Pictures: a Russian tabby, a British tortoiseshell, a flame Siamese and a worn scratching post

Here are four photos. I have collected them over the past couple of weeks. I thought I’d bundle them together and publish them.

Tabby cat and child in Russian snow. Photo copyright: Elena Shumilova

The first photograph above is by Elena Shumilova who lives in Russia. She takes wonderful photos. For me they are a bit too engineered and slushy but they are superb. This is her son with their tabby and white cat. They have other animals that make equally stunning photos.

Tortoiseshell cat London UK. Photo: Michael

The photo above is by me. It was taken just outside my flat. This interesting looking tortoiseshell cat was with a flame pointed Siamese cat. I like the faint orange banding over the body and the startled, slightly fierce expression – all cat. There is another tortie (diluted) living nearby too. I suppose her caretaker lives somewhere on the estate, nearby, but I am yet to meet them. Below is her friend the flame pointed traditional Siamese:

Flame pointed traditional Siamese London UK

cougar-scratching-post-worn-down

The above photo I both love and hate. I love the almost destroyed scratching post. Some cougars are not allowed to keep their claws. I hate the cage. All cougars should be in the wild with miles and miles of safe space – no chance they’ll be allowed to have that.

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Comments

Pictures: a Russian tabby, a British tortoiseshell, a flame Siamese and a worn scratching post — 12 Comments

Alex Stovall on June 25, 2014 at 11:36 am said:
Your ‘flame pointed Siamese’ is in fact a Red British Burmese. The shape of it’s face is not angular/ pointed enough to be a Siamese. The paler Burmese colours have a gentle ‘colour pointing’. The face shape of British Burmese is like a rounded/ softer/ less angular version of the Siamese and Burmese bodies are slightly less svelte than Siamese. British Burmese are also less likely than their American cousins to suffer from the genetic head disorder Meningeoncephalocele.
From a UK based owner/ parent/ personal assistant to four Burmese.
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- Michael Broad on June 25, 2014 at 12:21 pm said:
  Thanks a lot Alex. I enjoyed your comment. Come back!
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Ruth aka Kattaddorra on January 16, 2014 at 4:56 pm said:
I love the first three pictures and hate the last one, I can’t tell if the cougar has claws or not but he looks very frustrated.
I HATE zoos, I HATE circuses and I HATE with a passion the people who think it’s acceptable to imprison or use any animal for the entertainment of gawpers.
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Dan in Tempe on January 16, 2014 at 3:12 pm said:
All four are remarkable pictures.
Did you hear? Arizona law makers are trying to create an Animal Abuser Registry. It is like a Sex Offender Registry. Offenders would be required to report their living address to the registry each year. No word on if they will be required to tell neighbors they are offenders. I hope it takes in to account past offenders!
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2014/01/animal_abuse_registry_proposed_arizona.php
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- Michael Broad on January 16, 2014 at 3:45 pm said:
  Thanks Dan, I’ll check that out. It is a good idea because we all know animal abuse often leads to more criminality against people.
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- Dee (Florida) on January 16, 2014 at 4:32 pm said:
  I hadn’t heard about that, Dan.
  Thanks.
  I love it. It’s the strongest effort I’ve seen in an attempt to curb abuse.
  Not as good as having a scarlet letter on their foreheads but still good.
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- Marc on January 16, 2014 at 4:35 pm said:
  That’s great news Dan – very sensible. I don’t see why not. Animal abuse is terrible and awful and should be treated as such.
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Marc on January 16, 2014 at 3:04 pm said:
I hate the last photo. Notice how there is just gravel on the ground. Usually people do this when they can’t be bothered to deal with plants.
But the poor cat has to live there no doubt.
Awful – he needs space and life, greenery etc. around him.
Keeping animals in cages is cruelty to animals. Zoos are for the most part cruelty to animals and people take their bloody children there which just makes them more likely to accept zoos which are already accepted in society.
However if you allowed a person to think about zoos in a way that they are looked at with being accepted then I doubt people would agree with them. We have sadly been programmed to accept them. It’s only on hindsight that we develop different ideas about largely accepted things.
STOP taking bloody children to zoos and put them out of business.
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- Michael Broad on January 16, 2014 at 3:44 pm said:
  You hate cages and zoos and the whole idea of keeping cats captive as much as I do. Horrible. Think of all the stressed cats in cages. On second thoughts don’t.
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  - Marc on January 16, 2014 at 4:27 pm said:
    I do hate them.
    The flame point trad siamese is unusual – especially wandering around a green area in london! His/her tail is all puffed up like a bottle brush – wasn’t expecting you there maybe 🙂
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  - Marc on January 16, 2014 at 4:29 pm said:
    Michael I hate to say it but I don’t see a single claw on that cougar – maybe they are hidden? Furthermore he is right in the middle of biting the tree. I hope it’s not a biting post and he is declawed. Heartbreaking if so. Heartbreaking anyway.
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    - Michael on January 16, 2014 at 8:06 pm said:
      Probably declawed and put with the scratching post to give the impression that he has claws. I think this is a private zoo. Pumas and servals get declawed a lot because some Americans like to keep them as pets. I have met a declawed serval.
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