Spring is in the Air

[mischiefmydear]

The other morning I heard Lottie making a ruckus at the bedroom window. I pull open the window, expecting a bunny or bird in the grass, and instead find a huge cat sitting across from her. I quickly grab the camera, name her friend Casanova, and hit record.

Click to view

Prior to this, she was meowing up a storm and lunging at the window.

Comments

[project_mayhem_]

Lottie got big! How much does she weigh now?

[mischiefmydear]

She can't be more than 7 pounds at most, I'd think. I know she's lighter than 10 pounds, but has to be more than 5.... she looks a LOT bigger than she is though. It's all fur.

[project_mayhem_]

How old is she now, three or four? I was thinking she might be part Maine Coon, but if she doesn't even weigh ten pounds (and most of that is fluff), she might be part Norwegian (although Maine Coons are descended from Norwegians). Do you have any recent pics (rhetorical question, probably)?

[mischiefmydear]

Actually, I checked Wikipedia & most females are only 8-12 pounds on average (for Maine Coons). It's actually only the males that get huge. She's always been really tiny though, so she may have been the runt of the litter. When I got her, my mother refused to believe she was 8 weeks old because she was so small.

It's hard to find information about Norweigans, but I can say that Lottie really fits the profile of a Maine Coon to a T (she has much closer markings & coloring to them, too). I only know because notmikey was pretty certain Lo is partially MC, and I looked up the stats. There is a HUGE Maine Coon population in Southern Indiana it seems, because I can always find dozens of them on Petfinder.

These aren't super new, but they're much more clear than newer ones (and she looks exactly the same)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/absolutashe/IMG_0839.jpgReply

[project_mayhem_]

I need to caption that first one "IM IN UR FRIDGE, EATIN UR FOODS."

Yeah, she's definitely more Maine Coon, looking at the photos. I know there's an MC rescue in the Indianapolis area. I didn't know about the size difference between the sexes, though. I forgot that she was a really tiny kitten.

[mischiefmydear]

I had no ideas about the differences in sizes either, until Michael was like, "Look it up, because she's a lot like Sam (his cat) & I'm certain she's part."

I forget how tiny she was until I see pictures! She was no bigger than her stuffed unicorn, and that thing is SO SMALL (and she still plays with it, sleeps on it).

She's got the WORST fascination with the fridge lately-- any time I open it up, she's in there.

That's also very good to know about the MC rescue in Indy... when I think about getting another cat, I do think that I really should get another MC, because they'd be so good at keeping each other entertained....

[mischiefmydear]

Oh, and she's not quite 3-- she should be in a few months. Which, if she is Maine Coon, means she may not start to reach her full size until she's 3-4 years old.

[project_mayhem_]

Some get bigger sooner than others- scarybaldguy has a female ragdoll that is 17lbs at just two years old. I talked to Rachel recently and she said Kaylee has started to get bigger and fluffier- 11lbs and Tribble-like hair.

[mischiefmydear]

OOoh, I LOVE ragdolls! There was one at Delilah's around the time I adopted Lottie, but I could NOT justify $250 on a cat. It also makes me so happy to hear that Kaylee is filling out more & more. That sweet girl really got the luck when you two adopted her.

If Lottie gets bigger, I wouldn't mind a bit. I've wanted a huge Coon since I was little, so it'd be more kitten to torture. If she stays tiny, that's all right, too, as it means it is easier to scoop her up in to one arm ;)

[project_mayhem_]

Fitz' ragdoll is up all over the place on kittyvids. She's the only one of his four cats I haven't met.

Yeah, Kaylee's living the good life right now- she gets to play in the sunny yard pretty much most days, gets wet food twice a day plus a half-hour of brushing, and more toys than she can play with. I'm spoiled by her being such an awesome cat, because now I want another one.

I wouldn't mind having a Maine Coon, but Sam, being older and kinda gimpy, might feel intimidated with another male cat twice his size.

[mischiefmydear]

You could get a female! He'd be used to a female around, and didn't he & Kaylee get along well?

I hope you get to meet Lottie one day-- I think you'd get a real kick out of some of her habits. One of her new, recent developments is letting Garren massage her back feet.... he starts with the pad, then she spreads her toes, and he rubs each little toe. She's so spoiled rotten. And only he's allowed to do that to her.