Skittish cat hides in ceiling

[NicholeP]

I rescued my kitty about 6 months ago. Her favorite place in the entire house in the basement ceiling My basement had a lot of water damage so over the past few weeks I've torn out all the finishing. I thought she wouldn't be able to get into the ceiling after the work I did down there. She figured out she could jump on the water heater still to get into the rafters I put up wall mounted cat furniture, have a huge cat tree as well as cat beds hidden all over the main floor (she won't use any of them). Yesterday I put up a 45° angle on the half door to the basement (she jumps over the door when I have it closed) and it seemed to work for about 12 hours.
She just jumped over the door. I can hear her walking on the air ducts now
If I could put a full door there I would, but the way the ceiling slopes over the steps makes that impossible
Any tips or advice on what to try next would be appreciated. I'm so scared I'm going to come home to a broken leg or otherwise injured kitty from her jumping down to get food or use the litter box

[Mollycat]

Sounds like she needs places to hide as far from people as possible at the moment, and if you work with her you might find she settles and comes out into the open more of her own accord more quickly. If that is her chosen safe place and you don't feel it's safe, can you make it safer for her? Arrange furniture or put steps along the wall so that she can get up and down more easily, that sort of thing.

If you really must keep her out of the basement, how about a thick heavy curtain to cover the whole door space on the house side of the half door, unless she would sneak under it to jump the door. Or a sliding or concertina door, maybe. But if she is nervous I really would not recommend blocking access to the place she feels most secure.

To make beds and the cat tree more tempting, you can get a catnip spray, it works for mine to identify what is theirs. Pet fleeces (not any old fleece blanket, it creates static) in hidden away corners, beds in hidey-holes, under the bed, even an airing cupboard, might all be more attractive to her. Also, your old clothes, unwashed, can help her bond with you and accept safe places.

[lilynmitz]

I would also work on resolving her nervousness, but that’s difficult while she’s in the ceiling. Try to engineer some time where you can interact with her. Cats feel a lot safer if they’re above their humans, (hence the ceiling and high perches) so get down to her level. Lying on the floor with them and just talking quietly to them, offering tears at arms length (still below her head height) and playing with her with toys on strings will all help to break down the barriers. I’ve had several nervous cats, one of whom was terrified of everyone but us. When I first went to see him in his foster hime He practically destroyed the carpet trying to get away from me. After about half an hour lying on the floor with him behind the sofa (!) and gently talking to him, or sitting on the sofa with my arm over the back gently stroking him, he came out and sat next to me. I did more of the same when we brought him home, also with his timid companion Elsie, and they were both fine with us ever after.