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Kohana Cat

Cat of the Month ~ September 2013


an adult kohana called maggot

Kohana Cat, so very rare.
Photograph: extracted from Youtube Channel video (by valmara1971). [The photo has been digitally enhanced.]

The history of the Kohana Cat is vague to say the least (or at least I’ve not found much information so far … ). Rumour has it that this intriguing creature is the result of a genetic mutation of cat breeds originating on the island of Hawaii. There are only somewhere in the region of 20 of these felines alive in the world today.

Kohana’s have absolutely no hair on their body apparently. Not having seen one in the flesh I’m just going to have to take that as true. This cat it seems has no hair follicles so hair cannot grow, and what is more this renders the skin texture somewhere between old human skin and damp rubber.

Other distinguishing features are quite a lively temperament, very large ears and long sinuous rat like tail. This cat is still a beauty in my book.
Note: the cat pictured (from a short video)is called maggot and apparently he has a brother called Beetlejuice, the story continues …

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Greek Stray Cats

It started with one…

Cat of the Month ~ August 2013

A beautiful Greek Stray
Photograph: Ed@moggyblog
How about a bite of your fish then mister?
Photograph: Ed@moggyblog

Then a friend arrived…

….cmon you can spare a bit for my pal surely?…
Photograph: Ed

…and soon the whole gang wanted fish supper…

Come and get it lads…free grub!
Photograph: Ed

Its holiday snap time again folks (yawn!)

but… these cats were the friendly bunch we found alongside Ios Port in Greece, right where the ferry from Santorini pulls in. We sat down to tuck into our greek salad and main courses and along strolls the gang leader, casual as you like (well we were on his patch afterall).

He took a few bites of the Feta cheese we threw and then turned his nose up… far too salty we thought (or pehaps he was just fed up of feta, being Greece n’ all). With food in offing (and the air) though another feline friend soon turns up and is also pleading his case. They were after something far more tasty though…and well, with such pretty faces how could we say no.

Word evidently had gotten around and soon the whole bloomin’ gang were lining up in front of us. Anyone but fervent cat lovers might have been tempted to say…”Run for it!”

Bye bye, cute kitty
Photograph: Ed

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Rusty-Spotted Cat

Cat of the Month ~ June 2013

The rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) is the smallest member of the wild cat family. It has been called ‘hummingbird of the cats’, due to its small size and sprightly actions. As far as wild cats go, the smallest rival (the Black-footed cat) measures in at 1.7cms larger than this tiny feline, which is just 48cms from snout to tail. Even the largest example of this small predator has weighed at no more than 1.6 kg (however these cats are extremely rare in the wild – they are seldom seen and it’s been reported that they have only been photographed 7 times in their natural habitat).

Hummingbird of Cats
Photograph: unknown

The rusty-spotted cat is nocturnal and partly arboreal (living as it does for much of its time in trees), spending the day sleeping in dense cover or sheltered places such as in hollow logs or undergrowth. It feeds mainly on rodents and birds, but may also stalk and catch lizards, insects and frogs. Frogs are a particular favourite food after heavy rainfall flushes them out into the open. These felines hunt primarily on the ground, making rapid, darting movements to catch their prey; they apparently venture into the trees primarily to escape larger predators rather than when foraging for food. As with other cats, they mark the boundaries of their territories by scent spraying (with urine).

After mating, the female rusty-spotted cat will prepare for birth by occupying a den in a secluded location. The kittens with grow during a 65-70 day gestation and when born (typically in April) the one or two kittens may weigh as little as 60 to 77 g (2.1 to 2.7 ounces), and are marked with rows of black spots. Such cats will reach a breeding age at around 68 weeks, by which time they will have developed the distinctive adult coat pattern of rusty blotches.

Rusty Spotted Cats are agile and fond of climbing
Photograph: unknown

It has been recorded that rusty-spotted cats have lived for twelve years in captivity, but their lifespan in the wild is unknown. They are known to be nocturnal in their habits (content to rest in shady bowers during the day) – but once again very little is known of their habits. One fact that is known for certain is that in the wild, they are frequently observed in trees. Experts on such matters have confirmed that they are indeed ‘above-average’ climbers.

The appearance of the rusty-spotted feline is sleek and lithe. It is (like many cats) highly focussed when stalking its prey.
The coat is a short, soft fawn-grey with a rufous tinge of varying intensity, patterned with lines of small rusty-brown spots which form solid stripes along the back of the head. The tail, which averages about 50% of head-body length, is faintly marked with dark rings [Pocock] The underside and insides of the limbs are grey to white with large dark spots. Dark streaks have also been observed below their eyes and across their jowls.

Rusty-spotted cats inhabit Southern India and Sri Lanka but they are limited in their habitat, preferring moist and dry deciduous forests (with dense vegetation and rocky outcrops) in Sri Lanka as well as scrub and grassland in India. They are often found around waterways and human settlements.

Portrait of a rusty-spotted cat
Photograph: Terry Whittaker

Today, the main threat to the rusty-spotted cat is that of habitat loss mainly due to deforestation, although trade in furs is an ever present risk in parts of its range. Other threats are the the further loss of habitat because of the spread of cultivation. They are also at risk of hybridisation with domestic cats across its range.

Rusty-spotted cats are listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN. The Indian population is on CITES: Appendix I and the Sri Lankan population is listed on CITES: Appendix II.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusty-spotted_cat

https://www.catsg.org/catsgportal/cat-website/catfolk/rubig01.htm [Pocock]

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Claw fight at the Borage Corral


Reader,

At last the lovely sunny weather has arrived, but you wouldnt know it cause it was coming down in buckets all day today…. I know this, because I have been sitting here in the snug window, watching the aforementioned rain whilst (really) watching out out for a certain big white moggy who wont take the hint!

It’s a stand off! … but who’s that nosey so ‘n so
Ed

The reason I’m stuck here in limbo, incarceration, quarantine (call it what you will) is on account of my claw fight with a neighboorhood imposter who had the gall to repeatedly step on my patch of turf. Over the past three weeks I’ve been spraying and spraying to warn him to stay away,but ohhh noo, he didn’t take heed did he ….well this show down had been on the scratching post for months.

It all came to a head Friday last. And now, here I am like the prisoner in Behan’s jail, trussed up in this stupid headdress, cum bonnet so kindly loaned me by the Vet. And since I’ve got this extra time on my paws I thought I’d relate to you, dear reader, the story.

Me in my spring bonnet. Horrid!
Ed

I lay dozing in the shade of my favourite pine when I saw, out the corner of my eye (as y’do), strolling casually down MY garden path, a big white beast of a moggy. To cut a long story short, I kept watching and he (the upstart!) began to nestle down in MY borage patch.

Well, I jumped up and trotted over for a closer peek and then when he saw me the ‘I’m not budging’ standoff began.

Twenty minutes later, we’re still stood staring there, growling, muewing and hissing at each other. ‘White Body Black Tail’ as I like to call him, but my humans think of as ‘Patch’ (for obvious, unimaginative reasons), was slowly realising the error of his ways…

The final straw was his lunge at my face as he passed me, I turned swiftly and ran down the path in chase, but he was as fast as me and made the six foot fence in ten bounds. The Imposter was defeated but I was in one of those frisky moods, having been forced into spending the whole day in the garret…. and I followed upwards just for the heck of it. My sharp claws digging in to the old wood to help my climb…. Sadly, I then slipped (hope no one was watching) and (it tuns out) ripped a claw off in the process. Oh the pain… I strolled back home proud but bowed.

‘White Body Black Tail’ was gone but I had paid the price. For my sins the kindly (not) Vetinary Nurse presented me with a spring bonnet and slipped it on without my consent. Oh how I absolutely loathe it. The damn wound is itching like crazy and I can’t now get to lick it better.

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Leopard Rescued from Gujarat Well



Forest wardens in India’s Gujarat state have rescued a three-year old leopard which had fallen into an open well. The leopard is the second of its kind to be rescued in the area this week, highlighting the growing problem of creatures loosing their habitat and having to stray into populated areas for food.

A young leopard peers towards a rescuers torch beam
Photograph: Biju Boro/AFP/Getty

The distressed leopard was finally winched to safety after many hours of incarceration and trauma. The animal was tranquilised using a dart after its struggles against a noose round its belly were thought to be harming the animal.

Eventually the three-year-old animal was lifted from the water and hauled onto a wooden frame by a team of eight wardens in the village of Aambaliya.

It is said that the Leopard is becoming India’s Urban Fox as incidents such as this are growing in frequency as shrinking natural habitats forces more of these big cats to venture into human territory. They approach settlements where they are tempted to prey on domestic livestock including dogs, pigs and goats, and of course they will always be in need of a drink of water.

Leopard in the net. On his way to Freedom (oh sorry, the local zoo)
Photographs: Reuters

Leopards were once common across all of southern Asia but have been recently classified (since 2008) as ‘near threatened’ by International Union for Conservation of Nature. In May 2010, the Wildlife Protection Society of India estimated that at least 3,189 leopards were killed in the country since 1994.

The animal is sedated and taken to the nearby zoo. Poor Thing!
Photographs: Photo: Biju Boro/AFP/Getty

Norman and I are pleased the animal was freed from his ordeal but feel that incarcerating him in the local zoo (and not setting him free) was a little uncalled for. However we have no knowledge of affairs in this region and so hope the leopard is given a large home in which to live.

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Ptolemy, Sir Patrick Moore’s faithful friend


Cat of the Month ~ March 2013

Ptolomy, Patrick Moore’s long time friend
Photo: hiltonratcliffe.com

“A catless house is a soulless house”

..so said Sir Patrick Moore the well respected and eccentric astronomer who sadly passed away in December 2012, (and he should know what he was talking about as he had seen into the deepest reaches of our universe! Norm)

As well as being a top flight Astronomer Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore CBE, FRS, FRAS was a researcher, radio commentator and U.K. television presenter, who also happened to love all things CAT.

Patrick and Ptolomy pose for the camera
Photo: hiltonratcliffe.com

Well, we here at Moggyblog couldn’t agree more ( moore geddit?) with his comment so this month’s cat of the month is Ptolemy, One of Sir Patrick’s many cats who was with him along with close friends when he died. Of course we musn’t leave out Patricks other feline friends Jennie and Smudgie.

Jennie and Sir Patrick in amongst the globes.
Photo: unknown

As well as helping to map the surface of the moon and helping us all to look at the planets and stars in the night sky with a little more understanding, Sir Patrick Moore was a great cat enthusiast who supported the cat charity ‘Cats’ Protection” in many ways throughout his life. Although he wrote over 70 books on astronomy, Sir Patrick also recently wrote about his personal experiences with cats in the fabulously titled book ‘MIAOW! Cats really are nicer than people!’ (which, let’s face it, we all knew anywayNorm).

Ptolemy, Sir Patrick’s last cat in a long line of family cats, was named after Claudius Ptolemy AD 90-AD 168, who was a Greek-Roman astronomer (amongst other things) who lived in Egypt.

We hope that Sir Patrick is now happy with his previous beloved cats among the boundless galaxies and countless stars. We also hope he is pleased with Moggyblog’s small homage to him (and Ptolemy), one of the many cats who inspired him in his lifetime. Patrick certainly inspired my love of the stars with his regular TV program ‘The Sky at Night‘.

The Cats Paw Nebula, located in the constellation Scorpius
Photo: https://www.eso.org

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Bob the Street Cat

Bob the street cat and his friend the Street Musician (and now author) James Bowen have been inseparable since their chance meeting in Spring 2007.

Cat of the Month ~ February 2013

Bob in one of his favourite neck scarfs
Photograph: Comuedu.ru

James Bowen was once a homeless musician, barely scraping though, until he had an encounter with a homeless ginger Tom cat he named ‘Bob’.
One day James returned to his sheltered accommodation in Tottenham north London when he saw

“…a pair of glowing eyes in the gloom and the sound of a faint meowing”

Over the next few days James found that Bob was a half starved stray who had been wounded (probably) in an animal fight. Clearly Bob was not owned by anyone in the vicinity, so was taken in, given food and nursed back to health, with the help of the local RSCPCA center, who incidentally asked James to pay 22 pounds (or a day wages) for the drugs to treat the poorly creature.

Back at home, James was really glad of the company of lively Bob but at this point he decided he was going to let Bob go back to his street home and life as a stray cat….but ginger Bob was having none of it….

Bob High Fives James
Photograph: Comuedu.ru

Bob had decided that that savior who had come to his rescue would forever be His friend. Bob began to shadow Jim around wherever he went. So what could Jim do?… of course Bob became Jims’ best friend. When James plays guitar on the street Bob accompanies him. He rides round on James’ shoulders when he doesn’t want to walk and also gives James High Fives..Paw to Hand! Bob proved to be a real attraction to the passes by too. James found that his takings for entertaining the passing public grew and grew.

James gives bob a tidbit at a book signing
Photograph: Comuedu.ru

The story ends and begins with James writing a book about his adventures and his eventful life on the street with Bob. James opens by saying

” …we are all given a second chance every day of our lives.. meeting bob was one second chance that I took and looking back on it something tells me it might have been Bob’s second chance too…”

James could not have imagined how this meeting with a stray cat would change his life forever.