Adopted 1 year old- help with adjusting

Hello all,

On Saturday I adopted a cat that is approx. 1 year old from a shelter. I do not know her whole story but she and 3 of her siblings were given to the shelter. She appeared to be an indoor/outdoor cat and is slightly dirty. It has only been 3 days since I've adopted her and she is starting to come around but she is still very scared. She usually hides under my bed or under the table. She does not go near the living room or office. Just wanted some advice on helping her adjust. She has a scheduled appointment to be fixed tomorrow and I am afraid to take her out again and she'll be traumatized. This is my first time adopting a slightly "older" cat as opposed to a baby. Thanks so much!

Jacky

Congratulations on your new family member and thank you for adopting!!
As you already can guess your girl is still adjusting to all of the changes in her life. She may also be missing her siblings. Thank you for caring so much about her happiness. Here's a TCS article that may help you help her cope with all these changes:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-help-a-new-cat-adjust-to-your-home

My instinct would be to postpone her spay, if possible, until she is settled into her new life. I'm sure others will come along and chime in[emoji]128522[/emoji].
What is your new baby's name? And we love pictures here.....[emoji]10084[/emoji]️

Thank you so much for the article. I find it very helpful. Her new thing today was to cry at the back door because she knows that leads to the outside. That breaks my heart. I hope I am not doing the wrong thing by making her an indoor cat. For a year she was both indoor/outdoor. I was wondering if this is common? Her name is Lily Lotus. When she stays out of hiding, I hope to get some good photos!

I found a couple of articles relating to indoor/outdoor issues and may help:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/the-five-golden-rules-to-bringing-an-outdoor-cat-inside

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-keep-your-cat-safe-outdoors

In the long run, you are prolonging Lily Lotus' life by keeping her indoors. Thank you for being so patient with her as she adjusts to her new home [emoji]10084[/emoji]️

Wanted to update that Lily Lotus has come a long way with adjusting as an indoor cat. She now fully roams the house, meow for food, loves to be pet, and climb on her jungle gym. She still does not lay directly on top of me, snuggle in bed, or like kisses. The noise actually scares her. Wish she was more of a cuddlier but I am glad she has gotten more comfortable! Looking forward to seeing her grow even more.

Thank you for the update! Give her time. It can take years for a shy cat to be more cuddly. I adopted my former rescue Gezer as a kitten. He started cuddling only in his teens! Don't give up on her, just keep doing what you do and hope for the best. There are more tips here - 

 [article="32735"]10 Must Know Tips For Happy Living With A Shy Cat​[/article]  

And here - 

 [article="33503"]16 Top Cat Experts Share Tips For Dealing With Timid Cats​[/article]