Mr. Kitty Wompuss, tale of a Maine Coon in Minnesota

Hello,

My name is Mr. Kitty Wompuss, but I also answer to Big Boy, Mr. Magoo and Lil' Thumper. I live in Minnesota with my mommy and daddy and a big love puppy pit bull named Koko.

I don't remember where I was born, but when I was little I ended up all alone and scared out in the woods. Some people found me and fed me and took me to live inside where it was warm, but I was in a foster home with a lot of other cats that where mean to me, so I really don't like other cats very much.

Then one day my mommy came to the foster home and took me to my real home. It was scary at first, there was a big scary dog that thought I was a squirrel and wanted to eat me. Now I know that I was just little and scared and that Koko would never eat me, she's a big sweetie pie and lets me sleep in her big bed.

My new parents didn't know what kind of cat I was when they brought me home and when they took me to see the vet to get my baby check up, I heard my mommy ask the doctor if I was really only 4 months old. She thought 7 pounds was kind of big for a 4 months old kitten, but the doctor said I was just the right size for my breed.

He told mommy I was a Maine Coon cat and that I wouldn't be full grown for about 4 years, but could very likely be 25 pounds by then. Mommy took me home after a bunch of icky shots and making an appointment to get me neutered. Man, someone should have explained what neutered meant to me before the next vet visit, cuz I would have put up more of a fight, but now it's too late, the deed is done.

I really have no complaints, I have a nice warm house, all the food I can eat and daily tummy rubs, purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

This is a photo of me taken on 2/10/09

I now weigh 16 pounds and I am 40 inches long from the tip of my nose to the tip of my tail.

That big guy holding me is my big brother Dustin, he weighs 190 pounds, but he's not a cat.

I'm still a growing boy so check back often to see just how big I get.

Maine Coon cats are the largest breed of domestic cat, the Guinness World Record Largest cat is a Maine Coon named Leo, who is 48 inches lomg and weighs 35 pounds.

My best friend is a 70 pound pit bull named Koko.

Koko is 12 years old, which is like really old for a dog, guess that's why she sleeps so much!

Still we do lots of fun stuff together. I go out and catch bunnies, then bring them home for Koko to chase around the yard. It's really funny, because she can't catch them, so it drives her crazy that I can!

When I was still little I thought maybe I could catch a bird or a squirrel if I climbed a tree after them.

But, I only ended up scared and stuck in the tree. My mommy had to call my big brother Dusty to climb a ladder and get me out. They all laughed at me and called me scaredy-cat, but trees are up high and my long body just wasn't made for climbing trees.

So now I don't climb trees anymore. There is plenty of stuff to chase on the ground anyway, I bet birds don't taste good anyways!

I live in Minnesota and I love to play outside, but not in the winter. Someone should have warned me about this snow stuff, yuck...maybe mommy will move somewhere warmer someday, because I hate winter!

It was -22 below zero this morning, tell me how is a kitty supposed to play outside in that kind of weather. Hey I don't mind snow too much and I even like to play in the rain, but -22 below is just too darned cold!

Mommy even got me a winter coat...that everyone likes to laugh at, but hey I think I need some boots, my paws still get cold!

Being stuck in the house all the time is driving me crazy!

Mommy says I have cabin fever, I don't know what that is, but I am sooooo bored!

I just want summer back!

I pass the time trying to find new games to play with Koko, she's a lot of fun, but there is only so much we can do indoors. I know she wants summer back too, because this cold weather hurts her arthritis and she has to go potty outside. I told her she could use my box, but she's too big.

I hate the litter box, I'd rather go outside too, but I can wait until it warm up. I pee in the human toilet anyway and only use the box for poo-poos.

Ever since I was little I've loved to climb into things like buckets and boxes and bags. Daddy thinks it's really funny and we play this game where I get in a brown grocery bag then daddy carries me around by the handles.

My favorite game is to hide in a box or bag and wait for Koko to walk by and then jump out and scare her. Then she chases me all over the house and plays hide and seek with me.

See all the cool stuff a cat can get!

I like to sleep in the plants, then I can pretend it's summer and I'm sleeping outside in the garden.

I can sleep just about anywhere, I'm very good at napping. I really like to nap in Koko's big fluffy dog bed, and she's so nice she just lets me sleep there any time I want. She likes to sleep on the couch best any way, so there's no reason for her big fluffy bed to be empty.

My Mommy knows how bored I am being stuck inside all the time. So every night she spend at least 30 minutes playing with me. One of my favorite toys is just some red yarn on the end of a long stick.

Mommy needs the long stick, because when I get excited I forget how sharp my claws are. The stick keeps mommy safe while I get wild and crazy.

Mommy has catnip spray that she sprays on the yarn, that makes me super crazy. I love catnip, it smells so good that sometimes I just have to lick the yarn.

When it got cold out I got lots of extra fur and finally grew the mane that Maine Coon cats are famous for, that and our big shaggy tails.

Mommy brushes me everyday, but says I still always look like I just woke up with bed hair! Actually it looks like that because I have 3 different layers of hair that grow different lengths to help me be more waterproof, that's why I don't mind playing in the rain and why I'm soft like a bunny.

Scary place for a Maine Coon Cat!

Momy took me and Koko to the vet last week for our yearly check ups. I thought going somewhere new would be fun...but it was just really scary and the people at the vet clinic pretend to be all nice...right before they stick needles in a kitty and hurt him!

The vet doctor, was really nice though, and said I was really healthy and growing just right. He also told my mommy to start brushing my teeth, so soon maybe we'll have some photos of that.

I really don't like the vet clinic, they poked me with needles and took my temperature, which is just something no dignified cat should have to be subjected to ever!

Then they put a micro-chip in me, so Mommy can find me if I ever get lost or stolen. The best part of the trip to the vet was when they put Koko on a diet, because she's a fatty. Though it's not very funny anymore, Koko gets crabby when she's on a diet.

The worst part was the shots made me very sick for almost two whole days. My Mommy was very scared and worried and I just didn't feel good at all, but I'm all better now, and it's even warmed up here in Minnesota enough for me to play in the yard a little...Being a cat Rocks!

My favorite things to do are catching mice and rabbits and playing with Koko. She's 12 years old and kind of set in her ways, so I really enjoy messing with her. I like to hide behind things and then jump out and scare her, then she chases me around and acts like a puppy.

I also love having a nice warm house to take all the catnaps I want in. I'm so lucky to have such a great home and hope that all the lost little kittens like I was, get adopted to nice homes too.

So if you have room in your house and your heart, please rescue a sweet kitty, so someday all the lost kitties have a home too.

Maine Coon Rescue is a nationwide 501c3 Non-Profit organization dedicated to rescuing Maine Coon and Maine Coon Mix cats. We are a network of volunteers who share one love-our beloved Maine Coons. We assist in assuring that these cats are placed in carefully screened forever-homes where they will spend the rest of their lives being spoiled as they deserve

February 2009

KITTY WOMPUSS WINS 3RD PLACE IN FRESH SQUID CONTEST!

Hello Everyone,

This kitty is just super honored to have been a part of the "Fresh Squid Contest".

I want to thank my mommy for helping me make this lens, (I mean really, have you ever tried typing with giant furry paws, lol.)

I Also want to thank my Daddy for being such a great inspiration to me, and for all the special treats he sneaks me, when mommy isn't looking. Of course I can't leave out thanking my BFF Koko, who puts up with my obsession of trying to catch that white tip on her tail that just never stops wagging!

Most of all, I want to Thank a_willow for all of her hard work creating and maintaining the Fresh Squid Group and the Fresh Squid Contest

a_willow is a big part of what makes Squidoo such an excellent experience!

She is every newbies Guardian Angel!

So if you are a newbie, please check in with the Fresh Squid Group It's a great place to get started in the Squidoo community!