[mlkh]

I adopted a cat at the beginning of december from a very nice woman who saved street cats.

thing is, he's still dead scared of me and my boyfriend and is under the bed all the time, he miaows loudly all through the night, and the other week he pooped on the bed.

i've had cats before, ones that have been abused and they haven't taken this long to warm up. could it be that moe just doesn't like us?

i'm at my wits end, he keeps us up at night i don't like thinking he's unhappy/scared all the time.

any advice?

[takamine]

I suppose some cats take longer, and it has only been less than 2 months for it to get used to an indoor environment. If it's eating well and usually using the litter tray, then I don't think it's a major problem and will settle down in the long run.

As for crying in the night, they do. Mine does as she wants me to play with her at 5 in the morning. Try shutting the door on it or don't give it access to the bedroom, esp. if it's poohing in your bed.

[nina_70]

Mklh - how's it going w/ your cat? It's not at all unusual for stray cats to take a long time (months or more) to warm up, especially since they're changing from a predominantly outdoor environment to an indoor one. It takes alot of patience to take on a feral cat & I certainly applaud you for your efforts. A couple of things you can try:

1/ Stimulation for play - the cat may be lacking stimulation for play situations. Try mice, balls, rope...maybe dip the mice in cat-nip. See if you can get the cat to play & perhaps tire out a little, especially before bed-time. That will help him relax & also give some more interaction between you and him. Other play ideas:
--> A light-pen...alot of cats love to chase a laser pointer.
--> "Treat" games - for example take treats and put them inside a cylider (e.g. a used toilet roll) with some holes for the treats to come out of. The cat can spend hours pushing round the cylinder to get the treats out.

2/ Vet & possible medication - try talking to your vet. If you need a recommendation 9 lives (http://www.9lives.com.hk/) is a great vet & might be able to diagnose if there's something specific. Also there are certain medications you can give to relax the cat, some very mild (like chamomile drops, put in the food/water) and other more powerful (like anti-depressants). See if your vet has some ideas.

3/ Environment - see if you can add some "outdoor" environment indoors. Maybe a large plant with a box or hiding space for the cat nearby. Little pot-plants with herbs can also help (they're aromatic & provide that outdoors smell).

4/ Pairing - this may or may not work, but is a worth a try if you're out of options. If your cat was used to being with other cats, one way to improve his outlook may be another cat. You could try fostering from a shelter and see if this has any effect. It's not always easy to find the right match. Some cats "take" to each other right away and others refuse company.

This ended up being a long post! Do keep us updated on how it's going.

[goodkarma]

I wish I had some advice but I don't know about ferral cats. Just wanted to give you some support and hope that you can cope.

Please keep us posted here.

[mlkh]

Thanks everyone, the support certaintly is uplifting.

Nina, I think the plant is an excellent idea, and I was thinking of the fostering as well.

I'd love to play with him but at the moment if I make any move towards him he runs and hides. He sits outside fine as long as I don't look at him.

It is still quite early on though, and I intend to just sit and radiate love and good feelings until he comes to his senses.

Will definitely keep people posted. Thanks again. I'm not sure if I'm the only one but there is an element of guilt here, I'm not sure why. Just maybe because I'd had give-up type thoughts. But thanks to you, I'll be battling on.

[jenifa]

Hi there,

Our cats aren't feral, but we had the same problem with one of them miaowing all night - she wants to be played with. We now have a routine whereby we don't give them any food after 6pm, then when it's bed time, we have a big play session with her, running up and down the flat chasing toys till she's completely worn out. Then they get a nice dinner (tinned, rather than biscuits), and we go to bed. And (touch wood) that has been working.

Not much help for you if your cat won't play with you yet, but I would definitely recommend the book Cat Confidential by Vicky Halls - it's an excellent book, with lots of good ideas on settling in a frightened cat. Some tips I remember where - be in the same room but ignore the cat, after a while, get one of those toys with a mouse on the end of the string and just start wiggling that on the floor - not aimed at the cat specifically, but eventually the cat will be more interested in the toy than you, and then you can start to play with it, and from then you can start to bond.

Hope it works out.

Jen

[jenifa]

...which reminds me, does anyone know where I can get a list of cat toxic asian plants? I know which ones to avoid in the UK, but obviously the plants here are different, and I don't want to accidently bring home a poisonous one...

[nina_70]

mlkh - if you're having trouble playing w/ the cat, try a light-pen, laser-pointer. You can interact w/ your cat at distance without touching him, and the light-beam might just entice him to come out. Most cats can't resist, go for it & love it (I've only met a few that didn't...obviously color-blind cats won't see the red light on the floor).
Also, cat-nip might be another sure-fire way. Try covering a play-mouse in cat-nip and dangling it or throwing it about. Most cats can't resist. Moggy's in Causeway Bay sells an organic cat nip which my cats go absolutely banana's for. It's waaaay potent.

Moggy's Pet Supplies & Grooming.
Flat 1/F (1st floor)
Hoi To Court
275 Gloucester Rd
Causeway Bay
2575-7698

Jennifa - I think I saw a leaflet at 9 lives about cat-poisonous flowers/plants last time I was there. Not 100% sure, but maybe you can call and ask?

[nina_70]

Originally Posted by jenifa

Some tips I remember were - be in the same room but ignore the cat, after a while, get one of those toys with a mouse on the end of the string and just start wiggling that on the floor - not aimed at the cat specifically, but eventually the cat will be more interested in the toy than you, and then you can start to play with it, and from then you can start to bond.
Jen

This is so true....the key is to get the cat interested in playing & essentially "forget" that you're there. So, any toys you can use at distance (such as laser pointer or fishing pole-type) will be the best initially.

[mlkh]

Thanks Nina, you've been really helpful.
I'll give it a go and update.