Cats
We adopted Ginger, a three-year-old cat, from a shelter last week. She spends almost the whole day under the bed and only comes out at night to eat and use the litter box.
We've been giving her space and talking softly when we walk past. How long did it take your rescue cats to settle in? Should we be doing anything differently?
Totally normal. Our cat took about three weeks. What helped was one small room at first, with food, water, litter and a hiding box, then slowly opening up the rest of the flat.
Sit in the room and read out loud without looking at her. It sounds silly, but our cat started coming closer within days.
Trying this tonight, thank you.
If she is eating, drinking and using the litter box, that is a good sign. If she stops eating for more than a day, call your vet.
A pheromone diffuser helped ours a little. Not magic, but it took the edge off.
Update: she came out and sat on the windowsill for an hour this afternoon.