How to help my skittish feral cat? Will she ever be less shy?

A cat who was basically feral for 5 months may take quite some time to become more comfortable with handling, and she may never be a cuddly lap cat. It does sound like she is willing to have some interaction with you, so I would continue what you are doing in terms of offering her nice tasty treats when she comes to you. Also feeding her near you if she will eat with you nearby but not touching her (don't want to overwhelm her at first, just get her more used to your presence being nonthreatening). I wouldn't pick her up if it scares her just yet, and I wouldn't force her to meet/be touched or held by new people just yet. I would give her a few more months of settling in. You may also add feline pheremone diffusers (Feliway is my favorite brand) to the house and try calming supplements such as Composure or Zylkene to see if these help relieve some of her anxiety as well. You can find all these products online, or at some vet clinics.

Poor Sophia. Some cats never truly do warm up or want attention. But there are some things you can try. One is try feeding something she really wants by hand. Either cat treats or canned food. Or if she won't eat from your hand yet. Start by sitting still next to her food bowl when you put it out. Resist the urge to pet her initially. Let her get comfortable with close proximity. Gradually over time see how she likes being petted. Some cats may only accept attention while you're on the floor wth them or she's on the bed with you. Try to keep things in her comfort zone Feliway diffusers around the house may also help with her baseline anxiety level as well. I strongly recommend looking into Feliway for skittish cats. https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected But mostly it's going to take time. It could be months but if you are patient and gentle about it she will likely start to look for more interaction. Try not to force things and don't grab or pick her up unless necessary. Let her come to you on her terms. Good luck! Thanks for using PetCoach.

Some cats are like that and just trust one person they pick. If she has been like that for several years and is not showing affection or trust in anyone else in the house, she will likely not change. Feel honored that she picked you as her person! You can have others in the house give her her food, which may or may not make a difference.

Some cats, especially if they were feral or not handled as kittens, will never be social. You may want to discuss different methods of reducing anxiety with you veterinarian such as using feline pheromones, anti anxiety medication, and environmental changes such as tall cat trees, hiding spaces, and safe litter box placement. It is unlikely that she will ever improve dramatically, but you might notice some improvement with these techniques. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Some cats are simply naturally more skittish than other cats. They have different personalities, just like humans, and it's great that he does seek you out for attention. I definitely would reinforce that behavior in Stinker by giving him the attention as he wants it, and lavishing him with treats and praise when he comes to you for love and attention :-)

It was so good of you to take her in and try to help her out. Unfortunately, this is a feral cat and she may never warm up to people. If you think she needs more medical treatment, your vet may have a few long-acting tools to help. For example, there are a few long-acting ear medications wherein your vet applies it once and it lasts 2-4 weeks. Other than that, anti-anxiety medication and a lot of patience are really all you can do. Despite your best efforts, Suria, may end up needing to be an indoor/outdoor or outdoor only cat.

You can only giver her more time to get comfortable with you. Some cats will never completely trust humans, but just continuing to feed her and interact with her at her level of comfort is the best you can do.