Houdini is so comfortable around us now that it is hard to recall the frightened cat he was when we first brought him inside. He escaped from us twice before we managed to convince him that we weren't going to eat him or worse. That's how he got his name. He is a quiet, well-behaved and--now--very affectionate cat, evidencing no signs of harsh treatment or abuse that would account for his fear of humans. I don't know why he was abandoned, but often there just doesn't seem to be a reason. At any rate, his past is as dark as his coat.