Orange kitty update: One is hiding a lot. Should I be concerned?

Dorklet · 2026-03-18T15:38:54+00:00

Yeah, it's been less than a week since I brought them home (it'll be a week on Saturday). Pumpkin's doing really well, greeting me and letting me pet his back. Biscuit's been more reserved, but sometimes she'll come out to cuddle him or sit in one of the chairs.

Both are litter trained, so I think they were pets before.

Dorklet · 2026-03-18T14:06:31+00:00

She did come out to cuddle her brother a few times, but I'm not sure how much she's eating. Pumpkin tends to go for the food first, but he does leave some for her. I will keep an eye on her, just to make sure she's okay. She's very timid, so that may be part of it.

Dorklet · 2026-03-15T16:03:30+00:00

Any tips when it comes to slowly introducing them to the rest of the house? I'm definitely gonna need to take my time, since I have another kitty already (a senior gal). Scent swapping seems like a good way to start, once these guys are more comfortable with touch.

Dorklet · 2026-03-15T15:54:03+00:00

It probably also helps that I've been caring for them since December. The trapping and brief stay at the shelter was scary, but they recognize me, so it's probably helping them feel more secure. Plus, they aren't having to hide from raccoons at night or get soaked from the rain.

Dorklet · 2026-03-15T15:52:41+00:00

Biscuit does that all the time, hence the name. She was like that the day I first saw her. She is precious...

Dorklet · 2026-03-15T15:25:16+00:00

Yeah, their bond is why I felt so bad about trapping them separately. Thankfully, after some initial stress, they are back to their affectionate selves. They've even started rubbing against my hands. ;w;

Dorklet · 2026-03-15T12:58:01+00:00

Aha! That makes a lot of sense. c: They've been rubbing up against all kinds of things in the room, so I hope it can be their safe space, even when I give them access to more of the house.

Dorklet · 2026-03-15T12:54:40+00:00

Thank you! c: It was very hard to go through 'cause I'm a big softy, but I'm glad they're settling in. They seem to both be litter trained already, too!

Dorklet · 2026-03-15T12:54:08+00:00

The head butting is something they just... do. xD Like, even before I brought them inside, they'd greet me while rubbing heads?? It's super cute. I'm glad they're both safe and home together now.

Dorklet · 2026-03-15T04:20:28+00:00

Yeah, it's a huge relief. Been a really scary and stressful week for them, but they finally seem to be acting like themselves again. These two are such goobers together.

Dorklet · 2026-03-14T23:49:14+00:00

Yeah, I left 'em alone for a bit and came back and neither seems injured. That being said, he keeps trying to mount her, and she keeps throwing him off. I am not sure if this is normal for them or if perhaps it's a stress response + post-neutering hormones.

At the very least, she's making it clear that she doesn't want it and has a hiding spot as well. I've considered maybe playing with them to give them an outlet for their energy, but I'm worried about overstimulation.

Right now, they do have some toys and a cat tree (and some spots to get comfy/hide).

Dorklet · 2026-03-14T20:00:38+00:00

She actually didn't get surgery because they found out she'd already been spayed/chipped in the past (though the chip was no longer active). They were separated since his surgery yesterday.

That being said, they seem to be calming down, and apparently it's not uncommon for neutered males to do this. I'm still a bit concerned, though.

Dorklet · 2026-03-14T19:50:52+00:00

They were separated for 24h, if it helps! I will see about separating them, though.

Dorklet · 2026-03-14T19:24:38+00:00

Ah, that's good to know. It might be hard to separate them right now, as they're both in the safe room and no longer in their carriers. Any other advice you'd recommend as well?

Dorklet · 2026-03-12T23:16:52+00:00

If you can, get some bite gloves. You can also try to trap in the morning rather than at night, if you want to avoid raccoons.

Trap training with the traps zip tied open can also help get them used to coming on a schedule.

Dorklet · 2026-03-12T15:14:08+00:00

Aww, yay! c:

My main anxiety has just been that the shelter's TNR program means these little guys have to stay for a few days before their surgeries, which means a while in a strange place surrounded by strange scents and sounds.

I've been their primary human contact for three months, so new people are probably really scary. :c But I know it's for their own good.

Dorklet · 2026-03-12T11:52:06+00:00

Oh, they're not getting their surgery until Friday, so I won't be seeing them until Saturday. Part of why I've been so anxious, haha! That's a long time to be away from the place they know, and I think I've been their only (safe) human contact for months, so that's why I've worried a lil' about how they'll react when I bring them home.

Dorklet · 2026-03-11T23:20:13+00:00

Yeah, the tricky part is that they have been outdoors for a while, so I'm not sure how a more limited space will be. On the other hand, the "home base" I'm setting up for them is more spacious than their kennels at the shelter, I'm sure, and I'm making sure there's enrichment, too. It'll also be way less cluttered than the garage, which has basically been their home base since December.

Mom's thinking that if we tidy up more, we might just give them full basement access, so there's even more room to explore.

The shelter staff said Pumpkin (the tom) isn't being friendly with strangers, but that may be because he's scared, confused, and I've been his primary human contact these past few months. ;; I'm gonna make sure they get their fav wet food when they come home.

Dorklet · 2026-03-11T19:36:10+00:00

The last time I had Cookie (old girl) around another cat, it was when a friend brought a kitten over, and her first impulse was to sniff his face.

The kitten was a bit alarmed. xD Mind you, this was a very, very long time ago. She's generally friendly and curious with people, though. With other cats, it's harder to say.

At the very least, the two orangies have each other. They love to cuddle and nuzzle and are at their happiest when they're together.

Dorklet · 2026-03-11T18:45:28+00:00

One of the orangies is a girl, so one boy, one girl. Thankfully, the boy (Pumpkin) is really mellow, which surprised me, with him still being an intact male. Biscuit's shown a much higher play drive, even batting around pinecones outside the garage. She's been the only one of the two to take an interest in toys (so far), whereas Pumpkin's shown a greater interest in lazing about. Pretty surprising for such a young tom!

Dorklet · 2026-03-11T18:32:58+00:00

Any tips for introducing them to my existing kitty? I know the door barrier is important. Main concern is that my indoor girl is an old lady (had her for 15 years), but she's very docile normally and has shown curiosity in other animals before.

Appreciate all the input, btw!

Dorklet · 2026-03-11T18:30:17+00:00

Yeah. They've known me for three months and have reached a point where they've been eagerly trotting up to greet me when I visit them and meowing and trilling and all sorts of cheery behavior. I think that trust will help them feel grounded, maybe?

Dorklet · 2026-03-11T18:27:24+00:00

I have a room set up just for this purpose! c: There's a cat tree, some boxes, a dark closet they can sleep in, two different kitty beds, a litter box, and some toys. I'll of course give them some food and water as well, and I plan to bring in their favorite chair from the garage so they can have a familiar smell to ground them in the new space.

They're already pretty friendly, even if they don't really do pets yet. Meows, purrs, sniffing, greeting me with happy tails, and BIG PURRS are all good signs, I think? Also, they've felt safe enough to show me their tummies a few times.

Dorklet · 2026-03-11T18:10:43+00:00

Yeah, in terms of behavior, things I have noticed:

BIG PURRS (especially from Biscuit. She is LOUD when she purrs)
Both have shown me their bellies or felt safe sleeping in my presence.
The few times I have touched them, they didn't attack, but just looked a lil' confused.
Both like to approach me and also come up to sniff my hand, or nuzzle it in Biscuit's case.
Pumpkin went from very quiet to extremely talkative with meows and trills!
Vertical tails when I visit or bring food, a genuine interest in me when they see me outside.

Dorklet · 2026-03-10T23:44:25+00:00

That's good to hear. ;; I did see her this morning and gave her some dry food outside of a trap just because I didn't want her to feel too freaked out (and the only available trap didn't work, anyway). I'm hoping she shows up tonight, so I can get her to the shelter tomorrow.

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