Aggressive/scared foster cat

[quidditys]

I'm currently fostering a litter of now 8 week old kittens which is lovely! I also have their mother cat here - she's been a stray and is very distrusting of people.

She's very aggressive towards me. I know it's mostly out of fear but it's hard not to feel scared when a cat I've only known for a couple of weeks keeps coming towards me hissing and spitting. It feels like a control thing because when visitors come to the room with me, she hides and doesn't hiss at all.

With me she sometimes tries to stop me from entering the foster room by coming to stand very close to the door and hissing at me when I try to enter. It's impossible to touch her or get close, she swipes if I even try. I've tried the slow blinking, talking to her nicely and also tried to ignore her and not look at her.

Any cat whisperers around who have tips?
She gets braver each day but that means she's coming to hiss and swipe at me closer and closer. I really don't want to get bitten or scratched badly (I already got scratched a twice). She even hisses when I'm getting their food ready.

[Toddlerteaplease]

She sounds terrified. Maybe trying to protect her babies. Have you tried pet remedy?

[isseywithcats]

one thing we do at the centre is to go into the room with the cat dont look at her, she is seeing this as aggressive, sit down in a corner with a book and sit there and read without acknowledging her at all, this will pique her interest in you because she will see you as non aggressive, can you put the kittens in a seperate room for now for periods of time as it sounds like she is an over protective mom and sees you as a threat to her babies, as they are 8 weeks old they can manage without mom for a while each day,
feliway plug in might calm her down as well,
also feed the kittens thier food seperately to mom this way she will realise that the food you bring to her is her own food and she dosent have to rival the kittens for it ,
another thing you could try if she wont let you in the room is have a scrunched up piece of paper in your hand throw it across the room it should distract her attention from you so she will get out of the inclination to swipe you,
dont give up hope we had a mom cat at the centre who was evil when her kits were there, you couldnt get near either mom or kits, andliterally whithin an hour of her kits going to thier new homes she turned into a total love bug

[TheCatOfAthenry]

Special treat on a fork, rubber glove on your hand if you're wary, and avoid eye contact?