I was wondering if anyone has ideas on how to get a new cat thats very skittish to eat. i just got a 3yr old spayed female cat from craigslist on friday who won't eat or use the litter box since she got here. I set her up in our guest bedroom with all her things from her previous owner so she could have a quiet place while she adjusts but she has not eaten since she got here. She has come out of the room a few times to sniff around and i did get her to eat some catnip but im getting nervous about not going to the bathroom. does anyone have any ideas on things to try? i've given her wet, dry and snacks and she wont have any of it.
sometimes it takes them a while to adjust.,....but I also have to wonder....since you got it on craigslist....did the previous owner know or suspect something was wrong adn wanted to get rid of it?....just an idea....we got our wonderful Sammie...a doxie....as a give away in the Petco parking lot on his way to the shelter and less than a year later he was at the University getting ruptured disc surgery....we suspect he had back issues all along and that previous owner knew it.....
So something to keep in mind and I would get her in for a checkup ASAP just to rule anything out....to be on the safe side....
Just wanted to let you know that my cat Phoebe came to me from a relative at the age of 4 and was known to be skittish. She promptly went under the bed--and stayed there for 6 months.
I put her food and water dish right beside the bed and had her litter box in the same room.
I was really worried about her, but food kept disappearing from the dish, and on the rare occasions when I saw her, I noticed that she wasn't looking especially thin.
She very gradually came out of her shell and even got to the point where she likes being picked up and held, voluntarily gets on my lap and stays there for long stretches of time. Nowadays she hides under the bed only if somebody strange is visiting.
But it's always best to get a new cat checked out by a vet as soon as you can.
missoni25, you MUST get her to your own vet for a thorough exam, and if you don't have a health record for her from the previous owner, do NOT assume anything....make sure she is also tested for FELV/FIV, , up-to-date on vaccinations, and if she was an outdoor cat, to ask your vet to deworm her, providing the exam finds her healthy.
Is she spayed?
What was the previous owner feeding her?
What are YOU feeding her? Is it an off-brand, generic or otherwise crappy food?
