Birman hiding from new dog

A Birman hiding for two months since a large dog arrived is a cat under real, sustained stress — and the fact that it's been going on this long means it's worth taking seriously now rather than hoping she adjusts on her own. Cats are experts at masking anxiety, so by the time hiding becomes the default behaviour, it's usually well established. The good news is this is a very solvable problem with the right approach. Before I point you toward what's worked best in this exact situation, can you tell me a bit more? What breed or size is the dog, and how does it behave around her — does it chase, bark, or just have an overwhelming presence? And where is she hiding — one specific spot, or has she retreated from most of the house?

That's a really common and completely understandable dynamic. Labs that age are relentlessly enthusiastic, and for a cat like a Birman — who tends to be gentle and sensitive by nature — that energy alone is overwhelming, even without any aggression. She's not scared he'll hurt her exactly, she's scared of the unpredictability and the sheer volume of him. The spare room has become her safe zone, which is fine as a starting point, but you want to gradually rebuild her confidence so she can reclaim more of the house. What I'd recommend here is Feliway Optimum — it's the most advanced pheromone diffuser Feliway makes, and it's specifically designed for situations involving multiple stressors or entrenched anxiety. It goes beyond the original Feliway Classic by addressing a broader range of stress signals. Plug it in in the spare room where she's spending her time — not near the door, somewhere she actually rests. You should see a reduction in hiding and more willingness to venture out within two to four weeks. One diffuser covers about 70 square metres, so one is enough to start.

Start with just the one room — where she actually is. The logic is that you want to reduce her baseline stress first, in the space she feels safest. Once she's more settled there and starting to come out a bit more, you can add a second diffuser in the main living area to help her feel secure as she expands her territory again. Trying to cover everywhere at once before she's ready doesn't speed things up. The other thing worth doing alongside it: make sure she has at least one high perch in that spare room — somewhere she can see the door but feel elevated and in control. That gives her an option other than hiding flat under the bed, which is a much more stressed posture. Feliway Optimum starter kits come with the diffuser and a 30-day refill, which is the right amount of time to properly assess whether it's working.

Yes, and it matters as much as the diffuser. Make sure the dog has no access to the spare room — that becomes her guaranteed safe space, and if he can wander in even occasionally, the diffuser won't be enough on its own. Beyond that, try to give her predictable windows of time in shared spaces when the dog is calm or settled — after a walk when he's tired is ideal. Don't force interaction or proximity. Let her choose when to be in the same room. Labs can be trained to lie down and ignore the cat, which genuinely helps once she starts exploring more. The combination of the Feliway Optimum doing the background work and you managing the environment gives her the best chance of finding her feet again. Two months in is not too late — it just needs a consistent approach now rather than waiting longer.