Tough Cats Comp Winner Luvly And Friends With His Winnings

Some pics of Luvly, the winner of Under The Paw's Toughest Cat contest, with his Applaws winnings, which he's been sharing with - or guarding quite fiercely from, by the looks of things - the rest of the residents of Shropshire Cat Rescue.

The 2011 Search For The Internet's Toughest Moggies: The Winners

Massive thanks to everyone who entered this year's Toughest Cat Comp, and those who tried to sway (and probably did, slightly) the judges. To be honest, there was virtually nothing to choose between the top three - each of whom displays a very different kind of feline toughness to their peers - but my final decision was largely dictated by the fact that I'm a sucker for a good feline rescue story. So, without further ado...

THIRD PLACE
Punk


SECOND PLACE
Beeswax


THE CHAMPION:
Luvly
Before:

After:


Punk and Beeswax both win signed copies of my latest book, Talk To The Tail, which they will hopefully let their owners read after they've finished. Luvly, meanwhile, will received a signed copy, including a special illustration by Jackie Morris, and a £100 HAMPER of the addictive Applaws cat food, which he will be sharing with his fellow moggies at Shropshire Cat Rescue. I was lucky enough to grab a few quick words with him in the aftermath of his victory...

Hello Luvly. How do you feel about winning the title of The Internet's Toughest Cat?
Feelings? Feelings are for the weak and emotional. Er, what's the Internet??

Can you tell us a little bit about your life?
I don't remember much about the beginning. They've told me I was in a bad way and that now I'm a little miracle. Of *course* I'm a miracle, I'm Luvly, and don't you forget it. Daily routine goes something like this........in the mornings one of my servants brings me tasty morsels before I start my daily patrol. There's the elderlies to check in on - that can take a while because they can't half go on. By mid morning my claws need sharpening and as luck would have it there are always four wonderful scratching posts one on each corner of the tin boxes that the hoomans move about in. Then I might go for a siesta in one of the many hideyholes there are dotted around. After a snooze I will go bother the girls in the office, honestly, their grammar leaves alot to be desired but at least I get to torment the mouse. Climbing up trees or on the shed rooves is something I particularly enjoy - from up there I can survey my domain. Early evening more servants arrive with more food, before I cosy up for the night.

And what do you think are your particular "hard cat" qualities?
All this talk of me being hard, pah, I'm a pussycat! I had nothing to do with next door's dog going into therapy. Honest. And what do they expect if I lie on my back for a tummyrub? Of *course*I'm going to grab, that's what claws are for. Can't have people thinking I'm a softie now can I

Finally, what do you plan to do with your winnings, and how are you thinking of celebrating?
As I'm a generous soul I'm going to share the Applaws with some of my comrades, and the elderlies, who are queuing up for it already. Thought I might also have a cattogram. But bet they won't think of that.............

The Under The Paw Toughest Cat Competition: The Winners

Thanks to everyone who sent in photos for this year's Little Cat Diaries Toughest Cat competition (over 500 in total), and commiserations to those who missed out (although slightly less heartfelt commiserations to those who thought, through good shutter timing, they could pass a gentle yawn as an example of growling terror). A contest like this is always going to be tough to judge, but during last year's event there was at least a clear winner. This time it was much more closely run. I've even decided to give an extra prize, partly to acknowledge just how evenly matched the winners are (to narrow them down to four has been hard, but to narrow that four down to three would have been impossible). To be perfectly honest, on a different day, in slightly different moods, The Bear and I might have given any one of them first prize, but a decision had to be made, and we will just have to deal with the poison paw letters that inevitably result from it.

In first place, and winning a pen-and-paw-signed copy of the paperback of Under The Paw, a signed copy of Dewey by Vicki Myron, and a signed copy of Vicky Halls' The Complete Cat: Greebo, from Kate Viscardi. What's noticeable about Greebo is his effortless aura of malevolence, combined with the very definite sense that he is coiled for action. Unlike so many cats submitted, he's not trying to impress us. There are no props (although he does bear a certain resemblance to Prop Joe from the TV show The Wire). He's not growling or raising a paw. Yet there's something genuinely, awesomely immovable about him. I've spent a long time pondering what he's staring at in this picture. It could be a human, a rival cat, or a leaf. Whatever the case, you can be sure it's shortly going to Get It in a fairly major way.



Of his victory, Greebo says: "I worked so hard for this. Being small I had to work out twice as much to keep these muscles in trim. Look at them: rock hard! I'm small but tough. I was born under an outdoor aviary and grew up knowing it was my responsibility to kill rats and protect my family. I want to thank my adoptive mum, who was a collie-cross and put up with being attacked and walking round with me hanging off her tail. Jess, I still miss you!!"

In second place, and winning a pen-and-paw-signed copy of the paperback of Under The Paw: Cuba, from Naomi Kenton. Cuba, your narrowed eyes make me feel sure I have wronged you in some unforgivable way, you clearly have a large fanclub of terrified minions, and that fang really adds a finishing touch to your American Gangster aura of ice cold intimidation. Please rest assured that your failure to take first place has nothing to do with the other photo submitted by your human, where she had dressed you up in a camp little witch's hat.



In third place, and winning a pen-and-paw-signed copy of the paperback of Under The Paw: Scratch, from Hayley Hart. I have no idea what Scratch is attacking in this photo, but that probably doesn't matter, since it has clearly been torn limb from limb, and retains only the faintest resemblance to its original form. If this were a Most Psychotic Cats contest, Scratch would have taken first place (with birdman Luke - see posting below - a close second).



In fourth place, and winning a pen-signed and paw-signed copy of the paperback of Under The Paw: Furball, from Lindsey Jackson-Kay. I've tried not to be swayed be extraneous details about these hardest of cats. If someone has included a passage with their photo claiming that their cat once decked a squirrel with one paw behind their back, I have done my best to ignore it, and focus purely on the image in hand. That said, I'm not sure I can entirely claim that my decision to award an extra prize for Furball hasn't been influenced by hearing about her hardscrabble beginnings and her rehoming via Facebook. Furball is clearly a star of brilliant, unrivalled grumpiness, and I can only dream that one day I have a cat like this working as my house's own resident Greeter.

The Under The Paw Toughest Cat Competition: The Frontrunners At The Halfway Stage

Furball From Lindsey:

Sox From Suzanne:

Scratch From Hayley:

Luke From Adrienne:

Lucas From Lene:

Grimalkin From Emily:

Greebo From Kate:

Gao from Marina:

Frosty From Barbara:

Fluffy From Helge:

Cuba From Naomi:

Buster From Stephanie:

Boots From Nanci:

Scratchy from Mandy:

Tucker from Linda:

Cuddles from Jenny

Max from Jenny: