There, on the path between the house and the garage, were Penelope and Fred. Lounging. Looking to all the world as if they had been best buddies forever! I excitedly called Jeff to the room, and we both stood there, transfixed. A couple of moments later Fred saw us looking and got a little nervous. He popped up, looking like he might run away, and his movement prompted Penelope to rise too.

But within a few seconds of them walking around and sniffing each other, Fred went back to the path and sat down in a movement that seemed to show deference to Penelope. For her part, she played the Regal Queen acknowledging her royal subject, and soon sat again as well.

Like I said before, you probably already figured out that these two already knew each other in the “real” world and not just through the door, but I hadn’t even considered the possibility, so set in my intention to capture him and keep her safe in the process. Now we all knew the truth. Penelope was probably more annoyed at me for not letting her join in on the breakfasts with her new friend.

A few more minutes of lounging later, Fred had enough again and took off, up and over the fence. And yet again, I thought we were done for the day. But I was still wondering about that hungry belly of his since he had refused his breakfast in the kennel.

And here’s when I really learned the power of the belly. If you are hungry enough and have found a relatively safe and reliable food source, you aren’t satisfied with a hungry belly. You want a full belly.

At 9:48am, Fred showed up on the front porch. He was looking for food, and he was willing to try something new.