Feral cat brought inside

I first saw Meow Meow at the beginning of Spring. She wouldn't come close at all. But was very small. A few months old. I started feeding her through the summer. We'd call her by meowing and shed show up to eat. This turned into her coming to the door to meow and ask for food. Slowly she let me pet her head as she ate. Occasionally she would come with another cat, I assumed her mom and we fed both with the intention to trap neuter and release. But then mom stopped coming and meow meow would sit outside my glass door and sleep. She didn't like being alone. She even say in the rain. I gave her a box and crate but of course she was too scared to go in. She let me pet her anywhere now and rubber her head on me and purred so I put food in a crate and was able to get her and bring her to the vet. She's now resting in the bathroom with warmth and endless food. She seems happy. Sleeps when I'm in there. Hasn't tried to escape. Comes for pets and love.

So my question is, what should my next step be? I have a small dog and cat whom she met through the glass door before coming in. But of course seems scared if they even look in the bathroom door. Should I wait till she seems ready to leave the bathroom. Or should I after a couple of days move her to another room until she's comfortable. Any advice would be great!

Give her her own room for a week or so.  The bathroom is fine if it isn't inconvenient for the family.  This will help her acclimate to being inside all day.  One room will become her territory and she can adjust to that before opening the rest of the house to her.

Visit her every day - read outloud to her if you have the time.  You can also leave a radio playing with a low-key talk show.  It will get her used to human voices.  Give her an old shirt of yours to sleep on to get her used to your scent.

Don't introduce your current residents to her until she's been vet checked - just to be on the safe side.  Once you are ready for intros, get a screen door and put it into the doorway.  You can use tension rods to hold it in place.

This will give everyone an opportunity to check each other out without being able to get to each other.  Allow them to intereact through the screen for as long as it takes for them to be comfortable with one another.

She's a beautiful cat.  Thank you for helping her!

She's a really pretty cat do you plan to keep her inside? I took in a momma with babies that was feral and she's adjusting just fine. I know every cat is different, but she seens like she's starting to relax. She's getting chubby and is starting to slow down while she eats. I was even able to pick her up yesterday.

There is a myth that a true feral cannot be taught to be a human companion. Anyone who has worked with cats knows that is a lie.

One observation from when we had a true isolated colony of feral cats. Their ability to breed and raise even one or two kittens per year was a rarity. Feral is the code word for dumped cats. Dumped litters of kittens.

You will never have a cat that is the same as one born inside and has lived a life that has never known hunger or cold. You do end up with a fantastic relationship based on trust.

Thanks everyone! We just moved into a new place so the bathroom was the least cluttered place. She doesn't mind us coming in. Just my son and I but we make sure to not be too loud or fast in our motions. She doesn't seem to mind though. She sits or lays and watchs. And is currently sleeping with me sitting in here. She seems comfortable. Hasn't tried to escape. No crying or anything. She lets me pet her and has started to roll over for her belly. And play a little.

I'll wait to introduce everyone and try the screen door approach. She would play with my cat through the glass door when she was outside so she's famimiar with them and she hears them at the door. They both have to sit outside occasionally.

I do plan to keep her inside. The vet did the important blood tests and then we need to go back to get her fixed and a better check up. She seems okay so far inside so I don't think she'll have a problem adjusting.

And thank you she is quite beautiful. And really such a love and so much of a difference from first seeing her and not even wanting to be in sight when I came outside to now being okay sleeping right next to me.

I've just never owned cats, my other one just turned a year and it's still a learning process so with her I just want to make sure I go about things the correct way so she adapts well and doesn't get hurt or scared. Totally not what I would picture a feral cat to be. I have no doubt that eventually she'll be the one sitting on my lap and cuddling in bed. I'm just glad I get a chance to show her love and she doesn't have to endure the harsh outdoors.

If she has adapted that well so quickly, she is probably not a true feral (a cat raised without any human socialization). Sorry to say, she may have been dumped or gotten lost. Either way, she is a lucky kitty to have found you!

It sounds like things will go pretty smoothly. If she's been cleared of major diseases and worms, the intros can begin.

Ondine said:

If she has adapted that well so quickly, she is probably not a true feral (a cat raised without any human socialization). Sorry to say, she may have been dumped or gotten lost. Either way, she is a lucky kitty to have found you!

It sounds like things will go pretty smoothly. If she's been cleared of major diseases and worms, the intros can begin.

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I suspect almost all feral colonies are made up of mostly dumped cats.

Kittens Mom said:

 
I suspect almost all feral colonies are made up of mostly dumped cats.

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Sadly, you are probably right.  They have all certainly begun that way.