Photogenic Animals - Black Cat Photo Storm!

There are specific traits many people think about when they call something photogenic, and they are all wrong, especially for nonhuman animals. Pepper has taken to being more photogenic with each picture I take of her, and it's because she is losing the shyness she had when she first arrived.

For those who don't know, or don't have the time to read back through this blog, Pepper was really depressed when she first arrived because of being rejected twice and neglected. So taking photos of her was bit and miss, the best ones were when she slept, or was unaware of the camera being pointed at her.

But now she poses, looks at the camera when she's not busy, even smiling for the photo sometimes. She has come to enjoy it. All animals are photogenic, the photographer is responsible for bringing out the beauty in them.

Pepper is no exception, and she is not a particularly exceptional looking cat, though her fur is so soft and luxurious it's impossible to resist petting her. What makes our companions so wonderful in photographs is the bond between the human taking the photo and the other animal, you can tell when someone they know is behind the camera or not because they will ham it up for the human they know better.

Wildlife photographers are not interested in the animals putting on a show, we love their photos for capturing the beauty of nature as it is, so this does not apply to them. I do envy wildlife photographers though.

The trick to taking great photos of your companions is to regard them as you do your human friends. Act casual and natural, take the shots as they come, and don't worry if they are not perfect. That last part is important, because the images will always be perfect for the viewer, so stop worrying about the color or breed of the animal, or even if they look at the camera.

Most of our nonhuman companions are becoming very familiar with the idea of being photographed, to them it's just an easy way to make us happy. For us it's a way to keep them alive forever and remind everyone of how awesome your friendship was.

To those who have this stupid idea that black cats "make horrible selfies," stop being selfish. Black cats are no less photogenic than a Persian. This is nothing more than some vicious rumor started by some idiots who probably think seeing a black cat online is bad luck, stop giving superstition and ignorance validation.

So I propose a world wide black cat photo storm, lost pics of your black cats everywhere, thousands of pictures, old and new. Keep doing this every day until this stupid notion dies, so fewer cats have to.

The Kitten Konundrum

The Kitten Konundrum is where people think the younger ones are so cute and adopt because of that, then discard the cat or dog once they become adults. This was far more common when I was growing up, but still happens today. It's sad that humans would adopt based on cuteness, and a very shallow idea of what's cute at that.

I prefer to adopt kittens over adults for one reason only, the kitten has an easier time adjusting their personality to suite me. I always plan on being with them for the long haul, until they grow old and die with a smile on their face for having lived a good life. This is one of the only two valid reasons to adopt kitten instead of an adult.

The second reason, and why I get as young as possible, is to delay the inevitable as long as possible. Cats and dogs have much shorter lifespans than we do, adopting only kittens a human could have five or six cats their entire life. It is hard to see them go, and was a reason I went without for so long before adopting Pepper.

Pepper is six years old now, that is no more than 14 years I get to spend with her. I am 39 years old now and will probably live another 40 years. Giving optimal health for Pepper, that's less than half my remaining life, which means I will have to deal with another best friend's death again. This is the reality I was considering when adopting, a reality I had prepared for before allowing myself the companion.

I suffer from depression, what that means is that I dwell on things, negative events stay in my focus longer and all problems become mountains to climb. Pepper offers a distraction for me, pulls me away from a problem long enough to regain focus and shed the frustration. In return I dote on her, giving her everything she needs and wants, as long as it won't endanger her health.

Today, Pepper has opened up a bit more. She no longer cowers when I reach to start petting her, which she was always a bit nervous at first. She knows I will accommodate her love for water straight from the faucet, even picking her up to set her next to it. She is eating a small amount of the canned food as well, she was afraid of it at first.

She doesn't go under the bed except to test if I am paying attention to her now. She comes right back out from under the bed when I call her. When I am at my table she sits in the windowsill where I can see her. I see her sitting up more often as opposed to the crouching position.

She lays out on the carpet a lot now, relaxed. When she first came, she would only lay in a ball or on her paws ready to bolt if threatened. The elevator is becoming more of a curiosity for her each day, I am hoping when we go to the vet it will be on a leash instead of putting her back into the cat carrier.

These adjustments are the hard part about adopting an adult cat, set in her ways and hurt in the past, she has to learn to trust again.