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| Sassy (front) and Midnight, giving the 'look' we get if they decide to actually let us photograph them. Karl did this one. |
Three years ago we opened our home to two homeless cats, sisters, one pure black and the other pure gray. Sassy and Midnight were strays, and both remain easily frightened and skittish even after more than two years as house cats. Sassy gradually evolved into a lap cat who actually seeks us out for attention. Midnight still does not want held, though she is more than happy to rub against our legs and purr, always when we are in the kitchen and she is hoping for food.
Naturally I saw all
kinds of photographic opportunities with two subjects close at hand. I forgot
the first rule of cats: What the human wants doesn’t matter. Both dislike
cameras, and recognize them even when they are disguised as phones. Obviously
they didn’t realize they had chosen to live with two photographers. When we can get
a shot, we generally get a very haughty warning look, not those cute, cuddly “awww”
looks that everyone posts on social media all the time.
To date, most
photographs are blurry backsides as they race away until I come to my senses
and put the camera down. I have better luck with the small warblers during
migration! After a month of attempting a reasonable photograph to use for a
Christmas card, we gave up. Either they ran, or the look they gave would cause
any recipient to put the card to the back of their Christmas card display.I finally got this one, with only Midnight, giving the "look", too late for a card.
This year is the year
of the cat photograph. I plan to frustrate myself by attempting to do a photo
essay of our housemates, Sassy and Midnight. By next December, I will have
something we can put in the card. Maybe they will even give one of those cute,
cuddly looks…
