Ask Dr Claire

My cat wont come out, not even for food or to use the litterbox. We just moved interstate via plane, and she wont come out of hiding now.

Your cat is very stressed from all the changes and this is totally normal.

Keep her surroundings nice and quiet in the room, and make sure she is minimally disturbed. She’s needs some space to settle in to her new environment.

Have her food, water and litter tray near to her so that she can easily access. She will eventually come out to eat and toilet but not until she feels secure. She may come out and do these things in the middle of the night and then retreat back to under the bed and it may be a number of days until she is confident to explore her new surroundings.

If you haven’t already- consider buying Feliway. It’s basically a happy pheromone for cats which plugs into an outlet (bought from veterinary clinics). It has the effect of relaxing them. Great for use in situations like this.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can get a vet on a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail now.

We’re here to help!

Chat soon,

Dr Claire