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01
The frisky feline began prowling around the barracks in the base in 2004
As a bored house cat, she was looking for action – and she found it among all the young recruits, who were also a source of snacks between meals. The soldiers named her "Broccoli" after the tabby nibbled on a bite of the green vegetable. Though she had a home nearby, it seemed she couldn't get enough of army life. "It was awkward. She kept coming back – even at Christmastime, when there weren't that many people here to look out for her," recalls custodian Werner Holzer.
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02
Her former owner was unable to prevent the free-roaming cat from visiting the barracks. So finally, the owner and the authorities at the base agreed that the green-eyed feline could stay.
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03
Since Broccoli couldn’t live from mere table scraps, the soldiers set up a kitty to buy her cat food.
"She loves to eat," remarks Holzer, who shares an office with Broccoli. "And she's very clean quite curious, investigating every corner of the 60-hectare base".
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04
Now a 14-year-old senior, she’s showing her age somewhat.
"We notice that she's not as fit. For example, she doesn't jump straight down from tables – she needs a chair in between," Holzer notes. But she's still lively enough to make her rounds, stalking birds, greeting friends, and chasing off a local cat that she doesn't like".
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05
She doesn’t have a job, but she adds to the atmosphere
"A lot of the soldiers are away from home for the first time, and the days here can be long and tough. So it's relaxing to pet a cat," points out Holzer. Broccoli even has her own Facebook pageexternal link with more than 3,500 fans, and it was there that she earned the "Brigadier" ranking.
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