This blog is about my Oriental Shorthair cat whose full name is Ultra Lanta Jungle which very quickly reduced to Usyaka.
She is six years old.
She doesn’t take part in any exhibitions or breeding programs. In fact I got her because I was interested in her personality only ( and also had a weird desire to have a black cat).
Just in case you don’t know – Oriental Shorthairs are cats that love talking, taking part in all activities their humans do, touching things with their “hands”, looking in the eyes and being all weird, warm, emotional martian creatures.
This blog is for posting photos of Usyaka.
This blog is also used to raise money for homeless cats of Montenegro, where there are no official Cat Shelters or Animal Welfare programmes for cats.
In January 2013 Pirate the one-eyed cat, ex-homeless cat of Montenegro, joined our family.
There are other photos in my photoblog.
All photos in this blog by Alexandra Zakharova are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Usyaka and Pirate 
Thanks for commenting on my kitty pictures… I will stop back Usyaka is so adorable 😀
You are welcome! Yeah, she’s a super cat:) Thanks for coming by!
Usyaka, she is so adorable cat. And so lucky to have you. I am so glad to meet with you both and with your amazing camera. I always like cats and cat photographs, Every cat is another story… And you are doing a great job, by watching her with your camera. As if it’s been a book of her and her life. I am impressed and loved so much. Thank you for sharing with us, and Thank you for finding me and visiting my blog too. I have a new blogger friend now, Blessing and Happiness for you both, with my love, nia
Nia thanks so much for your time and attention. I’m very happy you liked the blog 🙂 I love your blog too, seriously, it’s not like I’m just paying a compliment back:) I’ll visit often.
I’ve been taking pics of Usyaka since we met when she was just a baby. I have loads of material and I used to keep it on another site which was quite uncomfortable, so we moved here and I’m planning to transfer all those photos here. You are right, it does look like a book 🙂
I’m very happy, Nia, we’ve found each other and I’m sure we’ll be talking often here in our blogs. 🙂
Take care!
Thanks for popping in on my site Alexandra. I have come to visit you to see what you are up to and what a lovely surprise to see photographs of a cat I have never seen before and what an interesting cat Usyaka is. You have said she interacts with humans and you captured that perfectly. I am a book artist and I agree with Nia you could make a great book with photo and text. You have the love of words and it would make a great storybook. There are many sites on the web that show simple bindings (maybe a Japanese stab binding) to make your own book or just purchase a ready made one and cover to make it personal, then of course we all want to see it on your blog. It is something you would treasure forever, hope you consider it.
Thank you for your comment! I’m happy you liked the blog!
Yes, I’m thinking a lot now about this possible book. I think it might happen one day and of course I will post about it here.
Thanks for telling me about the site and that term ( the Japanese stab binding) – I didn’t know about that.
the cat looks so mysterious. sometimes I’m afraid. but I admire 🙂
Thank you, Bryan 🙂
I guess some of her photos do look scary, she does have a very serious face. I think, Usyaka is the best example I’ve ever met when an appearance doesn’t match the personality.
There’s something for you here:
Oh gosh! I’m so sorry! I’ve no idea how I managed to miss this comment! I guess I was so absorbed in looking through possible material about Usyaka and taking new photos, making sure the blog would start all right that I simply missed it…
I’m very happy you liked the blog and mentioned us in yours! Thank you very much!
🙂
Not Cat also likes touching things with his front paws, using them rather like hands, holding as well, also talking and joining in, but he’s a mog, most probably part Bengal.
Cat,was completely moggie and the most interactive feline you could imagine.
I really need to catch up on those terms. I’m especially curious about the Not Cat name 🙂
Usyaka is one of the most beautiful cats I have ever seen. You manage to capture her every mood perfectly, showing the delicate nature and essence of a cat most regal 🙂 Usyaka pretty much is like the Egyptian goddess Bastet (though you say you don’t think she sees the resemblance)!
Thank you for your attention to Usyaka. You know, I’m starting to think that maybe Bastet was just the same and it’s just history and myths which made her look so serious in art, because that’s the main difference between Usyaka and Bastet, the first one is not that pompous.
Thanks for visiting! 🙂
What a nice cat! She has very meaningful eyes.
Very true, and she uses those eyes to manipulate or simply say what she thinks about anything around or far away.
You can find it on my About page. 🙂
Hooray! I’ve just found the info and the page itself!
I’m not a cat person, but your cat is beautiful and your photos are great–some striking, some funny. Love them!
Thank you! I’m very happy you liked the photos.
I am a cat person and a dog person and many other possible pets person.
You know, breeders sometimes publicize oriental shorthairs as being similar to dogs. I would say they are something third, neither dogs, not cats but they are different from most of cats I met before.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and liking!!!!! Love your cat. Fascinating.
Thank you!
Thanks for your get well wishes this morning! I needed that more than they did, I swear. It hits me hard to have the kitties ill, and Buddy-Boop’s misery at being in lockdown is distressing in the extreme. To me!
Usyaka is stunning! I can see that she is in charge of her world. What kinds of talking does she do? About any particular topics? To other people?
Oh, Usyaka does all kinds of talking, she has lots of different tones and pitches. Some of the sounds she produces without even opening her mouth, it sound like humming. She mastered a question intonation recently but we are still not sure if she knows what she’s doing when she answers with follow up questions if we talk to he, but it does sound very cute. She talks if she sees birds and she talks differently when she doesn’t. Couple of times she woke up with screams, calling us, so she must have been having bad dreams. She also talks in her sleep a bit.
Well, now with this comment you can see the both of us, Usyaka and me, can talk a lot.
I hope it all will be good for you soon. I don’t know the whole story so I don’t know what’ Buddy-Boop doing in lockdown and why he is there. I’ll be in your blog again, just to see how the things are for all of you.
Thanks for your visit! 🙂
Thank you for stopping by our blog and commenting. We have been going through your pictures of Usyaka. What an adorable, amazing cat! Your pictures are fantastic. Usyaka has to be so entertaining and fun to have around. I have never seen a cat like her in person but would love to. I am going to follow your blog so I can keep enjoying her antics and your fantastic pictures of her. Hugs and nose kisses
Thank you very much! I’m happy you are enjoying the blog. If you ever get the chance to see cats like that in person – do so, it’s a fantastic experience, especially when there are many of them. When I met Usyaka for the first time she was in the room with a few others and it was like flying to another planet and meeting the locals there. They are so curious and talkative. They look in the eyes and ask questions straight away. I remember getting out my mobile phone to take pics of them and they started touching it with their paws, trying to understand what it was. They are amazing:)
Thank you for stopping in and liking my admittedly poor drawing of my Siamese. I actually gasped at the above photo, he is so beautiful! I’m going to go make happy noises over your other pictures now 🙂
Oh, I also got my Siamese for personality only, I always had one or two and missed the constant talking.
O’K if THAT was a poor drawing I’ll be really excited to see what you call your good drawing. I liked it a lot, actually. When I draw Usyaka I mainly just draw a triangle head with big triangle ears.
BTW Usyaka is a girl, but I see you figured it out already, I’m just saying it so that other commentators won’t get confused.
I know, I am so sorry! I saw it right after I hit ‘post.’ Whoops! If you like, I’d be more than happy to use your picture above for a drawing? I’d email it to you, of course, and if you permit me, I’ll post it on my blog and link it to yours. I’m always looking for good photos to work from, and like to make others happy in the process!
Hi! I ran out of reply buttons for our talk 🙂 Your idea with the drawing sounds cool, I like it! Sure, go ahead!
Good looking cat, though Hydrox, Niaid, Shiva and Tabby agree [for once] it isn’t so. I send my congratulations on sharing your life with such an animal, they send their condolences it can’t be them. Good looking cat, thinks I before I departs. Old Jules
That’s charming, Jules, thank you! My regards to Hydrox, Niaid, Shiva and Tabby.
Hey Alexandra, thanks for liking my latest post. I love to discover new blogs so today it’s my turn to check out yours! Such a wonderful blog about your cat. I love the design and your photos are very beautiful and unique. But…
I’m really afraid of cats! lol (But I do like your work!)
Have a nice day.
Yes, I remember your painting very well. I really liked it.
I saw that you’ve subscribed to my blog which means you’ll receive cat photos daily. I hope they won’t be too scary for you. Usyaka is not a typical cat. Do you like dogs? Her breed is often described as similar to dogs.
Anyway, thanks for your visit and I’ll see you around!
You know, I kinda live dangerously! I just try to overcome my fears! Ahah
No seriously, I think I’ll be fine! 🙂
I like your attitude. Let’s see if Usyaka can help you overcome your fears 🙂
what a wonderful cat blog you have!
Thank you 🙂 We both are working a lot on it.
you and your cat are adorable!
Thank you very much! 🙂
Hello Alexandra ! Thank you for your visit on my blog yesterday. What a nice blog you have, very original ! I didn’t know these cats had such a personality and they are a beautiful breed. I will take a look at your photoblog, I really love photography and plan to buy a better camera in the near future. Have a nice day !
Thanks for coming by! I didn’t know much about these cats either before I got Usyaka. Wishing you good luck with your photography!
Thanks for visiting my site Alexandra and Usyaka! Nice to meet you both :o) Nice site! Lisa
Thank you, Lisa! Yes, I remember that perfect breakfast picture. It’s still on my mind 🙂
Thanx for all your warm words.
I don’t actually want to write About page, but I promise to answer your questions in other post.
And where are you from?
Sorry for repeating, you may answer on my page, where you left your comment, I’m just still feeling a little bit uncomfortable at worldpress.
Hey! Happy to see you here! You are very welcome and, trust me, I’ll be back to comment more, it’s totally my pleasure. I googled you 😀 because I figured out a photographer of your level might have left traces around the Internet 😀 . It should be OK without the About page, but I’m sure people WILL get interested in who you are, what you do etc, because your photos are just too cool.
I’m from Russia (but we moved to Montenegro last year), which means English is not the only language we can use when talking to each other, although it would probably be more comfortable to stay with English so that other readers can also understand our comments.
If you have any questions about wordpress feel free to ask (you probably have my email by now because it comes to you automatically when I comment on your blog), I’m not a wordpress guru but I’ll try to help.
See you around! 🙂
What a gorgeous cat!
I nominated usyaka for the Versatile Blogger Award. 😉
Check out my blog when you get the chance!
Dianda, thank you!
You said you always feel excited when you find an update from our blog and your excitement is our biggest reward!
Cool photos of a really cool cat.
I think she is such a gorgeous cat! I am very jealous, I love black cats (all cats in general, but especially black ones!) She is quite the little model:) xoxo
Thanks for stopping by my blog! Usyaka is such a pretty kitty, so unique looking. I’m going to poke around your blog and see more pics now. 🙂
Thanks for watching and like Lottie. I think your blog is adorable.
Gorgeous cat…thanks for stopping by my blog.
what a wonderful blog..
Thank you! I had a look at your photos, they are really special.
BEAUTIFUL cat and photography!
To commemorate 52 weeks of blogging the tall person and I have designed a blogging award to acknowledge 52 blogs that we think are stars of the blogging world. You are one of the stars. This is a link to the post: http://bassasblog.wordpress.com/?p=7243&preview=true
What a great blog, and a beautiful cat! Just thought I would let you know I’ve nominated you for the Super Sweet Blogging Award 🙂 You can check it out here: http://thehandwrittenlife.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/the-super-sweet-blogging-award/
What a great way to make money to help animals. Usyaka is so photogenic!
Hi, Alexandra. Once again, I couldn’t resist and have used again one of the great Usyaka pics of yours for a post of mine. All credit due, of course. Hope you enjoy it http://colltales.com/2012/10/20/got-milk-2/
You take amazong pictures. I can see you have a lot of patience.
I can’t spell or use spell-check apparently.
“Amazing”
Haha, I didn’t notice you made a mistake, actually 🙂 I saw a test somewhere online with a phrase composed of misspelled words, but when you read it the first time the phrase looks just fine.
Hehe 🙂 You think so? Thanks!
Your cat photos are gorgeous! I especially like the one of the lone cat smelling the flowers. May I reblog that photo by itself at a later date? I will, of course, give you credit and link back to your blog. If that is okay, let me know the name I should use for giving credit. Thanks! Glenda
Sure, you can reblog the photo, credit as Alexandra Zakharova.
How can I contact you?
I am from Portugal and I am doing a cruise that stopped today at Montenegro. When I was in the city, I saw a baby cat (2 months, more or less) that was really hungry 😦
I spoke to people but no one understood english or seemed to care…
Please contact me as soon as possible, I do not know any animal welfare association in Montenegro.
Thank you!!
Hi, Ana!
I’m not an organisation and can’t help that kitten any more than with food. I can’t even provide treatment in case the kitten needs any, as today is Sunday, no vets work. Tomorrow, I’m sure, this kitten will be gone somewhere, either to a new place, or to a worse destiny.
There are no cat welfare organisations in Montenegro. There are no services for cats, at all, there are no cat shelters. And you are right, the majority of citizens do not care.
So, if you want, you can contact me on my email – sasha.zakharova@gmail.com, but there’s little that can be done for that kitten.
It’s good he’s already 2 months old, very often they are much younger and have zero chances. The problem is massive in Montenegro, there are tons of kittens and the country completely ignores them. Now, at least, one more person outside Montenegro knows about the real situation, which is largely kept under the carpet.
PS, also, let me know what town you are in, as I’m in a town called Bar.
Beautiful photography of beautiful cats!