newly adopted stray

Question
Our family was adopted by Bojangles, a stray cat a couple weeks ago. We brought him, bathed him, removed ticks from him and took him to the vet for an exam, vaccines & neutering. The vet is guessing that the cat is around 2 years old. We have been treating an ear infection, other than that he is healthy. My husband is worried about the cat's "laziness", he wants to sleep all the time and won't play like other cats we've had in the past. Nothing "startles" the cat either. He has gained 1 pound in the 10 days between vet visit. I'm not sure if it's an acclimation process, my thought is the cat had to be exhausted from trying to stay alive, and the ear infection probably has some affect on his demeanor. I know he was living in the "wild" for at least 4 weeks before he chose us. We've been very careful to give the cat "just enough" loving, let him decide when to play and when to cuddle and when to hide. We've given him several different toys, he has no real interest, he will sometimes follow the beam from a flashlight on the floor, but he seems to prefer sleeping to anything. He's been very friendly and affectionate from the moment he came, he doesn't like to be held but will rub on our ankles and loves to be petted. He was litter trained when he arrived as well, I'm sure this cat was part of a family and was dumped. Is there anything we can do to make him more "at home?"

Answer
Michelle,

Your guess is probably right about his exhaustion being related to the stress of trying to make it on his own. He will likely come into his own when the ear infection is solved...If you still find that he is sleepy more than usual have your vet do some blood work to see if there is a medical reason for it. If not he just might be a calmer kitty than some of the others you've owned....To make him feel at home, just be patient, let him learn to trust you and your husband. Being on the streets takes a toll on cats. Take your cues from him, share affection when he asks, play when he wants to, give him plenty of good food and clean water along with a clean litter box...This should be the start of a great relationship with your new friend....Give Bojangles a little time to work out how he needs to function in this new and safe environment. He'll come around soon enough, the weight gain is likely just that he is finally getting food on a regular basis. If you find that he doesn't slow down on the food (and some cats never learn that food is no longer an issue) then you may have to measure his food giving him 10-15% less than the package says to. My vet says that in most cases the package directions if followed will result in a fat cat so be vigilant. Your cat in ideal condition should have a clearly defined waist, a small layer of fat over his ribs and a nice clean coat. The kitty being litter trained is not particularly odd, even feral cats get the concept of a litter box most of the time, it is normal feline behavior to want to bury their waste so all you are doing is providing a place that is acceptable to you for them to do their business. Good luck with Bojangles, he sounds like a good guy. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.