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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 14/05/2026

Max (background) raising his claws to attack Norbert (foreground) for absolutely no reason whatsoever #cats #CatsOfMastodon #animals

A black kitten in the background is raising his paw to attack another black kitten in the foreground who has no idea he is about to be attacked

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/04/2026

Mother fox with three cubs, venturing out of their den and into my back garden People rarely use our large shared garden, so the foxes feel safe out there and often bring cubs to explore and play #fox #animals #nature #wildlife

front view of a vixen with three small cubs staying close to her, taken with a long lens from my back window

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/04/2026

A mother fox and one of her cubs, in my back garden At this time of year, I can often see groups of fox cubs, running around, chasing each other, while their mother tries to keep them safe and stop them going too far #fox #animals #nature #wildlife

A fox cub and vixen with their noses touching, as the cub reaches up to the mother

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/04/2026

Max - furious with me because... well, I don't know, but I'm bound to have done something wrong #cats #CatsOfMastodon #animals

A black kitten is sitting upright on a sofa, staring up at the camera with what looks like an irritated expression

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 07/04/2026

Max, perched on my foot, about to clamber up my leg using his claws A look of true determination in his eyes #cats #CatsOfMastodon #animals

A black kitten is balanced on my foot, which is crossed over the other. He's looking up at my leg and he really does look determined. And yes, it did hurt.

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/04/2026

Norbert - sleeping balanced on the headrest of a chair One of his favourite spots #cats #CatsOfMastodon #animals

A black kitten is balanced precariously on the narrow headrest of a padded chair, his back leg dangling over the back of the chair. He is asleep.

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/03/2026

I joined #mastodon on New Year’s Day, with no idea what to expect I found somewhere totally different to other social media. No ads, no algorithm, and a massive number of really nice people. Thank you all for making me feel welcome and comfortable in this […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Front view of a black & white cat's face. She is staring at the camera with her whiskers in a very alert position

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/03/2026

This is not my cat I often see him sitting on some bins (that's British for dumpsters) as I cycle home He's usually busy doing important cat things (sitting and staring), but occasionally I'm allowed to approach and say hello Not for too long though. He's […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A black cat with a white patch on nose, white chest crest, white paws and whiskers - standing on a wall

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/03/2026

Molly, having a lazy day - scrolling, commenting on bird videos, getting into arguments with other cats I hope this lifestyle isn't damaging her mental health #cats #CatsOfMastodon #technology #pets

A black and white cat is lying on a bed, with one front paw resting on an open laptop. She looks relaxed and zoned out - like she's been on social media too long and needs to get up and do exercise

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/03/2026

This is Molly - a wild animal that lives in my house and sleeps on my bed She thinks I’m a master hunter, because I leave home and come back with all kinds of wonderful things to eat I’m not, of course. Humans are hunter-gatherers, and I’m leaning heavily […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Close-up of a black & white cat's face. Her white whiskers are forward and she looks interested in something

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/03/2026

I was made redundant a couple weeks ago. From a school I’d worked at for 15 years, They gave us 5 days notice Fortunately, I’m a member of a union. As were all the other teachers. Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) were with us every step of the way […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

The back of a black cat's head - with a red IWW badge resting on his neck (don't worry - I didn't pin it on)

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 19/03/2026

Max hates other cats He hates them coming into his territory, gets upset when he sees one out the window So when we rescued Molly, we introduced them SLOWLY First 2 weeks, she was in her own room. We put things that smelled of her in his favourite places […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Molly, a black and white cat, is standing on a balcony, her front paws up on the railing, and her nose in the air happily. Behind her, Max, a black cat, is sitting on the corner of the balcony, looking out at the world a bit grumpily.

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 18/03/2026

This is not my cat But she sure did want a lot of attention (right up until the moment she suddenly wanted to claw me) I met her on my way home. And yes I will be going that way again. Can't put me off with a few claws #Cats #CatsOfMastodon #animals

A black cat is lying on top of a brick post, which she jumped up onto to greet me

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/03/2026

She's usually extremely nervous, but when the sun's out, she'll happily sleep in the front garden, a metre away from people and dogs walking past, with her vulnerable belly on full display 2/3 #cats #CatsOfMastodon #catsOfFediverse

A black and white cat is lying on her back - on grass, leaves, and dry mud - stretching her front legs

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 17/03/2026

This is how my cat, Molly, sleeps in the sun During winter, she barely goes out, as she's deeply unimpressed with the cold But the moment it gets a little bit warm - like it did in London today - she's out, lying on her back in the mud, getting the sun on […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A black and white cat is lying on her back - on grass, leaves, and dry mud - her feet in the air and the sun on her belly

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 16/03/2026

You should buy my book because every penny goes to keeping my cats happy (it's set in a world where pigs grow on trees, and features the world's most incompetent detective) Seriously though, I live for my cats,. The picture is me freezing on the balcony […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A black and white cat is draped happily over my lap. In the background you might make out that I'm wearing thermal clothes and gloves and I'm sitting under a blanket because it's still winter

The cover of the book The Complete History (and Fistory) of Underspace. It features a tree, on which plump little pigs are growing like apples. Before the tree stand a scruffy-looking girl and a pig with a stalk coming out of his head. The title of the book is at the bottom, surrounded by the roots of the tree, and the authors' names - Rufus Penzance & Howard Long - are at the top. This cover was designed by Howard Long and no AI was used in its creation or the writing of this book

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/03/2026

My mum hand-knitted this Spider-Man blanket for my sister's first kid, 11 years ago Cut to now - my sister was going to GET RID OF IT! Fortunately: me It now lives on the coffee table in my lounge. ISN'T IT BEAUTIFUL!!! #knitting #spiderman #marvel #comics

A circular, web-shaped blanket, made of alternating red and blue circles with a web design, is laid out over a large glass coffee table which it fits perfectly, almost as though it were designed to be put there.

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 12/03/2026

Molly had to go to the vet today - for her yearly checkup She hates the vet. But even more, she hates the journey. We've taken taxis, the bus, I hired a car, I even walked there with her in the carrier. It was far & exhausting & she hated it even more than […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A black and white cat is peering out through the caged door of a cat carrier

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 11/03/2026

This is not my cat But he sits on this bench, by a footbridge which crosses the train tracks, and waits for people to stop and give him attention I cycle that way as often as I can (although it is way off my route) to spend some time with him But he's […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A ginger cat sitting on a wooden bench, patiently waiting for me to stop messing about with a camera and give him attention

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 10/03/2026

Molly, who craves Max's attention but doesn't often get it, raising her paw to hit him for no reason whatsoever... ... while they both ignore the squirrel in the bird feeder #cats #CatsOfMastodon #squirrel #animals

Two cats are sitting on a windowsill. On the left, a black cat is crouching, looking out of the window. On the right, a black & white cat is raising her paw to swipe him. Above them attached to the window, is a plastic bird-feeder with a squirrel in it.

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 09/03/2026

This is Max, going outside for the first time ever Shocked at how big and full the world is. Terrified and excited by all the opportunities and danger #cats #CatsOfMastodon #pets

A black cat is on a ground floor balcony, but he hasn't dared venture past the railing yet. His pupils are huge and his eyes are wide as he peers through the railings at a whole new world

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/03/2026

Didn’t know where Max & Norbert had gone. Eventually found them behind the curtain, like this #cats #CatsOfMastodon #pets

A picture taken through curtains which are slightly open. Behind the curtains, on a windowsill, two black cats are hugging, with their front legs around each other’s necks in an unusually human pose

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 06/03/2026

On the rare occasions that I’m not taking pictures of my #cats (see: almost all my other posts), I make a podcast called The Worst Writer in the World My co-conspirator, Howard, has spent his life writing badly. Now we try to bring his stories to life, and […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

The artwork for The Worst Writer in the World podcast. At the bottom, there is a pot of ink, from which emerges a cloud of black ink containing the show title in white letters, which takes up the top half of the image. The background is blue.

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 05/03/2026

Max & Norbert eat like this so each knows the other is still there - while their faces are buried in food #cats #CatsOfMastodon #animals

A shot of two black cats eating, taken from above, They are positioned at an angle to each other and their tails are crossing

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/03/2026

But while foxes are like dogs in most ways, they loaf like cats 5/5 #fox #animals #nature #cats

A fox is sitting on the grass, with his legs tucked under his body - like cats do to keep their paws warm.

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/03/2026

They sleep in the sun, and keep an eye on each other, like dogs 4/5 #fox #nature #animals #garden

A fox is sitting in the grass, staring at the camera warily.

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/03/2026

Sometimes they get a bit ridiculous, like dogs 3/5 #foxes #wildlife #animals

Two foxes. One is sitting with his back to the camera, the other is on his back with his legs in the air.- obviously in the middle of fully rolling over so his position looks awkward and strange

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/03/2026

They roll around in the grass, having a wonderful time, like dogs 2/5 #fox #animals #nature #london

Two foxes. One is sitting with his back to the camera, the other is on his back with his legs in the air.

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 04/03/2026

The foxes that live in my back garden often play with each other, just like dogs 1/5 #fox #dogs #wildlife #animals

Two foxes lying together in the grass, mouths open wide and baring their teeth playfully

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 03/03/2026

Every day, when I arrive home, I give Max treats So he's learned what time I get home and tends to be waiting for me. And he recognises the sound of my house keys and comes running (also useful when I want him to come inside) Unfortunately, he's decided […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A black cat is looking up at the camera expectantly

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/03/2026

You may know me from the many pictures I post of my cats I also make audio comedy - which is not as good as cat pictures, but can keep you entertained while you do the more important job of looking at cats Today we released a new episode of ManBuyCow - an […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

The artwork for the podcast episode. On the right is a cruise liner called The Princess Slovakia. On the left, floating upright in the sea, is a sausage wearing an eye patch and pirate hat. I'm not sure why the sausage is dressed as a pirate - it has nothing to do with the episode. My co-creator, Howard, does the artwork - so you'd have to ask him

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 02/03/2026

This is not my cat I sometimes see him on my cycle home from work. He's old and has an arthritic tail, but was still able to jump up onto my bike, and clamber onto the handlebars in order to headbutt me He pushed his head against my forehead and stayed […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

An old ginger cat is facing the camera. The shot is too close to tell, but he's up on the handlebars of my bike

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 01/03/2026

I’ve been teaching English as a foreign language to adults for 20 years I’ve had the chance to teach people from all over the world. They come with stories, culture, experiences - and I get to see through their eyes One wonderful thing is students from hot […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 27/02/2026

Of all the thousands of pictures I’ve taken of my three cats, this might be my favourite Look at that bundle of absolute chaos - awakening from his slumber to cause more havoc #cats #CatsOfMastodon #pets #kitten

A black kitten is lying on his side on the floor, stretching all four of his legs straight out, claws extended, and mouth open in a yawn

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 26/02/2026

So I wrote a book called The Complete History (and Fistory) of Underspace, about a girl who finds the doorway to another world on the roof of her school You could buy it - but who the hell am I? Fortunately, we’re also releasing it as a podcast (with no […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

Two black kittens are on a cat tree. One is wide awake and leaning forward, as though interested in something. The other is lying down with his head lolling over the side, his eyes half closed.

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 25/02/2026

Max never sits on me Molly does, all the time. But Max never sits on me Except today he did I put a chair on the balcony, because it was unseasonably warm in London. I sat down, and he jumped straight onto my lap I have never been more excited while […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A black cat in the foreground, looking relaxed with his eyes almost closed - sitting on me, in the background, heavily blurred because it's not about me

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/02/2026

Molly, fast asleep on my lap, totally comfortable (somehow) #cats #CatsOfMastodon #pets

A black and white cat, lying on her back with her paws in the air

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 24/02/2026

I stop in this park on my cycle to work every morning and feed the squirrels I bought a massive bag of shelled peanuts online to keep them happy The squirrels know me now, and often chase alongside my bike as I ride into the park I will miss them when I […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 23/02/2026

This morning I was given notice of redundancy - my last day is this Friday. The school I work for is closing my department I’ve worked there for 15 years & the current teaching staff is the best I’ve ever seen. Just outrageously good teachers. Students love […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

A black cat is sitting facing the camera. He is leaning his head forward slightly, with his eyes wide, which makes him look surprised - but he was probably just about to headbutt my phone.

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 22/02/2026

I'm spending a pleasant Sunday afternoon in the forest. How about you? "Our capital is full of trees. In fact, while it might not always seem like it, London is so packed with foliage that it’s technically a forest. That’s according to a United Nations […] [Original post on mastodon.social]

The view from my back window, of trees and plants and grass. It looks like I live somewhere quite rural, but actually this is Greenwich in South London. The sun is setting in the distance and creating a semi-circle corona on the window pane

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Rufus @rufustheduck.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 20/02/2026

Max & Norbert, keeping each other safe and warm They need to rest and build up energy so they can cause utter mayhem and destruction later... #cats #CatsOfMastodon #pets

Two black kittens are huddled together in the basket of a cat tree. They are facing each other and both looking up at the camera.

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