Michigan Man Spends A Year Trying To Befriend A Terrified Stray Cat And Finally Succeeds

Building a connection with a cat can be challenging, especially when they’ve been living outdoors or have experienced trauma.

I’ve had my own struggles bonding with an adopted kitten, even though he wasn’t traumatized and had adjusted well to life indoors. It still took time and patience.

Sometimes, connecting with a cat can feel like an uphill battle, but with love and patience, it’s often possible to make progress.

Lex, a man who spotted a stray cat lurking around his home, understood this all too well. Gaining the cat’s trust proved to be no easy task, but Lex refused to give up. And sometimes, persistence is all that’s needed to turn things around.

Patience Brought Us Cinnabon

When Lex moved into his new home, he noticed a stray cat hanging around the area. The previous homeowner had mentioned that there were plenty of cats in the neighborhood, advising him to just leave them be.

But Lex couldn’t ignore one particular cat that seemed to keep coming back to his house. The poor thing was terrified of him, yet Lex couldn’t just turn a blind eye. The cat looked sickly, malnourished, and thin.

“At the time I wasn’t really used to cats so I didn’t know what you’re supposed to do.”

Lex left food out for the cat to eat. Once he saw that the cat was eating it and coming back, Lex started leaving cat food out. 

“He was still super afraid. He would meow and make eye contact too before he’d run away.”

Months passed and the cat would still come and eat out of the bowls Lex left out for him outside the house.

Still, even if he saw Lex through the glass door, he would run away. But eventually, he got comfortable with seeing Lex through the glass door. He probably realized that he was safe.

“He would just kind of look at me and get back to his food. And he’d be ok.”

Slowly, it gradually got better. Lex was able to leave the door open and look at the cat from a distance. However, he couldn’t get close to him, let alone touch him. 

At this point, Lex thought to himself:

“Since I’m feeding this cat, I felt obligated to get him a house, because it gets pretty cold in Michigan.”

So he did; he made a little cat house, secured it, and filled it with comfy blankets. The first night he put it out, Cinnabon came. Lex saw him getting cozy inside. 

The first night Lex put the cat house out, Cinnabon claimed it. It felt like they were family now, but Lex was still trying to get him to come inside.

“I remember I opened the slider door and this time he wanted in the house, he was just afraid. He wanted to get the treat, but he didn’t trust me.”

Then for the first time ever, he actually took the treat from Lex’s hand. This was a turning point! Lex was able to pet Cinnabon.

Lex would pet Cinnabon through the slider door, and Cinnabon even started coming inside. Just for a few steps in, but still… Lex would throw him treats and try to get him to come and eat out of his hand.

He would put them on the ground one by one, so Cinnabon would come closer and closer to him.

And then, it just clicked. What started with Lex being unable to pet the cat soon turned into Cinnabon comfortably coming inside and soaking up all the cuddles!

That was the turning point for Cinnabon — he finally realized he had found his forever home.

Lex began letting him roam inside the house, giving him space to explore and get familiar with his new surroundings. He’d leave Cinnabon to himself, and the curious cat would happily sniff around and make himself at home.

Cinnabon still loved going outside and playing in nature, and Lex didn’t want to take that freedom away from him.

He let him roam freely, both indoors and out. Cinnabon was one happy cat.

Lex’s friends often teased him, reminding him how he once claimed he wasn’t a “cat person”—and yet, Cinnabon had become his best friend.

“Definitely changed me as a person, made me a lot more tolerant and kind of understand and learn what it’s like to take care of something else.”

Well, it seems like Lex needed Cinnabon as much as Cinnabon needed him. And I think he knows it.

“They say you never choose a cat, a cat chooses you. And I definitely feel in this situation, he for sure chose me.”

Now their bond is even stronger. You can keep up with their adventures on their YouTube channel or Instagram.