My friend Michael (and tka blog host) has a new entry up at his awesome and high traffic site Pictures of Cats*. It delves into the details of cat anatomy , from whiskers to ears, to noses and beyond, and oh yes, cat eyes. (*note- all proceeds from POC and tka go to fund cat rescue.) So, I'm prompted to post a photo from yesterday of Tootsie my beauty cat Maine coon (who, as it happens, is a rescue cat). I didn't realize until I looked closely at the photo, but amazing eye detail! TY Tootsie. I can almost see where the boundaries of the irises are. And, that purple stuff beyond, which makes her eyes look like the surface of the moon, I'm assuming show the blood vessels that supply the eye. Michael can correct me on that, if needs be. Tootsie, it is clear, has yellow eyes. I've looked hard, hoping they might be green *g*. But, just as when I find an absolutely wonderful Harris Tweed jacket that I might purchase for a friend who is a great lover of such, b...

Polydactyl Maine Coon- Cat Ms. Beauty Cat. Tootsie did well on this photo op, I think. I call it her "Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up" pose.** It's really a way better pic than the one that appears on her "driver's license" (see below). *g* ** Movie trivia = Sunset Boulevard

My cat got her driver's license! Well, that was my first reaction when I was given this, shortly after I went to pick Tootie up from the vet. I mean like, same plastic, same size, same terrible picture! I was so laughing. (some details above have been obscured to defeat potential catnappers) Being the YouTube addict that I am, I HAD to go looking for cats who drive. UH OH! Toonces the driving cat! SNL. Now I learn! Toonces has quite the history.... ( quote from wiki ) Toonces was the family pet of Lyle (Steve Martin in the first sketch, thereafter by Dana Carvey) and Brenda Clark (Victoria Jackson), an enthusiastic couple who would allow their cat to drive the family car. At first, they were delighted that their cat had such an ability, but were always horrified to discover (too late) that Toonces was actually not a skilled driver at all. Double UH OH! Can you say silver tabby? Shh.... p.s. for Michael my blog host- standards for getting a "driver's license" in...

Yes, twist ties are great cat toys! In an earlier post, I described how my Maine coon Tootsie led me to this discovery: Tootsie polydactyl Maine coon cat invents new cat toy -- as I said then: Tootsie is a very resourceful cat. So, I am downstairs, and I hear thundering about upstairs. Not exactly the first time this has happened. She gets especially wild and crazy when I'm not watching. And then, out of the corner of my eye, as I am sitting downstairs at the computer, I catch a glimpse of her trotting across the kitchen with "something" in her jaws. And then I hear scraping noises. She's whapping that "something" about, as I shortly discover. The figure below gives the details. Part a shows the "something" she was trotting around with. Why yes, it IS a twist tie, and it was included in the packaging for the Roomba I purchased. Part b shows my attempts to create other options, following on from Tootsie's toy invention. A scale bar is...

My Maine coon loves getting combed. Thank goodness, because she was shedding fur all over the place, now that summer is coming. Turns out that what works the best is a cheap plastic comb that I got from who knows where. She loves this comb! Purr time, big time. After I've run out of steam scratching her under the chin with it, she does the "cat flop" belly up, and waits... and purrs... I've saved the fur I collected over the past 3 days, and set it out to take a picture, along with the comb. Crickey! She was watching, and was on the photo setup in an instant, disturbing the cloth background. But, so fascinating- it was the fur itself that really intrigued her. She sniffed and sniffed and... So, I put out the scratch pad to get the two photos at the bottom, and yes, eventually, she paid some attention to the comb. But, this cheap plastic comb really is her favorite by far of the grooming tools I've tried. I have a whole collection of "cat brushes...

My Maine coon Tootsie REALLY likes to have her tummy rubbed. Strange behavior in that I've never had a cat before that thought was a "good idea". She does the "cat flop", belly up, and waits. And purrs. Seems it's a Maine coon thing! ;) Oscar's Monday Oh, how I wish I were a cat some days. This is what Oscar has been up to all day long. kathleenlosche jorbasa Sind wir ein bisschen albern? Maine Coon Kater Noel mit 11 Monaten snuesch86 Looks like Bela crawled under the coffee table and passed out after a fresh cat nip high. (Don't be alarmed. He actually sleeps this way often) stewickie All of the above photos are from flickr, available via a Creative Commons License. Maine coon belly fluff YouTube here p.s. Also see Even more Maine coon belly fluff for more great pictures of those silly Maine coons.

This is Feets, Booglum's Maine coon polydactyl rescue cat: Direct link is here Booglum says: "Here is the baby Maine Coon Kitty, Feets, and his big huge polydactyl paws! Aww, such a baby. He is our snowstorm rescue baby. :)" I've featured Feets before, here . Love that kitty, who, btw, is somehow entered by breed as a "Mancoon" at the vets! So I've been told ;) Here's Tootsie, my Maine coon polydactyl rescue cat (click on photo for a larger image)- also on flickr with Creative Commons License. Click on the label below, "polydactyl", for more polydactyl cats.

I've learned something new about giving a cat medicine. I've read a lot about people trying to wrangle cats, or trick cats, or outwit cats, or out-maneuver cats to give them needed medication. And, something that works for one cat, won't work for another, according to my reading. So, this is FYI, fwiw! Here's the deal: Tootsie has been suffering from some kind of respiratory infection since I got her from the shelter. On my first visit to the vet, a week after I brought her home, the vet gave me some liquid antibiotics. But Tootsie was so unhappy with the vet visit, she became really evasive. And, she is one strong and wiry cat. So, I waited a few days, and then the symptoms seemed to go away. So, in the interest of comity and getting her to trust me, I didn't give her the medication. But, suddenly last week the symptoms returned, and way worse than before. I discovered that the medication, which had been in the fridge, was discolored (label said do not use...

I've worried about Tootsie getting bored, especially when I'm not around. I bought a few "official" kitty toys. The only one she liked was the feather toy. Deal is, though, that she ran off with the feather part, and I haven't been able to locate it. I'm beginning to suspect that this was her way of mentioning to me that she was now bored with the feather, rather than her having forgotten where she put it. Why do I say this? Well, she was really nutty for plastic straws for a few weeks. But now, they just don't seem to hold the same fascination. Used to be that she would throw these about, jump on them, and push them off high places, without any intervention from me. Now she pretty much ignores them, even when I try to get her interested. But, whew! Tootsie is a very resourceful cat. So, I am downstairs, and I hear thundering about upstairs. Not exactly the first time this has happened. She gets especially wild and crazy when I'm not watchin...

There was a huge thunder storm here the other evening. Poor Tootsie. It really freaked her out in way that I've not see before. She bolted to some hidey hole, but then I tried to comfort her. I called her, and she emerged, but she came to me in a manner of "walking" that was something I'd only seen a cat do once before. Yes, she came to me. But, the way she moved- every part of her was as close to the floor as possible. Her front part was so hunkered down that her shoulder blades were above her spine. Almost the same for her hind parts. Her belly and her tail were wiping the dust off the floor. Of course, I couldn't get a picture. I tried to find a picture online that showed this stance, without success. I tried every sort of google search term. She wasn't stalking. She wasn't creeping. She wasn't sneaking. She was doing something else more intense. Here are two images I found, which are the closest I could get to describing her stance....

I finally caught Tootsie on camera, doing PART of her cat yoga routine. She does this whenever she wakes up. This is just a sample! Tootsie is a rescue cat. She has turned into a whole new cat since I adopted her in January, less than two months ago. I decided to add the following picture- the online picture at the rescue site- to say two things: consider adopting a rescue cat if you can, and, Tootsie is a joy. I can't help but think that she is enjoying her new home. Click on the label "cat photography" to see more pictures of Tootsie the polydactyl Maine Coon.

Okay, so I started this post a few weeks back. This is what I wrote then: This is hilarious. It's new way to exercise the kitty. As a result of watching this video, I bought a Roomba online. I recently adopted a Maine coon (purebred) 5.5 yo female from a rescue shelter. She emerges from under the bed wearing dust bunnies. And, I want to make sure she gets enough exercise (indoor cat). The Roomba has yet to arrive, but I'm hoping it will help on both accounts... Direct link is here (3:15) I mentioned in a post about cat brushes- Will cat brushes become my new obsession? that I'd give an update on the Roomba project. There were some questions and opinions in the comment section. Marion in Savannah: Should I get one? Is it too good to be true? I can't give an authoritative answer to that- but I will reprise my comments and those of another Human (karen marie), edited a bit for clarity, with extra comments. We seem to have similar opinions and experience. First...

I promise I will get back to posting great YouTubes of kittehs. Srsly. But right now I'm under "the I have a new cat" spell. Tootsie loves to play with plastic straws, but usually only when the lights are out. Oh yes, I can hear it, as the straws get picked up and dropped and rattled about. And then there are all the thumping noises as she bounds around. I did manage to catch her at it today, though. She picks up the straws with her polydactyl paws, and then tosses them around or executes a quick maneuver so that she can grab another part in her jaws. And then... hmmm... it all depends... so many options. Today she was on top of the bed, and dropped the captured straws onto the floor. Click on the label "cat photography" to see more pictures of Tootsie the polydactyl Maine Coon. Click on the label "polydactyl", for more polydactyl cats.

I'm well on the way, although I have acquired only five so far. So, Tootie did not like Teh Awesome Equine Cat Brush. And, I had driven miles across CT to find one for her (CT was site of previous purchase). Sigh. As my mother would say "well, that's the cat in her". Tootsie the Maine coon does not like ANY of the five cat brushes I've purchased. Actually, I've had greater success grooming her with my grandmother's rhinestone hair comb. That said, the Human in the household (that would be me) loves this purchase (to the right). I found it in the pet aisle at Publix. I thought, heck, what's another cat brush? I'll give it a try. My oh my! It takes the kitty hairs (and other random stuff) off clothing in a way that puts to shame that weird plastic item with the red velveteen brush surface. I used it to brush off a pair of gray wool slacks (part of my teaching uniform). They look brand new. Can't wait to try it on the car! For the money, ...

Oh, Hai! I've being taking more Tootsie photos. She was a challenging subject today. I just could not get her to play with straws the way she does when the lights are out. But, I did get her to give a "high five" to the ceiling cat. And, she hinted that she would like to have her tummy rubbed. She has quite a respectable Maine coon tail- but not yet up to "tail with a cat attached" status. Reports will continue. Click on the label "cat photography" to see more pictures of Tootsie the polydactyl Maine Coon.

Yes, she's a polydactyl. And, quite adept with those paws! More pix of Tootsie the Maine coon polydactyl here (she does yoga), here (she picks up straws with her paws), here (she's furry), and here (and she loves the feather toy).

This post is for Marion in Savannah, who has been a faithful reader and commenter from the get go. So, Marion, you wanted more pictures of Tootsie? Here they are. But, trying to photograph a cat is, well, like herding cats. You know. Tootsie loves her new feather toy. I brought the feather toy home, and she went nuts. It was near bedtime, and I hid it under the bed. She is really a good cat. Even though sometimes she may have run out of food in the early hours she doesn't get into the food bag. But, oh my, this feather toy was a totally different thing. So, in the early hours of first day of feather toy, I hear leaping about, scratching, and I feel energetic thumping all over the bed. I tried to ignore the situation. But, I finally gave in, and opened my eyes long enough to see that she had found the feather toy, and dragged it onto the bed. She was as fascinated with the string as she was with feathers. I now take the precaution of removing the feather part from the s...

Ahem, until very recently, I had contented myself with the joys of watching my "virtual" kittehs at YouTube. Had many kittehs before, but I was still suffering "kitteh grief". At the same time, there was this little niggle in the back of my mind: move on, move on. So, for quite a while, it's been brewing. I got out my camera today, and managed to take a kitteh pic before the camera battery stopped working. Kitteh is very camera shy, but not so bad on her debut. I removed the camera battery so that I could recharge it, but left the camera with kitteh, so that she could befriend it. When I snuck out, she was rubbing her face against the edges of the camera. She's got a plan... Here's my first photo of Tootsie, the polydactyl Maine coon: I found her online, via a local cat rescue charity. Uh, this was the photo they posted: And, the description was not exactly encouraging either- shy, needs patient person, etc. But, she is a purebred Maine coon, an...