Hard Cats 19

From top: Bronco Billy from Renee and Paul. Bobby from Britt and Tizano. Blue from Andrew. BC from Becks. Basil from Amy. Daishi (meaning "Great Death" in Japanese) from Matthew. Claws from Gerard and Simone. Chesterton from Kathy. Cheebee from Adriana. Charlie from Tracey.

Hard Cats: More Contenders

From top: Hard Man Jones from Rachel. Libby from Lucia (nice mousetache). Lana, by Claire (btw, Claire does have photographic proof that Lana is feline, not canine). Headcoat from Lora and Mark. Cara, from Diana (getting that "Carphone Warehouse employee" haircut almost spot on). Eddie from Karl. Milo from Jenny. Mogwump from Phil. Mr. Nobbs from Mary. Neon, by Jo. Puma Joe from Ian.

Hard Cats: The Latest Contenders

Thanks to everyone for the last lot of entries in the Hard-Looking Cats competition. Just as a reminder: the deadline is now midnight on Wednesday. There really has been a deluge of pictures today in the wake of the Metro article, so apologies if your mog didn't make it. I'm now having to have a cut-off point in the lower reaches of mog hardness. Still, all of these below scare the bejesus out of me, and in such eclectic ways, too!

From top: Tasha, from Marie. Star from Louise. Spike from Becky. Sophie, from Angie. Shadow from MJ. Xena from Amanda ("not quite as mentally able as other cats," according to her vet, who had to staple her lip back to her chin after a stunt went wrong). Tyson from Keela and Stephan. Toranach from Fiona. Tigger from Vanessa. The Little One, from Megan.

More to follow very shortly....

Most Menacing Kitten: More Contenders

Today's article in the Metro newspaper has prompted a deluge of entries, but perhaps the most remarkable thing about the entries is the standard of menacing kittens.

From top: Finn, from Claire (showing a healthy disdain for Jeremy Kyle). Freya, from Kirstie. Leo from Lynsey. Mr. Nobbs, from Mary (also shortly to be shown in his later, grow-up form above). Nigel, from Rachel. Bud, from Jemima. Chips from Bill. Darth from Caroline ("attacked a huge dog at the vets when he was just seven weeks old"). Dennis, from Louise. Emma, from Petra.

Dramatic Last Ditch Dash For The Title From Tardy, Somewhat Psychotic Moggies

Rarely has the phrase 'last but not least' seemed more appropriate: Pat from Andy And Fiona ("Note the missing tooth - probably lost whilst biting a man"), Pirate From Cathy (her neighbour's one-eyed cat), Sid Vicious from Shobhain, The Muel from Julia, Tilly from Bruno, Castro From Sheri (a cat that's not only hard but radioactive), Gloucester from Selena, Jasper from Abigail, Murphy from Emma (are you serious, Emma?) and Oscar from Jeff.

I'm tempted to add several of these to the shortlist (see two posts below), but I think it's only Sid Vicious and Tilly who really make the grade. Tilly is obviously a comically ineffectual name for a hard cat, but I don't think I've ever seen a feline look so menacing - haunting, even - whilst damp. It's also been suggested by my closest advisors that Castro should be going on the list, but I get the sense that, as fuming as he looks in this pic, two minutes after it was taken he'd reverted to being a, well, pussycat.