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Photography / Animal related (non-anthro)
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Introducing Sage!
Sage is a 200-lb cougar that is just about the most handsome kitty I've ever met. I think he is very wonderfully highlighted, and has such an expressive face. He's also extremely vocal about things, and is the spokescat for the organization, and overall, I think he's one of the finest examples of an ambassador of his kind to humanity.
The biggest danger of going in to Sage's cage for cleaning is that he'll corner you somewhere, and not let you go until he's properly hugged you! He is an extremely friendly kitty, and I don't think he's got a hostile fiber in his entire being. Sage is a big kitty, so when he hugs you, you /know/ you're being hugged. He also has this tendency of getting you totally trapped and hugged, and then will start licking the top of your head. :)
In this shot, he's walking towards me from the back of the cage. I like it because it's got him in an almost full-on frontal view, but he's also got his ears entirely perked and whiskers semi-forward in that totally inquisitive expression that shows off his wonderfully handsome face and markings, and those rich, dark eyes.
So this is the Sager-Kitty!
This picture was taken 06-Feb-04. The image was taken with a Canon EOS 10D and the EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM lens. The original was taken at full frame of 3072x2048x24b, ISO eqv 400, 1/350 shutter, f/5.6. This image was rotated and then shrunken down for space conservation.
Disclaimer: I hate to have to put this on here, but the pic is copyright me. Please do not distribute, copy, alter, etc, without my permission. Having said all that, feel free to download and use it for your own inspiration.
Sage is a 200-lb cougar that is just about the most handsome kitty I've ever met. I think he is very wonderfully highlighted, and has such an expressive face. He's also extremely vocal about things, and is the spokescat for the organization, and overall, I think he's one of the finest examples of an ambassador of his kind to humanity.
The biggest danger of going in to Sage's cage for cleaning is that he'll corner you somewhere, and not let you go until he's properly hugged you! He is an extremely friendly kitty, and I don't think he's got a hostile fiber in his entire being. Sage is a big kitty, so when he hugs you, you /know/ you're being hugged. He also has this tendency of getting you totally trapped and hugged, and then will start licking the top of your head. :)
In this shot, he's walking towards me from the back of the cage. I like it because it's got him in an almost full-on frontal view, but he's also got his ears entirely perked and whiskers semi-forward in that totally inquisitive expression that shows off his wonderfully handsome face and markings, and those rich, dark eyes.
So this is the Sager-Kitty!
This picture was taken 06-Feb-04. The image was taken with a Canon EOS 10D and the EF 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6 USM lens. The original was taken at full frame of 3072x2048x24b, ISO eqv 400, 1/350 shutter, f/5.6. This image was rotated and then shrunken down for space conservation.
Disclaimer: I hate to have to put this on here, but the pic is copyright me. Please do not distribute, copy, alter, etc, without my permission. Having said all that, feel free to download and use it for your own inspiration.
Category Photography / Animal related (non-anthro)
Species Feline (Other)
Size 682 x 1024px
File Size 87.1 kB
I have some very fond memories ot trying to clean Sage's cage.
There used to be a big cable spool about three feet over from his denbox; both it and the denbox were about the same height. If you were working on one side, then Sage would jump to that one and reach out a paw to harass you or try and pull you in for the hug. If you were on the other side, then he'd be over there, trying to do the same thing. In either case, it was pretty easy to escape, 'cause him wanting to stay on either high-place meant he had a finite reach. :)
But Sage is no dumb kitty! Oh no! He figured out that if he went poo right in the center of the two, then I'd have to stop there and clean it up, and so I'd have no way to escape from his hugs!
In truth, there is a certain amount of very real danger in the act of a full-grown, adult cougar giving you a hug. It might seem innocent enough, but given the facts of said cougar being probably four times a human's strength, if he really wanted to capture me and hug me /really/ tight, he could literally break me in half and not really strain.
But being that my insanity has never been disputed, I always enjoyed the hugs. I'd just put the bucket down and scoop with the shovel with one hand, and get my other arm and hand up to scratch at his chest, which also served to hold him just a little bit away from me, lest he be tempted to /really/ capture him in a full, two-foreleg hug (aka death-grip).
Sage has always been a great cat, even if he /is/ very insistent on getting his hugs!
There used to be a big cable spool about three feet over from his denbox; both it and the denbox were about the same height. If you were working on one side, then Sage would jump to that one and reach out a paw to harass you or try and pull you in for the hug. If you were on the other side, then he'd be over there, trying to do the same thing. In either case, it was pretty easy to escape, 'cause him wanting to stay on either high-place meant he had a finite reach. :)
But Sage is no dumb kitty! Oh no! He figured out that if he went poo right in the center of the two, then I'd have to stop there and clean it up, and so I'd have no way to escape from his hugs!
In truth, there is a certain amount of very real danger in the act of a full-grown, adult cougar giving you a hug. It might seem innocent enough, but given the facts of said cougar being probably four times a human's strength, if he really wanted to capture me and hug me /really/ tight, he could literally break me in half and not really strain.
But being that my insanity has never been disputed, I always enjoyed the hugs. I'd just put the bucket down and scoop with the shovel with one hand, and get my other arm and hand up to scratch at his chest, which also served to hold him just a little bit away from me, lest he be tempted to /really/ capture him in a full, two-foreleg hug (aka death-grip).
Sage has always been a great cat, even if he /is/ very insistent on getting his hugs!
Working with any exotic animal is dangerous. No matter how tame they are insticts can't be removed fully. Lovey one minute, trigger the right instinct and you very possibly could become prey. he might have the nicest, calmest disposition in the world but I still wouldn't turn my back on him lets put it that way.
Indeed! How right you are! Turning your back on a big cat is likely to be a one-time-only mistake. Instincts are hard-wired, and no amount of training or handling or "friendliness" can change it.
While perhaps not "safe", there is still much joy and contentment to be found in working closely with such animals. But as always, "safe" is perhaps relative. It could be argued that driving in a car isn't safe either. You take all the precautions you can, and you do what you can. The rest is in the Spirits' hands. Or perhaps the Spirits have paws. I'm not really sure anymore. :)
While perhaps not "safe", there is still much joy and contentment to be found in working closely with such animals. But as always, "safe" is perhaps relative. It could be argued that driving in a car isn't safe either. You take all the precautions you can, and you do what you can. The rest is in the Spirits' hands. Or perhaps the Spirits have paws. I'm not really sure anymore. :)
One of the fun things about Sage is that he almost goes into attention withdrawls. :)
In a lot of cases like this one, where he's just auntering up from the back of the cage, he'll usually chirp three or four times along the way. If you answer back, he'll chirp again. It's almost like you're having a conversation, although I have no idea what he - or me, for that matter - is saying. Spirits' know, I wish I did!
It's just one of the things that makes Sage both unique and fun: he's really very talkative, and even /answers/ when you say something!
In a lot of cases like this one, where he's just auntering up from the back of the cage, he'll usually chirp three or four times along the way. If you answer back, he'll chirp again. It's almost like you're having a conversation, although I have no idea what he - or me, for that matter - is saying. Spirits' know, I wish I did!
It's just one of the things that makes Sage both unique and fun: he's really very talkative, and even /answers/ when you say something!
This is actually the largest "problem" when trying to clean Sage's cage. You're trying to clean the cage, and he's trying to hug you. He will jump up on to the platforms in his cage, and then reach out one of those big mitts to capture you. As Sage is a very large kitty, it can be a little intimidating, even with his motor running. :)
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