She probably will hide for a while. Make sure there is some food set out for her. Eventually she will get hungry and come out to eat. Give her time. She probably will come around. I rescued a very small kitten once that had come to work with a coworker via the engine compartment of his truck. He was a mess. I took him to the vet for an exam and shots and then brought him home and put him in a room. The 2nd day, we opened the door to the room so he could come out if he wanted and the other cats could start sniffing him out. I had 3 other cats at the time. He eventually started coming out to just play with the other cats. He would run if a human approached him. It took almost a year before I was able to pet him and once he figured out how good it felt, he couldn't get enough of the belly rubs!
Being as this is an older cat, it may take a while before she is comfortable. She just came from a shelter and had surgery. Lots of changes in her world. Make sure you have her litter box up and running. This way you will be able to see if she comes out of hiding when you or your mother aren't around. (and cats are clean, they don't like to go to the bathroom in their environment) Give her some time to adjust.
As for keeping an eye on her incision, cats do a very good job of caring for themselves. They don't tend to cause pain or harm to themselves. And cats have an incredible ability to heal themselves. Their bodies will fight off many infections that would take a dog or human down. I'm assuming she has the type of stitches that dissolve on their own.
(FYI, I just recently finished my schooling last month for my Associates Degree in Registered Vet Technology. Maybe I did learn something after all!!)
Last edited by auntpiggylpn; 09-09-2012 at 06:21 PM.