I adopted a very shy cat today who mostly hid at the shelter. Both the staff and I agreed that she’d probably need a lot of time to feel safe and start being social. This was her 5 hours after we got home.
Wednesday, 12 Mar 2025
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This girl is an absolute sweetheart. I almost missed out on her at the shelter because she hid inside her little bed the entire time, but when I finally noticed her and said hello, everything just felt “right”. Somehow it felt like we had a connection just in those few minutes when she carefully greeted me, and it seems like that feeling was correct.
The staff said that she would be a wonderful little companion if given time to come out of her shell. I agreed, but I don’t think either of us thought it’d happen within hours. I prepared so many hiding spots for her in case she wanted to hide away for the first few days or even weeks, but she barely leaves my side. She just wants cuddles and can’t stop making biscuits.
I lost my old cat last year and though I still love and miss her so much my heart aches, I’m grateful I get to pour my love into a new friend too. My old lady lived on the streets before she came to me, and I’d like to think she’d have wanted me to open my home to another little one in need. 💙
My kitty is at 25 straight hours under the bed. I wish I had your success!
She came home and said 
Sometimes it’s just the shelter environment that makes a cat shy and scared, and once you get them out, they show their true self.
Thank you for giving this sweet girl a chance!
My baby hid in his enclosure when we were looking. He’s the gentlest giant we needed after our soul cat passed. He knows he’s a looker.
So glad you adopted each other. Such a good looking tux. Enjoy, cats have a 6th sense for sure. Give her a name now and she loves life and you already. 🐈💕
what’s her name 🥹
Good on you for adopting the one most people would walk by. The shelter I volunteer at has a cat like that, Emme. Seems she likes me as after a few pets while inside her little cubby hole, she’s next to me rolling on the floor wanting belly rubs. I wish I could adopt, or even foster, her. But I don’t know how she’d do with my other two.
I’m crying at this. Our little guys chose my husband and my boy was so shy. We got him when he was 8 weeks old. Sadly we lost him last month at 17 and a half. He stopped being shy when he was about 10 😂
The shelter named our cat Hermit,cause he was always hiding in a corner. Within 3 days of being home with us he became my Shadow,following me wherever I went and now sleeps on the couch or bed next to me. And he did get the new name too!
I got my first cat that was 100% mine this year as a nice little 4 year old from the shelter, conventional wisdom was like, “yeah they’re going to be pretty freaked out being in a new place you should set aside an area that is just for them and hopefully they’ll learn to trust you.” Set her down in my apartment let her loose and she just loved it, crawled up in the bed with me at night and climbed on my chest. Sweet Louise.
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Sophie was my Great Aunt’s cat. Basically home alone for a year as my Great Aunt was in and out of hospitals and nursing homes. My Aunt and cousin would go over to feed her, but she’d hide the whole time.
Once we found out that Great Aunt would be staying in the nursing home permanently, my aunt and cousin took Sophie in. Again a couple months of just hiding from them and the two cats and two ewok dogs they had.
Finally they ask me to take her in. I prepared a cozy hiding spot under the bed. Wouldn’t need it. I opened the carrier, she looked around and flopped over as if to say “Yeah, this is my house now” I’ve had for seven years at this point.
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Beautiful kitty
She was waiting for the right hooman.
It’s always wonderful to see a cat blossom and grow once they find their home! Our boy did not adjust that quickly (he took around 2 months to come out of his shell and was also a kitten) but it was by far the funniest evolution to watch this creature that was terrified of everything including his own shadow become loud, confident, and VERY silly. He now thinks he owns the place and has the BIGGEST ego (until we need to call someone in to fix the AC or plumbing or something)
She trusts you so much that she is in the most vulnerable position she can be in as a cat! She knows she has found her home! You love her and she is safe and cared for. Makes me so happy, today!
Some kitties just need to be out of that environment and in a calm, safe space to immediately blossom.
When I got my almost 6 year old, who is my first baby all my own, I saw him in an adoption room at PetSmart JUST before everything started shutting down from ‘Rona. He was so outgoing and friendly. He even pulled the sealant out from between the window panes to try to get to me. I stuck my finger up to the opening so he could smell me, and he touched his nose to my finger. I knew right then that he was gonna be my baby!
He had to go back to the shelter for about a month before I could take him home, because unfortunately there were really bad outbreaks of ringworm that year and he and his brothers there with him got it. He became closed off and timid in that time he was back at the shelter. When I brought him home, he only wanted to hide. But I was very encouraged when I woke up the first night and heard him batting around one of the toys I bought him!
He has since absolutely blossomed. He quickly went back to being that adventurous, curious boy I first met. He has a great bond with my sister, who is also my roommate, he loves my mom and our friend James who regularly pet sit all three cats when we’re away. And he doesn’t run from our apartment’s maintenance man anymore, either! He wants to know what’s up when he comes making noise!
Shelters are wonderful, absolutely necessary parts of animal rescue. I love our local shelter! But they are not the right environment for some! I highly encourage people to foster if they can, and get to know the timid babies, just like you did!
Binx was so skittish at the shelter. But when I picked him up he clung to me and I turned to my mother and said “they’re never having him back” He’s almost 5 now and still runs over and lets me pick him up and hold him like my little baby for a little while.
My rescue, Crow, says hi. ❤️
This warms my heart! Our little guy came to us via a coworker who needed to re-home him due to the cat allergy of a family member they were moving in with. When we went to meet him, he hid the whole time, but they had warned us he had an anxious disposition and took a long time to warm up to people. All of the nuts and bolts lined up, so we decided to take him home. They were relieved – they had hit the point where they were about to have to take him to a shelter, and now that I know the cat, I think that would’ve been very traumatic for him. He took months to fully warm up to us, but now a year in, he’s very cuddly and playful, and super attached to us.
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TRAAAAAP!!!!
Congratulations! She has found her hooman. I wish you many happy and blessed years together. 🙏🏽♥️☺️
Precious baby 🩷
It worked, i’m outta cat jail.
Cat: I’m gonna play hard to get and hide and be nervous, possibly show sass.
Cat 5 hours later: Yo I’m getting belly rubs up in here. I’m home.
This is Jiji. Jiji hid for six months, and would not come within reach for another six years.
I nearly cried the first time she hopped in my lap.
Aww. One of our boys was the same way! He hid in the back of his cage with his face in the corner the whole time. It took him about 4 years to fully warm up but now he’s the biggest trusting snuggle bug ever! Best wishes to you both.
That ain’t a cat, that’s a TEDDY BEAR!!!
Had that with my orange. Was very shy and kept to herself. Took some time but now she is one of a kind and is obsessed with hoping on my lap the moment I sit down lol. Its the best feeling having them love and trust you enough to come out of their shell and be just a big baby
Lovely
Awww! You picked well!
She knows she found her home 🥹
One of our girls was like this and the other… was not.
Eddie marched out of the room we setup for them to be in with her little tail straight in the air like “ok this is where I live now” and her sister, Patsy, hid.
She knows who saved her from a life in a cage.
My baby 😍😍😍😍 they are so cute
Do not abuse the power you weild. Only scritch that belly once an hour 😂