First time I have read through this thread.
I have also dealt with many, many ferals, as I have a cat rescue group, and also have done countless tnr. Sometimes while caring for the tnr'd cats (I have a route I go out on regularly to feed, etc.) I will come across an injured/sick, or unhealthy cat and once vetting is completed, can not always return them back out. For instance I have 2 resident ferals in my cat room, one I had to have her teeth all removed due to stomatitis, and the other had her ears amputated due to cancer.
Obviously they can not be returned so they are 'my girls' now and permanently.
So I have def. been through the taming part of a full blown feral, which is what I would consider your cat. Not simply a once owned cat who was abandoned and reverted to it's instinctual survival mode, which means total lack of human contact, so they become what I consider semi-feral.
No, your cat sounds like it has likely seen people nearby, in yards, etc. but has not had any interactions what-so-ever.
4 months is a long time, so what I get from this is, it's basically not going to happen that you will spend enough time out there with her for her to eventually become a bit more comfortable around you.
When you mentioned how you miss being out there with your cats, why not start now?
To keep her away from your cats? Why? If she had some infectious virus you would have already seen this.
You don't need to be concerned that she might be pos for fiv, she's not going to go biting at anyone, I can basically guarantee you of this.
She will be so incredibly grateful to see some other cats, as she is only feral to humans, cats are cats to all cats.
The only thing you might not know for sure about is if she were positive for felv, but you should be able to see this anyway pretty much. She was an outdoor feral, they get sick and can't get well, they get very thin if unowned, etc.
I think you oughta just simply go out there, with your cats too. They already know and have for a long time that she is there too.
As long as she is fixed, there shouldn't be any problems at all.
Are your resident cats female or both males?
Put a tv out there and go about your day just as you normally would.
I wish this would have started about 3 months ago actually, 4 months alone and hiding with no contact with people or cats is pretty sad really.
Her seeing you interact with your cats is a big plus too. Eventually she will start coming out more, then hide, then okay that wasn't bad, he didn't do anything scary, so let me do that again, until pretty soon she will lay on the couch while you are there.
If you are not willing to do this so she can socialize and improve that way, do her a big favor and just let her go back out, allowing access to come in to eat at any time.
I have also dealt with many, many ferals, as I have a cat rescue group, and also have done countless tnr. Sometimes while caring for the tnr'd cats (I have a route I go out on regularly to feed, etc.) I will come across an injured/sick, or unhealthy cat and once vetting is completed, can not always return them back out. For instance I have 2 resident ferals in my cat room, one I had to have her teeth all removed due to stomatitis, and the other had her ears amputated due to cancer.
Obviously they can not be returned so they are 'my girls' now and permanently.
So I have def. been through the taming part of a full blown feral, which is what I would consider your cat. Not simply a once owned cat who was abandoned and reverted to it's instinctual survival mode, which means total lack of human contact, so they become what I consider semi-feral.
No, your cat sounds like it has likely seen people nearby, in yards, etc. but has not had any interactions what-so-ever.
4 months is a long time, so what I get from this is, it's basically not going to happen that you will spend enough time out there with her for her to eventually become a bit more comfortable around you.
When you mentioned how you miss being out there with your cats, why not start now?
To keep her away from your cats? Why? If she had some infectious virus you would have already seen this.
You don't need to be concerned that she might be pos for fiv, she's not going to go biting at anyone, I can basically guarantee you of this.
She will be so incredibly grateful to see some other cats, as she is only feral to humans, cats are cats to all cats.
The only thing you might not know for sure about is if she were positive for felv, but you should be able to see this anyway pretty much. She was an outdoor feral, they get sick and can't get well, they get very thin if unowned, etc.
I think you oughta just simply go out there, with your cats too. They already know and have for a long time that she is there too.
As long as she is fixed, there shouldn't be any problems at all.
Are your resident cats female or both males?
Put a tv out there and go about your day just as you normally would.
I wish this would have started about 3 months ago actually, 4 months alone and hiding with no contact with people or cats is pretty sad really.
Her seeing you interact with your cats is a big plus too. Eventually she will start coming out more, then hide, then okay that wasn't bad, he didn't do anything scary, so let me do that again, until pretty soon she will lay on the couch while you are there.
If you are not willing to do this so she can socialize and improve that way, do her a big favor and just let her go back out, allowing access to come in to eat at any time.