I adopted a cat in October (female shorthair). I know less than a year isn’t a lot of time but I hate seeing her struggle.
She’s a naturally shy and anxious cat. She was rescued from the streets and really only liked her initial rescuer.
After months of work she’s become my best friend. Follows me like a shadow. ALWAYS curled up in my lap or somewhere nearby. I work from home most days and we have a good routine down. At least an hour of playtime, she gets wet food, she drinks plenty of water.
She is however still a very scared cat. Loud noises sudden changes anything.
When people come over I tell them to just ignore her and she’s has her own safe space away from everything and everyone in my bedroom.
I take every precaution, I sedate her if I know anything is going on in the house that would scare her. She gets water in her food and frequently visits the vet about once every 2 months currently.
The problem is she keeps getting so anxious and then gets UTIs. X-rays were clear there is so cyst and I clean her litter once or twice a day. I also keep defusers around and make sure she has little hideaways in every room.
She’s otherwise a very happy and social cat just only with me. I’m not upset over having a shy cat I knew she was a troubled cat when I got her and I’ve mostly only ever owned shy animals.
I’m doing everything to keep her healthy. She’s starting a prescription diet, I keep her insured, I check her bowl movements constantly and go to the vet right away when she has a uti. But it breaks my heart seeing her in pain and getting so scared.
Any tips for building a cats confidence or dealing with UTIs potentially from stress?
Specifically with other people, she will do almost anything when it’s just me and her but any other person around and she’s terrified. Even my roomate who has lived with me and her since I got her is only allowed to sometimes pet her and sometimes hangout in the same room.
Also fyi everyone around this cat currently is super sweet. My roomate doesn’t do anything to scare or stress her and loves her like her own pet. She was however shot by a person before I get her so her stress is understandable