We have a pack of outdoor cats, some strays, some not.
In the picture above is a yellow cat, named King. His brother, Kazuma, is one of the cats to the right.
King and Kazuma came to us as kittens a few years ago. They were friendly, bouncy, happy kittens, and we loved them. Initially they were indoor cats, but they grew tired of being indoors and wanted to be outside, so we let them out into the glorious outdoors. .
A couple of years ago, King mostly disappeared. By mostly, I mean he would show up every few weeks and eat, but mostly he was on "walkabout". He grew increasingly shy and nervous around us, and got more aggressive with the other cats.
A few months ago, he wouldn't let us get near him. When we saw him, it was usually only a brief glance as he furtively snuck onto the porch to eat some food. If we opened the door, he fled in apparent terror. I am not sure if he was abused elsewhere (I hope not) but I think it more likely that his weeks of solitude out in the wilderness just made him excessively shy of people.
Regarding other cats, King seems to have adopted a "feral cat" approach. He is neutered but acts quite a bit like a roving tomcat. He fights other cats and has the scars to prove it. He is a pretty mangy looking beast, if the truth be told.
BUT, we have a house full of cat lovers. Our older children, especially Lydia, have been working to win King's trust again. And they have succeeded. King is now a full time cat again. He is around most of the time, and now will deign to allow the children to pet him. He has grown quite friendly -- to people, anyway.
The other cats may regret that he isn't still on walkabout, as he still picks fights. But the kids and I are happy to welcome King back to our cat pack.
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