Cat Watercolour - Critiques Wanted!

Well, I did it.  After years of being scared of watercolours, I managed to paint something which doesn't look too bad! My last watercolour wasn't bad, as such, but I've never really managed to use watercolours in the way they're meant to be used (i.e. well ).  I use watercolour tube paints rather than the pan paints and I have the tendency to use them a bit thick, more like acrylics than watercolours.

This time, I spam-watched speedpaints and tip videos on youtube and scoured dA for inspirational pictures before attempting this.  I wasn't planning on doing another cat piece, but then I saw this stock photo by FurLined and fell in love with it.  I'm not sure I've done the reference justice, but I don't think this is too bad for a practice piece

The background turned out perfectly against what I had planned, although the scanner has made it less soft and has killed the more subtle shades in the centre, but I think my obsessive need for detail has come out in force for the cat itself.  I planned on painting it in a looser, more impressionistic way, but I was a little gung-ho with my shading on the first layer of paint and from then on it was a sort of rescue mission

Any suggestions, tips, hints, critiques, opinions etc. are very much encouraged and appreciated!  I am really glad I tried watercolours again.  Acrylics are great, but watercolour is a different beast and I am looking forward to learning and painting more with them