Adopting a VERY scared siamese

Question
I am adopting a very scared siamese from our local shelter.  Any suggestions to make her feel comfortable in our home and to reduce her anxiety.  I do have 2 cats already we are planning on giving her her own room at the beginning and keeping the other cats out.

Answer
Hi Amy.  Thank you so much for adopting a shelter cat!

I would recommend to keep the room slightly dim, if possible, as this is calming to cats.  There is also some evidence that playing quiet classical music can help!

To get her used to your presence, it would be a good idea to spend some time sitting on the floor reading a book.  You could even read some of it aloud so she can get used to your voice.  Probably the quickest way to earn a cat's trust is to hand feed them treats, and what I find works best is fresh boiled chicken breast.  If she's reluctant to take if from your hand at first, lay it down where she can see you place it for her.  Then I would move the treats closer to you as she becomes more confident, until she's taking it from your hand.

Play is important in making her feel comfortable in the new place, too, and preferably, it will be something she associates with you.  Plant a little pile of loose catnip down for her.  They say Siamese are less likely to react to catnip, but most of mine still go crazy over it.  Or you could entice her with a laser pointer, since this will take little motion on your part.  A sudden movement could scare her.  Once she opens up to you, then you may want to move on to something more interactive, like ribbon or feather wands.

I also strongly recommend a product called Feliway.  I use the plug-in diffusers in every room at all times.  It helps calm cats in times of stress, such as going to a new home.  It will also help your other two cats with the introduction.  The diffuser set ups are a little pricey.  I have found it well worth it, though.  If you buy them at a pet store, they run you around $45.  You can usually find them on amazon.com for somewhere around half that price.  You can learn more about how the product works at www.feliway.com