Toe Tufts

Paws tufted, with long tufts emanating from under the paws, extending backwards to create a snowshoe effect.


And very useful they are too, in this weather.

Merry Christmas!

Snow Cat

Decorating

Urchin isn't sure about tinsel, but she is always happy to help.

Ear Tufts

According to the Maine Coon breed standard, Maine Coon ears should be "feathered and preferably tufted at the tips; the ear feathering should extend beyond the outer edges of the ear". Like this.
But sometimes when a cat has been playing outdoors, running through cobwebs and climbing trees, her ear tufts get a bit unruly and look more like this:

Urchin and the String

Even the bliss of a hammock can be improved with some toys. Urchin's current favourite is this ball of string - she absconded with it while we were using it for gardening. I can absolutely assure you that it is not the same ball of string that I used for trussing my chicken, although she has her eye on that one too.

Climbing the curtains

She can get all the way to the top, when she is being really attention-seeking.

ETA demonstration of being REALLY attention-seeking!

Chair

Another example of Urchin liking to be up high at the moment. She sits on the back of Paul's chair and waits to be admired. It's a good position for showing off the magnificence of a Maine Coon tail too.

Hammock

As the weather has become colder, Urchin has remembered that the most comfortable place for a cat to be is in her hammock, suspended from the radiator. It's a very snug place to snooze.

Bannisters

Recently Urchin has decided that the bannisters are Very Interesting. She yells at us to come and see her trick, then she very proudly sits on the newel post. She has also been seen trying to walk up the bannisters. She wasn't successful, and I didn't get a photo, but the claw marks in the wood show that she got quite a long way up.

Daddy's Girl

Not that she's indulged at all. Oh no! It is perfectly normal for a cat to be carried around in a hammock made from a fleece when she indicates that there is something interesting happening in the kitchen. Perfectly normal.

Emotional blackmail

The downside of living with a vocal animal like a Maine Coon is that they tell you how deeply they are suffering. Even as I type Urchin is sitting behind my chair telling me that she is going to write to her MP about the cruelty that she is enduring. In this instance my major shortcoming is that I only let her have 15 minutes out doors this evening before it got dark.

But every weekend, when we sit in the conservatory drinking our coffee, we are treated to the most heartbreaking wails as she tries to dig her way to freedom. We generally last about 15 minutes before we cave in.

Congratulations

Urchin would like to congratulate Stewie, for his fine effort in upholding the Maine Coon's record for being the longest cats in the world. While she can't compete with his prodigious 48" effort, she does stretch out to quite an impressive length.

Friday night

Paul is still working away during the week. So when he gets home on a Friday, Urchin celebrates his return by rolling up in a tiny catcake and sitting on his lap, at such an angle that he needs to have both hands around her. It's very passive aggressive really. She looks adorable and vulnerable and exercises total control over him. He doesn't mind.

Somewhat indelicate

I think this series of pictures is hilarious. She was finding her tail distracting and kept wrapping herself in knots trying to capture it.

Reflected beauty

Another picture from Urchin's birthday. She does regal and serene very well.

Protecting her demesne

One of the neighbouring cats desperately wants to be Urchin's friend. On one memorable morning he actually let her out of the cat flap (which was set to ingress only - he pushed it from the outside and she shot out). Unfortunately, she isn't having a bar of it. Her home is her castle.

Paul got this wonderful series of photos demonstrating how she sees him off.

After assessing the threat (and correctly judging it to be much smaller than her) she gets into slinky attack mode and starts nipping at his heels. It is possible she thinks she is a sheepdog.


She follows him right down to the back of the garden and doesn't come back until she is totally satisfied that he is gone.

Then she looks very smug about having defended her home. This is also how she looks when she has been protecting us from squirrels.

New Catnip Mouse

Urchin's Aunty Irianwen very kindly offered to make her a catnip mouse. She has access to fresh, homegrown catnip and a goodly supply of felt and thought Urchin may be amused by such a thing. I think the video shows that Urchin was very much impressed by this kind thought! She fell on it as soon as she saw it and gave it a good kicking.

I feel a bit irresponsible, letting my baby cat have access to drugs like that, but she does enjoy the occasional nip.

Birthday Girl

Today Urchin is 2. A fine figure of an adult Maine Coon! She has quite a bit more growing to do, we think - rumour has it that they keep growing for much longer than other breeds of cat.

All chairs are my chair

It's amazing how far a cat can stretch out to stake her claim on prime seating.