Yesterday afternoon I had my camera with me when I came back from the walk with Tasha. Bert the black cat was lying on the the greenhouse floor, basking in the warm sunshine. He followed us into the utility room and sat down in the sunshine while I was changing out of my walking shoes. Bert is 12 years old, and he's lived with us for more than 8 years now.
It's really hard to take photos of a cat, and it's even harder to take photos of a black cat. Cats aren't good at posing. If they do pose, it's often in a place that's too dark for a good picture, or they're in bright sunlight, and the photos come out too contrasty. Bert (he was named by the British couple who left him with us when they moved from Saint-Aignan back to the U.K.) is an outdoor cat who's a good hunter. He used to fight with other cats in the hamlet, but those days seem to be over. He retains scars from his battling days. Both the upper fang and lower fang are missing from one side of his jaw, for example.
We told our neighbor, whose daughter has been visiting from Bordeaux, that we had scheduled a week-long trip for the end of October, and we hoped she could take care of Bertie for us during that time. The daughter chimed in, saying that wouldn't be any problem because her mother is already taking care of Bert, who's been spending a lot of the day in her house recently. The neighbor, C, feeds Bertie, so of course he feels welcome over there.
Walt saw this last photo on my screen yesterday and said he thought it made Bert look pretty mean. We know that he's not mean or aggressive, at least not with us. But when you point the camera at him for a closeup, he lifts up his head and comes toward the lens. I think he's just curious about it. And that's why he looks like this.
I'm not especially fond of cats, but I make an exception for Bertie. He's particularly sweet and friendly.
ReplyDeleteI'm not especially fond of cats, either — partly because I was very allergic to their fur or dander when I was younger, and I am still allergic to it slightly. However, Bertie needed to be rescued in April 2010, and I took him in. He hasn't been trouble-free, but things are better now than they were for the first 5 or 6 years he lived here.
DeleteHe is a pretty cat, showing his age (aren't we all?)
ReplyDeleteOui, c'est vrai.
DeleteAmazing that he stays so svelte considering that he's being fed by two households.
ReplyDeleteHe's almost scrawny. Why he's so thin is a mystery.
DeleteIt is a mystery why he’s so thin considering that he eats at the best place in town!
ReplyDeleteLOL BettyAnn! Our rescue cat is scrawny also. It's nice to have an easy way to get Bertie looked after when you travel.
ReplyDeleteSo, are Bert and Tasha still good friends?
ReplyDeleteYes they are. Every morning when I get up and take Tasha out to pee, Bert is either waiting for us or comes running when he hears us. I feed them both, and they don't squabble.
Deletehandsome bertie! same age as my brown tabby nyla.
ReplyDeleteBert was born here in Saint-Aignan in April 2006. He's half Siamese.
DeleteThe scrawniness may be advancing age, given that he's extremely old in people years. Cats often thin down as they get toward their last years. Sorry to sound downer, but that's my take on it. Lovely pictures, though, and he's been so lucky you've been such good pet parents.
ReplyDelete