Hi all! Tomorrow spring will come, albeit only a calendar spring, which not only people can enjoy, but also other inhabitants of the city who live their secret lives next to us: for example, city hedgehogs and ordinary yard cats. On this occasion, I took out from my own archives a disk with photographs of yard cats and cats recorded on it many years ago, and also remembered several cat stories and one cat poem (it is at the end of the article).
Not all the cats in the photo are March cats, or rather, all of them are not March cats) But all of them are well known cats with whom I had the chance to communicate for some time. In most cases, communication was not fleeting (he came up and took a photograph), but stretched out over several weeks, often months.
Communication with a cat is a kind of energy exchange. You bring food to the cat, the cat gives you his affection)) For those who are friends with cats, it is no secret that they know how to communicate with people using sign language. And that not every “kiss-kiss” is significant for a cat; it is very important who exactly pronounces it and how. Within a day of meeting each other, the cat recognizes the friend’s voice and responds to it, remaining indifferent to the calls of others. Tested in practice.
Barn cat Gray
A couple of times he quickly ran from one yard to another along the work area adjacent to the warehouses, where I sometimes went out to get some fresh air. One day I called out to him and he stopped. He let me come to him. He was thin, with matted and unkempt fur, covered in some burrs. His tail, apparently, was once broken in two places, and subsequently fused incorrectly, now resembling the shape of a fairly bent corkscrew.
At first, this street cat came for food once a day, at the same time. It was possible to set the clock by it, so accurately did he know when a bowl of milk would appear on the roof of the garage, adjacent to the back wall of our yard.
After a few days, the cat realized that now there was no need to scavenge for discarded bread, and began to spend more and more time on the roof. And spend more time on your hygiene. He cleaned his skin until it shined and straightened up slightly.
It often happened that there were busy days in terms of work, and I forgot not only about feeding the cat daily, but also about my own lunch. Then someone would come from the warehouse to say: “There’s a cat demanding you!”
Within a couple of weeks, Gray turned into a fluffy handsome man. He became completely tame, affectionate and completely relaxed, graciously allowing himself to be photographed at any time.
A week later, he began to bring his green-eyed friend, the same yard cat, to dinner. When treating her, he always made sure that she knew when to stop, at a certain moment tactfully moving her muzzle away from the bowl.
Then other cats began to appear periodically on the roof. I had to bring more milk and sausage to work than usual. And one bowl was not enough for everyone.
A couple of times I happened to see an unusual street cat on the same roof, which never approached the bowl, but only sat at a distance, like a sphinx with an unblinking gaze, watching what was happening. There was something frightening about her.
Strengths of mongrels
Each purebred cat is unique and valued for some of its exceptional characteristics. Yard mustaches may in some ways not be comparable to their purebred counterparts, but they have a lot of advantages:
- Health. The life expectancy of mongrels is usually longer than that of purebred purrs, because the former have a stronger and more lasting immunity to most street infections. Selection work weakens the protective functions of the cat’s body.
- Temperament. Domestic breeds have the most flexible and gentle character. If such a cat is picked up on the street, then its joy will know no bounds - it will become attached to its owner for life.
- Knitting. Finding a partner for a yard pet will not be difficult. Most likely you will have many options to choose from. Waiting for a new offspring is always a mystery, because it is impossible to predict what coat color, color and eye shape the future kittens will have. It is quite possible that such a kitten will become the founder of a new breed.
- Help with housekeeping. Catching an annoying rodent will not be difficult for a mongrel; they have a well-developed natural instinct.
- Exhibitions. There are exhibitions for outbred pets, where the external characteristics of purrs and their grooming are assessed. It’s great that yard breeds also have the opportunity to show themselves in all their glory.
- Price. Anyone can buy a yard pet. Usually they come to visit themselves, offering to leave themselves. In this case, it is almost impossible to refuse.
Red kitten
Then, from somewhere in the neighboring yards, a very small red kitten with round eyes wandered in, screaming incessantly and constantly climbing into places it shouldn’t. If we add to what has been said that he was also stupid and fearless, it is not surprising that his fate turned out to be very tragic.
He lived in the organization's working yard for just over a week. And, probably, over the summer he could have grown into a beautiful and well-fed white and red cat, if one day he had not decided to walk along the upper edge of a two-meter fence that borders the space belonging to the local security guard, who was also on the payroll of the company - Alabai, affectionate towards his own and merciless to everyone else. Alabai, seeing the uninvited visitor, rushed to the fence barking. From the push, the kitten lost its balance and, falling inside, was torn to pieces in a matter of seconds.
Later, work life threw me into “raising” a branch of the company in another city for a whole year, there were other street cats and cats...
Vasily, Timofeich and Villain
Timofeich was brought and launched into the premises rented for the store by one of the neighbors, who also rented space next door. The cat slowly walked around the perimeter, rustled for a few minutes in one of the corners and returned with a strangled mouse, carefully placing it next to him. This moment was captured in the photo; I do not illustrate it here for moral and ethical reasons.
So Timofeich began to rely on allowance at a newly opened retail (not grocery) outlet. He regularly came to work at 9:00 every day. In a few days he caught all the mice, each time showing me his catch, as if hinting that he fully deserved his modest ration. He spent most of his time indoors, only occasionally going away somewhere on his own business.
One day this cat really surprised me. One evening I stayed late at work, dealing with 1C:, forgetting about time. Suddenly Timofeich, who was sitting at my feet, softly jumps onto my lap, takes my hand from the table with his front paws (it sounds wild, I understand) and puts it on his furry head!
The cat Vasily came to us a couple of times a week, always appearing unpredictably and disappearing just as mysteriously. He was the kindest, laziest, heaviest and softest cat of all) You can’t say that about him from the photo.
Holding this short-haired white and gray cat in my arms was an incomparable pleasure. I am sure that if he suddenly fell into the hands of a person completely indifferent to cats, or even a cat hater, these representatives of the human race would once and for all change their attitude towards cats - for the better. But such cats are rare, I only met one like this once)
A shabby, gangster-looking street cat, to whom the nickname Villain immediately stuck, appeared in the yard a few weeks later. The next day he disappeared, a couple of weeks later he “looked for a light” again. So he appeared in raids throughout the year that I worked outside of Voronezh.
What’s interesting is that these cats did not engage in showdowns and clarification of territorial relations, as sometimes happens, among themselves. coexisting quite peacefully in a relatively small area. Perhaps because there was enough food for everyone. There were also shops nearby, including grocery stores. And there were enough people who were not indifferent to cats.
Winter house for a cat outside: interesting ideas
Simple cat mansions are made according to the principle of a doghouse, but certain nuances are possible.
a warm cat house with your own hands in the country from reliable materials - plywood, boards, lining. It is important to ensure good heating, for which a heater must be installed on one of the walls of the house. If you can get by with a heating pad, that’s great, but an almost ideal option is an infrared film controlled by a thermostat. For a small booth, an eighth of a square meter will be enough. It is placed on the floor or mounted on the wall. A substrate is placed on top, which is placed under the laminate. Such winter houses for cats in the country will be a reliable shelter in the cold. Pets and street pranksters will love them.
Yard cats in the city
Whoever feeds them knows what to feed street cats. There are some cats that are omnivorous and don’t refuse even a piece of bread; for others, give them only sausages and sausages, and even then, not just any kind. They say that sausage producers, having learned that people check the quality of their products with the help of cats, began to add mice to their sausages) This is, of course, a joke. It is possible that it is not as far from the truth as we would like.
They also say that the most common breed of yard cats in Russia is the Russian yard cat with a mixed and unpredictable color, followed closely by those representatives of the cat whose distinctive feature is a pronounced color: the yard tabby cat, the gray yard cat, the black yard cat and a red cat. White street cats are a little luckier - they are quite rare, and therefore are the most valued, not only for their fur and claws. All others that do not fall into the listed categories are outbred yard cats.
Outdoor cats in winter, especially if the winter is harsh and there is no opportunity to eat/warm up somewhere, experience serious difficulties. Many of them simply do not live to see spring - they die from frost and hunger, they are crushed by cars. The life of a cat in the city in winter cannot be called simple and carefree, even if there is all inclusive accommodation with accommodation in a three-star basement of an old Khrushchev building and a buffet at the nearest trash can.
Homeless animals on city streets are not a common phenomenon in European countries. And it is right. On the one hand, every cat should have a home, on the other hand, in cities adjacent to the steppe and forest zones, there is always a risk of stray animals becoming infected with rabies and causing outbreaks of epidemics. In Voronezh, rabies quarantine has been declared in the summer months for two years now. So it is possible that the capture of stray cats, their forced sterilization, vaccination and microchipping is a matter of the near future for Russia.
While I was writing the previous paragraph, I thought: in all the time I have been interacting with stray cats and kittens, there has never been a case where I was scratched or bitten by a street cat. Unlike dogs, by the way...
Below I decided to leave a few more photographs of Voronezh street cats and cats that accidentally fell into the lens of my camera 12 years ago.
Some useful tips for a photo shoot with a cat
So, to take beautiful cat photos, you need to remember simple rules.
- Get your pet's attention. This is the only way you can get the furry one to look into the frame. To do this, you can rustle the candy wrapper or snap your fingers at the level of the lens. To direct the cat's attention to the side, throw a small pebble in that direction.
- Be patient. Don't expect good shots right away and don't be upset if you didn't manage to take a beautiful photo the first time. Cats are very capricious animals with whom you need to build trusting relationships.
- Use continuous shooting. This way you can increase the chances of creating an interesting shot.
- Avoid flash. A bright sudden light can frighten the furry one, and it will be difficult to restore his mood.
- Keep your distance. If your baby is playing with his toys, just don’t interfere and enjoy the fun shots.
You will find even more ideas for photos with a cat or other pets on our blog.
Yard cats, photo
Yard cats and cats in the amount of 4 pieces at the feeding area.
The fluffy yard cat lay down in a hole in the ground and, curled up, tried to take a nap. But it was not there. Photoshoot!
White street cat. With his paw tucked in, he looks expectantly at the stranger. Not all people are equally harmful, perhaps this one will be useful?
The dark gray cat hisses: Better not come closer! I have fangs and claws!
A barn cat, sitting on a branch, meditates with his tongue hanging out. The only thing missing from a complete set is a gold chain on a tree.
Another street cat in a tree. This robber with a wary, stern look is clearly not in the mood for philosophical reflection.
And this cat, judging by its location, fatness and grooming, is domestic. But not apartment-based, because... spends most of his time on the street - someone should watch and control)
What does the term "breed" mean?
A breed is a group of domestic animals of the same species that differ from other members of the family by certain characteristics. This formulation appeared relatively recently, or rather about 2 centuries ago. Organizations involved in felinology (the study of the anatomy and physiology of domestic cats, as well as the characteristics of the breed and selection) highlight the characteristic properties and traits of pets. After which all this data is formed into a certain standard that is suitable for a particular breed.
Street cats are considered to be outbred, but they also have their own characteristics. Most yard cats belong to aboriginal breeds, which are characterized by certain external characteristics and a peculiar disposition. All of them were formed naturally, without the intervention of breeders. These include the Turkish Angora, Siamese, Persian, Siberian and Celtic cats.
Cat's thoughts (winter cat)
Cat's thoughts , 2003, audio version, click on play, listen) Author: Konstantin Vervekin. Reader: Boris Abramov.
While I was sorting out old cat photos, I remembered that there was something to add to them. I dug up my own poem from fifteen years ago in my files. It became interesting how it would sound in someone else's performance. Without hesitation, I ordered a voiceover from a professional announcer. A few hours later I received the result.
I was sent four versions of the recitation, slightly different from each other intonationally. Later, if I have time, I’ll sit in Adobe Audition and try to put together the optimal final version. In the meantime, I attached one of the sent tracks with minimal processing.
Your opinion is interesting: did the reader manage to convey the mood of the poem? Write in the comments.
