Photographer Karen, from Posh Pets Photography, revealed to Bored Panda that we can tell a lot about our cats' moods by their tails.
"It’s all about the tail! While there are obviously lots of cues our kitties give us, they speak volumes with their tails. A gentle, slow swishing of their tail from side to side, perhaps wrapping it around your arm or leg is the sign of a happy kitty," she explained to Bored Panda. "Walking tall with an upright tail or a little hooked forwards is a confident kitty, happy to see you. On the other hand, a fast twitching of the tail, along with bristled fur and hissing or growling, is an unhappy, scared kitty."
Karen gave us a peek into some of the challenges that come with taking pictures of cats. "As a pet photographer who photographs a lot of cats, it’s important to create an environment where the kitty is confident, happy and safe. For many, that can be in their home or somewhere inside. But sometimes cats don’t like strangers in their home, or they don’t like new experiences like the bright light of a flash," she said.
"So I find the most important first step is a pre-session consultation with the cat mom or dad to find out what their cat’s preferences and background are. From there, we design a session around them," Karen noted that everything starts with a consultation to get the ball rolling.
"On the day of, moving slowly, taking the time to allow the cat to explore and get to know me, my equipment, and introducing new things are vital. I often spend a little while just sitting on the floor, giving them time to come to me and realize that I am gentle and am no threat," she said that it's important for pet photographers to be patient and earn their subjects' trust.
"When photographing cats, it can be a challenge for them to stay in place or look where you would like. So I find embracing that reality by catching the brief moments just before they move, or catching the movement itself, creates portraits that show off their personality. Cats also generally love to track movement, so having lots of interesting things for them to look at helps too."
Bored Panda also wanted to get Karen's opinion as to why the internet seems to be so head-over-heels in love with cats. "If you have the privilege of sharing your life with a cat, you know that they are full of personality. They have the freedom to ‘tell’ us their opinion without caring about what others think," the founder of Posh Pets Photography told us.
"But, cats can be difficult to photograph and capture their emotions in a photo. So when people do manage to, they obviously feel compelled to share them, and people who see those photos immediately recognize the emotion and identify with it. It makes you smile or chuckle because you know that there is truth in that photo. The memes and jokes that evolve are people coming together to celebrate their love for our furry, opinionated companions."
Meanwhile, Michelle, from the Comedy Pet Photography Awards team, told us about what can help when wanting to take a stunning photo. "One thing we have learned from judging hundreds of funny pet images at Comedy Pets is that a lot of it comes down to luck and timing. There are certain things you can do to help make the shot as clear and sharp as possible but for those absolute classically hysterical images, it’s about knowing your pet inside out, their habits, taking the time to be with them, and keeping your camera or camera phone handy, the rest is lucky timing," she told Bored Panda.
She said that good photography skills "certainly help" when taking a striking image. What's more, the subject, scene, and context of the photo are all important. "For example, backgrounds should not be too distracting from the subject, they should be well lit, and make sure you have your phone on the highest resolution for taking photos. This means that you might need to be disciplined on the editing and make sure you delete unwanted images as you go," Michelle told us.
"Also, make sure you are not rushed when taking photos, it should be a pleasurable and fun experience, if your pet is happy and enjoying the experience, it is more likely that you will get some really engaging images and even if you don’t quite get the shot you want, you have had a good time doing it. Make sure you have lots of treats and rewards as you go, then they will be happy to have another go later on," she suggested that snacks can help the photographer out... a lot.
"Our final tip is to get some help so that one person can distract the pet and the other can snap the pic! And don’t give up. You never know when you might get that perfect image or video that could be the one!" she said that perseverance is key.
In Michelle's opinion, the internet finds cats so endearing and memeable because "unlike dogs, they cannot be coerced into doing things for food or cuddles."
"They are proper characters and we all know that a cat will only do what a cat really wants to do, so it makes it really special when they perform or do something funny. Plus they are just beautiful and verrrryy photogenic!"
The Comedy Pet Photography Awards competition is still open and you can enter your own hilarious pet photos and videos until July 1, 2022. You can win a cash prize and end up making a ton of people all over the world smile with your delightful snaps.
The ‘Cats With Powerful Auras’ Facebook page has nearly 400k followers. Now that’s very solid, indeed. Meanwhile, the social media project’s Instagram page has a more humble following, clocking in at just over 9.8k feline fans.
The project is a testament to the fact that cats are a popular topic, no matter what shape or form the content takes. And when you mix elegant floofs with not-so-graceful photo opportunities, you get something uniquely mesmerizing. Contrast leads to many a good laugh. And the bigger the reach, the more people end up chasing the blues away, as though they were mice.
If you enjoy the content, make sure to give ‘Cats With Powerful Auras’ a follow. That way, you’ll get access to the freshest viral content. Oh, and if you happen to take a meme-worthy snap or stumble upon a totally rad cat pic, consider sending the founder of the project a message with your submission. You never know, you might end up making thousands of people’s day with your pic.
Earlier, Bored Panda spoke about cat behavior with representatives of the PDSA, the UK’s leading pet charity. Vet Nurse Nina Downing explained that cats are generally very independent creatures. Especially when we compare them to our beloved four-legged woofs. The pet health expert told us that cats sleep throughout the day and exhibit bursts of energy between naps.
“Many cats will want the company of their owners too, so avoid leaving your cats alone for long periods to stay in your cat’s good books!” she said that cats still appreciate affection and like attention, even if they’re more solitary creatures.
Vet Nurse Nina stressed that owners should make sure that their pets get enough physical exercise and mental stimulation. Ignoring either one could lead to behavioral issues.
“Puzzle feeders help to keep cats occupied at feeding times, and can be used to keep them entertained between meals,” she suggested how our felines could be kept busy while we’re out and about.
“Indoor-only cats still need the mental stimulation, so recreate the outside world using cat shelving, vertical cat scratch poles, and hidey-holes so they can have adventures in their home,” she said.
“Cats love high-up perches so they can survey their territory and they love toys that they can stalk, pounce and catch. Scratching is a natural behavior and this should be encouraged, just make sure that you provide satisfying and effective posts for your cat—they need to be strong and sturdy enough that your cat can get a good pull on them, otherwise they’ll use your furniture,” the pet health expert explained.
