Couldn’t sleep, so I am making a late night favorite of mine, a Nissin cup of noodles (shrimp flavor) and watching Justified. My handsome man was looking particularly glamorous in his tree-house (he’s taken to it like Forrest to Bubba), so I thought I would take a pic for you all:
One of my favorite things about Steve is the crazy whisker that is bent. It’s been like that since day one. I thought they fell out, but it has always been there, all cockamamied. It’s also just crazy to me the physical changes he has made since the seasons have shifted. He now has this magnificent mane (which you can see) that is so wide it now touches the edges of this second story villa in the cat tower. He also has grown these amazing pantaloons on his back haunches- he looks like Puss N’ Boots from behind.
And boy does he love a brushing. His coat has fully recovered and he is now a luxurious silky beast. Tunch was much more plush- like sticking your hand into a warm mass of soft cotton. Steve is much more like combining silk and flannel sheets- this long soft fur, but he puts off so much heat.
I just miss Tunch to death and think about him every day, but Steve is a really big personality in a pretty decent sized cat, and I am just so lucky to have the guy around. I often catch myself walking into the room and he is in his treehouse or just lazing on the floor, and I look at all that feline mass and feel like I am White’s Charlotte, cuz all I can think is “That is some cat.” I just wish he purred as loud as Tunch did.
I seriously am in the market for another Maine Coon. These guys are just crazy cool. I’ll give it a couple months because I have a lot of stuff going on, but I would not be surprise if this time next year there is another one in the house.
Steeplejack
Your mileage may vary.
Seriously, I don’t get how someone so tech-savvy (multiple computers, etc.) can take such consistently shitty pictures. Even cell phones have flash nowadays, and there are inexpensive cameras that can work miracles in low-light situations. How you stll manage to get the worst of both worlds is a mystery.
Yatsuno
@Steeplejack: It’s a talent. Or something.
Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)
@Steeplejack: @Yatsuno:
The next time Cole throws a tantrum, I’m blaming the two of you, no matter what he writes.
Ash Can
Now that’s what I call floofy!
PurpleGirl
Cole — have you thought of speaking to people in your local shelter(s) and telling them you would be interested in adopting another Maine Coon or a Maine Coon mix? You wouldn’t have to do it right away but when you are ready to bring another cat into the house, it’s one way you could do it. Shelters have lots of older cats and maybe they can find you what you want.
I hope you find another cat.
kdaug
Hm.. Ever get the sneaking suspicion that we’re witnessing the evolution/transmutation/metamorphsis of Cole? What happened to that rah-rah, kill-em-all, chest-thumping chap of yore? Now it’s all kitties and doggies, potato-encrusted shillelaghs, and low-light foggy pictures.
Ain’t seen reports of dislocated/naked/stranded-on-a-roof incidents in a good while..
PIGL
Such an attractive boy….I wish I could have one in my life, but I am just allergic enough that I think it wouldn’t work.
sm*t cl*de
I seriously am in the market for another Maine Coon. These guys are just crazy cool.
I am authorised to speak for Mrs Spat and she approves of this concept.
geg6
Some of you may remember that my John and I had a couple of marmalade strays we were feeding and taking care of and hoping they’d warm up enough to us to finally become our house cats. Well, they are still outside. But we had been very worried about them because the weather turned very cold very quickly and we hadn’t seen them in the usual place we fed them. Well, it turns out that they found an old groundhog hole that goes into our greenhouse and have been using that to get into the greenhouse and get out of the weather. So we now have a couple of bowls set up in there and have been putting some old dog food that our dogs couldn’t eat (digestive problems with the food) mixed with some inexpensive cat food we can buy in bulk. The bowls are empty every day, but those cats are not interested in owning us no matter how much we feed them. Oh well. At least we know they’ll get through the winter now.
Carrie
Yeeaay for Steve and Justified!
tesslibrarian
@kdaug: You realize you just jinxed him, right?
kindness
I’ve always had mutts as critters, except once we adopted a pair of Siamese kittens back in the late 70’s. I get the folk that want a breed type. I’m just not one of them.
Rob R
Unlurking to empathize – two weeks ago, a little black American Shorthair mutt kitten with no collar or tags showed up at our door, as we were on our way out to dinner, looking for some love. We gave him some pets and were on our way… and the little guy was hiding under our front step when we got home an hour and a half later. He came right in the front door and scarfed a whole can of food that I had turned right around to go buy (we’ve never had pets).
We brought him to a vet, who couldn’t find a chip, and said that the little guy was five or six months old, unfixed, and was so underweight that she figured he’d spent most of his life on the streets, but was otherwise healthy. We called animal control, and watched their Facebook page, but no one had reported a similar missing cat, so we dubbed him Parker, and he’s got himself a home and two squares a day now.
It is amazing how the little guy, who we were totally unprepared for, wormed his way into our hearts. And it’s been awesome to see the little fella go from skinny and needy to healthy and loving… although we’ll see how much he loves us next week, when he goes back to the vet for round two of vaccinations. And neutering.
cleek
just FYI, our cats are Siberians, which means they look a lot like Maine Coons (including the mane, huge paws and super-soft fur), but are the same size as normal house cats. Tricksey is 10# and Pepper is 13#.
Pepper, Tricksey.
they’re also supposed to be less allergenic than most other cats. YMMV.
Paul in KY
@kindness: Maine Coons (kind you would get at a shelter) are basially ‘mutts’.
Definitely not an exotic breed of cat. Domestic tabby shorthair with longer hair/bigger size for colder climes.
gogol's wife
@Rob R:
He’ll still love you. And you’ll love him. There has been nothing more satisfying in my life than the process you’ve just described.
Johannes
Awesome, Cole. That is all.
wvblueguy
Thanks to John I now know that my cat is a Maine Coon. To refer to a Maine as a Mutt misses the point. Just google Maine Coon and you will learn that these cats are among the most friendly and loyal pets you could have short of a dog. Mine chirps and does not purr. He is extremely bright and loves people. He follows me everywhere and waits outside a closed door for me to return just like Steve does with John. He is not a lap cat which is often the case with a Maine Coon. His Vet says that Mr Jones is one in a hundred and is extremely popular when he boards there.
I was astounded to see the prices being asked by breeders for pedigreed Maine Coons upwards of $850.00 in some cases. I too would have a second one, and am delighted to know from the Google that there are ways of locating this very special animal.
Paul in KY
@wvblueguy: By ‘mutt’, I meant they had not been as intensively bred/inbred for certain physical characteristics as some other breeds.
I have 2 Maine Coons & they are both great cats. One is a lap cat & one isn’t.
cain
@wvblueguy:
I have that song Mr. Jones and Me running through my mind now!
wvblueguy
@Paul in KY: Well put. Mine was found by a friend lost on the streets and I am delighted to have a cat that is not bred/inbred. Thanks!
Amir Khalid
@Rob R:
Don’t worry about the neutering. He’ll blame the vet — that’s what they’re there for.
Chief
Mr. Cole,
Two items:
First, Mrs. Chief has her second Maine Coon named Lacey. Lacey is about 12 years old.
Second, I have my Dish box set to record ‘Justified.’ A new one did not record last night. Are you watching re-runs? The newest Justified I have was first on 2 Apr 13.
Paul in KY
@wvblueguy: Glad you have him in your life :-)
schrodinger's cat
My ginger kitty Inji, is from Maine though not a Maine Coon, her fur is plush and dense and thick, and she gets floofy pantaloons in the winter but not the mane. Her siblings were long haired, so she may have some Maine Coon in her. She is affectionate and unafraid, more like doggie kitty and not skittish like boss cat.
Keith G
@Rob R: Bravo! Fantastic!
Some how your little kitten was in a place to be socialized to human company before life on the streets. I wonder if there was an “unplanned” pregnancy and the litter was tolerated til weaning – then the “humans” put them out.
Raising a kitten from such a young age is so rewarding. Despite the common stereotypes, most cats adopted at an early age seem to really want to integrate into the life of their family. Before long, your guy will be more adamant about your bedtime than your are.
One pro tip: If he is to be an only child, as it were, have a variety of playthings and human/cat playtime. Or, adopt a second kitten and let them entertain and love each other as well as both of you.
kindness
@Amir Khalid: And he should be thankful the new cat is a he and not a she. We had our 6 month old female done last week and it is quite a bit more for females than males. So, Christmas won’t be quite so frivolous this year. It’s OK. Great cat, no kittens for the world from this one and I’ll still have an awesome season.
Now if only my 49ers could figure out a way to beat the Seahawks….
Ripley
Full stop.
phoebes-in-santa fe
@Rob R: What a wonderful thing you did by adopting Parker. May you long enjoy him and may long he find love and comfort from you.
ninja3000
John, my black Maine Coon (code name “Midnight”) had those pantaloons also, and would stand still — butt facing me — for minutes on end while I brushed his nether regions. He chirped loud and purred soft, and what a character! My left arm STILL aches from holding him up to my chest for hours without a break, and he’s been gone for two years now…
Rob R
Thanks guys. Parker has a ton of toys – the day after we found out he wasn’t chipped, we loaded up the trunk at Petco and our dog-owning friends showed up with more as a “welcome to the pet-owning family” gift. And he plays with them, but what’s his favorite?
That’s right: the paper bag from the liquor store. ;)
Paul in KY
@kindness: I knew a girl who ‘home spayed’ her cat as a cost saving measure. Had a vet friend show her how it was done & she sedated the cat, cut it open, sewed it up, etc. etc.
Said it was fine. I never met the actual cat, so I do not know for sure how it went.
I certainly believe she did it. If you had met her, you would have believed it too.
Pluky
Great cat, and a beautiful coat. However, speaking from experience, come spring time beware the shed!
Mnemosyne
@Paul in KY:
I prefer “Maine Coon mix” myself. :-) Our Keaton is not quite as big as a purebred Maine Coon since he’s “only” 15 pounds and the size of a small terrier, but he definitely has a lot of the characteristics, particularly the tiny meow.
M.C. Simon Milligan
I had a Weegie (Norwegian Forest Cat) for 12 years. Best. Cat. Ever.
I like my current Russian Blue (…ish, no papers or anything) but before I die I will have another nordic-type cat.
kindness
@Paul in KY: I vaccinate my dogs & cats myself but I draw the line at surgery.
Michael Carpet
What about Lily and Rosie?