Duncan

Five-year-old Duncan has been let down many times in his life. We are told that he belonged to someone once. But they moved away and left him. Duncan figured out how to survive on his own. He figured out how to keep warm in the frigid winters and how to stay cool when it was burning hot. He figured out how to get enough to eat and drink and how to protect himself from predators- of both the two legged and four legged variety. Duncan figured out how to be tough and strong and self-reliant. But that didn’t mean that Duncan forgot about having a home. A few months ago he showed up on someone’s porch. At first he just wanted to sleep on the porch. Then he wanted to come inside and hang out on the couch. Unfortunately, the people were allergic and although they wanted him safe, they also wanted him out of their yard. Somehow they got Duncan in a carrier and brought him to several rescues. Duncan hissed and lunged. He could not be handled. He was rejected by the other rescue(s) as unadoptable. We were told that he would likely be euthanized if we refused to take him. We were hesitant, but we had been told he had been someone’s cat once, and we, remarkably, had an open double condo. So we decided to take a chance. It turns out that Duncan is a very smart cat, which is no doubt how he was able to survive so long without help. He knows where his condo is and will trot cheerfully alongside the volunteer who is bringing him his dinner. (After so long fending for himself Duncan LOVES having his dinner delivered to him.) He knows which cats to ignore and which he should put in their place. He has figured out the schedule at the shelter, and knows all of the best spots for naps. In the last few months, we have also seen Duncan gradually start to understand that he can trust us not to hurt him. He has learned how to play. He has started to greet his favorite volunteers. If you stop in, he may even wind around your legs to say hello. Does this mean that you can pick him up and snuggle with him? No, it most decidedly does not. At least not yet. A few volunteers have been able to pet Duncan when he is relaxed and when he is ready. But most of the time he would prefer to be near us, rather than to be touched by us. Still, the fact that he even wants to be near humans after all of the times he has been let down by the human race is pretty remarkable. Duncan is available for adoption. He is not going to be right for everyone. He needs an adopter who has experience with tough cats. He needs someone who will be patient and work with him. Most importantly, Duncan needs someone who won’t just see how many times he has been let down... but also how many times he has gotten back up and tried again.