Shelter cat is broken and super depressed

[VAMama]

Our city shelter was promoting a cat they couldn't give away (3yo shorthair). She would hiss at everyone. After 6 months in the shelter she was at risk to be put down. We adopted her to give her a life. She presently lives in our spare bedroom. She lays on the floor in one corner all day, not making a sound. She doesn't groom herself or anything. No interest in toys. Not enticed by treats. She hisses when we approach her. But when we touch her, she relents and just lays there putting up with it. She will silently let us pet her to appease us. No signs of pleasure. She eats, drinks, and uses the potty -- always when she's alone. I can't use food to bond with her because I think she'd get dehydrated before she moved in front of me. She literally won't move at all. We took her to the vet and they say she's fine. I know she's capable of moving because she fought me over the vet visit. There's no physical reason for her to be so lethargic. I've worked with strays and rescues before, but I've never seen a case this bad.

 

[iPappy]

I'm sorry you're having difficulties with her, but I am glad you have her. She surely would have been put down in the shelter after that length of time.
How long ago did you bring her home? Is she confined to the spare bedroom, or has she chosen that spot to stay in with the ability to explore a little bit more of the house should she choose to do so? (Assuming your floor plan is set up to allow this.)
I have very little experience working with cats like this in my home, but if she's eating, drinking, and pottying like normal it sounds like she's more in a mentally "shut down" state than actually lethargic, especially since the vet gave her a clean bill of health. Could you put a shirt or an article of your clothing near her, swapping it out every few days, so she gets very used to your scent?
Try sitting with her while you're reading, watching or reading something on your phone, or talking on the phone to someone. Just let her see, hear, and smell you without directly interacting with her. Don't look at her or try to pet her, just "be" with her and let her get used to your presence. Did the shelter say if she warmed up to any particular worker or volunteer?
You could also try playing cat music, or harp music. This seems to relax a lot of cats. Mine really like the 8-10 hour videos that include purring sounds. This seems to help anyone who is stressed.

 

[VAMama]

Thank you for the reply! We got her last weekend so it's been about six days. We've had her in the room with the door shut for privacy. Tonight I left it open. The house is secure for her to explore. I'll look into the music.

The shelter people were able to pet her a little, but she never relaxed. The day we adopted her they had to get her out of hiding.

 

[iPappy]

Thank you for the reply! We got her last weekend so it's been about six days. We've had her in the room with the door shut for privacy. Tonight I left it open. The house is secure for her to explore. I'll look into the music.

The shelter people were able to pet her a little, but she never relaxed. The day we adopted her they had to get her out of hiding.

Oh yes, 6 days is nothing in the eyes of a cat who has been in the shelter for 6 months. Did they know her history? Was she bonded to any of the other cats?
I'd perhaps leave the door open when you're around and things are quiet, but, if you're not home or things are going to be happening (people coming over, or anything hectic) keep the door closed with her safely away from the commotion.

 

[VAMama]

Yeah we're trying the open door at night. During the day we'll give her more privacy. The shelter said she was very antisocial the whole time she was there. She came in as a stray with an unknown history.

 

[poolcat]

That's so sad. A week isn't very long, though. She may just need more time to adjust. Was your kitty able to spend time with other cats at the shelter? If so, maybe she misses that interaction. Do you have other pets in your home?

An online search turned up several articles on depression in cats. Apparently certain human antidepressants can also be given to cats. Did the vet who examined her have any suggestions? I wonder if there's some anxiety along with the depression.

 

[VAMama]

Thank you poolcat! The shelter had no concerns about her missing the place. She had no friends there. They specifically requested a quiet home with no children or animals to minimize her stress. I think she was abused; she winces at fast movements. The vet assumes she'll grow out of it soon enough. If it persists, at some point we may need to look at medication.

 

[iPappy]

Thank you poolcat! The shelter had no concerns about her missing the place. She had no friends there. They specifically requested a quiet home with no children or animals to minimize her stress. I think she was abused; she winces at fast movements. The vet assumes she'll grow out of it soon enough. If it persists, at some point we may need to look at medication.

Not knowing her history, humans might not have been something she's ever been around. I think, given time, she will come around.
Shelters, even if they're clean and well ran by kind and caring people can be very stressful for cats. Adding that to her unknown history, she might need a bit more time than usual to decompress.
Your cat settling into your home with the 3-3-3 rule – Companion Animal Community Center

 

[poolcat]

Poor kitty. You could try Feliway or one of the other cat pheromone products. Whenever I have an anxious foster cat, I play one of the cat purring videos that iPappy suggested. David Teie's cat music is nice, too.

 

[iPappy]

Poor kitty. You could try Feliway or one of the other cat pheromone products. Whenever I have an anxious foster cat, I play one of the cat purring videos that iPappy suggested. David Teie's cat music is nice, too.

Feliway is an excellent idea!!

 

[tabbytom]

Our city shelter was promoting a cat they couldn't give away (3yo shorthair). She would hiss at everyone. After 6 months in the shelter she was at risk to be put down. We adopted her to give her a life. She presently lives in our spare bedroom. She lays on the floor in one corner all day, not making a sound. She doesn't groom herself or anything. No interest in toys. Not enticed by treats. She hisses when we approach her. But when we touch her, she relents and just lays there putting up with it. She will silently let us pet her to appease us. No signs of pleasure. She eats, drinks, and uses the potty -- always when she's alone. I can't use food to bond with her because I think she'd get dehydrated before she moved in front of me. She literally won't move at all. We took her to the vet and they say she's fine. I know she's capable of moving because she fought me over the vet visit. There's no physical reason for her to be so lethargic. I've worked with strays and rescues before, but I've never seen a case this bad.

and welcome to TCS!

Thank you for taking in this kitty and for giving her a warm and fur-ever loving home and a safe sanctuary to live out her life! Bless your heart.

Based on the good results from the vet and not knowing her history, I suspect she is an abused cat. For what reasons and what kind of abused she's gone through, the way she behave is she thinks that she's going through another abusing episode.

Nevertheless, in order not to let her suffer this way, the best way is not to recreate what she has gone through. It could be loud sounds, shouting, raising of hands, similar to striking her and all unpleasant stuffs she's gone through which will jot her memory.

Speak lovingly to her, give her lots of assurance and good thing is that she allows you to pet which is a good sign. She must gain trust in you as probably she has been in and out of homes and returned to the shelter and now at your home, her thoughts are 'Well, here we go again'. Build up her confidence so that she can trust you and the past will never happen to her again.

She may still have her reserved personality after gaining trust in you but it's ok. Important thing is that she can trust you and feel your love for her. Spend lots of time with her and slowly progress each day getting her to eat in front of you and play with toys.

Please do show us pictures of her. Feel free to ask questions.

 

[IndyJones]

She may not have been abused nessesarly but she may have been feral. These cats are often afraid of people out of survival need. Try laying on the floor on your back don't move at all. Just let her come to you.

 

[VAMama]

Her name is Cosette (from Les Miserables because she's a sad little orphan). She weighs 5 pounds so we're feeding her extra to get her up to 6 or 7. Today we had to get her out of the room for a bit. She's been lying in litter debris by the box, and she was starting to smell. I combed her and wiped her down with a warm wet cloth. Also the litter was cleaned up. She complained, but she seemed to appreciate it.

 

[Furballsmom]

I don't know if there's anything in this that hasn't already been mentioned;

How To Help An Abused Cat Recover - TheCatSite

 

[fionasmom]

That is an excellent sign that you are able to pick her up and groom her. You may be making more progress than you think and it was incredibly kind of you to give her a home.

I have rescued cats from bad situations over the years, most either strays or ferals or some combination of the two. If things were bad enough, they do come in shut down and terrified. For all they know, it could be worse than it ever was until they figure out that it is not.

We are all making guesses here, but I think that she was either abused or subjected to something very terrifying even if it was not directed at her. The shelter was not that much of a comfort for her with the sounds, smells, and everything else that goes on in even one that is well run. This place certainly deserves credit for not putting her down as many would have done.

I mention my Graycie frequently here. She lived in an alley for at least 5 years with minimal care until another person and I tried to help her with food and shelter. I assumed she was feral as there is an ear tip and she was spayed ( I trapped her and brought her in only to find out that she had already been fixed). Over time, I started to doubt the true feral part but began to think that she might have been an abandoned pet who was part of a TNR sweep. One day, someone tried to kill her (long story) and I managed to grab her in a huge blanket and bring her inside. She was exactly like your cat, Cosette, and even once she realized that she was safe she remained in the room into which I put her for an entire year, with the door wide open.

 

[iPappy]

The user Kwik has worked with shy cats, I'm tagging her so hopefully she'll be along

 

[Kwik]

Hi there!My name is Kwik- God Bless you,thst precious adorable little darling is certainly shut down - this is her way of avoidance,I'd suspect a very noisy household,small children and taken in as a very young kitten- not knowing what to do they'll often just hide,freeze .. I'm not convinced she was abused per say but certainly neglected- not even grooming herself is surely a sign of depression but more often than not cats that have been in small cages for long periods of time ,lying in their own filth simply stop grooming themselves or an underlying health condition

May I ask if you are confident in the Vet she saw that they did a cbc,fecal,urine analysis etc?

In any event I want to encourage you that she will not remain frozen in hiding,terrified and unresponsive in a calm,quiet,patient and kind environment with a loving pet parent- certainly not ,she has now been given the opportunity to be someone's loving companion- and that's exactly who she will be in time

I would not be cleaning her up,I understand she was smelly but the smell of her own elimination she was lying in is the only familiar thing to her at this point in time- as she begins to familiarize herself in her new and spacious environment she will begin to groom again l( provided there is no underlying heath conditions)
I wouldn't leave her door open just yet- when it's dark at night and she feels somewhat safe she'll begin to have a look around so we would not want her overwhelmed by too much space and not know where her safe space is- let her first establish her room as her own territory to build her confidence

Do you work? Spend lots of time in her room,quietly,read out loud or talk to her in a soft reassuring voice- but remember right now it's more important she feels safe in her space than it for her to interact with you .... petting her is of course good but not great if she's frozen terrified,let her acclimate awhile first - scents,sounds,sights

As it was mentioned,articles of your clothing with your scent on it will help familiarize her with your scent..... One step at a time,one day at a time-between 30 and 60:days she should feel secure in her room and be a much different kitty,she is only 3-still a young girl

I recently (8 mos ago) took in a 7yr old feral,never interacted with a person or a cat except to chase and attack an occasional trespasser ( cat)out of his well established territory- today hes lounging around in the living room with me & his clowder( my other 4 cats)

Love conquers all- love,patience,tenderness and TIME- stay encouraged,you have plenty to look forward to for many many wonderful years to come

 

[VAMama]

Thank you Kwik for the insight! Your thoughts agree with my suspicions. It absolutely seems that she lost her mother at a young age and didn't learn how to cat. Toward humans she's hostile but compliant. It makes a lot of sense about her being kept in a cage for long periods. That's exactly how she acts. She enjoys going into a carrier.

I don't plan to groom her every day, but she was really getting nasty. The room was unbearable. Stuffy and stinky. We opened the door to let the room air out. I know she needs her privacy, but hubby won't tolerate the room becoming unlivable. Two nights with the door open and she didn't move from her corner. Once I see signs of her cleaning herself and being more active, I'll definitely be more inclined to shut the door.

She's scheduled for dental in March, so lab work is coming. Meantime I have her on quality food with a vitamin supplement.

 

[artiemom]

Oh wow... I am so glad you took Cosette into your home. After 6 months of being in a shelter, locked in a cubby; she is so confused, terrified. We do not know her history, so she could have been abused, also. Or she is withdrawn because she is missing her previous owner, and home. We do not know. Did the Shelter give you any idea of a history? Feral? ABused? Dumped out?
Of course a lot of surrenders make up the story.

Geoffrey was kind of similar, when I adopted him. I was a volunteer in the shelter, so I had access to all his records. While he was vocal, and outgoing initially, I noticed him hiding the day, in a pillowcase-- We used pillowcases to cover the beds. I do not know if he had a good scare from a dog, visiting PetSmart or this was him, being anxious. My gut, is that it was his anxiety coming out.

I took him home. The first few hours were great. He was staying inside of the tub.. THEN, night came. He discovered the area underneath my bed, and cried all night long.. only running out to use the litter box and grab a bit of dry food.
This continued for weeks, months... Vet said he was fine.

I would spend hours with him.. either sitting on the floor, reading my email to him; lying on the bed trying to nap, or just reading.
Geoffrey kept me up all night long. Constantly crying, and having some loose stools... contributed to stress. I was bringing canned food to him, placing it under the bed, watched him eat.. he was completely meatloafed. His eyes were wide and his stance was that of a fearful cat. I tried wand toys, to no avail, to get him to play.. Treats.. nope.. I would make a trail of them, trying to lead him out from under my bed-- nope-- he stopped at the border of the bed..

Finally, I could not live this way.. I also tried some Zyklene-- OTC.. It is a natural anti-anxiety product derived from milk.. Did not help.
I had to ask the Vet for help. She prescribed Prozac. Yes, Prozac.. It helped.. I cannot tell you, I almost cried the day, I was on my bed, reading something on my phone. Geoffrey finally jumped up, and sat next to me--- looking in direction of the window.

Being desperate, I had to resort to using barriers to keep him out from under my bed: cardboard, books, wastebaskets, anything..
Geoffrey still found ways and the strength to move the barriers!! So, I decided that he needed to be under the bed; for his own security. I also tried to teach him to stay under my bedspread, as a 'tent"... just to get him out in the open..

I do not know what happened, but suddenly, he trusted me and his surroundings.. Yes, he was still on Prozac, was for a while.. but I eventually weaned him off of it.. It took months.. But now, he is my cuddle-bug, baby mind, crazy cat.. All he wants is his Mama.. He cuddles with me constantly..

Geoffrey now sleeps with me, comes out from my bedroom (His room), when I get up. After breakfast he goes back to my bed-- open top. At 2-3pm. he will come out, and sit on my lap, for cuddles. Until it is time to go to bed. We talk to each other-- in both languages: English and Cat.. He is my little baby boy.
Geoffrey will still run under the bed when someone comes in the apartment, rings the door bell, knocks at the door..
He still loves his 'tent'...
Things worked out..
~~
I do not know if the above helps, but... It takes time, and a ton of patience.
As being a prior shelter volunteer, cats always seemed to lie in their litter boxes for security. The smell seems to comforting to them.

Suggestion: Do you have a cardboard box or even a plastic container you can put on its side, to give Cosette a smaller place? She has been confined to a small cubby for so long. This may give her a bit of a shelter.. a smaller spot to be in. This way, she can feel as if she is hiding, but come out at her own desire. You can stay in the room with her, talking gently, reading. Another thought: the shelter's isolation room-- where cats stay until examined by a Vet-- has the radio on 24/7, to talk shows.. It gives them a sense of human voices, so they may not feel so alone. You could try that, also.
Also Catnip.. yes, catnip... a catnip cuddly toy-- or even some sprinkled catnip.. that is another trick from the shelter.

If, after a few weeks, you feel you need Vet interactions, as in: anti-anxiety meds, then by all means contact the Vet. It can be short term; just to get over this hump..

Good Luck.. and thank you for taking this poor soul in...

 

[Kwik]

Thank you Kwik for the insight! Your thoughts agree with my suspicions. It absolutely seems that she lost her mother at a young age and didn't learn how to cat. Toward humans she's hostile but compliant. It makes a lot of sense about her being kept in a cage for long periods. That's exactly how she acts. She enjoys going into a carrier.

I don't plan to groom her every day, but she was really getting nasty. The room was unbearable. Stuffy and stinky. We opened the door to let the room air out. I know she needs her privacy, but hubby won't tolerate the room becoming unlivable. Two nights with the door open and she didn't move from her corner. Once I see signs of her cleaning herself and being more active, I'll definitely be more inclined to shut the door.

She's scheduled for dental in March, so lab work is coming. Meantime I have her on quality food with a vitamin supplement.

Thank you for opening your heart and your home to this darling little girl ..

I do hope your hubby is patient for just a little while so she can feel safe- I wouldn't say she needs privacy but she does need to be unafraid in her safe room and not feel threatened .... That all you can really do for her right now

Have you had pets? Can I ask how you came to the shelter, were you looking to adopt a cat ?How did you come upon the promotion? I don't Believe in 'chsnce' or by accident- I think you were meant to be her Mom,lol