had a shy cat before?

the first 2 months the roomie lived with me she said I had a phantom cat because she never saw Scamp.

I've adopted cats who definitely had social issues. Delilah, a cat I own now, was adopted from the SPCA. It took her awhile to come out and about, and she still runs and hides when someone knocks at the door. She knows me, but cannot deal with another person at the same time. Several years ago, I ended up with a feral cat. She was the 'phantom cat', because no one ever saw her. She hid all the time. It was months before she would even let me touch her and years before she actually jumped in my lap. I kid you not, but this is an extreme example. Time, it just takes time for a cat to adapt and become used to their new surroundings. You said your Russian blue is already out and playful. That shyness will be gone before you know it.

This is not uncommon, especially when a cat is acquired somewhat later in life (as opposed to being a small kitten of 5-8 weeks). We got a Siamese tom when I was a kid and my mom was so amazed at how stupid this poor tom seemed to be. He hid for days and then got lost when we let him outside. He was found hiding in the neighbor's shed and we got him back but my mother was convinced that he didn't have a nose to smell his way home. Personally, I think he just didn't think of it as home yet. Well, my mother had no patience or understanding for him and gave him away soon after. Poor kitty. I have worked with a lot of cats over the years and they are all different. They all have their endearing traits and many of them have been unable to assimilate into my household. I had one cat given to me by a coworker. This poor baby had been terrorized by the kids in her old neighborhood and kept outside at all times. They had to trap her. She ran from me whenever I tried to pet her. After a couple of months she finally let me pet and hold her for a few minutes on occasion but then got outside and was hit by a car. I was so broken up...just as I was making progress with her, too!