Red Persian wins The Modesto Bee’s cutest cat contest
After hundreds of submissions and thousands of votes, the winner of The Modesto Bee’s Cutest Cat Contest has been decided. With a name fit for a crown, Duchess secured 71% of the votes.
Duchess is the 2-year-old pet of Leopold, 71, and Virginia Aguilera, 69, of Modesto. Both are retired teachers, Leo at Downey for 37 years and Virginia for 13 years, with the last years at Whitmore Charter High School. They acquired Duchess after the loss of their first Persian cat, Princess.
“We were devastated when we lost Princess after 12 years,” said Virginia, “so I got Duchess for Christmas shortly after.”
Duchess is a red Persian, which Leo describes as a rare color. She also descended from a champion line from a local breeder. “We got her from a family friend named Angel, she is also Duchess’ cat sitter when we travel,” Leo said.
Her name was inspired by the movie “The Duchess,” starring Keira Knightley, and the Aguileras first fell in love with the breed after seeing it in a film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “Bleak House.” “What I like about the Persians is that they have a flat face. They look like an owl face, and they have a lot of expression,” Leo said.
As her name might suggest, Duchess rules the roost, seeking attention and frequent pampering and making herself heard with soaring meows. She especially dislikes closed doors and will protest loudly with body slams and cries until she summons someone to open them.
In the mornings, she acts as an alarm clock. “When she sees the sun coming up, she comes into our bedroom, jumps on the bed, comes to me and smashes her face into my face to wake up,” Leo said.
Virginia continued, “You’re sound asleep, and suddenly she leaps on you, and she’s not a lightweight cat, so you’re going to have to get up.”
After rousing the family for breakfast, Duchess requires multiple bowls of food depending on her mood that day. “I have to have two different food dishes, because one day she eats out of one and won’t touch the other. I have to keep both full,” Virginia said.
Though fond of her parents, Duchess can be standoffish to strangers. She may give a sniff or two but then saunter away and watch from one of her many beds or cardboard boxes.
She also prefers to be an only child. Leo demonstrated Duchess’ particular disdain for a stuffed dog, originally bought to sleep with as a companion. By simply pretending to pet the dog, Leo makes Duchess jealous. She’ll jump on Leo’s lap and then bat at the toy until it gets put away.
In the evenings, a gentler side of Duchess comes out. Switching from lap to lap as the Aguileras sit on their recliners, Duchess is fond of the petting and brushing required of this breed. “You have to brush them daily, and also keep their face clean,” Virginia said. It’s a labor of love, but one they relish.
“Of course, we think she is Modesto’s cutest cat,” Leo said, “and we think others will agree.”
This story was originally published September 13, 2024 at 4:00 PM.
