How long does it take for a 6 month old cat to adjust?

by T. C.
(USA)

My wife and I just bought a pure-bred neutered ragdoll male kitten. He is 6 months old and we bought it from a breeder.There are no kids and no animals in our house. When we got him home we set him up in a spare bedroom with litter box, food, cat bed, toys, and his carrier. He hides in his carrier and won't come out. I let him like that for 4 days then I took the top off the carrier. He likes to play in the spare bedroom and lets you hold him and pet him, but will not come out to the rest of the house. I tried to hide his carrier and put the cat bed in it's place, but then he hid under a nightstand table so I gave him his carrier back. He eats good, uses the litter box good, He's kinda shy and backs away when we first come in the room, but after a little petting and rubbing he'll start to purr and lick our fingers. This has been going on for alittle over a week. He did come out one time and explore a few rooms then went back to his room. If we carry him out to another room he will get up and go back to the spare bedroom. My question is how long will it take for him to adjust to us and the house so he will come out of the spare bedroom on his own and hang out with us in the rest of the house?

Answer by Kate
This is impossible to answer i'm afraid as every cat has a different personality and some are just naturallu curious and others are shy. It also depends on their first weeks of life as this is the time where they learn their scail skills and gain their confidence with humans etc. It may be that he was kept in a small place at the breeders and so is not used to being allowed out into larger areas.
You are doing all the right things by letting him get used to the home a little bit at a time, but you should encourage him to eat in the kitchen (or where you are going to feed him). He will gradually gain confidence but this can be weeks or even months. Spend lots of time with him and play and pick him up all the time to help get him used to you both. Don't worry i'm sure he will find his feet eventually.

Kate

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