please help with new adopted cat

HI
Three days ago i adopted two siamese cats.
Lucy is a love sponge and is adjusting better than i imagined..she is 4 yrs and this is not her first home but it will be her last..shes so cute she washes /sandpapers my eyes and chin and sleeps in my bed under the covers..never had a cat do that before..
Coco is 6 yrs and never been out of her one home before except vet visits...shes not doing great even though i know its early days yet and where i got them from said she will come around but on her terms..thats ok with me as i don`t like people telling me what to do either..we are both leo`s lol..
I have two concerns though
1.their nails were sooooo long that they clip clop on the floors like horses and are getting them stuck in the bedding..lucy was good i have cut hers i think i can sweet talk her into anything but the problem is Coco.
2.Coco is coming out from under the bed now and that is good last night she even joined us on the bed but even if shes out and i attempt to stroke her she lashes out, spits and trys to bite me then runs off..i am not confining her just a gentle stroke
Should i keep trying to pat her or wait a while ..not sure if i am making this any worse??
Also because her nails are so bad should i wrap her and cut them or wait for her to be more settled..either way she will lose confidence but if i do it now it will be over for a bit?
I dont want to undo the progress she has made in 3 days..

Thank you for adopting older kitties in need!

When kitties are new to our homes and scared like Coco is, it is best to let them come around in their own time. You can do things to help her feel more comfortable, like put treats down for her ("bribing" them with food can help a lot ), perhaps consider purchasing Feliway spray or the plug-ins (Feliway is a synthetic hormone that mimics the "friendly" markers in cats' cheeks. It should not be used anywhere near litter boxes or where they're supposed to scratch, but it helps create a calm, friendly atmosphere), and get a couple of t-shirts really good and smelly, and put those treats down on one, and put the other one under the bed in her bed. The idea is to get her assocating you with "good" things.

But the poor thing is terrified, and her whole world has been turned upside down. Lucy is obviously wired differently, and Coco just needs some time. Right now it is "just" a stranger's hand reaching out to her in a new territory that smells strangs, looks strange, sounds strange, and has another strange cat in it. She needs time to adjust.

So as to her nails.... if they're not so long they're hurting her, I'd consider just leaving it a little while. In fact, I'd actually consider crating her and getting her to a groomer to do it. While the crating and travel may freak her out, she'd be coming home to the same place again, which may help reinfoce that it's "her" territory.

But I wouldn't force trying to love on her yet. She needs to trust you first, and you can do that more quickly by ignoring her unless she comes to you, and helping her just be comfortable in her new environment.

Laurie

As to the nails, you may have to let them go for a while. Talk to her in a gentle voice. She's getting used to your smell and your habits. The fact she got on the bed is an indication that she is interested, but she's trying to forestall any more changes in her life.

Hi and welcome to TCS! Sometimes it is very difficult for them to settle in, especially when they are older. It's impossible to know how they were treated or what they were like before they come into your life, and just as difficult for them. I'm surprised that your vet didn't trim their claws. For the time being it is best to let her settle down, give her space, right now she doesn't trust you and is being defensive, lashing out because of it. The trick is for her to ask for your attention, which eventually she will. Let her come to you

For what it's worth, our "older" kitty, Ella, has had a steady improvement in her friendliness and calmness, and we've had her 8 months or so. Years of living in a cage can put a lot of stress on a cat, and it may take quite a while to make adjustments to a new home.

Today coco came out and even though she was completly tense she let me stroke her.i guess with her its just small steps..i hope when the time comes she can cope with the other 3 crazy cats in the house.i am so anxious to clip her nails ..i saw her biting them this morning so they must be annoying her too..
thanks for all your replies..this is such a great site its one of the places i head straight to when puter goes on..