<p>i love how ingenious this community is! I can’t really add any new ideas but wanted to put in a word of encouragement about miracles that come with time. We adopted a pair of rescue kittens almost 5 years ago now. Although they were put out for a home as brothers, looked very similar but different fur lengths and had been rescued as litter mates it soon became clear that they were not true brothers. One of them was terrified of everything and hid whenever possible and in some amazing places. He turned out to be a Maine coon cat and soon got too big for some of the favorite hideyholes but still made himself very scarce and would never let us touch him. Didn’t even like to be looked at. But somewhere in the third year he decided we really were ok. Now I cannot read the paper without having this nearly 20 pound fur ball wanting to sit right on the paper. He watched us for a long, long time and then decided we might be ok. I think your kitty will come around sooner than later and she must be feeling well loved even if she won’t let you look at her yet.</p>
<p>I’d like to thank you all so very much for the suggestions and kind words. I’ve printed out a few to show my heartless husband and my daughter and I are going to come up with a plan. I really can’t thank you enough – this is the kind of thing that makes me nuts at 3 am. I’ll let you know how it turns out.</p>
<p>MKM56 has a great idea that I’d like to further elaborate on. Get a curtain (or make it with a piece of scrap coth or sheet) that has a pocket on one end. Hang the curtain with the non-pocket end up and slide an expandable curtain rod in the bottom and expand it out past the curtain and enough to go beyond the opening in the wall so that the cat can push it to get out, but when it’s time to get back in, the curtain rod won’t swing back in.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I am worried about your kitten (in my next life, I will be a cat…) and so I did a quick Google search for “shy cat” and found a number of hits and ideas. I think this one might give you some comfort, and also, perhaps, remind you to have alternate hiding places set up in advance so the cat can safely retreat. It also kind of sounds from this like as long as your cat has food, water, litter box, and her retreat, eventually she may start to emerge on her own and possibly letting her be may be okay. Hope you’ll keep us posted.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/Congratulations.pdf[/url]”>http://www.alleycat.org/pdf/Congratulations.pdf</a></p>
<p>zoosermom … good luck with this … we had a similar cat and we were told we had to find the cat because if we allowed it to hide it would probably not eventually come out but make it’s hideaway it’s permanent home. </p>
<p>We got two new cats and set up a bedroom for them while they adjusted and our old-timer dog and cats adjusted to the new cats … and naturually they escaped. Our situation was easier as the two new cats were hiding in the basement (which is big, a mess (lots of hiding places) as well as cubbies we don’t fit in). After a couple days we took a not so nice approach … I toured the basement making a bunch of noise and essentially scared one of the cats up the stairs where my wife caught the cat at the top of the stairs. The last cat was tougher … eventually I had to scare it enough so it would cry and I could figure out where it was hiding (it was wedged into a space below the bottom shelf of a cabinet). Not the best plan but we were stuck because a cat that does not want to be found will not be found.</p>
<p>Zoosermom,</p>
<p>Any luck?</p>
<p>Not yet. We’re seeing the feline rescue people on Saturday morning. THey have a pressure cage (?) that they are going to lend us. She is, however, eating, drinking and using the litter box at night, so at least she’s healthy. Thank you for asking!</p>
<p>ZM, according to that link I included, she may be just fine doing what she is doing–I’m not an expert on shy/feral cats but what they wrote was pretty interesting and made sense. I am hoping for a happy story–how the shy cat was eventually won over and became queen of the household. I actually think it is pretty huge that she is litter-box trained and is keeping a regular routine. Post updates if you don’t mind once in a while!</p>
<p>Patient,</p>
<p>I hear what you are saying but, based on Zmom’s description, I think she’s afraid Tink will become trapped in the walls of her house. By the time they realize Tink is trapped, locate her, and get her out (at no small cost and damage to their home), Tink might be seriously injured or even dead. </p>
<p>I think it’s reasonable for Zmom to make these efforts to catch Tink so she can block the access to the wall. At that point, I suspect Zmom would have no problem letting Tink find another, safer place to hide.</p>
<p>VICTORY!!!</p>
<p>The weighted curtain worked at about 3am this morning. I don’t know how to thank all of you, I really don’t!</p>
<p>Yea zoosermom! I have to admit I’ve been thinking about your little kitty for days now. </p>
<p>We’re animal lovers here in our house…down to two old Siamese cats (from three Siamese and a Manx) and a really bossy Chihuahua. One of our Siamese cats has problems and we knew it from day one. We took him from the breeder because we were afraid of what would happen to him if someone didn’t buy him. He’s skittish and can’t jump up on things very well (vestibular issues) and requires a lot of patience when he gets confused and turned around in the cat box …and ends up making his ‘deposit’ outside the box. He falls easily and has actually given himself a concussion by running into a wall. The vet says he probably has developmental issues from overbreeding. My husband likes to say he’s just a little ‘touched’. </p>
<p>So kudos to you for taking Tink from rescue and taking such good care of her.</p>
<p>Congratulations and thanks for the update, Zoosermom. Hearing good news is a great way to start the weekend.</p>
<p>Did I say thank you? Really. Thank you all so much. I would never have thought of the curtain thing and my husband had no patience of sympathy. This has been a pall over our entire house for the last week. Sounds silly, I know, when the world is at war, but this cat means a lot to us (especially her mommy!) and the worst case scenario here was terrifying.</p>
<p>YAY! Enjoy your kitty–there may be one or two more exploits up her 9-lived sleeve! I wish we could post pictures here–would be fun to start a cat gallery ;).</p>
<p>Tink is so prettible! She is black with a few white spots and emerald green eyes.</p>
<p>I am smiling over our internet world and how parents all over the country have been worrying about a sweet little kitten stuck in an attic closet in New York (at least, I think I have the state right?)…So glad she is safe.</p>
<p>It is New York, patient, and aren’t the folks at CC wonderful?</p>
<p>As an irrational pet lover, I applaud your patience in drawing Tink into the family circle. Hope this is the beginning of a long and beautiful relationship.</p>
<p>Hugs from Oreo and Tessa, our Lab and Calico.</p>
<p>I am so happy Tink is out! Good luck with bringing her into your family, it will be worth it and she is so lucky to have found such a loving, caring family.</p>
<p>It will be interesting to hear about the cute, quirky things she’ll do as she starts to grow up lol.</p>