Ferral cat help needed

 I was able to bring a feral cat indoors and she has chose a kitchen cabinet to hide in. The feral cat program here only spays on Thursdays so it will be  a week before she sees the vet pending on me being able to get her into a carrier.  She has been in the cabinet about 12 hours now. I was able to remove everything that was in there and gave her food water a cat box filled with sand that I have observed her using before, I also gave her some towels and small blanket and placed an old shirt that I wore to put my scent in with her. I sprayed the towels with flea spray hoping that helps because I am sure she has fleas. She is terrified and I feel like in a way I am making her life worse but she is deaf and would be in danger if left outside.

  She hasn't drank any water or ate any food she hasn't used the cat box yet either. I put a larger box with another cat box up against the cabinet door to make her space a little larger it also has old blankets and towels. She continues to huddle in one corner of the cabinet with wide eyes.

  I have been luring her inside for a few weeks after she had kittens but she must have lost them all because she never returned to them. She is very young and I don't know her story but I hope to give her a better life even if she never lets me touch her it will be good to know she is safe ut at the same time my heart is breaking for her being so afraid. If anyone has any tips they would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you in advance for your help

Thank you for caring for her and doing the best thing of getting her spayed.  I will post a video and some tips on working with feral cats.  We are here to help you have more questions.

You might want to try and move her to a room of her own that is completely cat proofed.  You don't want her to come out of the cabinet and hind underneath something where you wouldn't be able to get to her.  A room of her own with no bed or the bed flat on the floor is best.  She will need a safe place to recover after the spay.  As for getting her to a safe room, I would get a carrier and block the exit to the cabinet and see if you can get her into the carrier.  Then move her to the safe room.

It is not uncommon for her to not eat/drink the first 24 hours, but after that you want to do what you can to get her to eat/drink.  Get a can of tuna either water or oil and give her the water with some flecks of tuna.  I like to start with tuna in water and move to tuna in oil if the water tuna doesn't seem stinky enough!  Then you can move back to wet food and/or dry food once she starts to eat.

The video linked before is a 3 part series on the rescue and socialization of feral kittens.  Even though this feral isn't a kitten, the tips will still work.  Also below are some other tips for working with feral cats.

http://www.urbancatleague.org/TamingVideo

Also her are some other tips. 

1.  The first tip is to have a room that is dedicated to the cat.  If possible this should be a room where the cat will be confined for a period of time.  You can use a spare bedroom or even a small bathroom.  If using a bedroom or other room of your home, be sure that the room is cat proofed.  Remove mattress and box springs or place them directly on the floor.  Hiding under a bed is the first place the cat will run and it is almost impossible to get them out.  Also block behind dressers or book cases.  Cats can fit into very small spaces.  You do want to have an appropriate hiding spot for the cat.  This can be an old box turned on its side or a hiding box found on a cat tree.  Also make sure all windows are tightly closed and blinds are up with the cords hidden.  Do not be surprised if the cat throws himself against the window in an attempt to escape.

2.  If you do not have an empty room available or the cat is very wild,  you can use a large dog crate or fasten two smaller crates together.  Just be sure there is enough room for a small litter pan and food.  If you need to use a crate, I would suggest keeping the crate covered with a sheet or towel  when the cat is alone.  This will help to calm the cat.  Eventually you will need a cat proofed space where you can move the cat.

3.  You will want to start with 2 litter boxes.  Many feral cats are not used to urinating and defecating in the same location. When choosing a  litter, you can use fresh clean potting soil mixed with non clumping litter or you can try Dr. Elsey’s Litter Attract.  I have found the Litter Attract to work very well.  If the cat has an accident on the floor, sop up the urine with a paper towel and bury it into the litter box.  Do the same with any stool.  Make sure you clean the area very well with a good enzymatic cleaner to remove all traces of odor.  Place the litter boxes away from the food and water.

4.  Feliway plugins are a great way to help a nervous cat adjust.  Most cats find the product soothing.  You can find Feliway at most pet stores as well as on Amazon.

5.  Another product I found helpful was Composure treats or Composure Liquid Max.  The first few nights inside are very stressful.  The cat will often yowl and cry all night.  The Composure is very useful in calming the cat at night.  I first tried the treats, but after a week or so, the cat no longer liked the treat.  I then switched to the liquid as it was very easy to mix into wet food.  Composure is available at the best price on Amazon.

6.  No direct eye contact.  Feral cats find this very threatening.  Keep your gaze over the top of their head or look down.

7.  Talk softly.  You want them to get used to your voice.  Carry on a conversation or even read aloud from a book or magazine.  Put a radio in the room and allow her to get used to music or talk radio. 

8.  Sit on the ground so you are not looming over the cat.  You also want to keep your movements slow.

9.  Food rewards are the way to a ferals heart.  Find a special yummy treat such as plain cooked chicken or turkey, salmon, tuna or sardines.  I would start by giving them a very small plate with some of the special treat.  I would then have small pieces beside me and begin to toss the treat towards the cat.  Each toss I would get the treat a little closer to me.  I would do this activity each day.  After a few weeks, the cats are often getting quite close as long as you keep your movements slow and gaze down.

A very special food reward I stumbled across is Gerber Stage 2 baby food.  Cats love the chicken or turkey.  The jar is very small with a blue label.  The ingredients are chicken or turkey and water, no added spices.  I started with a bit on a plate and as time went by, I  offered it on a spoon.  When working with young ferals or kittens, they can often be coaxed to lick this off your fingers.  Just remember this is a treat reward and not a meal replacement.

10.  Remember that when working with ferals it is often 1 step forward and 2 steps back.  Just take it slow and steady.  Also celebrate the small advancements.

11.  Jackson Galaxy of Animal Planets, “My Cat From Hell” series is the cat guru.  He has a line of flower essences that are specially designed for cat behaviors.  He even has one for feral cats.  I have used this essence with great success on all of my feral cats.  

 Thank you for all your help. I do have  a spare bedroom set up for her and tried to corral her into it but she busted thru the cardboard I had put  up and headed straight for the kitchen. It seems this will be a trial and error for her and I both. I will try getting her into a carrier and move her. 

 I have been trying to use the light to let her know I was coming into the room but I don't know that she has noticed that yet. Her being deaf I think is going to be a struggle for us both so that I don't surprise her.

I am sorry I missed the part about her being deaf.  When you take her for her spay, please mention this so that the vet can examine her. 

You will want to keep her in the spare room with the door closed.  You might also want baby gates to keep in front of the door. 

Being deaf will be a challenge, but the outside world is definitely no place for her.  She certainly would not survive. 

Any updates on how your feral is doing? If you haven't been able to move her out of the cabinet, you might back off & wait until Thursday morning before trying to work with her. Just give her a chance to relax and "regroup" so that she can associate you with safety and calmness.

Losing her kittens was likely very traumatic for her and cats do grieve. However, they can and do recover and now she will have a chance for happy, safe times in the sanctuary of your home. What a blessing you are!