I know this topic has been addressed a million times, but it's usually from owners/caretakers concerned about their new cat hiding for 48 hours, or a week or two. I'm a former cat owner, first time fosterer. 5-year-old Tessa the cat was adopted in March 2020 but her female owner moved and couldn't take her. I'm told she hid under the bed for a few days but started then started to socialize gradually. I started fostering her about 6 weeks ago. That she immediately went into hiding was no surprise to me. After weeks two and three, I simply decided it was at the upper end of normal. It's now been about 6 weeks. Maybe I'd be less concerned if there was some level of progress. There is none.
First off, she eats and drinks well and uses the litter box. She's fine coming out from under the bed to go in my closet or second bedroom - basically anywhere I'm not. But she avoids me like the plague. I've tried finger foods, speaking w/ to her gently, toys, etc. I've tried not acknowledging her as suggested by some literature. The main problem is the lack of opportunity to interact with her because she hides. My bedframe is basically a hollowed out wooden box-like frame which she accesses from the space between the frame and the wall - space I cannot access easily. I'm disinclined to block the passageway out of concern that she'll regress further.
She spends most of her time under my bed. At one point I thought I was making progress by leaving out treats in the living room (where I spend most my time). She would at least enter the living room to feed while I was present. I think she wised up and just started eating the treats while I was asleep in my bedroom, or just settling for her dry food which I leave by the bed for easy access.
I consider myself a reasonably knowledgeable cat owner but I have no idea what to do here. I feel bad that she spends all day every day in hiding with no interaction or affection. All suggestions welcome.
First off, she eats and drinks well and uses the litter box. She's fine coming out from under the bed to go in my closet or second bedroom - basically anywhere I'm not. But she avoids me like the plague. I've tried finger foods, speaking w/ to her gently, toys, etc. I've tried not acknowledging her as suggested by some literature. The main problem is the lack of opportunity to interact with her because she hides. My bedframe is basically a hollowed out wooden box-like frame which she accesses from the space between the frame and the wall - space I cannot access easily. I'm disinclined to block the passageway out of concern that she'll regress further.
She spends most of her time under my bed. At one point I thought I was making progress by leaving out treats in the living room (where I spend most my time). She would at least enter the living room to feed while I was present. I think she wised up and just started eating the treats while I was asleep in my bedroom, or just settling for her dry food which I leave by the bed for easy access.
I consider myself a reasonably knowledgeable cat owner but I have no idea what to do here. I feel bad that she spends all day every day in hiding with no interaction or affection. All suggestions welcome.