A cat that hides is not a cat that hates you
1 min read
Almost every newly homed cat hides, and almost every new owner reads it as rejection. It is not. A cat assesses a space from somewhere it cannot be cornered, and until that assessment is done it will not come out for anyone.
Start it in one room rather than the whole flat. A smaller space is assessed faster. Put the food, the litter and a hiding place in it, and let the cat choose when to leave.
Sit in the room and do something else. Not looking at a cat is how you get looked at by one.
The one thing that reliably makes this take longer is pulling the cat out from under the bed to reassure it.