Extremely Fearful Aggressive Inheritance

I have inherited a 7 year old cat with major fear and aggression issues. She was attached to her owner, a dear friend, who recently passed away, and literally no one else. Family could not take her because she attacks and draws blood. She came with her sister, who is a very affectionate 2 year old. Took several weeks for Willow to accept the kitten.

I promised my friend I would take Willow, because I know she would have been immediately euthanized at a shelter.

They arrived yesterday after a 10 hour drive.

They're in a room by themselves, in a house full of rowdy, noisy, behaviorally challenged cats. No interaction is planned with Willow and my Tribe until probably after Hell freezes over, although Foosey will probably jump right in and take over.

I've worked with fearful cats before, even one or two who had come from abusive situations, but never one who was raised in a calm, two-cat home with lots of love. Sharon had had her from approximately 6 weeks old. She had another cat until that cat passed away a couple of years ago.

With Sharon, Willow attacked nearly every aide and home maker, and drew blood with family members.

I'm bringing this to y'all because I want to start off on the right foot. Getting close enough to give her meds, even transdermal on her ears, is a rapid trip to the ER for me, so sedating her for a vet exam is out of the question at this stage.

She came with her toys, Sharon's blanket, and the food they're used to eating. Foosey has her scratching post and hammock.

They're still grieving, I know. Hell, I am, too.

Other than keeping them to themselves, going in there and speaking gently, and playing with Foosey, and doing my schoolwork as it's my office, napping on the daybed in there, just being close without forcing myself, is there anything else I can/should be doing? I do have a Feliway diffuser, brand new litter box, and food/water bowls that just came out of the dishwasher. So I'm trying to minimize my cats' scents.

Good for you for taking this cat in! This is definitely a challenging situation. She is probably going to be unhappy for a while because she is missing her owner, she is in a new environment, she smells all these new cats in the house (no matter what you do she knows they're there!), and she has to deal with new people. It's fortunate she has a friend with her who is a bit more relaxed. It's a constant from her old life and it might help her relax a tad to see that Foosey does not feel unsafe.

I would keep things to as consistent a routine as possible. It will help her to know she can count on being fed at certain times, you being in the room at certain times, etc, no surprises. If you do any work with her, offering her treats or just sitting on the floor by her talking to her, keep these sessions very short so the stress is minimal. I've gone by this guide to help socialize former ferals, and Willow's probably experiencing a lot of the same fears, so maybe some of the same strategies could help her learn to trust you: bestfriends.org/resources/socializing-very-shy-or-fearful-cats

Thanks for the info!

I also went in a few minutes ago with my laser, which I don't think they've ever experienced before. Foosey paired with it tentatively, and Willow tracked it with her eyes. The laser allows me to interact from across the room, so I'm not in her personal space.

Consistent routines are going to be non-existent this week, as I have overnight clinical rotation and day classes, but I can build consistency within my crazy schedule.