Why is my newly adopted cat hiding and not eating or drinking?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Longhair | Male | neutered | 9 months and 26 days old | 10 lbs
I just adopted a 9month old cat and he hardly eats,drinks and is hiding under my bed. Is that normal?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 9th, 2018
Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If you just adopted Leo, this is likely a stressful new environment for him. I would recommend placing the food and water under the bed with him and gradually over the next few weeks, move the food and water out from underneath the bed more and more until it is out in the open. This should help condition him to the new environment so that he is not so afraid. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on August 12th, 2018
They often hid when they are scared, nervous or sick. If he has been out the week the new addition was added then it is likely an illness that is causing him to hide. If that is the case I would have him checked by a vet to see what the problem is.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
How do I get my new cat to be comfortable? How do I get him to eat and drink water when he is always hiding under the couch and refuses to come out?
Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Mickey. Congrats on your new cat! Moving into a new home is stressful, so it takes time and patience. Move him into a small room in your home, and put in there a litter box, food, and water. Visit him a couple of times a day, praising him and giving him treats when he comes out to see you. As he comes out more and more, you can play with him and give him love. Then after a couple of days, open the door to his room to let him explore. Initially, keep the amount of time he explores short, then gradually increase the time as he becomes more comfortable in your home. Eventually, he can be out of his room full time. In the beginning, keep him in his room when you go out so he feels safe. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
We just adopted our 2 year old cat yesterday but she isn’t quite eating or drinking water, neither is she using the litter box is this normal for a newly adopted cat
Yes, it may take a day or two for her to relax. I recommend confining her to a room or two that is quiet with her food water and litter. Leave her alone overnight so she can have privacy and minimal stress. Giving some wet food may encourage her to eat. You can spend some time in her place several times during the day but I’d keep her in there until she’s eating and using the litter box. Then you can gradually introduce her to the rest of the house and people. Be patient and she should settle in soon. Thanks for using Boop by Petco to help you care for Puma.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My new cat is meowing under the couch but when I get close to him he runs away quickly and hides on the other side. He is not eating much and not drinking much water either. Is he just scared? What can I do to help and how do I get him to come out of
Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Mickey. Yes, this will be fear. Moving into a new home is stressful for him. If he won't come out from the couch, leave him be for now. Leave food and water out, and he likely will come out to eat and drink while you are sleeping tonight. Should he come out when you are there, quietly praise him and give him treats. Each time he comes out, do this and it will encourage him to come out more. Give it some time, he should adjust. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
We brought this kitten home from a shelter yesterday. He's been exploring, affectionate, plays with toys, and has used the litter box. However, he's hardly eaten any of his food each time we tried to feed him nor drank much water from his bowl. I got
Moving to a new home can be very scary for new pets. Bring Claymore the food and water and put them next to his hiding area (if he is under the bed, put the dishes under the bed). Also bring in his litter box close to the area. Giver him a few days to get use to things. Keep the environment calm and don't allow him to be hounded by other pets or children until he is more comfortable. This link has excellent information about introducing new cats: petcoach.co/article/bringing-your-cat-home-how-to-prepare-for-an-easy-transition/ Monitor the amount of food and the litter box closely. If there seems to be a problem, have Claymore examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello I recently adopted a female neutered cat she hasn’t eaten or drank water going on almost 2 days now I brought her home Saturday night and now it’s Sunday afternoon I’ve laid out water food and litter box but she still hasn’t eaten or drank anyt
Hello, and thank you for your question. I'm sorry to hear that Sheeba has been unwell since arriving home. It is possible her behaviour is related to stress and anxiety. However, it could also be related to a medical problem. Whatever the cause, when a cat does not eat or drink for several days, this can lead to dehydration, weakness, and secondary liver problems, especially for a kitten. Because of this, I would recommend taking Sheeba to the vet within the next 24 hours. They can perform a full physical exam and run some tests to rule out a medical issue. They can also provide supportive medications to improve her hydration, appetite, and comfort. If the vet confirms she is in good physical health, you can try using Feliway, a feline pheromone spray designed to reduce stress in cats. Also ensure she has easy access to food and water in the place where she is hiding. You can gradually try interacting with her more and more, through offering treats, and speaking to her softly and gen
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, so i just adopted a cat and my cat has been on a hiding the whole day wont eat or deink what should i do she also walks a little weird. ?????? Thank you! She is 5 years old
Hello, and congratulations on your new kitty! It is not unusual for new cats to hide in the first few days after arriving at their new home. I would provide a bit of food and water in the nook where she is hiding, and gradually try to increase your interactions with her over the next few days and weeks. For example, you can try offering her a tasty treat in her nook, and let her sniff your hand. Provide other safe nooks in the house that she can choose from. Offer two litter boxes in two separate, quiet areas, and close to where she is hiding. Eventually, she should know that your presence means food, safety and companionship, and she will come out of her shell. You can also consider a kitty pheromone spray called Feliway, which can help to reduce stress for cats in new environments. With patience and diligence, I am sure that Salem will eventually come out of her shell! Good luck and I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
I adopted an 8 year old cat. He has a history of anorexia. I’ve had him for 24 hours. He slept with me and has been surprisingly friendly considering how shy his nature is. He hasn’t eaten more than a couple of bites of food and I’m not sure if he’s
He may be annoyed you wiped him off, cats don't like any kind of baths! I'd just leave him be for now, and leave out some canned food with water added. He should come out in a bit, once he's done being annoyed.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
We just moved an adult male cat to a new home, with our other two cats, adult male and female, all fixed. and the first cat, BB, won't come out from under the bed. i know we should give him time, but he's eating but not drinking or using the litter b
Poor BB! I would recommend putting his litter box, food and water bowls, etc. in the room with the bed and leaving him alone with the door closed for now. He will eventually come out to eat, drink, and use the bathroom when things are quiet and he feels comfortable - many cats wait until nighttime when everyone is asleep to do this. A Feliway pheromone diffuser in the room may also help. It may take a week or two for him to be comfortable enough to come out from under the bed for more than a moment or two, so I would be patient for now and give him time to adjust. Once he's acting normal again, you can transition his food and water bowls, litter box, etc. to wherever you would like them to be in the long term :)
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
Hello, We adopted a 7 year-old cat about 6 weeks ago. Since we brought her home, she has been hiding under a bed, coming out only to eat, drink, and use the litter box. She sometimes plays with a couple of toys, but she still runs back under the bed
I'm sorry to hear that Tippy is having a hard time adjusting. I would recommend a couple of things. I would try to decrease stress as much as possible. That may mean closing the door to the room that Tippy is in during the day to give her a "safe" place to be. You could also add a Feliway Diffuser ( https://www.feliway.com ) to your house. This is a calming pheromone that will work for a month. I have also had luck with Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the water. You could also consider calming music specially for cats ( http://throughadogsear.com/tace/through-a-cats-ear-1-music-for-calming/ ).
But Tippy may just need more time, so don't rush things. I would leave her food in her "safe" area and just give her time. I know it seems like 6 weeks is a long time, but hopefully some additional calming techniques will help. If they do not help, you can always consider discussing an anti-anxiety medication with your veterinarian.
Goo
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
Hi my family just adopted a new cat and we have had her for 2 days but she still hasn’t had anything to eat or drink. what should I do?
Give her time to get acquainted with the new family, the new surroundings and new smells in your house. Basically leave her be for a while, put out food for her and water (water needs to be about 6 ft away from the food as cats do not like to drink where they eat). find out what food she was fed where you got her from. Get some nice tasty Fancy Feast food, warm it up so the yummy aroma can be smelled by her. She will likely come out at night and eat when nobody is looking. Give her lots of time. Cats are usually very timid in new surroundings, so she will need to investigate her new home at her own speed. You can, for example, sit near where she hides and wait for her to come to you. This will often work well. Be patient. Your kitty will get adjusted soon.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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