Hard Cats: The Prize

The blurb:
Everyone knows about Cat Women; the phenomenon of Cat Men is less widely reported. In Under The Paw, Tom Cox records the chaos of owning six of the most charismatic, idiotic and duplicitous cats in the country. What are the essential rules of disposing of a dead wood pigeon? How do you learn to love your wife's ex's favourite pet?

Tom addresses all these issues and much more, encountering death, depression, flying fur and the first human sentence spoken by a feline along the way. Running through all the maelstrom is the heartbreaking story of his long and chequered relationship with The Bear, his oldest cat: a "painfully sensitive" survivor moggy who may or may not be an evil genius.

"Tom Cox is a very funny writer, and he knows his cats." - Kate Atkinson

"A brilliantly funny and moving book which will act as an antidote to all the soppy, sloppy, spinsterish rubbish written about our feline f(r)iends in recent years." - Julie Burchill

Click HERE to order your copy from amazon.co.uk.

Hard Moggies: The Final Catdown

Deadline for submissions for the Hard-Looking Cats competition is 4PM GMT today, 9th July. All entries, together with cat's name, owner's name and address, should be sent to underthepaw@tom-cox.com. Please send no more than two pics and if you could keep it to attachments that aren't massive, that would be appreciated.

Don't be shy about inviting your friends to post their enthusiasm beneath the pics: I might be judging this, but I'm also notoriously suggestible.

To recap: the first prize is a signed copy of Under The Paw: Confessions Of A Cat Man and a job lot of the delicious (according to The Bear, who has very refined tastes) Applaws cat food. I'll also be giving away two more signed copies of Under The Paw to the second and third place finishers and one for the most menacing-looking kitten. Scroll down through the blog to see what you're competing against...

P.S. If any newcomers would like to join the Under The Paw facebook group, click HERE.


The Bear, outraged that he hasn't been provided with his usual Applaws this mealtime (photo courtesy of Jason Bye)

Hard Cats 25

Heidi from Steve (I don't really think Heidi's remotely hard, but you've got admire Steve's effort), Mo-Jo from Amanda, Niynoi from Sandy, Rufus Bug Cat from Tina ("we found Rufus three years ago with a big hole in his head... and he has literally no neck"), Bob from Colin, Casper from Leigh and Loz, Cendrillon from Daniel, Frank from Cle, Libby from Melissa.

Hard Cats 24

Tomi from Adina, Willow from Lolli, Wotan from Louise and Ivan, Rosie from Jo, Ruby from Pippa, Sekmet (aka Gollum) from Joe, Teddy Cougar from Steve, Tina from Kelly, George from Rachel, Mitzi from Charlotte, Ninja from Vik (and accompanying pic to the prove the devastating effects of his hardness), Oscar from Diane, Hari from Neil, Hobbes from Emma, Ivy from Evelyn, Jal from Maureen, Jasper from Richard, Bruce from Delia and Ahilan, Dio from Pamela, Eddie from Caitlin, Floyd from Daemon and Anne-Marie, the not particularly ginger Ginger from Karen, Alex from Bridget

More Menacing Kittens, Coming Back Atcha With Interest

Charlie from Sharon, Mitzi from Dana, Tina from Kelly, Titch from Sammy, Nigel from Rachel, Sooty from Jill, Alfie from Charley, Boris from Gordon, Charlie (aka Fangs) from Glenn and Liz, Jango from Joanne, Luna from Natalie.











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Hard Cats 23

Pompom from Philippe, Ralph from Anna, Shrodinger's Cat (Indian stray) from Nicolas, Enzo from Victoria, nameless Singaporian cat from Jessica, Simba from Bianca, Mickey from Artemis, Sox from Lucy (with rare but always chic squiztache - similar to a mousetache but bigger), Humphrey aka Humpatron from Dan and Laura (Humpatron clearly don't move for no-one), Kike from Claire, Ella from Sally, Mikey from Tracy.