Fur Plus Fir

This is the alpha female in my household.  I'm number two.

She was a year old when I bought her (for the price of an operation) from the Cats Protection League nearly ten years ago.  I wanted a black kitten, but this little cat was so lively and curious that she won my heart.

I don't know anything about her previous history, but I suspect that she was an indoor cat. The first few times I took her outside she seemed overwhelmed.  I found that she could do amazing things with a tennis ball, and she loved to chase and pounce on sticks that were thrown.

Then she discovered running.  At first it was a swift dash across the lawn, but she soon went further.  I would see her streaking across the fields at a breathtaking speed, just for the sheer joy of it.  She would run up high into the fir trees and run down again.

But she has always remained very nervy and fearful.  She hates closed doors.  She hates to be picked up.  She has sat on my lap no more than half a dozen times, when she was cold and I hadn't lit the fire.  I stroke her only when told to, otherwise I get bitten.  She likes to be stroked and will lead me to a low chair where I must sit and stroke her until she's had enough.

It is very difficult to get a photo of her because as soon as she sees the camera she rushes forward to sniff the lens.  Today I caught her while she was intently watching a person about 80 metres away.  It must have been a woman because had it been a man or a child she would have growled.

Looks good in large.

More of this cat.