I brought nala home about 5 and she met the other 2 dash 5 month maddie 7month apart from maddie takin a swipe at her no real issues have happened between them trouble is she been hid behind my bed since she got here and my two have settled downstairs now should i try fetching her down for summat to eat and to find the litter tray she is a little timid or just leave her to do it in her own time ??

We got our new kitten (who was 4.5 months old) a couple of weeks ago. we dony have other cats but when we let her out the carry box she got straigh in her domed bed and stayed there for hours. we decided to leave her and she came out in her own time and has been fine ever since.

Lauren x

Don't force them together.Just leave them to get used to each other in their own time. There'll probably be a few hisses and spits but that should calm down over a few days. Good luck!!!

If Nala is happy and comfortable in your arms I'd probably pick her up and do a walk around the house, taking in areas such as the litter tray, then hold her for a love and allow her to go wherever she is most comfortable.

If she's not happy being picked up I'd leave that step out completely and go on to step 2.

If she still wants to be hidden away then I'd make sure that she has food, water and a litter tray close enough to her that she's not going to go hungry or end up weeing where she is and leave further introductions to the house until she's a bit more confident.

In terms of introductions to the other cats I'd go and see her for a cuddle and a gentle play (pieces of string and feathers are great for close and gentle patty paws play) and I'm sure that your other cats will join you at some point. That will happen gradually and will allow time for Nala to come out of her shell naturally without forcing them together. You'll probably end up with the two of them playing with opposite ends of the same piece of string for weeks before they really play together, but that's fine.

With nervous cats and kittens it's really important to only push them at a speed with which they can cope, or you can end up with an animal who won't come out of their shell at all, so just think slow and gradual and give her plenty of space to be away from the others for a few weeks, but make sure that she has lots of non-threatening contact and snuggles from you too.

Thanks for your comments she's fine to be picked up and have a cuddle but is nervous anyway she been in her foster home from a kitten and is 11 months i brought her down because the other two sleep in my bed so didnt want to distress her even more left her in the kitchen on her own and she layed on an old sheet in the downstairs loo now near with close access to the tray and food perhaps when we all go to bed she may come out for something to eat i know its going to take a long time for her confidence to build but patience and love and hopefully she be happy soon xx

I brought nala home about 5 and she met the other 2 dash 5 month maddie 7month apart from maddie takin a swipe at her no real issues have happened between them trouble is she been hid behind my bed since she got here and my two have settled downstairs now should i try fetching her down for summat to eat and to find the litter tray she is a little timid or just leave her to do it in her own time ??
It's a territorial thing. When you introduce a newcommer to the house it's important to do it so that the existing animals are not going to protect their territory.
try to introduce them in a neutral area, then they will bond without all the distractions. When they then go into the rest of the home they will then be a team "pack" and protect it collectively.

to be honest they soon lost interest in her they know where she is but are leaving her be she's quiet a nervous cat and obviously a big upheavel for her but is very early days yet just hope she settles in ok

It's very likely that neither of the other cats are properly territorial yet anyway- neither is old enough to have gone through puberty fully and so they're probably still being kittens and playing with each other.

At least they aren't trying to involve her in playing too much before she's confident enough to join in- that could make her more scared of them rather than less.

well it been a strange 24 hours nala is an expert at hiding so was surprised to find her on my little boys windowsill this afternoon she's still very traumatised bless her but at least dash and maddie leaving her be i keep checking on her and she doesnt shy away from me in fact she been rubbin my nose with hers today which rather shocked me so things are gonna be fine with a lot of patience am sure xx

Sometimes it takes a while for the newbie to gain confidence to explore. Our rescue bengal Beauty spent the first 6 months refusing to come out of the bathroom and absolutely refused to sit on our bed or venture upstairs in the attic for 12 months or so. Then one day she just trotted up there on her own, grumbled at the other cats and plonked herself down on the cushion next to the other half's computer. She even sleeps on our bed now next to the dobermutt - funny things, cats! The important thing is to give them space, security and make sure the other cats have plenty to keep them occupied so they feel less inclined to hassle the new arrival. Ours are indoor cats and even though its a tiny terrace, we're lucky because its on 4 floors and the mogs treat the stairs as a giant relay track - its not unusual for us to be woken up at 4am by some barmy bengal or mad maine coon tearing up and down the stairs with a half-chewed toy mouse gripped firmly between the teeth mewling at full volume or chasing a nutty norwegian forest cat... Mind you, since we bought a Biube fish tank for the rescue fish and p[ut it in the kitchen, Arnie our baby wegie cat has a new hobby - fishwatching

Thanks all of you for your advice its much appreciated my real concern is her not eating or drinking she been hid under some drawers all day but talked in length with her foster mum and the fact she is hiding is not out of character at the best of times i have all the time in the world for her to get her head round stuff am going to confine her to joshes room... hopefully tom when i'm at work things are quiet she might venture out from her hidy whole and see that she has a selection of appetisers lol

I think you need to remember all cats are different when i got my Hattie she hid under the bed for 2 days i popped food and water under she gardly ate and came home and she was gone:o found her 2 hours later after nearly gutting the entire house in the wardrobe in the spare room under 4 piles of blankets:suspect: when i got tiffin i expected the same i put her in the office she strolled straight out said hello to the other cats and sat on the window sill like she'd been here all her life.
think some take a bit more settling in than others it tokk Hattie at least 2 months before she came out her shell(and the wardrobe) and got to know us. I guess you need patients and common sense (make sure they can access food water ect or know where it is) :)

thanks i guess i was spoilt dash took a matter of minutes before he was up to no good and he's a confident kitten altho maddie took a while to settle after a couple of days she was quiete happy but i did know what i was takin on and appreciate she a special cat that needs time xxxx i just dont want her to get ill by not eating

New foster kitty (nominally called Jasmine at the moment) was sleeping on the same bed as an unknown GSD on her first day in the house- now that was a surprise!

I'm sure if there is sufficient calm and quiet space Nala will come out from her hiding space to eat and drink. You need to be calm and happy around her so don't allow yourself to get too worried about her, she'll give in to hunger and thirst soon enough.

i know :) easier said than done i just dont want to let the fosterers down but she keeps reassuring me she be fine she got plenty of choice of food and a litter tray and an 8 yr old thats snoring so she might venture out in the night fingers crossed

Think in terms of weeks rather than days, and then it takes the stress out of it for all concerned.

I got 2 nervous cats from RSPCA 4 1/2 weeks ago. They were like shadows for the first few days, in hiding and completely nocturnal. I left the food water and litter tray near them and just let them be.

Now they take turns sleeping on my bed, trip me up constantly cus they're always under my feet and are generally coming on in leaps and bounds. It is worrying I know, but just be patient - you'll get there.

All the best

Well after all the anxiety i settled in bed last nite with dash and maddie when i heard nala meeowing at joshes door ! she had come out of hiding! had eaten and used the litter tray! she came into my room chatting away to me and sat for a while i let her stay out of the room her and maddie had words lol and she was back in her hidy hole this morning she has eaten again today but just leaving her be bless her am just relieved that she has eaten and taking it one day at a time xx

That's fabulous! I hope you can relax enough to know that she will come out and get used to the world in her own time. She sounds like a sweet girly.

sorry to keep the thread going lol but she is a gorgeous little thing she seems to be hiding in the day but is eating and drinking and coming out at nite when she thinks no one about but went to change her litter today and she was on my sons bed, she is so loving and was cleaning my noseand givin kisses and looked more relaxed and was purring too it gonna take time but she's been overlooked cos of her shyness but guess its my gain :)