Question:
I adopted an abused cat from the pound. I knew something was wrong with him right away but adopted him anyway because he is very loving. I rescued a beautiful Maine Coon from a crack house before, so I though, "what could be worse". The issues I have:
Loud meowing at all hours day and night.
Freaks out if I stand up, but loving and happy if I'm on the floor.
Terrified of everything. So terrified he won't even come out to use the litter box or eat.
Hides when there's people around.
Cannot pick him up to move him.
His story. We named him Milton. He is approx a year and a half old. Black and White male shorthair. He was fixed two weeks ago. I got him two weeks ago. He spend the days in a dog crate. His litter box is at the back and his food, water and blanket are at the front. He has a hammock in their to sleep on above everything else. I cover this with a sheet to keep him a little less vocal. There are two other cats in the home, both fixed long ago but they are female.
My story: I run Louies House Rescue with my 13 year old daughter. We rescue the small and furry from being snake food. This includes mice, rats, girbils, hamsters, guniea pigs, and rabbits. We save cats about 5 times per year from desperate situations, such as left in a box, dumping, strays and crack houses. There are coyotes around here and outdoor pets don't stand a chance, so there's rarely any strays and I concider it a desperate situation if one comes to the door.
Please help us. I am at my limit of knowledge with this little guy.
A small and furry life is just as valid as my own.
Answer:
I think the adjustment period may take a little longer, but he's making slow progress and you are that boys' angel. When he see's the other cats' milling about he probally will get more comfortable. He'll probally always be a fraidy cat which could be a plus in certain cases.
Did you take him into a vet yet? I would want a complete physical even if the pound had one done. The litter issue would have me a little concerned he may have an infection that wasn't diagniosed yet. The yowling may also have an underlying issue.
Answer:
I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to disagree. It's my opinion that there's just too much going on in this house for this cat. He's afraid of all the people, animals and activity. And being confined he can't run and hide which makes it worse. I'm sure you have a big heart taking this cat in, but I think he needs a quiet place without kids and animals. A place where he can get over his fears and learn to trust humans with loads of patience and time. Bringing other cats in will just make it worse.
What this cat needs is: 1) time to destress from his trauma; 2) to learn his environment is safe; 3) to learn that he can trust humans. To accomplish this requires an environment where not much is going on. A predictable environment. No other animals. And one or at most two quiet, gentle, patient humans.
Best wishes and good luck. And welcome to the forum. Keep us posted on how it goes.

Answer:
My other rescues are in their own building now, out back, far from him is where the activity is. The only activity he sees is what concerns him. He is the center of attention whenever people are in the room. And he loves it, as long as he's getting fuzzed and you're on your knees. Milton was fist put in the spare bedroom where he stayed in his carrier and didn't use the cat box or eat for 24 hours. When he did come out, he went and hid, still not using the litter box. I took him to the vet immediately fearing he had a blockage. He was given an evacuation and I was told he was just very, very upset. They recommended to put him on a chemical relaxer. This was of course out of the budget because it was a brand name of some sort. I opted for Content-UM by m&c and it has calmed him down.
He was so loving in that cage at the pound. He is still very loving, as long as you do not stand up, you do not raise your voice or wave you hands around, and he is in his crate (it's a dog crate for 100 pound dogs, so it's a biggy). I put him in the crate to verify that he was using the litterbox and not hiding it somewhere, in case we needed the vet again, I might need a sample. I just got this cat, he could have anything wrong with him.
He is still in the queit room, no traffic except me cleaning the box, bringing wet food with pills mixed in, loving up on him once an hour. He has marked the crate as his own and doesn't want to leave it now. The other two cats, while curious, are not allowed in that room. Only myself and my daughter (who, at the moment, wants to be a vet). The rest of the house is quiet most of the time.
I would like to find him a forever home and short of that he can live with me. I'm just afraid someone else will get in over their head with him, he needs a lot of attention.
A small and furry life is just as valid as my own.
Answer:
All right, that's good. You're able to give him his own quiet room. That's a very good start. Now provide him with some hiding places in that room. Cat caves or even boxes. Close the door to the room, open the crate, and everybody get out and stay out. Only one person goes in the room to take care of his needs. The smaller and quieter the person, the better. That person is responsible for caretaking and giving affection and attention and playtime and never does anything that causes a fear reaction. When he gets over his fears then he can come out of his room and other people and animals can go in. This could take months.
You've made a good start; it sounds like you have the will and the resources. It sounds like you know what you're doing. My apologies if this post makes it sound like a Cat Care 101 lecture, but other people are reading this, too. Keep up the good work.

Answer:
Thank you for your assistance, you are appreciated. We will formulate a battle plan and post it on the door to Milton's room. We will stick with it. We have a hidy hole he doesn't like. he seems to prefer the hammock in the crate. There is a blanket over the crate so it looks like a cave. He does get out of the crate at night, and spends the night in the bathroom with toys. I just crawl with him on the floor to get him to go where I want. It really reminds me that I'm not as young as I used to be.
I just posted on another area of the site, looking for a new home for Milton. Perhaps a single person with no pets would be best, but he was in love with the kittens in the cage next to him at the pound so I know he likes other cats.
Any thing else you can add in addition would be really helpful. I got in over my head with this rescue.
A small and furry life is just as valid as my own.
Answer:
Just leave the crate in the room with the door open. It's his refuge for now. But try putting either the litterbox or the food and water outside but nearby. I think if it's quiet in there, he'll come out in his own good time and start to claim the room as his "territory." I think it might also help him if there's something in there he can climb up on and get up off the floor, so that he doesn't have to look up at you.
As far as the meowing, just try to ignore that as best you can. If you respond by going to him every time he meows, he's just encouraged to continue. Give him plenty of attention, of course, but on your schedule and not in response to his meowing. Hopefully eventually he'll learn that it doesn't get him anything and he'll stop.
Bless you. This cat needs a lot of patience and persistence. But hopefully you can bring him around.

Answer:
I took in a kitty that was abused in his last home as well. I gave him his space and didn't force anything on him. I couldn't even touch him for a month without fear of losing a limb, he was so scared and upset with the world. It took him 24 hours before he would eliminate when I first got him and a little longer to even eat any food. I think that is normal for a cat that is very upset and scared. As Timkitties said he really needs a quiet space, hidey holes, and lots of love and patience. It sounds like you are on the right path. Even after my cat Willis would allow me to start petting him it took him almost a whole year to become a sweet and friendly cat.
It can and probably will take time with him so keep up the good work and be as patient as you can with him.
~ Kris ~
Proud mother of 2 furry children - Willis and Chester.
"What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know, it's what we know for sure that just ain't so."
-Mark Twain
www.democracynow.org
Answer:
Milton is doing better, he is having his morning yowl.
Part of my battle plan included putting the video camera in the bedroom with the cat. He wasn't bothered at all by it. Now I can let him have more queit time and still know what he's doing.
Yesterday he was quiet and snoozed most of the day in his hammock, he definantly loves that thing, I'm glad I made it for him. He kept rolling around on it. He has marked the crate as his property and I always find him in there.
Last night however, though I didn't catch it on tape, he felt comfortable enough to escape his room, wandering quietly through the house. Discovered an open front door and started yodeling and yowling at the top of his lungs! Fourtunantly the security door was shut so all he could do was talk about being outside. I went to him calmly, boy did he think he was in trouble! He cowered in the corner. But he soon realized he wasn't in trouble, then, if I'm reading the situation right, he scent marked me all the way around with is face (I was on my hands and knees talking to him). I almost think he wanted me to open the door for him! And he was shoving me so hard with his head about knocked me down!
Do you think that Milton is still full of hormones and thinks he needs to go out and catch girls? Shouldn't it be out of his system by now? (He was fixed two weeks ago) Also, it seems like he meows loudest when it's wet food time, but he still meows while your fuzzing him up. He sounds like he doesn't like the loving, yet comes back for more. He even hissed at me, but he wasn't even looking at me when he hissed, I was scratching his happy spot on his head and he kind of hissed into my hand. What's with that? One last thing, he appears to be having loose stools, but just a little bit, do you think that's just nerves or do I need to take him to the vet again? I really don't want to upset him more by doing that, he's seeming to be progressing so well. He's a talker though, even meows about the water bowl.
If you are wondering how he got out of the room, I must not have shut the door until it latched, I saw his paw come out from under the door later. I don't know how he gets that big paw under that door but he does some how.lol
Thanks for the help!
A small and furry life is just as valid as my own.
Answer:
Sounds like progress!!
The hormones take a while to wash out of the system, but I can't say how long. Maybe he just wants to go out because he's used to being out.
I don't know about the hissing...maybe he's being overstimulated? Most cats would give a warning bite, maybe hissing is just his way of saying "enough already."
If the loose stools are an ongoing thing, and he's been checked by a vet already for the usual things, then it could be food. Some cat foods have more grains in them than some cats can tolerate. Corn especially is known to created G-I problems.
Keep up the good work!!