Cat Picture of the Week: Sophie
This is Sophie, our little "Bat-Cat." She is so nicknamed because she is part Oriental of some kind, and at about 3-4 months, she had huge ears and a pointy little face, and looked more like a wingless bat than a kitten. She's technically a torbie; when the light hits her fur, you can see the red tabby stripes over her entire body under the tortie coat. She was born in our local feral colony earlier this year, and her mother brought her brothers and her to Joni, one of our neighbors, when they were sick with an upper respiratory infection. We found out later that the litter had been living on another neighbor's balcony, and the mother brought them to Joni the night before the other neighbor had planned to take them to be euthanized due to the infection (whew!). Mike and I bought them a large playpen to live in until Joni nursed them back to health (she's a doctor); then, those who weren't adopted by either Joni or us went to other forever homes. Sophie used to hiss at everyone, including Joni, her brothers and us, but is now a friendly little girl to her adopted family. . .read more and view full sized photo
© Sue Todd
Sophie is a beautiful little love, and a wonderful example of success in turning a feral kitten into a loved and loving member of a family. Sophie's photo also appears in the 2008 Tortoiseshell Cats Picture Gallery, as do all of November Cats of the Month.
My Cat of the Week photos are selected from pictures sent which comply with the Photo Submittal Guidelines. Sorry, but I will not consider photos sent specifically for "Cat of the Week" or "Cat of the Month."
Photo Credit: © Sue Todd
Comments
The reason Sophie has big ears, she is most likely part Cornish Rex or Devon Rex. These breeds of cats are known for those ears and a soft curly coat of fur. They are also known for not shedding. I will bet Sophie talks a lot and has quite a unique personality.
Sophie’s fur is indeed quite soft, but it is stick-straight and extremely shiny. Honestly, I have no idea how much she sheds, with three other cats in the house, and two of them with similar color schemes to hers!
As for talking, she never used to do anything other than purr. But, at about 5 months, she started trilling, singing and (there’s no other word for it) whining when she can’t find whomever she wants to play with or when it’s time for her treat. Her personality is still emerging, but it’s already very interesting! The best way to describe her is an energetic cuddlebug who’s very smart in unexpected ways, and prone to solving problems with methods no one else would ever think of.
What a little breath taker.
Sophie is darling! What a little vixen!
We had a cat that had a “bat-like” look, too!
He was our Happ. He looked like a bat because his big ears stood straight up, and also because he had beautiful canine teeth that were so long they actually rested in little pockets in his lower lip. We called them his fangs! He died suddenly of a blood clot after we’d had him for only six weeks. He was my soulmate, and I know he picked me for a reason.
I hope you have your precious Sophie for a very, very long time. Enjoy every minute!