My rescued feral cat is scared. How long until she adjusts indoors?

Question

Two weeks ago I trapped a small cat that was being fed and living in the back yard. She was spayed and brought in the house. When she didn't eat for 4 days I took her to the vet for fluids. Rough start for a relationship! She is now eating, only at night. She's restricted to an office and stays on the top of the bookcase. I'm not able to touch her yet. What is a reasonable time to allow for her to adjust or decide to return her to the yard? Vet estimated age is about 11 months. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Mediumhair | Female | spayed | 1 year and 2 months old | 6.5 lbs

Daniel Fonza, DVM · Accepted Answer

All feral cats are going to be different and it may take weeks to months for Ghost to acclimate to her new environment and allow you to touch her. She may never be comfortable with you petting her. If it were me, I would give 3 months and if she is still apprehensive you can make the decision to let her back out in the backyard at that point. I hope this helps and hope she acclimates soon! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be glad to help you further! You can also look into the Feliway products to make her environment more appeasing / relaxing. Feliway can be found online or at your local PetCo, also known as Comfort Zone.

My rescued feral cat is scared. How long until she adjusts indoors?

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