Eye of the Tiger

Day 32

I was debating whether to call this "eye of the tiger" (after the song from Survivor.. yeah, I was a kid then, I remember it on the radio) or to call it "Lip Smackin". Vids had a peek and said "she looks like a lion!".. sold!

Gypsy cat is a grumpy, 14yo (so we worked out last night) fat tortoiseshell cat. She's my fave 4 legged critter. I love cats, and Gypsy taught me how to love them. I was a farm boy, where cats were left in the shed to catch rats, and you did not pat them, cos cats were for wus-bags.

We adopted Gypsy from RSPCA in 2000. She soon developed cancer in her left eye, as a 2.5yo cat. We removed the eye. The cancer came back in the other eye a few years later. We went through 2 further bouts of chemo and now she is in her third remission. She seems to have a genetic predisposition for this, as we can't find a trace of it anywhere else in her - it just comes back to her iris.

Back to Gypsy as a "person". She is a typical cat, though much more a private cat than most. She becomes a wild critter when she is taken to a cattery or to a clinic. I seem to be the only person who can handle her then, but only because she drops her guard a little for me, and cos I have a lot of respect for her "space". She has really taught me a lot about cats. If I could work with cats and cows only, it would be awesome.

When we traveled to Sasin Gir many years ago (before it was a tourist hotspot with real transport there) I was so overcome with how much lions are like domestic cats. The way they lick their paws, the way they walk. This is what I love about cats... they can be so delicate and careful, but those little soft pink toepads are hiding claws that are so powerful and lethal, and that cute little muzzle is hiding some ferocious teeth - such a juxtapose of assets. Their temperament is the same... that purring and smooching, hiding that sudden change into a scratching, biting critter. But that is what I respect - we don't always want to be out socializing and being chummy, sometimes we want our own space. Cats have the guts to tell you that.

I like that.

Softboxes at 9 and 3, 85mm f/1.8 set to f/6.3. Triggered with Phottix Stratos. Gypsy was lured and kept in place by Cheddar cheese slices - hence the licking of lips.