Duncan Obituary (2023)

The first four years of Duncan's life are mostly a mystery. He wasn't the type to talk much about his past...but judging by his scarred ears and prowess in battle, I believe he was a mighty warrior from the beginning. The name Duncan means "dark skinned warrior" in Scottish. He was definitely that. On multiple occasions I witnessed him defend his turf from outsiders. From stray cats to other peoples dogs and even pizza delivery men! No animal or human has ever defeated him. Once, late at night while camping in the Yukon, he successfully repelled what I assume was a brown bear. As I was finishing up my dinner there suddenly came a commotion from outside the tent. From the sounds of it Duncan was doing battle with an animal much larger than himself. I scrambled to find the flashlight but before I could even get out the door the sounds ceased and he came sauntering through the slit in the front of the tent. As cool as could be he laid down on his blanket, calmly licked blood off his claws, and curled up for a nap. When the sun came up the next morning I investigated and found bear tracks and blood not 10 yards from the tent! As fierce as he could be, he always treated me with gentleness and love. He would sleep right by my head and wake me up in the mornings with purrs of ever increasing volume if he decided I had overslept his breakfast time. He's the only animal I've ever met that wouldn't eat unless someone was there to guard his back. We made a good team and he is sorely missed. I loved him.