Mad Max

Due to his large size, beautiful green eyes and grey colouring Mad Max is a cat whose reputation is constantly preceding him.  Even though he is semi-feral he can be persuaded to tolerate some pets and human love when his friend Jett is around to make sure the humans won’t hiss or swat at him (the wheels of affection can also be greased with a discreet chicken bribery). 

 

Max lives on top of the cages in the Double Wide, but during these hot summer days, you will most likely find him outside, on a mission to see his friends in the Cement Cat pen (I’m convince he has a girlfriend in there) or looking for a nice, quiet spot to sleep in the sunshine.

 

 I first became friends with Max when I started working in the Double Wide on a regular basis.  While still too shy around me to supervise my cleaning closely, he would always watch me from a distance while I worked and would tilt his head and listen to me while I chatted with him.  When I asked Leslie and the other ladies about Max, I was told stories about a wild and rambunctious kitten who surprisingly grew and grew until he was at least double the size of his litter mates.  While still large in comparison to other cats, I find today’s Mad Max to be a quiet, mellow, gentle giant, who is shy of humans.

After hearing these stories, I decided that Mad Max would benefit from having another human friend and set to work.  It took a few weeks of persuading, but eventually, I noticed Max watching me while I cleaned in Waldies Hut in the back pens on Tuesdays. Then he began to lead me to a comfortable spot outside where I can pet him.  I was overjoyed a few weeks ago when during one of our petting sessions he began to purr very softly.

Although, gaining his trust took some time and patience, Max’s friendship, now that I’ve earned it, is so rewarding and a testament to the benefits of making friends with a semi-feral.

Guest blogger: Julia Ferguson

Photos: Julia Ferguson & Debbie Wolinski