DANTE ALL FLOOFED UP!

These pictures are a couple of weeks old, before all the leaves were raked up from the front yard. It was windy and whipping around Dante's fur here and there.

These shots show just how much his coat has filled out. It's mostly his undercoat, his mane and the fur around his face that floof up. It's almost like he has swelled -- but he's still his same svelte self under all that bounty.












Also, I have been asked why I keep Dante on a leash, and the answer to that is twofold. First of all, I signed a contract with his breeder stating that I would not allow him to roam free. Second of all, even his vet is in agreement that if I did let him roam, someone is quite likely to take him.

From all of my experience, taking him to the pet store and even to the vet's office, people are very attracted to him. And I've had lots of people tell me jokingly they want to take him home. How many of you would like to take him home with you?

Dante is allowed out without a leash in our backyard which is completely fenced, with all possible escape holes sealed up with mesh wire. My other ally in keeping Dante secure is gravity itself. He is too heavy to jump the fence like the other cats.

For your extra added enjoyment, here is another video of Dante taken just the other day. It's my friend, Susan, talking in the background.

Here's the link to YouTube:

Video of: Dante and That Darn Squirrel

MANCAT MONDAY: DANTE THE SAILOR MANCAT!

It's a relatively warm, and very sunny late October day. I put Dante in his sailor shirt for a little something different. Doesn't he look so mancatly in his stripes of blue and white?

In the first shots, he is backlit by the sun, so his aura is shining all around him. Due to this, in the third picture, Dante's lynx tips are also highly visible. He could challenge that pointy-eared Spock any day! Maybe, he's actually part Vulcan mancat instead of Maine Coon! Anything is possible.

Later on Dante moseyed on over to our neighbour's garden to enjoy the waning greenery, sniff out the remaining scent of squirrels who had passed that way, and ultimately to catch some beams from the radiant sun. Then, a sudden breeze blew by to "shiver his timbers". It ruffled his ruff all around him, but a Sailor Mancat is used to handling a bit of a ruff time -- so this is nothing compared to the roughness of the seas.

Dante, the Sailor Mancat takes his responsibilities very seriously as you can see by the expression on his face. He wants everyone to know that it's good to eat spinach, as long as you're not a cat. Every Sailor Mancat likes a fresh piece of fish now and then, just for the "halibut"! Lean protein makes for a lean, mean, fighting machine of a mancat. And Dante fits the bill (except for the "mean" part -- he's really just a pussycat!).




Vulcan Ears!












Having a ruff time!


And for an extra added bonus, on this Mancat Monday, is a very short video of Dante, the Sailor Mancat blowing in the wind.



Mama asks Dante: Whatchya doing?

"The answer my FURiend is blowing in the wind,
The answer is blowing in the wind."

EASY ON SUNDAY: DANTE CATCHING RAYS!

True to its name, it's Sunday and it's a sunny day!

Dante is sitting in the front garden soaking up the rays. He seems very blissful and serene. He's so zen, he almost looks like a kitty buddha! In any event, he's sure setting a good tone for an easy Sunday.

We hope you all enjoy your Sunday as much as Dante's enjoying his!

DANTE ON A WINDY CATURDAY!

This is one of my very first forays into taking videos with my digital camera. It is very windy out there today. You can hear it whipping everything around! Dante was brave enough to take a short trip into the back yard, though.

So here for the first time, is Dante in motion -- somewhat anyway! Unfortunately, you also get to hear my high-pitched voice above the wind. Ugh!

Dante in the Wind


We'll see if I can do better next time.

Have a great Caturday everyone!

P.S. There's also a very short video of Domino on Wendy's 3-D Cats blog.

DANTE: RED, GOLD AND GINGER!

Dante's in the back yard, again, where the leaves are brighter in colour. The Crabapple tree turned bright yellow, and the Sunfire Maple lived up to its name by turning a deep red. Both released their cascade of colour onto the grass between the patio and the fence.

Dante loves to run around in the crinkly leaves. He tends to get kittenish when he hears the rustle and crackle beneath his feet. He also makes a very pretty picture in amongst the fall display. Against these leaves he's a standout rather than a blender cat.











It's good that Dante is savouring the joy of fall right now, because soon Daddy will be raking up those leaves and they'll be gone forever. The window of oppurrtunity to play is short.

There's nothing like the gingery spirit of a ginger kitty when it comes to red, gold and ginger!

EASY ON SUNDAY: DANTE AT EASE!

After a couple of days of rain and cooler temperatures, the sun finally came out! Very appropriate for a Sunday, I must say.

So Dante was just chillaxin' on the deck bench in the back yard and basking in the warmth of the sun. It's hard to imagine "chilling" and "basking" at the same time, but he managed to do it, as you can clearly see.

Dante does it right!







I really get off on this picture, by the way, because of the "Spock" ears standing straight up! They're just like the ones in his blog banner.


I just love Dante's "aura". He seems infused with white light around his edges. Dante does it white! (Biggify for the greatest effect.)


In this last one, Dante has been distracted by a squirrel under the tree. What he doesn't know is that there's another one directly behind him on the fence. Do you see it?


Have an easy Sunday, everyone! We can assure you that we certainly will.

DANTE, BLENDER CAT!

Just since last week, the big tree in our front yard released most of its leaves, which now form a blanket of yellow and rust on the still-green lawn. Only bits of grass still poke up between the fallen leaves.

This is the time of year that provides perfect CATmouflage for Dante. He blends in with his surroundings in a way that isn't possible in any other season. If he buried himself in the leaves, he would be all but invisible.

Only the lighter fur in his mane and tip of his tail somewhat delineate his form against the background. Of course, when you see his face, he distinguishes himself from everything else around him. Even when his fur turns him into a Blender Cat, his face, itself, is still outstanding.

I can just hear ladycats swooning all over the world, can't you?











Tell me, Dante -- do you think it's time that daddy raked up all the leaves, or do you like having a cloak of invisibility?

DANTE TURNS UP THE VOLUME!

This is a shot of a tree in the wooded ravine behind our house that has turned bright orange.


Dante on the back deck. See how shaggy his coat has become!



Dante's undercoat has increased in volume so that it has almost become part of his mane!








Dante's mane would do any lion proud!




There's nothing quite like some pictures of Dante with an autumn background!