So...Maggie is under the couch.

Maggie is the feral (very tame and sweet, not scared of people at all, but never been a house cat) that my soon to be MIL took. How long until we should worry? It hasn't been that long yet, about three hours. And she won't go to the bathroom under there will she?

UPDATE: She's exploring now, so never mind.

Glad she ventured out. It is suggested to keep a cat confined to one room for a few days and then slowly allow it out into the rest of the house.

It all depends on the cat as to how long it will take them to adjust. Could be days, weeks, or months.

Wishing her a happy adjustment time with her new meowmy!

It might take her a month to adjust more....or maybe even a week. Just go slow. And yes, if some cats are scared enough - they won't come out to eat & will go potty where they are hiding.

Well, after she wandered out, Jon's (my fiance) grandma scared the crap out of her and she hid again. I came back over and coaxed her out and realized part of the problem was the basement. Everything was SO LOUD down there, poor girl. So I said leaving her litter box and food down there wasn't going to work. She has tried to hide again, except once. She gets really nervous when people walk around... If you're petting her, she's fine. Nancy (future MIL)really likes her and could pet her for hours, which Maggie would definitely allow.

Can you confine her to your bedroom for awhile. Keep her there with litter on one side of the room and food/water on the other. Let her get used to the smells and sounds of the house gradually. Our Himmie/Siamese mix hid behind our headboard for a whole month plus a week before he ventured out into the rest of our house. After that he was fine and turned into a real lover boy and lap cat.