Cats sleep a lot during the day and come out at night, that's when she will go exploring. If possible maybe mom can stay up and put out a plate of canned food, that will get the kitty moving. Then she might be able to speak to the cat so she will get used to her voice and start building trust. Cats won't eat what they can't smell so the stinkier the food the better. Also, look up, cats like to climb. When I adopted my cat he somehow was able to get on top on my kitchen cabinets and hid in the space between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling.

also set up a radio on low where the cat can hear it. It won't feel so alone with voices to hear and will be more used to someone talking to it when it does come out of hiding.

Please let us know when the kitty comes out of hiding. I hope everything is ok.

poor frightened kitty. We have a "found" calico that is what I call a "tree cat" as opposed to a "bush cat"....she managed to find the one spot in the finished basement that had an opening into the drop ceiling just large enough for her to squeeze thru and there she was for several hours before we could coax her out.....so yes, besides lurking in dark corners (which she also did) look up......leaving out smelly wet food is a good idea, she will eventually come out and join your mom..........just have mom go down there daily and "talk" to the basement........also have her (mom) talk out loud occasionally upstairs in the living areas, kitty will hear the familiar voice and venture out..........

My daughter adopted a very old cat from the local shelter, she did the same thing but eventually claimed the house as her own much to the dismay of the two other cats my daughter has...lol...

Hi, dont worry to much if you don't see her for a few days. Checking the litter box and food are good ideas to make sure she is still moving around down there. She will probably come out on her own when she gets more comfortable. We have one we used to call the closet kitty, that is where she hid for the first 5 months when she came here. She is lots better now. The incision should be fine if she is staying dry and warm, and is eating and drinking ok. If all of this does not work then call the shelter and see if someone there can give you some help. Most of the people that work at them are helpful and they are going to want both the cat and your mom happy. You might have your mom just sit quietly instead of wandering around down there, she might be scaring the cat.
Vet. tech and pet owner for longer than I want to think about

The kitty did start to come out yesterday. Her food dish was empty, and the litter box had been used. I was able to tempt her to come out with more dry food, which she ate out of my hand. Ravenously! She was so hungry that I was able to even get her to come upstairs for a bit. She investigated, then retreated to the basement.

I think that she is afraid of the sound of my Mom moving around upstairs, and I think she is also afraid of her walker. I suggested that Mom go downstairs every couple of hours and add just a little bit of food to kitty's dish, so that she gets to associate Mom and the walker both with food.

Things are improving!

I"m so glad she appeared. We had plumbers in the house recently and one of my three cats is extremely timid. She crawled up under the stairs to the basement and stayed there for about 3 to 4 hours after than had gone.

you might gradually move the litter box and her food up the steps, leaving the upstairs door open. i doubt if she'll get into mischief as she is older. She will "own" the whole house before you know it.

We adopted one cat from the SPCA and when we brought her home, she kept hiding in the recliner. There was a piece of fabric that hung down like a sling (probably kept the recliner from going all the way back). After a week, she would come out and was fine. However, she did still like to hide there if she was upset.