Thor Streetz
Thor is a hefty specimen of feral menace belonging to Jason and Carole Streetz.
He's about 2 years old now, but is already bigger than their first cat, Ptah.
Thor came about when Carole noticed that Ptah was showing signs of being unhappy for being home alone all day. In addition to the adorable domestic charm of Ptah, both Jason and Carole were fascinated with the look of feral cats like bobcats and lynx. The choice for Ptah's new companion was natural.
And so, they made the trek out to a breeder in Wisconsin to pick up Ptah's new companion.
As Carole and Jason were soon to discover, the degree to which NFCs are different from other cat breeds is not to be underestimated.
For starters, they tend to be BIGGER than most cats. Thor's only a fraction of Ptah's age, but he's already almost twice his size. With any luck, when Thor hits full size (around 5 years old), he'll reach nearly 20 lbs.
NFCs have almond shaped eyes and triangular faces that are quite distinct. They are nearly water-proof because of a thick, fluffy double-layered coat. Tufted ears and a long bushy tail round out a sharp "wild cat" look.
Behaviorally, they are a bit more feral. Always alert, instincts evidently in command.
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As with his big (well, older anyhow) "brother" Ptah, Thor's name is taken from mythology.
In Norse mythlogy, Thor is god of thunder and lightning. Thor was always depicted as a massive and strong, bearded man with his mighty war-hammer Mjollnir that he used to create thunderbolts.
In the Streetz home, Thor can be sighted as very fluffy beast of a cat who, when plodding across the floor, makes sounds that resemble thunder (at least from the basement).
A One-Person Cat?
They say that NFCs usually "bond" to one particular person in a household.
Right off the bat, Carole and Jason enjoyed competing for the singular affection of Thor.
So, of course, Thor ignored them both and seemingly "bonded" to their other cat, Ptah.
Thor follows Ptah everywhere, and half the time doesn't seem to care whether or not Jason or Carole even exist.
Skittish Skogkatt
Thor is skittish but friendly around Jason and Carole. Normally, he approaches them, not the other way around.
An exception occurs when play is involved. Thor thunders across the house at the slightest sound of a toy, and will play with tireless ferocity.
If and when Thor does choose to have human attention, he will go about getting it in a blunt and direct fashion.
For instance, jumping directly upon a person regardless of where his weight lands, and proceeding to tromp about all over them until he's comfortable.
Strangely, as brazen as Thor can be, he hides around visitors, be they friend or stranger.
King Cat
Thor is bigger, stronger, faster and more aggressive than poor old Ptah.
His claws are like talons, his eyes reflect wild, untamed instincts.
The downward swing of his leaping, all-paws-out pounce resembles a titan emerging from the clouds to deliver a smiting blow.
Early in kittenhood, Thor would thrash Ptah in (frequent) contests and it seemed clear that Ptah had lost any hope of dominion.
And yet, Thor is not the alpha cat. At some point, after nearly two years of unilateral victories over his smaller and weaker buddy Ptah, Thor went ... passive and Ptah had the upper hand.
Mostly. For now, Ptah reigns supreme (once more) over the Streetz household, but his status is forever being challenged by a cat who's getting even bigger and stronger every few months...
