new cat, advice ??

hi, i recently adopted a new kitty,that was going to be dumped at a shelter.this cat who i have renamed Hannah is ten yrs old declawed in front and has never been outdoors.
my problem is she has taken up residence in the closet and will not have anything to do with me.she just hisses at me and growls. she has been in closet for going on 3 days. i read some where that u should leave them alone for a day or 2 to let them adjust but really i`m not sure how to go about this.
i took her straight to the vet on the day i picked her up had her checked out and vaccinated being her last owner said she hadn't been to the vet in years.vet said she is healthy.
i do have 3 other cats that i will have to introduce to her but i`m thinking i should get her used to me first???
WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE SOME ADVICE HERE.

 

Aw the poor kitty. Sounds like you are going about things the right way but I guess it might take time. I've read before that declawing can cause behavioural issues in cats - basically as their best defence is taken away they become very nervous which can come out as aggression.

There is some interesting stuff here: http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm

Maybe once she feels safe then she will venture out a bit more. If she has always been an indoor cat then she has only ever been used to a relatively small living area, so any change - especially after 10 years - is bound to hit her hard.

Taking it slowly is probably the best way. Maybe gradually introduce her to little bits of your home at a time. If she is nervous around your other cats then maybe give her things which carry their smell - such as toys or blankets. That way she'll get used to them gradually.

Hope this helps!

 

If she feels safe in the closet, let her be. Just put some food and water in front of the closet and she would be fine, for the time being.

Then step by step get closer to her. This is how you can do it. Find a spot not too far away from the closet and spend time doing something like, say, reading a book or knitting at that spot. After a couple of days, move the spot a bit closer. Then closer. Until you are sitting right next to the closet while doing your reading. By that time, she should have already come out of the closet.

 

Thank you Becky for the advice,the thing i am trying now is to take it slow,which i didnt do in the beginning and i think it has made it worse aggression wise. tried to pet her and she tried to bite me. So i have decided to just wait it out till she make the moves from now on. i do go and sit with her several times a day talking and im hoping that will eventually make a difference.
i am using feliway and calming treats and am going to get some stress spray to try as well,as of today she still is ignoring me.

 

thank you Victor for the advice,i am trying all thing at this point to try and make a connection with this kitty ,i am thinking time is a big factor here,it going to take a lot of time but i am ok with that.

 

Yes, it will take time but not really that much time. The cat should be touch-friendly within a week. Just make sure you don't scare it with sudden movements or loud noises.

 

Try sitting on the floor when you approach the cat and have some treats with you. Snacks usually work and use a gentle voice. Coax her out of the closet with the treats and start with one touch. Let her sniff your hand before touching too.

 

Don't be in a hurry to get the cat to come out of the closet, though. Let it come out in its own good time. Let the cat take the lead in this matter.