I have this cat that lives in the woods behind my house. He is really cool looking. He is pure white except for his face which is half black and half white. Somedays when I come home he is sitting in my yard. I call him the Two Faced cat.
He has lived on his own probably most of his life, since his mother turned him loose as a kitten. Fending for himself, hunting his own food, taking what ever life tosses at him and surviving. He has probably had things thrown at him, had fights with bigger cats when he was younger and fights with other animals as he grew older. It has made him skittish and he does not trust anyone. He sits in the yard looking all tough and proud until someone tries to get close. He senses danger, crouches and runs away if you try to get too close. If he did let you get near him he would probably, out of instinct, claw or bite you.
I leave out food for him sometimes. Special treats like Turkey gizzards at Thanksgiving, a bowl of left over sausage potato soup, various meat scraps. He now watches me with intense interest. I would like to be his friend someday.
I understand it will take time. I have alot to overcome to gain his trust. He may never sit in my lap and purr like a regular house cat. But I would be happy if he just let me get close enough to touch or pet him. I understand this cat and for him this would be as close to trust as he could muster.
He has not lived the life of a house cat. He has had to make it on his own and will always fear the unknown. The out strectched hand will always be viewed with skepticism. Never knowing whether it wants to hit or pet him, he opts for the most common response he has encountered. It’s not that he doesn’t want to trust or be taken care of, its just that his life has taught him not to . I am thinking that maybe this is something we can work on and learn together. Trust. So I am going to try to see where I can get with him. Just me and the Two Faced cat.
