strong bond and getting into the household routine.

So yeah. I would give it more time? My rescues are coming up to the three months mark and the one who was having the most stress over the move is definitely much more settled now. The two who used to hiss at each other rarely do any more.

Hope that helps!

 

[ze kwok]

As someone who has also adopted recently, I'd say that the interaction seems to be fairly normal for such a situation. My advice is to just give them more time. Even though Bongo is the new kitty, his sudden appearance is a change for the other cat as well.

My local shelter recently posted something that stuck with me:

3 Days - Time a pet may take to get over the shock of a change. They may come out of hiding, but this place is still new and kind of scary.

3 Weeks - The time it might take before they finally begin to feel "safe" in the new environment. They finally start getting comfortable enough to let their guard down (maybe) and get to know the other inhabitants.

3 Months - Time it takes for a pet to really start to settle into being "at home". Around this time, they are really starting to form a strong bond and getting into the household routine.

So yeah. I would give it more time? My rescues are coming up to the three months mark and the one who was having the most stress over the move is definitely much more settled now. The two who used to hiss at each other rarely do any more.

Hope that helps!

thanks! that’s really help a lot! i just wanted to know that their interaction isn’t like, scarring their relationship, cuz that’s what i worry the most. i’ll see how it goes!

 

[sabian]

As someone who has also adopted recently, I'd say that the interaction seems to be fairly normal for such a situation. My advice is to just give them more time. Even though Bongo is the new kitty, his sudden appearance is a change for the other cat as well.

My local shelter recently posted something that stuck with me:

3 Days - Time a pet may take to get over the shock of a change. They may come out of hiding, but this place is still new and kind of scary.

3 Weeks - The time it might take before they finally begin to feel "safe" in the new environment. They finally start getting comfortable enough to let their guard down (maybe) and get to know the other inhabitants.

3 Months - Time it takes for a pet to really start to settle into being "at home". Around this time, they are really starting to form a strong bond and getting into the household routine.

So yeah. I would give it more time? My rescues are coming up to the three months mark and the one who was having the most stress over the move is definitely much more settled now. The two who used to hiss at each other rarely do any more.

Hope that helps!

That sounds about right. I've had my rescue about 6 months now and I can tell that the bonding process is really setting in. He's learning commands and just seems to be more focused on trying to understand and communicate, if that makes sense. That time line you laid out seems about right.