Chapter 1: Loyalty

Chapter 1: Loyalty

Dun Dun and Pat

If you follow Cat Care Society online, you may have already met Dun Dun. A video of him and our Facilities Supervisor, Pat, made its way around the internet, and people far beyond our shelter walls fell for him, too.

What the video didn't show is what came before that moment, and the chapter that came after. This is a story about loyalty: a senior cat who chose his person, and a person who stood by him through the hardest chapter of his life.

A Senior With a Lot to Give

In August 2025, our friends at the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region reached out about Dun Dun. He was about eight years old and FIV-positive, and he was dealing with ear infections, repeated colds, and painful inflammation in his mouth. He needed a place with the medical resources to care for him and a dedicated space for FIV-positive cats, so they called us.

Our medical team treated his infections and removed the teeth that were causing him pain. Once he felt better, his personality came shining through. Our team described him as "very friendly and affectionate, head butting and climbing on everyone."

The Cat Distribution System at Work

The internet has a name for what happens when a cat picks their person: the Cat Distribution System. Cat people know it well. You don't always choose your cat. Sometimes your cat chooses you.

As the CCS Maintenance and Facilities Supervisor, Pat spends his days surrounded by cats. Plenty of them are charming. But Dun Dun made an immediate connection with Pat in one of our regular staff meetings.

That's the moment the video captured: a senior cat who knew exactly who he wanted. Pat met with our medical team who talked through his FIV+ diagnosis, chronic inflammation, and bloodwork that showed early signs that Dun Dun may experience future medical complications. A few days later, feeling prepared to take on his long term care, Pat took Dun Dun home.

The Hardest Chapter

But less than a month after Dun Dun settled in, Pat noticed something was wrong. Dun Dun was losing weight, and his urine was unusually dark. Dun Dun had developed feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).

FIP develops when a common feline coronavirus mutates inside a cat's body. For decades, an FIP diagnosis was almost always fatal. Newer antiviral treatments have changed that, and today many cats can recover.

That meant 12 weeks of daily medication for Dun Dun, followed by a 90-day observation period to ensure the disease would stay in remission. The first weeks were frightening. He was weak, unsteady on his feet, and had tremors. Then, little by little, he turned a corner. He started eating well, found his balance again, and went back to climbing on anyone who would hold still.

Dun Dun had chosen Pat, and Pat chose him right back. Through 6 months of FIP treatment and observation, Pat stayed in his corner, watching and waiting.

Plenty of Life Left to Live

It's been 5 months since completing FIP protocol, and Dun Dun is thriving. He's back to a healthy weight, his coat is shiny, and there are no signs of recurring FIP. Along the way, his vets discovered he has asthma, so he now takes a daily puff from a kitty-sized inhaler. It's a routine he and Pat have down.

Dun Dun is now nine years old and FIV-positive, two things that sometimes cause people to pass a cat by. He's proof that both deserve a second look.

Senior cats often know exactly who they are. They're settled, affectionate, and loyal to the people they choose. FIV-positive cats can live long, happy lives. FIV spreads mainly through deep bite wounds, and with guidance from a veterinarian, many FIV-positive cats share homes with other cats.

Help Write the Next Chapter

For 45 years, Cat Care Society has stood by cats like Dun Dun, and supporters like you have stood by us. As a 100% donor-funded shelter, we rely on people like you to make that possible.

Every cat has a story. You help us write the next chapter. Give to Cat Care Society this Colorado Gives Day to support more cats like Dun Dun.