I Have Been Tagged

I have been tagged by No Blog Rachel (and yes, she gets the irony--I believe she intends it.)

The rules of this one:

* go to my 4th picture folder
* go to the 4th picture in the folder
* tell you 4 things about that picture
* tag 4 more people

So, this is the 4th picture in my 4th folder:
Theo "helping" me type. This picture is pre-injury and way before the whole cast saga & sleep deprivation marathon that we're currently on. My four things about this picture...

1. The vet who vaccinated Theo thinks he is part Maine Coon, which is an American cat breed that might be descended from 6 cats Marie Antoinette sent to the New World in preparation for fleeing France herself. (Do you think they guillotined aristocratic cats as well?) Legend has it that domestic cats mated with raccoons and that is how the name was born. Besides being biologically impossible, have you ever known a cat that didn't have the sense to keep a healthy distance from raccoons?

2. Some of the Maine Coon personality traits are a relaxed and easy-going nature, highly people-oriented without being clingy, a desire to hang out near its people without needing to be on anybody's lap, a very kittenish personality throughout its lifetime. A breed book at the vet clinic--where I've been spending a lot of time lately--says that they are known to have strange sleeping positions and may be generally pretty friendly but may select one person as its own "special friend," which would explain why he lets Andy sleep through the night but not me, and why he has been glued to my side all day.

3. The physical characteristics of the breed are large, muscular cats (which makes them really difficult to restrain when they have removed their casts), long flowing coat that is heavier on the stomach and legs--forming "breeches" (which Theo had until they shaved him), an extremely bushy tail, and large round eyes. Theo is currently weighing in at 14 pounds (of which, 5 might be tail), so if nothing else, he's a big boy. And is completely bullied by little Callisto.

4. Theo has pretty much been my constant sidekick since we adopted him--without being clingy or needy except when he's spent a night or two at the vet's--which is why I'm going to such outrageous extremes to get my little buddy back to good health. I actually grew up on a cattle ranch where cats had a life expectancy of about 2 years before they were eaten by something or run over, so I've come a long way. A long, expensive way....

So, my 4 people to tag:

Jill
Dana
Kathleen
Toni in Florida.

And nobody has caught the mouse yet. What happened to "Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.....?"