Hi

I've had my two resues since the end of February and although they are making great progress there are still a few issues that i would be gratefull for any advice!
Firstly they still spend alot of time under the sofa (especially when the children are about. The do come out in the evening and do sleep on top of the sofa. Will they ever get used to the children??? The children are good and just ignor them when they do appear but as soon as the cats see them they scarper.
I want my cats to go out! I had a cat for nearly 18 years who went outside alot during the day, These cats have never experienced going out and are petrified!!! They won't go out hardly at all and when they do the slightest noise and they run back in. I haven't got and have never needed a cat flap for my other cat who just used to sit by the door to be let out / in so i've left the door open for these two, but as soon as you close it the run back nearly crashing into the door.
Also i wanted to put some flea control on them and spent a hour with my husband trying to catch them unsucessfully!!

Will they ever settle down and be able to spent time in a room with the whole family?? Will they ever go out?? I've got lovely fields at the back of mine which i'm sure would be cat heaven if they just ventured out.

Advise please

Did your cats come from a rescue centre,if so do you know anything about them.How old are they,I assume they are neutered.Have I picked this up correctly,they have never been out before you got them.It may be that they are just not mentally equipped for outdoors.If they are as frightened as you say they are I would worry about them if outside and frightened.Do you need to have them as indoor/outdoor cats.if they are content to be indoor only I would leave well alone.Either way I would seriously reconsider allowing them outdoor access at this stage.If they are not comfortable enough to be out and about interacting with you,as a family I would not think that they are in anyway ready for the great outdoors.

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If they've made great progress I would just be patient.

I've got 2 rescues that I've had since the start of December, and in February I was still despairing that one of them was never going to stop hiding under the sofa, and that both of them hid when any friends came over. I called the rescue centre back then and they said to keep hand feeding them treats and chicken so they trust you.

Now Oskar is sooo cuddly and cute, and Max sat on my lap for the first time last week! Which would have been unbelievable, he hissed at me all the time for 2 months! They are both a bit jumpy sometimes, but I think that's just being a bit more wary.

I'm also trying to get them to try the garden, not all the time but just on nice days and when I'm in, but they haven't gone for it yet. I don't want them to be stuck in the flat on really hot days, but I'm not going to rush them either. Plenty of people have totally indoor cats, I don't think there's a rush.

I tried Zylkene tablets and Feliway spray / diffuser, I sometimes thought they worked, although sometimes hard to tell.

You need to handle them alot more even if they dont like it still try and pick them up. My two when i got them from the RSPCA ran all over the place and hid everytime i appeared. So i use to sit down in one room with the door closed with them and play with them and then my other half did too and kept picking them up and stroking them and let them smell me when needed and lick you like they do.

Just spend some more time with them and get them use to there new enviorment as it seems like they are still really unsure hence them hiding exactly like my two were until now they run all over the place and follow me everywhere even into the shower room lol.

Hope this helps. xxxx

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Mummy to Dexter and Ollie <3

Just let them be. Let them get used to their new home at their own pace.

Please don't force them to go outside. They are better off being inside. If they are frightened of the outdoors it means they have no survival skills.

Do you know their history?

I wouldn't worry too much about them not wanting to go outside.
I would just leave the door open on nice sunny days while you are at home and that way they can go in the garden if they want.

I have now put cat proof fencing up in our garden as one of ours(Harley) went missing for 6 weeks last year and wouldn't want to ever go through that again.
He howls to go out on the front and so each day we let him out for about 20 minutes while we watch him walk up and down the close.
I wish that He didn't have to do this but where I adopted him from he was allowed out 24/7 and these days it's not safe.

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