New Kitten timid and hiding! Please help!

[Tina B and crew]

Not much more to add as far as advice goes...you are doing all the right stuff it sounds like...cats take tons of patience at times, believe me, I know. Good luck with it...hope she comes around sooner than later.

PS...if you are a lowly as a graduate student, what does that make me as an undergrad?

[slvrwhispr]

if you are a lowly as a graduate student, what does that make me as an undergrad?

Broke!

And I'm right there with ya.

[kitalooclef]

Well, I'm doubly broke so there. Grad students don't get nearly as much fin aid as you undergrads

[Tina B and crew]

LOL...well that's next on my agenda...if I survive undergrad..ACK!! (actually it's not that bad, just a lot of work...and a kitty who is mad at me because I'm not at her beck and call)

[slvrwhispr]

I'm so glad grad school isn't anywhere in my future... it's taking me long enough just to get my Associate's, but that's all I need to do what I want (sign language interpreter). I could go farther, but I don't need to.

[kitalooclef]

Grad school is well, grad school I guess. From what I understand experiences vary wildly depending on what you're actually doing. My journalism program/workload/etc doesn't even remotely resemble that of any of the other programs. They're all pretty unique, with one thing in common: lots of work!

As to Fiona, I put some tuna in a dish, and set it about 2 inches under the couch. I then laid on the floor about two feet away, and she couldn't resist. She lapped it all up. I then put a treat in my hand and extended it, palm up, and called to her. She looked at me like "Are you serious? That treat? After tuna? I think not."

So, tomorrow I'll try it a little closer to me and see what happens. My hubby took a nap of several hours on the floor today, he's not sure if she investigated him or not. I did the same thing last night for about an hour, she didn't do anything. She has adopted a more relaxed position though, rather than crouched she's laying down more as a relaxed kitty would do. Progress!

[Traci]

Woo-hoo! Yes, it's progress, and glad to hear the hubby is as comitted as you

[MJ]

You can definitely tell a lot from a cat from their body language, even if the overall action hasn't changed... My boys were getting close to coming out and being happy again when they started laying down normally instead of crouching... Hahaha. So yeah, that sounds good. :D

[kitalooclef]

Steps to kitten recovery:
1. Eat minimally, Use the litter box
2. Eat a lot and use the litter box
3. Roam around your surroundings when owners away
4. Relaxed posture
5. Eat treats when offered, at a distance
6. Roam around your surroundings a little bit when owners present
7. Play with toy, at a distance, or play by yourself

We are now on step 7! I was laying on the floor, watching Fiona, and she was playing with the leg of the couch. So, I got out a feather and she tracked it forever and finally attacked! This all took place under/behind the couch, but she did pop her head out when she deemed it important. Yay!

She seems to be doing better.

[Traci]

Can you use the feather toy to entice her out further? You really do have to be able to check her incision area.