New cat cowering in corner. Now what?

I just acquired a 1 year old short hair fixed male Himalayan(sp?) as a play partner for my current kitty. My cat has always been around other cats and for the past month has been by herself and I could tell she missed feline companionship.

This new cat was acquired from my neighbors/landlord since
they found out that their some is deathly allergic.

Anyways the problem is that (his name is Kiko) has been cowering in the corner behind a crate for about 3 hours now. He lets me pet him and was even purring, but the next time I went to him he hissed at me, so I pet him anyway (he’s declawed). My cat sniffed him and got hissed at and watched him for a while, she actually seems happy that there is another cat in the house and is going about her normal routine and checking in on Kiko on occasion, from a bit of a distance. I can tell she isn’t mad, because she purrs when I pick her up.

My question, I hope this is normal, he has never been around
other cats. And is he going to come out and check stuff out after I go to bed? What can I do to make him more comfortable, I’ve got his cat dish and his litter box, from his previous house right next to him, he seems like a cool cat so I hope it works out.
Any advice is greatly appreciated, sorry for being so long winded.
thanx

Yes, it’s normal. Kitty may take several days to adjust to the new living space. For the time being, it is recommended that you confine kitty to a fairly small area and allow her to check it out and get used to it on her terms, gradually allowing her to explore the rest of the home until she feels comfortable.

If you would like to have your question answered by a Veterinarian who specializes in behavior problems, visit:

www.veterinarypartner.com

Click on the “Ask a Vet” section on the right hand side of your screen, go to Behavior problems, and ask your question.

A veterinarian or pet behavior expert will eMail you back an answer.

Althougn I am not an expert, I believe Q.E.D.'s advice is correct.

Good luck!

Introducing kitty to a new home.

You guys, have been very helpful with the websites. Most of my
questions have been answered. He calmed down when I gave him some of the toys in his “care” package and then he drank almost 4oz of water (which I’ve replaced). He was probably upset for at least 24 hours (knowing he was moving) so he probably didn’t drink much. It seems like Kiko really is getting antsy to move around but doestn’t want to do it now, while I’m up, so i’ll go to bed soon. He did try to bite me,however it was with less pressure than my current kitty bites me while playing and she has never even come close to even minor skin penetration.

I do hope this works out, he is such a beautiful cat, and seems like he wants to be friendly, I’m just assuming he is really scared since he lost 2 adults and 3 kids, and now only has 1 adult (on a mature day, hey, I like to play too.) and 1 really friendly cat.

Yes, he’s probably OK, he just wants some time to adjust. Himalayans are LONGhaired cats, by the way. And here’s some more Himmie pictures.

Of course, if it’s a short hair with the Himalayan coloration, it’s really one of these evil bastards. :wink:

My kitten spent almost a day and a half under the sofa before he got up the courage to come out and interact with me. I was freaking out, too, but he is now a well-adjusted and affectionate cat who is, in fact, sitting on my lap purring right this very minute.

They’re not evil…they just claw and bite and scream their heads off, that’s all.

He could also be a Himalayan mix, or he might have gotten a haircut.

I’ve seen this before: it’s normal - you just have to wait. The corner thing is for comfort and feelings of safety because another cat’s there. It’s probably a good idea to divide the house for a few days so the new kitty doesn’t feel too threatened on another cat’s property, and can define its own territory before allowing them to meet through a door (I’ve read that feeding them at the same time either side of a locked door is a good way to get them used to each other). Eventually curiosity will get the better or him/her and over a few weeks the new cat will be getting all cheeky with the old one.

I’ve had five of them. Still have one. Trust me, they’re evil.

OK, he does have short hair, but has the identical coloration of
a himalayan. I always though himalayans had long hair,but what
do I know about pure breeds, if they are free and need a home that is all that really matters. I don’t think he is a siamese, though it is possible.

Well, after I went to bed last night he started moving around and is now in the corner under the couch, Its actually a futon so its really not all that good of a hiding place. My original cat keeps checking on him, while keeping her distance, I think shes getting antsy to play though.

I adopted a flame point himalayan a month and a half ago. They need plenty of time to adjust. My cat hid under the bed for days. When he did come around in those first few days he was purring and eating too, even using his litter box. But he would run away and hid for hours at a time. Not only that, it was only a week ago that he stopped vomitting. He was vommiting a couple times a day for over a month. After many visits to the vet we came to the conclusion that he just has a sensitive stomach and needs time to adjust to his new home. We put him on Pepcid AC for a while. He is fine and happy now but he put us through quite a scare. Some Cats take longer to adjust than others. Once he gets comfortable with you he’ll let you know. This type of breed are know for being great lap cats. Sometimes vocal but only when they want to be pet or need food or water. They will tell you their stories. Himalayans are great when they are young. The previous owner named my cat Chirpa, after some research I found out that it is the name of a Chief Ewok!!! haha. We had to keep the name.
P.S.- be sure to have him/her spayed or neutered.

A very popular hair cut for a himalayan is the lion cut. Perhaps he had hair balls and needed a cut.