New cat we are temp housing for a family member is disappeared. When to worry?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here with an update.

One of the two cats has completely acclimated to the family. She roams freely and will even curl up on my lap. The other one, couch-cat, we almost never see. It has been 48-hours now since we last saw him. I'm nearly certain that he is still in hiding, and i would assume that two cats are using the litter box and the food. Is this just going to be our new norm now? That there is a cat somewhere that we are feeding and cleaning up after, but we'll just never see him?

That sounds ok as long as he is eating and pooping in the correct places you'll be fine. Also maybe the other cat is keeping him company at night?

[Anonymous]

When I moved into a new apartment years ago, I brought the cat in first, set up what I thought was a snug, comfy area for the cat to hang out in, then left the otherwise empty apartment to get all of my belongings. After I was all moved in, I couldn't find the cat anywhere. It was only a small one bedroom apartment, so not many places to hide. I was so panicked, convinced the cat must have slipped out while I carried boxes and furniture in.

Hours later, I found her in the vanity under the bathroom sink. She had pried the door open with her paw and the spring hinge pulled it shut behind her. In retrospect, I realized being left alone in a completely empty foreign space was a totally freaky experience for her and she'd been desperate to find a small safe space. Poor kitty.

[Anonymous]

If this ever comes up in the future, it's much better to confine cats to one room at first when they move to a new house. Cats are easily overwhelmed and they will actually settle in much faster if allowed a quiet space, including a carrier or box in the room where they can hide.

Whether this cat will become more social is hard to say. Some cats just need more like a few weeks to become comfortable. If your house has more activity than he is used to (multiple people, kids playing, etc.), it may take a lot longer. Some cats never become that friendly, but hat's more rare. Did you ask your family member what his normal personality is like?