My new shelter cat is shy and hisses. Will Feliway help him adjust?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Cats, like people, have different personalities; some are very sociable and always want to cuddle, while others can be more reserved and independent. It may be partly personality contributing to his behavior, as well as adjusting to his new environment. A pheromone collar (they can be found on amazon, such as nurturecalm) may be a good option instead of feliway spray, as it is a continuous release for a full month. While the response is variable among cats, it is definitely something I would recommend giving a try. Additionally, if there is a type of treat that Vin really enjoys, I would recommend putting some down by you when you are sitting on the couch watching TV, etc. When he comes to eat them, don't force an interaction, but allow him to nibble on them and then decide where he wants to go. Over time, they can be moved closer and closer to you to encourage him to be more comfortable in close proximity. When he seems playful, play with him with a toy, etc and then allow him to leave when he is done. If he is on a feeding schedule, get his attention by opening a can or shaking food into his bowl, allow him to stand next to you and have a short interaction before you set it down. If he still seems uncomfortable after these suggestions, I would recommend either setting up a consult or reaching out to your regular veterinarian for further advice. Good luck!

If only Taro could talk! With an unknown background, it's hard to know but it could be related to abuse, rough play or not socializing properly. Give him time to adjust. Keep his environmental calm and happy. Make sure to keep your movements calm and slow until he bonds and becomes comfortable. A few other therapies could also help. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play and/or switch the food to Royal Canin Calm. Most cats response best to combination therapy. The veterinarian can also prescribe medications which can help with anxiety. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This is very normal behavior. Make sure you provide plenty of litter boxes and food and water bowls to decrease the stress and competition of the kittens. Also, you can put some feliway diffusers in their room to help calm them. Feliway is a cat pheromone to help calm them but it doesn’t work on everyone. Give them some time and hopefully they will start to warm up to each other. I hope this helps!

Hi there. It sounds like Oscar may be stressed. I recommend two things to try: 1. [Feliway diffusers](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/feliway-classic-30-day-starter-kit-plug-in-diffuser-and-refill-for-cat) in the house. This product uses a synthetic pheromone to decrease any anxiety or aggression. 2. [Environmental enrichment toys](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/cat/cat-toys) and increased [playtime](https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-reasons-to-play-with-your-cat) to keep Oscar engaged and not bored may also help to make him less shy Hope this helps. If you have more questions feel free to post again. Best wishes!

This is not uncommon with kittens that are not socialized well at a young age. The hissing is more of a reflex than anything and will decrease with time. The best thing to do is spend as much time with him as possible and try to handle him as much as possible. He may act like he doesn't like it at first, but he will get better with time. In most cases they stop hissing and become more normal within two weeks. If it's taking longer than two weeks, then it's best to ask the people at the shelter for some help, or another pet professional. I hope that helps and all goes well with Ollie.

Moving into a new home can be very stressful for kittens - since she has only been with you for 4-5 days, it's likely that she's still adjusting and getting settled. It will take time for her to feel safe and comfortable in your home, so I would be patient for now and give her plenty of time to adjust. You can try using Feliway pheromone diffusers around the house to help make her feel more at-ease, as well as a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure if she seems anxious.

You may want to consider adding in a few feliway diffusers. These are a natural pheromone to decrease stress in cats. Also there is a nice website I like that had good information on environmental enrichment in cats. www.drjeffnichol.com Best of luck and continue being patient. Most rescues I’ve had have taken close to a year to really adjust. Thank you for using Pet Coach.