This morning, however, Dougy disappeared shortly after I got up to feed the boys a yummy trout-turkey cat food breakfast. Yes, trout-turkey! They love it!

Andy snuggled right into it, but Dougy didn’t come around. Sometimes that happens. Though I feed them on separate dishes, sometimes one or the other cat just isn’t in the mood to eat at the same time as his brother. This week, Dougy’s been the “hang back” cat.

Cats’ breakfast taken care of, I prepared my breakfast, a simple cheese omelette, peanut butter toast, and nice black coffee. (I roast and grind my own beans. Yum!) Of course, while eating, Andy came over, begging for my attention. I let him wait, then we played with one of his favorite toys, a feather bird attached to a pole by a long string.

Dougy is my playful cat. As soon as I pulled out the toy of the moment, he wasn’t there! Not today. Andy and I had a lovely play session anyway, mostly because Andy got to play without his brother’s aggressive, assertive style of taking over a toy at will. Andy is smaller than Dougy by a few ounces, but, in cat terms, that’s a lot! I guessed Dougy decided to take a siesta since he came around to my bed several times last night. Andy didn’t come around till almost time for me to get up, so, presumably, was less tired.

So the morning went. Andy came around for head and ear rubs. Andy brought me a feather bird, one I let him carry back to his lair to chew at will. That’s the fate of all old feather birds in this house! (It also allows the cats to entertain themselves! I’m not just being a nice guy!) Andy tapped my arm to let me know whatever it is Andy taps my arm to let me know…. “What’s the matter, boy? Timmy’s in the well- AGAIN!?”

Then he tore around the place, ripping up the floor with breakneck dashes north and south. This is how Andy or Dougy signals to the other he’s ready to play one of their favorite cat games, “hunter-prey”. They both love the game, so I was a bit surprised Dougy didn’t fall into place, chasing or being chased…. I wondered if he felt a little sick today because five minutes of Andy racing all the way north, then all the way south, over and over, he ordinarily joined the game.

Toward 8:00, I heard cat meows. I am deaf in my right ear, so have difficulty establishing directions sound comes from. It sounded like it came from outside, however, so I checked outside. No cat and the meowing stopped. I went back to entertaining Andy, who was exceptionally kittenish this morning, really putting demands on me to toss the feather bird, which he chases but never brings back to me. It’s an old favorite, and it makes both of us get up and move around.

Andy’s high energy play finally wore him out. He jumped on the ottoman by my glider chair, and spent several minutes cleaning from head to tail.

The television news over, I came to my computer to check news on the Internet. Again, I heard a cat meowing. Again, I looked outside, but saw nothing. Then, a new round of meows and a door rattling. Andy stopped by my bedroom door. Another clue to the whereabouts pf the missing Dougy!?

“Oh no!” Yes, I’d closed the door on Dougy, and he’d been trapped in my bedroom for four hours! Door open, he rushed out, bewildered, upset!

He’s just now getting over it, an hour later. Right now, he’s taking a bath on the little red chair by the door (see video, above), and trying to decide whether he’s unhappy with me or not! Oops! Spoke too soon! Now Dougy’s challenging Andy to play “hunter-prey” by running at a full gallop south. Andy’s in pursuit, and harmony comes back to the house!