I have been taking in strays and very young ferals for decades. Late last year, I trapped a slightly older feral (9-10 months) and brought her to the vet then into our home. Because she had recently weened a litter, the vet was unable to spay her at that time, although she received a rabies shot, blood work, and an x-ray. She goes to the vet to be spayed on Monday. She's been living in our spare bedroom (with access to an upstairs parlor) since November 18, and although she has become far more accustomed to my presence, she is still extremely skittish. I've stayed in the room with her while feeding her, and recently she has started to play with me. She has spent much of her time under the bed, although in the past three weeks or so, she's out frequently. To this point, she's evinced no interest in being petted or having any physical contact with me. We plan to put the bed on the floor in the next day or so, in preparation for her vet visit. I'll provide a box she can hide in, and there are at least two other spots she can hide in the room. We have a tranquilizer to administer to her two hours before her appointment on Monday. My question is this: Will the trauma of going to the vet put us back to square one when she returns home? I want to emphasize that we're committed to this cat--she has a home for the rest of her life, regardless of whether or not she ever warms to us. Any suggestions? I'd rather not chase her around the bedroom with a towel trying to catch her.
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