There are always two sides to a story, usually you side with one. I find the same to be true when it comes to pet owners, reptiles aside, (I have one of them too) people seem to be either a dog or a cat lover. Would you agree? Yesterday’s post from Justine, about man’s best friend had me actually revisiting the idea of getting a dog. Something my son has been perpetually asking for since the kid could talk. He’s now driving. I have always wanted to give him that experience but everyone that I knew that had or just got a puppy was telling me, wait!! it was like having another child. Yikes. At that point I looked over a my cat peacefully napping and went on with my day. It’s not that I don’t like dogs, I just never had one. I guess my parents felt the same way, the work, the smell, the dog hair and colored plastic baggies. Whenever the debate over best pet comes up at my house, my husband’s holds up his fingers, two words for you he says, “Cat -Box.” End of story. I mumble to myself and wave him off. Pfffft!!!
A little over a decade ago I tried to bring up a discussion about having a second child. I was offered something else, a kitten. As daft as this is going to sound, after having recently lost my beautiful Himalayan cat of twelve years I thought that wasn’t a bad trade. After all I was really missing having a cat by my side. I decided I wanted another Abyssinian, we had lost one a few years prior after she ran out into the street. Within a week I found a breeder. Both my son and I passed the interview process (yes, you read that correctly) and soon we had ourselves a kitten. On a Super Bowl Sunday almost ten years ago I brought Weebee home. Here she is with her two brothers.
She has been like no other cat companion I have ever had. The breed are known for being extremely social and busy bodies. She is always in our business, vocal and curious to a fault. Fastidious in her hygiene, we sometimes refer to her as the ‘virtual cat.’
I am very limited as to what I have available to photograph on any given day. I am a mother (I eventually had that second child), a wife, a home maker, a short order cook, you name it, I do it. I don’t get to stroll on the beach and take sprawling photographs whenever the mood suits me. Instead when I need to practice, I practice on her.
I joke this cat is taking me places but the truth is she really does have a little fan base out there on the internet. She made her debut on Mashable.com after she was featured on the Instagram blog and most recently seen in VSCO’s Best of 2012 Animals.
She is not a huge fan of the camera so getting her best side can be next to impossible. I have to fake her out most of the time with a cat toy in one hand, camera in the other. I’ve tried changing cases on my phone and that actually works the first few times. I even tricked her using a camera embedded in my daughters Barbie doll.
I try to capture other parts, not just her emerald “python eyes” as I call them. I know she won’t be with us forever and I don’t wan’t to forget her soft paw pads or her flickering black tipped tail. Photos like this one remind me of Deidre’s post about her cat George, it hurts to know that over two months have passed since he disappeared. Sometimes they leave and they don’t come back. So hard to say good bye, I know I won’t handle that day well. Weebee is an indoor cat, be we take her outside daily, she just can’t free roam as we share the hills with hungry cat-loving coyotes. A part of me thinks she could hold her own, she’s a pretty tough cat, but I think she’s worn out a life or two already.
I think other cat owners will agree with me you need endless amounts of patience when working with cats. They are so on their own schedule and seem to turn away from the camera quickly. You almost need a camera lying in wait in every room so when you see that light and that moment you can grab and shoot. You often wonder can there be another angle another way to shoot the same cat I have been photographing for ten years? The answer is always yes.
I’m a sucker for the cats in the Mortal Muse Pool, especially Linda’s, I feel like I know the younger Parker Posey…
larger than life Oona …
and the beautiful Annie Fannie, all rock star cats in their own right.
Suzi Marshall’s black and whites of her, well… black and white cats are also some of my very favorites. She gets the contrast just right! Read a conversation with Suzi here.
Is your pet your muse too? Please tell me I’m not the only crazy cat lady here.
~ Lindsey aka modchik
I love your cat! what a star. A wonderful selection of photographs too, fantastic!
thanks Justine, sometimes the photos aren’t enough to really show what a character she is. So vocal and the constant head butting. She is always a good conversational piece!
Weebee is so sweet. She’s almost human. I agree with you that there are quite some stars on IG. It’s something I wouldn’t have thought was possible to happen. Absolute adorable!
Weebee is a beauty. I loved that photo of her when I saw it pop up on the vsco blog. The photo of Parker Posey is one of my favourites of Linda’s. My Archie enjoys posing for the camera but Millie is much harder to photograph. Thank you for featuring them both.
It nearly broke my heart to read that one of your kitties was so badly injured, I’m so glad she is on the mend. Funny I didn’t put you and your kitties together until I found them in the MM group pool.
Thank you Lindsey. She’s been a little trouper and we’re so thankful that she’s still here.
Beautiful piece about Weebee, Lindsey. Obviously practice makes perfect, your photos of her are gorgeous.. I’m a crazy cat lady, presently without a cat. 🙂 I haven’t had one since my Samantha passed away a few years ago.
We’ve talked about her before haven’t we, so hard. I still miss my other cats, Oscar my Himalayan was a poser always cooperative, Weebee not so much if you could only see the b-roll for every 1 good shot there are 50 duds. No lie.
I myself am a huge cat lover and of course, proud owner of three. I share these sentiments with you also Lindsey. I think I’ve mentioned to you that your Weebee is just beautiful. Thanks for the inspiration. Must try disguising my camera…..
OMG!!!! i am sitting here with the biggest, goofiest smile on my face!!!!! this is a fantastic piece!!!!! your Weebee and Suzi’s babies are so gorgeous and i love hearing about the breed–i had no idea they were so ultra friendly!! and, of course, the all-to-familiar plight of trying to photograph them!!!! and i thank you sooooo much sweetie for including all my babies all at once!!! wow, this is a fabulous day!!!! i am sooo happy!!! xxxooo
can you tell i am happy!!! lol!!!!
Beautiful story. I will be smiling at my cats all day. Thank you for sharing.
Pet muses…yes! Great article. Thanks for sharing.
I love that Weebee is such a character and already quite the star! Now, if only she could give my cat some modelling tips too….
Me! I have a troublesome cat who is extremely difficult to get a good picture of, so I consider her a challenge and follow her around a lot (to her annoyance). And I just recently got a solid black kitten which brings up a whole different set of issues when trying to photograph him well. I really love Weebee, she’ s just beautiful! Thanks for the wonderful post!
its funny, “cat box” are the two words my partner says to say why dogs are superior. he hates the idea and smell of the cat going in the house lol.
i love both though, and always had both growing up. i thought i was a cat person until the last 5 or 6 years, when i began to understand the endearing virtues of dogs through ownerships. i’ll always fiercely defend how cool, independent, and intelligent cats are, though, and hope to have one again some day.
What a beautiful post…and cat!!! Gorgeous!
She is such a beauty! I always love seeing her pop up on my IG feed. I too felt like my daughter needed a puppy and sadly after a month and a half we had to re-home him due to severe allergies. It is like having a baby. I can’t help to feel a little relieved some days just to have cats again. We have 3 now so I guess I really am a cat person.
Another crazy cat lady here…. my love is for Siamese cats after we adopted one from my daughter’s friends. Sam was smart, friendly and became my comforter last year when I had knee surgery.
But alas, he went missing last June, amidst a flurry of cat disappearances in our neighborhood. With sightings of coyotes in our area, we have resigned him to be a victim.
We adopted another Siamese, and although Louie will never replace Sam in my heart, he is a good muse indeed.
http://www.shirleybehindthelens.com/2013/01/large-and-small.html
I am glad I am not the only cat lover! It was wonderful reading about Weebee.
Oh Shirley I know that pain. One night I didn’t realize I had left the garage door cracked open and the next morning all I found was a tuft of fur on the lawn, it about broke me. Coyotes are public enemy #1 around my parts too. Weebee is strictly indoors but she gets out a lot, sometimes for an hour or two, it’s unnerving. You probably know Abbys are a lot like Siamese although not as vocal they have sensitive tummies like Siamese do, am I right? I love Siamese’s fangs 😀 cool cat!! I will check out the link, thanks.
Gorgeous photos of your beautiful kitty. I love what your husband says. We are cat people too. My two cats are black. One has disappeared — I wrote about it here, and his brother, Fred, moves so quickly I have very few photos of him. Getting the right exposure on a black cat and getting the right focus on a fast cat are difficult on their own but extra difficult together.
I can imagine it must have been difficult to blog and shoot when George was missing. I added a little note about him above. I’m sorry he didn’t come back Deirdre.
Beautiful cat. Love the shot of her in the window blinds. WeeBee–that is what my husband calls me…funny!
Thank you Lee Ann, the blind shot is one of my favorites too, I took it a year ago. That is funny about your shared nickname, how did your husband come up with that?
oh man, this makes me miss my cat Max. We were soul mates. He came to our family when I was in 6th grade and then he went to live with me in college & then in Philly when I first moved here. Loved this post! Weebee’s a total gem 🙂
That’s a long time to have a cat, they grow old gracefully too, another thing to love about them. 😀
Wonderful story! Beautiful cats!
Love this Lindsey. I agree you are either a dog or cat lover. My dog knows where I stand on this issue, but don’t tell my cat!
I think my cat can make you switch teams given the chance.
Lindsey – Weebee is gorgeous, but you elevate her to a whole other level. Love these photos!
Thank you Corinna.
My cat experiences as a kid were not good ones, which is why I’m a dog owner today. However, I enjoy other’s cats and love it when one chooses to curl up beside me. Your Weebee is beautiful!
your weebee is a cutie and a rock star. I love your post, makes my cat lover`s heart light up. Off to shoot my two muses