June 12, 2006
Focusing on Cats
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Cats, in general, are ego-manics. They do not merely desire and crave attention, as dogs do -- cats demand it. Their purr-sonalities are such that they command attention even when they do not desire it, hence they harass you until you put down that book you are reading only to abruptly leave once you have done so. They beckon you from across a room, only to trot away once you walk toward them. As I write this, Mystical Pickles, my youngest cat, has jumped on my lap, placing herself between me and the keyboard -- if I ignore her and type, she head-butts my arm yet if I pet her, she nips at me...
See, for cats, it's all about having your undivided attention. They know they are number one, but the self-knowledge is not enough -- you must prove you it too.
While dogs seem to bask in our attentions with smiles, tail wags and looks of devotion, cats expressions most often display disgust, annoyance, repugnance, and at best, a mere tolerance. This is why cats often make the best subjects for photographs.
No matter what you do to a cat, no matter how silly the sunglasses or hats, the cat remains aloof. The cat's expression remains that of a cat: he finds this all disgusting, annoying, repugnant or to merely be tolerated. He endures such primitive, immature behavior because this is simply what such divine creatures must put up with from inferior creatures (who fill his dish).
When all is said and done, the reason the photo is so funny is because the pose or props are secondary to the cat's indignity. We all like -- no need to see an indignant cat now and then. It tells us we are the ones in charge.
...But if you peer closely at the photographs, past the silly hats and other props, you might just see a very smug cat... A cat who knows that in the end, he has won. Because once again, all of our attention is focused on the cat.
Posted by photocartoonist at 2:33 AM
December 28, 2005
In Memory of a Maspeth Queen
photo©Thomas Hudson Reeve 2005
It was the day before Memorial Day 1994. The lead story on the CBS 11 o'clock local
news in New York City was about over 30 cats who had been abandoned in an empty
house in Maspeth, Queens after the owners moved. Isabella was one of those cats,
only six months old. A Maine Coon cat and a beauty, Isabella was as mysterious
and aloof as she was beautiful.
I did not see this report and Isabella had been cared for over a year before she
came into my life. Never fond of people (can you blame her) she really loved other
cats. Gentle and sweet, we only hoped to get close enough to such goodness.
It was a pleasure sharing our lives with her. Good night, sweet Isabella.
We miss you.
Posted by photocartoonist at 10:17 PM
October 17, 2005
Buster, Cat; Kat, Human
Staff Reporter of BusterWheres
Buster was a cat with a 23 year background in hanging out and being imminently catlike.
Kat Caverly was a human being with a background in behavioral psychology and over 23 years
of experience in commercial photography.
The year was 1996, but the collaboration of these two professionals began in July if 1982,
when Kat noticed Buster outside of the loft building where she had a studio in Manhattan.
Buster was just hanging out, anticipating Kat's emergence from her building. The plan: make himself
known to Kat ever so subtly. His ultimate goal: force Kat to initiate the relationship.
Busters's feline whiles were too much for a mere human to ignore - Kat indeed made the initial approach. She stooped down, knee bent upon meeting Buster. He made his move - his brutish
approach, merely intended to be a stroke of sincerity on Kat's thigh, knocked Kat off her feet, literally!
Buster proved to provide Kat with a bottomless supply of inspiration and friendship for over 14 years, and thanks to Kat's relationship with Recycled Paper Greetings, the third largest greeting card company in the Universe, his mug was seen on several of Kat's best selling paper cards over the years.
Buster became a star loved and sought after for many years. Buster just attracted attention!
Kat has many stories about living with Buster, who went to heaven in 1997 and she likes to say that Buster was by far her very best friend. Buster adored Kat; maybe because she saved him that day. Maybe because they knew each other in a previous life. ??
Everyone should have at least one friend like Buster in their lifetime. Priceless.
Posted by photocartoonist at 2:24 PM
September 7, 2005
The Story of Bodega Boy
Bodega Boy got his name because he was promised to the local deli on the corner. These delis are called Bodegas here in New York City, in this neighborhood, which was very Spanish in the Westside Story era. Bodega is the Spanish name for, well, deli but that's Jewish, also very New York. Bodega is Spanish for little grocery store or at least that's what I believe.
Anyway when BB was 6 months old he went to his new home. the next day I went to see how he was and the counter guy said "Please take that kitten back home." He has been crying all day and night, so they had to put his cage down in the basement.
When he saw me, he started screaming and my heart just broke, so I didn't even take the 5 minutes to go get a carrier. I took little BB and put him in my jacket and held him close because the streets are busy here and my heart was just pounding and so was his.
When I got him back to the studio where his mommy was, you never saw such a happy kitten. He literally leaped for joy! Boing, boing!
When he got full grown, he was twice his mommy's size and still the mommy's boy but Delila wanted nothing to do with this goofy son of hers so he used to have to chase her to try to get affection.
But alas poor BB never got enough affection from his mommy. So we make up for that with ice cream and homages, to our great goofy gentleman; full of love and paranoia!
His mommy, Delila, well that is another story; very sad but with the joy of 5 beautiful little kittens. Delila was such a good mommy. I was always impressed by her devotion and dedication to taking care of this motley crew.
She had been left in an apartment, only 150 square feet small, with 8 other cats. I brought her to my studio and had to hide and re-hide for the next two weeks. She wouldn't eat and I begged her to come out.
Finally I discovered that she was probably pregnant and yes a month later she had 5 little rat cats! I found them all great homes, including Delila. I wanted to keep her too. She was so special but in a cruel twist of fate, Delila did NOT like BB and because of that BB use to chase her around and it made Delila a nervous wreck.
So I found Delila a special home, where she could live just by herself with TWO humans to wait on her hand and foot. She got fat and content and is finally living the life she has always deserved.
I truly love my kitty buddies but I have had to stop the rescue efforts. I found out the hard way that they don't like to live in large groups with each other and as long as I keep them to 3 to an apartment, the animosity is kept to a minimum! They have such opinions!
Posted by photocartoonist at 2:12 PM