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The ongoing Saga of the Duke [1]

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Date: 2022-07-27

The Duke as of Jul 26, safe in the Garage, working his way into the house, and in our Hearts

Well, for the most part the other family is more concerned that Duke be happy than whether they have him, and he is. So for the most part he is now a member of the Padre family. We have gone from his sitting in my lap outside, to him sitting on my chest and nuzzling me, to him wrapped up in my arm as he rests there and just purrs his little head off.

He climbed up into my arms today and sat there for about 15 minutes, alternately purr and grring in a trill.

We have him in the garage, with the garage side door open and cheap screen door up. I am going to buy one like I have on the front door and put it up on the side door, Then Duke can go in out when he likes. Most of the time he spends in the garage sleeping like a normal cat. He gets a Rooty Tuttie Fresh and gushy breakfast plate (combo of Moist, dry, and special tummy cruchies for hairball) and a late dinner plate which is just meow mix. We got him in the garage in time for July 4th, and now anytime the outside gets cray cary, he runs for the Garage and stays there.

I brought in one of the beach chairs and use that to sit in, while spending time with him. He sits in my lap most of the time and we spend about 15 — 30 minutes, together, him in my lap and purring and me petting and grooming him so he doesn’t have those ghastly hair balls. He has learned the brush is loverley. (sic)

But the best part is, He and Fiona are now interacting. They have gone from “I don’t see no stinking cat”, to a serious “Hiss/Grr who the fuck are you” to a “yay says you” hiss. They spent the better part of an hour hissing and grrring, and meeewwing in alternate tones. She is being really sweet and when he Hiss’s she just literally shrugs her shoulder turns around and starts to walk out, with a hiss over the shoulder. The look on his face is priceless “She just walked away like I wasn’t a big powerful kitty, I am going to Uh, um, grrr ”, and then she tossed off another “piss off boy” hiss over her shoulder and kept walking.

He has actually come into the house and walked to the back bedroom three times in one day, so he is contemplating coming in and staying. He knows where my rooms are and Visits them each time. He actually went to my side of the bed, but didn’t jump on the bed. I was surprised and delighted, I thought for sure he was going to.

Short and sweet, he is working his way into the household, we are just holding open the doors, and let him enter as feels comfortable. Today was in the kitchen but not to the Patio (the Racoon Fiona is out there — it’s a joke).

I suspect that by the end of summer around Aug, he will be happy to be inside with Fiona the Raccoon.

The story behind that is, When duke was living at his old house, according to what they told me, a raccoon was supposed to have startled him out of the garage, along with his sibling. The Sibling came back, Duke didn’t. So when he looks at her, we pretend he is seeing a raccoon as she is 17 lbs, black and white with a mask. He just gets this look like ‘WTF did that Raccoon follow me?” He also used to have a possible “girlfriend’ from the across the street who was also a Black/White Tux kitty. So I understand, it’s confusing.

Some Meownchanted evening,

when you may see a Raccoon,

You may see that Racoon across a cluttered room,

and Somehow you’ll know,

You’ll know even then,

She is going to eat all your food, again and again.

Some Meowenchanted evening,

The raccon will be meowing,

You may hear her Meowing, across a cluttered Room,

and night after night,

as strange as it seems

She will be meowing when ever she deems.

We all suspect some asshat who doesn’t like cats grabbed him when they could and brought him over to this side of town.— because a neighbor of theirs remarked about Tommy/Duke before being ‘out in their neighborhood’ on the front lawn. and shortly there after ‘Tommy Duke’ was over here. And it must be noted that all the time Tommy Duke was staying in my backyard, he very rarely left it, and when he did it was to walk around about 100 foot radius or so, visiting three other neighbors back yards. I know for a fact that he was at the neighbors across the streets, in their back yard with the rest of the cats she fosters because I would see him go over for breakfast and dinner. My kitchen faces the house across the Street. It wasn’t until I found him under the table (see the original Story) that night in the middle of winter when I realized that he didn’t have a place over there either, he was probably just getting scraps left from the other cats.

So everyday, I learn more and more about him, and he is seeing me as his protector and provider of a safe place, in his mind. If I am there with him, he knows nothing is going to get him, not even Fiona. I even sat with him for couple of hours during July 4th, petting and holding him while he was scared by all the explosions. Personally I was concerned because too many on our street were firing off professional level Fireworks and they were too damn close by a magnitude.

Today, I sitting in the garage with Duke on my lap, and I was tapping on the floor and calling Fiona to come into the garage so they can interact some more and become ‘companions’. I would call Out Fiona, and then tap the mat. He had gotten up, walked around bit and then suddenly snapped around as I patted the floor again. She was sitting on threshold of the door from the Play Room to the Garage.

He looked at me, looked at her, started to hiss at her and realized what I was doing and come over an gave me an angry light nip on the arm and a “Grrr”. He was telling me that he didn’t want her in the garage and he was mad that I was calling her in. I was laughing, because he was so adamant he gave me two nips that didn’t break the skin, but I felt them and the ‘Grrr’ telling me to stop.

The more I learn about people, the more I love my Katznkats.

Day 7/26/22

Today, we had the close in staring-but-not-seeing contest, no hisses were exchanged, but a certain fluffery around the neck was up. Finally after about 5 minutes, he walked out the side door. She actually came back twice to talk him into the house.

This is interesting.

Oh, and after she left, about 5 minutes later, as I was getting up to go into the house, he had come back into the garage and he looks in the empty door, sees no one there, and hiss’s any “I am big Strong Duke”. hisssss

[END]
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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/7/27/2103201/-The-ongoing-Saga-of-the-Duke

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