HELP!!! Wild Cat!!!

Hi.
One of the strays that we trapped just is not coming around to being socialized :confused:
Actually she (tabitha) is the first stray we trapped & even though she did well at first, she is acting like a wild cat again. She runs away, tail all puffy, at the mention of her name. She will play & jump at the feather wands, she will come out for breakfast & supper, but if we stand in the same room as the food, she will skip that meal until we leave. She's not overly aggressive towards the other cats, but if we try to hold her, we gotta have the bactine handy ;) !
We have a large shelter style cage with perches & a hammock that is currently unoccupied. Is it time for tabitha to go back into it for a time? how long? what is the best way to gain her trust?
We had her in the cage for several days before & she was just connivingly lovey-dovey:D . She would purr when we came into the room, she would rub up on us & headbutt us, but as soon as she was free to roam the house again, she became a ghost again.
ANY input from you all would be very much appreciated.
Thanks alot

Jomama,

You need to keep her confined to a cage. Feral cats take alot of time to socialize. I would put her into the shelter-style cage and go visit her. I think you released her way too soon, and that's why she's still wild.

If you can, put her into the shelter style cage and visit her there. Bring her treats, play music on the radio and wait till you feel comfortable to let her out.

Sometimes cats who are feral, depending on her age, takes weeks if not MONTHS of socializing till they're ready to be let go into your home. Cats over 6 weeks of age, if feral, take a long time to be socialized.

Patience and love are the key. Good luck.

Thanks for your reply, Moosmom.
We will be putting her into the cage soon here.
It's just so strange because Tabitha was the first feral we trapped, but she she is the slowest of the five ferals we have, to be socialized. One feral we trapped, Mamakat- is at least two years old & is doing amazingly well. My wife has turned mama into a lapkat.
Our little house is absolute turmoil today! Tabitha & mamakat are apparently both in heat. Yes, we will be getting them ALL spayed, but there's a money crunch at the moment. All of our males have been tutored;) , so there's not a real problem, but lots of little soap operas. My wife is frustrated because our males, even though they're fixed, still have ideas.
I'm sorry if this sounds scrambled- I just got out of bed.
Thanks again for your reply, & I'll keep you posted on the progress if you'd like.
I really like this website.

Yes I have to agree, keeping her cage for awhile is best if she is still acting like a ferrel. When you let her out she has the feeling of protecting herself in the wild. That is why she won;t eat in front of you, she may be afraid you will attack her for it or one of the other cats. I kept mine locked up for several weeks, and another one I have is still locked up, im not sure he will ever come out of it. But Im not one to give up :D Good luck with your little girl, Are you in texas by chance, looks like your really good with this ferrel thing, maybe you can get this guy to be nice. :D :)

Joe,

Don't feel bad. I have 2 males that are ALWAYS trying to *ahem* woo the females in my house. They still think they got what it takes. I hate to break it to them though. I figure the girls will smack them upside the head and straighten them out. ;)