We once had a cat, Orca, who had been kept in a cage for an extended period. This long sentence did not adversely her character or health, just as these many months behind bars doesn't seem to have affected Arturo's.
We confirmed this when we failed to fully secure the cage one night, and the next morning found Arturo proudly stationed in a premium spot. To our surprise, he returned to his lodgings without complaint.
At that point, it was obvious to all that Arturo would be getting regular “out time”. He mingled well with the general population, and (with absolutely no food available elsewhere) amiably re-entered the cage at meal-time.
A few months have passed, and unless one of us is in the room when Arturo is out of the cage, he tends to badger two smaller, timid cats. These females crave contact with us, but are quite prickly with each other. An emerging truce was forgotten when Arturo's chest-thumping started. Now, when not hiding in their respective corners, these two bicker and compete for our attention.
Since visitors here (human ones, anyway) are few and far between, Arturo remains suspicious with strangers. But with us, he is perpetually and unambiguously mad for physical contact. We have every reason to believe he would come to worship – yes, worship – his new people in short order ... even if they aren't totally besotted with cats like we are.
A tame cat, even a hand-raised cat, may or may not love his people, but when a homeless cat (a well-fed one, at that) undertakes what can only be called a quest to come inside and live with fools like us … that is exceptional.
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