by BasePaws
I’ve always had a thing for tuxedo cats. It’s one of the main reasons why I started the Tuxedo Cat Lovers group on Facebook! There is just something unique and special about these panda bear cats. And many of us cat lovers cannot resist that effortless cattitude they’re always quick to display.
For one absolutely stunning Norwegian Forest cat named Annie, she’s quick to grab your attention with her mesmerizing jade green eyes and gloriously regal two-toned coat. I caught up with her cat dad hoping to feature her on the website, and thankfully for me, he agreed. So, everyone get to know Annie!
How did Annie come into your life?
I had a Maine Coon Bengal cross silver tabby called Rosie. Unfortunately, she had a heart attack and passed away at the age of 6 years old. I used to show Rosie in the UK with the GCCF (Governing Council of the Cat Fancy). During the shows, and while Rosie was being judged, I would walk around looking at the other breeds of cats. I fell in love with the breed of Norwegian Forest Cat. We waited a while after Rosie had passed and needed another member of the family to fill the hole left behind. We did lots of research into the breed and a reputable breeder. After lots of recommendations, we found the most amazing breeder, Julie Potter. We contacted Julie and luckily, she had a litter on the way.
Julie told us all about the breed, making sure we understood what we would be taking on as slaves to a Norwegian Forest cat (a ‘wegie’). To be honest, we thought Julie was over egging the pudding when she was telling us about the characteristics of this fantastic breed, no way could a cat be as she described but how true she was. We kept in contact with Julie and got some pictures through after the litter had been born. We had lots of videos and photos of the litter and very quickly decided that Annie would be perfect and would make our family whole.
How did Annie get her name?
Annie’s full name is Forestfriend Annie and she was born on the 11th November 2019, Remembrance Day, along with 4 other sisters, unfortunately, one of her sisters passed away within 48 hours.
Because of the date of their birth, our breeder, Julie, named the 4 remaining kittens;
Forestfriend Annie – named after Ann Shelton (a famous singer from war time)
Forestfriend Dame Vera – name after Dame Vera Lynn (a famous singer from war time)
Forestfriend Gracie – named after Gracie Fields (a famous singer from war time)
Forestfriend Poppy – named after the flower
What is her personality like?
Norwegian Forest Cats are extremely intelligent, and this is very true with Annie. She will sit on command and walks on a lead & harness around the garden. She brings you toys to you to play with and you normally find them on the bed each morning. She is extremely playful. She is so loving and will snuggle in on the bed every night She is the most amazing cat we have ever known and so much fun to have in our home. Annie always wants to be involved with everything we do.
I became seriously ill 2 months ago with meningitis & pneumonia, being admitted to the hospital for treatment. When I came home, she would not leave my side, looking after her daddy.
Annie’s brother (a domestic shorted haired cat called Boris) is allowed to free roam but only when we let him outside. Annie will sit at the window waiting for him to come home and then makes sure we know he is sitting outside ready to come indoors.
Most tuxedo cats are known for their cattitude. How would you rate Annie’s cattitude?
Annie certainly has attitude, she will always look down her nose at you and walks around the house with a swagger.
Annie thinks she is the boss of the house. We, and 14-year-old cat Boris, know she isn’t in charge but we just let her feel she is!
At 18 months of age, Annie is as big and as heavy as Boris, she is over 6kg’s, so she likes to show how lively she is by trying to jump on or over Boris but he just isn’t phased at all about her childish antics.
Annie loves playing with her toys and is happy to share and play with us.
She is hugely dedicated to what she does and can spend ages following a fly around the house waiting for just the right moment to catch it. She will proudly sit and chat to birds that are on the other side of the window but we will never really know if she is telling them a story or telling them off for being in her garden.
Annie has zoomie/ sessions each day when she rushes around the house like a crazy thing but they stop just as quickly as they start. We then spend time wondering what she is up to only to find her curled up in a cat bed fast asleep and looking as though butter wouldn’t melt! After all, what was all the fuss about?
Does she have any dog or cat housemates at home?
Annie has a brother called Boris, he is a domestic short hair black & white tuxedo cat, who is 14 years old and diabetic.
What’s something special you’d like for people to know about Annie?
The litter that Annie was from, had to be delivered by cesarean section. Unfortunately, due to a mistake by the veterinary surgeon, Annie’s mummy Forestfriend Buffy, passed away 2 days after Annie and her sisters were born. Luckily, Julie managed to find another mummy who had given birth to a litter 1 week earlier and took them on as if they were her own giving them the best start to life as they could possibly have. All 4 kittens are now beautiful and healthy cats aged 17 months.
Annie loves being groomed and purrs loudly. She will lay happily on her back on my knee and straight out for me to brush her chest and belly.
We have been showing Annie with TICA, (The International Cat Association) she is doing extremely well in her first year, gaining numerus titles. We have just started to show Annie at shows organised by Loving Cats World Wide (LCWW) and look forward to seeing how she progresses.
I’d like to give a special “thank you” to Annie’s cat dad, John, for allowing me to share Annie’s story and images with all of the Cattitude Daily readers. If you know another cat lover who would enjoy this pretty girl, don’t forget to share! And if you’d like to learn more about Norwegian Forest cats, check out this next article filled with interesting facts and details about the Norwegian Forest cat breed.
