Handsome, modest, and sweet natured - well, @SandboxGeneral - you seem to have found yourself a veritable feline treasure. And yes, I repeat, a lovely picture.
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Handsome, modest, and sweet natured - well, @SandboxGeneral - you seem to have found yourself a veritable feline treasure. And yes, I repeat, a lovely picture.
I'm not sure if I should be concerned about this or not, but their tails keep getting bigger and bigger. If things keep going at this pace, they'll be 8 foot long cats by the time they're full grown.
Agreed.
I'm not sure if I should be concerned about this or not, but their tails keep getting bigger and bigger. If things keep going at this pace, they'll be 8 foot long cats by the time they're full grown.
From what I can see, it is clear that the cat pictured will become - or, grow into - a 'long-haired' cat, and will look simply stunning when s/he matures.
Are they all like that? My next door neighbour used to have two beautiful longhairs, and their tails were magnificent. I suspect that you will see 'tufts' grow on their ears, as well. Their footpads will also be fairly furry in appearance.
The two females are. If anything, Polydot's tail is actually longer and more fluffy. It's HUGE. But Pete? He's slightly longer haired than most tabbies tend to be, but mostly he's just fat and gigantic.
Another post in my Backyard Surprise Cats journal. They're closing in on their 7th month, which means they're over halfway grown by this point. Makes for a good middle marker of my dramatic tale of random kittens.
To start off, I finally managed to get a shot of the Source Cat. The father of all the other kittens in the neighborhood, and the only stray male still wandering about. You can't tell from the picture, but he's a good sized animal. Strangely laid back, too. He doesn't attack any cat that crosses his path like most alpha male cats do. He just ignores them, and moves on his way. It's for this reason I think he might be owned by someone around here who never bothered to get him neutered.
...brazen ass cat, let me tell you.
Polydot
Phuzz
Polydot and THE PETE! RADDEST OF ALL ANIMALS!
I'll post the next shots on their first birthday: April 27th, 2016.
To start off, I finally managed to get a shot of the Source Cat. The father of all the other kittens in the neighborhood, and the only stray male still wandering about. You can't tell from the picture, but he's a good sized animal. Strangely laid back, too. He doesn't attack any cat that crosses his path like most alpha male cats do. He just ignores them, and moves on his way. It's for this reason I think he might be owned by someone around here who never bothered to get him neutered.
...brazen ass cat, let me tell you.
Polydot
Phuzz
Polydot and THE PETE! RADDEST OF ALL ANIMALS!
I'll post the next shots on their first birthday: April 27th, 2016.
Another post in my Backyard Surprise Cats journal. They're closing in on their 7th month, which means they're over halfway grown by this point. Makes for a good middle marker of my dramatic tale of random kittens.
To start off, I finally managed to get a shot of the Source Cat. The father of all the other kittens in the neighborhood, and the only stray male still wandering about. You can't tell from the picture, but he's a good sized animal. Strangely laid back, too. He doesn't attack any cat that crosses his path like most alpha male cats do. He just ignores them, and moves on his way. It's for this reason I think he might be owned by someone around here who never bothered to get him neutered.
...brazen ass cat, let me tell you.
Polydot
Phuzz
Polydot and THE PETE! RADDEST OF ALL ANIMALS!
I'll post the next shots on their first birthday: April 27th, 2016.
Never thought I would 'own' a cat, but Millie and I have been together 3 years. It is funny how they trick us into making them our 'pets'...lol!
Yup. You can't help but love the little guys, especially when they're as friendly as mine. Polydot in particular acts like being paid attention to is the greatest experience of her little cat life. She not only purrs, but also makes this trilling noise while you hold her.
...and hey, you only have one.
Another post in my Backyard Surprise Cats journal. They're closing in on their 7th month, which means they're over halfway grown by this point. Makes for a good middle marker of my dramatic tale of random kittens.
To start off, I finally managed to get a shot of the Source Cat. The father of all the other kittens in the neighborhood, and the only stray male still wandering about. You can't tell from the picture, but he's a good sized animal. Strangely laid back, too. He doesn't attack any cat that crosses his path like most alpha male cats do. He just ignores them, and moves on his way. It's for this reason I think he might be owned by someone around here who never bothered to get him neutered.
...brazen ass cat, let me tell you.
Polydot
Phuzz
Polydot and THE PETE! RADDEST OF ALL ANIMALS!
I'll post the next shots on their first birthday: April 27th, 2016.
Great shots; the one of Polydot is especially good.
Nice to see a shot of The Patriarch or Source.
Rather than being 'owned by someone around here' I suspect that it is more likely that he may have been owned once upon a time by someone around the neighbourhood, who may have moved elsewhere, or passed, or been unable or unwilling to fully care for him. He doesn't have that 'cared for' look that true pets have.
Feel free to post more shots around Christmas, as they are still growing. And the shots are utterly charming, and the animals quite irresistible. Moreover, if the long-hairs are true to their breed, they'll not reach full maturity - including magnificent tails, feet tufts, coats, and ear tufts - for a while yet, a few more years. They are slow to fully mature.
He does have something of a pugilist look to him, probably due to all the fights he's obviously been in. I've seen him out in the back yard fairly well beaten up before, back when more strays were running the neighborhood.
It's a shame because, in his own way, he's a friendly animal. Not exactly trusting, but he's not wild and skittish like most feral cats are. He would've made a good, friendly pet if someone took care of him in his younger years.
If it snows this year, I'll definitely post a few pictures of the herd playing in it.
And I expect you're right about at least Polydot. She's very small compared to her brother and sister, who look more like full grown cats (Pete's actually a bit bigger than Cap now). I wouldn't be surprised if she especially grew a little more past her 1st birthday, though I don't expect any of them to be much larger than they are now.
...well, save for Pete. Judging by those spikes of fur on his ears, he might have some Maine Coon in him. Going by his weight, he could end up much, much larger.
Well, I'm sure he'd welcome a saucer of milk and tender loving care if that is on offer. Not sure he'd care for the proverbial trip to the vet.
Hm, Pete as a part Maine Coon? He strikes me as a chunky short hair.
Now, your Phuzz, on the other hand, certainly has some long haired ancestry, whether Norwegian Forest Cat, or Maine Coon, I cannot say. Not in size, but in coat. And their coats will not show up fully in their winter magnificence for a few years - by the time the animal is two or three years old they should look stunning in winter. (I am going by my memory of the two longhaired cats which used to belong to my next door neighbour).
It'll be interesting to see how Polydot turns out. She could take a while to reach full maturity, and fill out fully. As you say, she is still quite small.
Considering his size and history of fighting, he'd probably severely maim anyone who does anything beyond leaving out a saucer of milk for him.
That's because he is a chunky short hair. Very chunky.
It's the spikes that make me believe he might have some small measure of Maine Coon in him. I've personally never seen another breed of cat sporting those, and he has a fairly decent set for himself. It could help explain why he's such a large cat.
If I go by Poly's tail, she still has plenty of growing left to do. It's rare to see a small cat with a tail as long as its body, and Poly's tail is that long, and almost too bushy for the rest of her.
It's hard to get a good picture of it, since she's always flicking it about, but this'll give you an idea of it.
And since I'm posting pictures, here's a good shot of all three.
This is a particularly good shot of Phuzz, actually. Not so much for Pete, though.
Considering his size and history of fighting, he'd probably severely maim anyone who does anything beyond leaving out a saucer of milk for him.
That's because he is a chunky short hair. Very chunky.
It's the spikes that make me believe he might have some small measure of Maine Coon in him. I've personally never seen another breed of cat sporting those, and he has a fairly decent set for himself. It could help explain why he's such a large cat.
If I go by Poly's tail, she still has plenty of growing left to do. It's rare to see a small cat with a tail as long as its body, and Poly's tail is that long, and almost too bushy for the rest of her.
It's hard to get a good picture of it, since she's always flicking it about, but this'll give you an idea of it.
And since I'm posting pictures, here's a good shot of all three.
This is a particularly good shot of Phuzz, actually. Not so much for Pete, though.
Yes, I am pretty sure that your Polydot has a fair bit of growing yet left to do. The long-haired breeds - Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest Cats tend to take several years to reach full maturity, three to four years. Both of these breeds sport those striking ear tufts.
You'll see their coats - especially their winter coats become astonishing (and quite beautiful), and the ear tufts and fur between their toes become more pronounced as they age, especially in winter.
Well, see what the Patriarch accepts. His history of fighting has probably been directed at males of his own species. I doubt that it has included humans.
Indeed, I have known partially feral male cats - cats whose owners had moved away, and subsequently survived more or less unscathed, cats who were well able to look after themselves.
In particular, I knew a formerly feral cat with a robust history of serial murder and menace (towards rats & rodents, other male cats, birds) somehow suborn and seduce the small daughter of the family that used to be my brother's next door neighbours, and inveigle his way into the family.
The animal in question was a quite strikingly attractive and stunning looking creature - he was pure white (and yes, like yours, a good sized animal). And, like your Patriarch, he was laid back, almost fearless, with a detached and affable curiosity about people.
I met him, - a number of times - because if his family was away he would sit on my brother's step, hoping for admittance and an hour's entertainment in a warm room. My brother described him as an assassin with the heart of a murderer. However, he was a highly intelligent animal,- and was an extraordinary and formidable hunter - and seemed to have bonded very strongly with the young daughter of the family who adored him.
He would amble over to us, from his own front door, when we got out of the car, and greet us coolly if his own adopted family hadn't come home. Occasionally, if it was cold, on a Saturday or Sunday, he would sit outside my brother's front door or French window, or on the windowsill, demanding entry for an hour.
They thought that he had come from the area and that his original owners had - for one reason or another - moved away without him. Anyway, that relationship started with milk; and meals, and occasional admittance to warm living rooms on cold week-end days for a few hours. Needless to say, it progressed from there.
The family initially had some reservations - the animal had been feral, or semi-feral, and - apparently, they were also awed by his cool capacity for killing - but the young daughter was adamant. She loved him, and he seemed to strongly return her affection. In any case, it ended with the cat moving - perfectly happily - with the family when they relocated to a country town when the wife was transferred on a work promotion, and the husband's cancer was in remission.
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I'll join in with the cat pics with this one of my cat Godzuki that I took yesterday. See how thrilled she looks.
I must say that I love the expression on his face - quizzical, mischievous, and - hm - focussed….very nice picture..
Christmas pics of the "kids". Andi is the long haired munchkin cat and Tails is the short haired yawning one.
Bob with his favourite toy "Mr Turtle"
Although he has a bit of twig hanging out of his mouth as he had been raiding the garden.
Although he has a bit of twig hanging out of his mouth as he had been raiding the garden.
Bob with his favourite toy "Mr Turtle"
Although he has a bit of twig hanging out of his mouth as he had been raiding the garden.
Well, @MacRy, I remember when you - and your wife - first got him and you posted about it here. A wonderfully uplifting and life affirming story, and Bob's whole demeanour - just look at his splendid coat - tells its own terrific tale.
Great to get an update, and thanks for posting and sharing.
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People don't own cats. Cats own people.
It's rare I can get this one off to the side, and off my MBA. His brother is worse.
I can't believe that was nearly four years ago now. He's spoiled rotten now and totally rules the roost.
Really? "Spoiled rotten and totally rules the roost"? Hm.
Well, his obvious happiness and great good health are a wonderful testament to the quality of the care you and your wife have provided.
Thanks ScepticalS. We lavish him with love and affection and he rewards us with his loyalty and craziness.
That sounds like a good deal. Plus, pets can offer you not just love and loyalty, but unconditional love, and loyalty, which is something awfully nice to be on the receiving end of.
Anyway, his evident health and happiness - just look at his gleaming coat - are a terrific testament to the pair of you and the quality of the - your - care and attention you clearly lavish on him.
You might care to remind some of the newer posters of the circumstances of how Bob came to be a part of your family, as it is a tale well worth telling.
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