I am helping this weekend to take care of three cats that belong to my friend Cindy Dyer and her husband. I mention Cindy fairly often on this blog because she is a constant sources of encouragement and inspiration in my photography and has mentored me over the years—she is a freelance photographer and graphic designer. She is also an amazing gardener and most of the times when I feature flower photos, I have taken the shots in her garden.
Cindy works from home, so her three cats are used to having someone around during most of the day. Over the years I have taken care of the cats multiple times and they are relatively comfortable with my presence in the hours. That being said, each of the three cats has his own personality and shows me varying degrees of attention and affection.
I took these shots of Lobo, Pixel, and Queso yesterday afternoon when I stopped in to check on them. All three cats seemed to be evaluating me and I like the way that I was able some of their personality in these informal little portraits.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Wow! Such obvious personalities. 😊 How kind of you to care for them, Mike. Makes being away from home easier when we know we have reliable, willing folks to care for our animals.
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Thanks, Mitzy. I used to have a rabbit and Cindy and her husband Michael would keep an eye on him and feed him when I was away. It is good to have friends on whom you can count. During the periods of pandemic restrictions, the three of us made up our own little pod.
Hi Mike, we had a laugh at your description of the cats ‘evaluating’ you! Their names are so appropriate! Lobo with his steely eyes, Pixel and his mottled fur, Queso… will say cheese but stay alert! Have fun taking care of this glaring of cats!
I laughed at your comments, Chris. Pixel and Lobo were adopted together–Cindy wanted to call Lobo “JPEG” or “Nikon,” but her husband drew the line at having only one photography-related cat name. Queso was found as a kitten abandoned outside of a Mexican restaurant, which along with his orangish fur accounts for his name. I recall you postings about your gatherings of catamarans and am sure that I will enjoy my own adventures with my own temporary glaring of cats.
I enjoy our exchanges, Mike, it’s really nice!
Three lovely guest, take good care of them 🙂
That what I love about cats is their remarkable personalities. You captured these three adorable cats purr-fectly, Mike.
Great shots of a few wonderful subjects, Mike. Queso appears to be saying, “you’re going to feed us, right?”
I agree with all the comments. Couldn’t have said it better. Cats are great subjects. They are so complex. Thank you.
Thanks, Ann. My friend Cindy works from home, so she is able to capture wonderfully candid shots of them. I did my best during the limited time I had with them.
I expect they are in good hands!
I enjoy taking care of these cats. It’s been several years since I last had a pet and there is something really therapeutic about petting, brushing, and snuggling with a cat or dog (or some other pets too, I am sure).
Fantastic cat portraits, Mike! I think you are so right, cats do “evaluate” us!
Thanks, Leah. In my experience, cats seem to like to approach me on their own terms, unlike many dogs that will throw themselves at you, even if you are a stranger.
Cindy’s cute critters are a smile inducing choice for a Sunday post! As I was taught long ago by Benjamin, the photos are best enjoyed when enlarged. This affords the viewer the ability to fully appreciate each cat’s individual characteristics and beauty. Perusing the photos brought to mind several quotes about cats by Mark Twain…himself a known lover of the furry creatures. Narrowing it to just this one : “If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.” Thank-you, Mr. Mike!
I love the quote, Ellen. Although I tend to be more of a dog person, I do like cats a lot too. I tried to give as much attention to the photos of these three cats as I devote to my wildlife subjects. All three of them have eyes that mesmerize me. 🙂
Haha, you captured those precious cats well! And thank you for your photography, I have been enjoying your perspective in viewing nature over the year in my emails. 😊
Thanks, Wendy, for your kind words. Although I tend to focus mostly on nature, at times I will photograph other aspects of my life, like my neighbor’s wonderful cats.
All very nice, Mike, and I especially like the last one, checking on you through the railing. Nice to have this trio in your pod!
Queso, the cat looking through the railing, is the youngest of the trio. The other two cats were adopted years ago at the same time. I think that the youngster gets picked on a little by his big brothers and he tends to be a bit more shy and skittish with me.
Nice! You might enjoy these … or write one yourself. https://petersironwood.com/2021/12/02/hai-cat-ku-for-you/