adpted a 5 year old cat

Question
We adopted a five year old cat yesterday from the cat lady next door. We thought it was going to be younger but when she showed us nueter certificate we know that it is at least 5. The lady we adopted from is very old and has a cluttered house with about six cats. This cat is scared of us but does lets us pet it we prepared a spare room and bathroom for him but he hides in his box bed. The lady said she was unable to pet him much because he was a loner. Do you think with time this will change or is he too old to bond with us. How much time do you think he need to adjust to really acess his personality and is it possible with interaction he will warm up. He is beautiful healthly looking black cat. I guess what we are asking is advice on how to proceed with aclimating this feline and what we might expect what we might do to encourage his security and well being.
thank you.

Answer
Brenda,

It is quite possible from the behavior you describe that your kitty came from what is known as an "animal hoarder". Cats coming from this type of environment tend to be undersocialised due to lack of attention because there are too many animals for the person to take care of properly. Hoarding is a recognised psychological disorder, the people who start this behavior honestly believe that they are doing a good thing for the animals and that the shelter systems aren't able to help these cats. My advice to you is to try and engage kitty in play, offer treats for him initiating contact with you. Patience will be key. Try to give the cat some space by allowing him to decide to come to you, reward him for doing so. Anytime that your new little buddy comes out of hiding and participates in a game or cuddles, or even allows you to pet him you should be sure to praise him and offer something that he won't normally get (I find that tuna or sardines work well). You may have to talk to your vet about prescription anti anxiety drugs to help get him over the initial milestones. For the moment I would suggest that you take him to be health checked and treated for parasites. I am going to suggest that you try a homeopathic remedy known as Bach's Rescue Remedy. Rescue Remedy is a blend of flower essences that works well to calm traumatised animals. I would suggest a dosage of about 8 drops every morning in fresh water. You should start to see some improvement fairly promptly. You can buy Rescue Remedy at various natural food/natural health stores. I would try giving that a chance before trying anti anxiety drugs because the thing with these types of drugs is that they can have unpleasant side effects sometimes. I hope that I was able to at least offer a starting point. I do think that your kitty will bond with you, it may take time and it will take patience, but trust me it will be worth every second you spend working with him. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again.