Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Capturing those blue eyes


Clyde. Sweet, skittish, don't-touch-me, Clyde. (And, after his de-worming, add "fast, with a bit of spunk" to his descriptors.)

He's the life-long buddy to George (pictured below), our enthusiastic, black-and-white, busy-body who always has his nose in everyone's business:

It's very clear that, four months after adopting us, George is convinced he owns us and our property. We're ok with this.

Clyde, though, I think, is really only here only because George is. He tolerates us, but he follows George around like a puppy. When George and I are having a cuddle, just because I don't see Clyde doesn't mean he's not there. Clyde makes sure he can see and hear us, but he doesn't need to be seen. He's kind of a behind-the-scenes guy.

I think Clyde has led a pretty rough life. He's certainly got the scrapes, scars and behavior to prove it. He keeps a big distance. And it's because of this that my pictures of him tend be of fairly poor quality. Like this, for instance:

Or this:

Or...this:

Until today.

Clyde completely surprised me by coming within spitting distance of the house and finding a patch of sun right off our deck to sit in a spell:

Please note, that while Clyde was close to the house, I still needed my telephoto lens and tripod to be able to get these photos. He hasn't grown to like me that much. (Yet.)

"NOW I'll finally be able to get a shot of his beautiful blue eyes that I keep telling people about," I thought to myself. I was so excited, I mistakenly focused on the wrong object in my first shot. Nice flowers, right?:

He promptly dozed off for my next picture:

And yes, that mat of fur behind his left ear is driving me NUTS:

He relaxed to the point where he even tilted his head up toward the sun a bit to better feel the warmth. Awwwwww....:

Just when it seemed like I wasn't going to have any luck getting a good shot of his eyes, he moved. And he came closer:

And then he looked at me:

Suddenly, there it was. The shot Carson at 7MSN calls the money shot:

Hello, Blue Eyes...

Now, take a load off, little one - you've done enough for today:

Trusting the humans is exhausting work:

37 comments:

  1. *gasp* Those are such gorgeous eyes! Poor thing sure looks like he's had a tough life. He's so handsome. He may have trust issues right now, but I'm sure he's happy to find such a wonderful refuge.

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  2. Oh, my, he's in a safe place and he knows it.

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  3. what a cute story! i bet it won't take long for clyde to relax into the group.

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  4. Your patience is paying off though, if he feels comfortable enough to go to sleep with you there. :)
    I enjoyed all your pictures. ♥

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  5. I had a cat who, four years after he came to live with me, one day for the first time jumped into my lap. Could have knocked me over with the proverbial feather.

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  6. Patience Danni, he will melt to your charms eventually.

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  7. Clyde coming down the stairs from the barn loft looks like he has had a clandestine meeting with the bats. Will you look at those eyes!
    And speaking of eyes, are you sure his eyes are blue?

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  8. Despite all his mats, Clyde is a handsome boy. Must have some Siamese in him to sport those beautiful blue eyes.

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  9. Clyde and George have added a whole new dimension to your farm. How fun to see them pop up in the background of your photos, or even better yet, the foreground. We'll all be doing a happy dance with you when you rid Clyde of that mat behind his ear. It's only a matter of time.

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  10. Oh Danni, this is such a heart warmer. Little tears, big heart swell. You are a kind soul to give George and Blue Eyes a great place to call home. The Olde Bagg
    And yes ma'am you did in fact get that money shot.

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  11. that mat is driving me crazy too. hopefully he'll continue to develop trust and you'll be able to give him a good brushing.

    but it's sweet that he's such a buddy with george.

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  12. Very pretty blue eyes indeed! You will win his trust someday...probably soon. We had one like Clyde we called Wild Willy because he was feral and very wild! Willy finally became the most trusting cat on the place. We lost him about 4 years ago. Still miss the silly thing.

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  13. Clyde is such a sweetie. I hope he warms to you enough that you can brush his fur out some day. I'm so glad he and George have adopted you.

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  14. Baby steps. He may never be a lap cat, but he knows he is in a great place.

    Thanks for sharing your photos!

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  15. Ohh...these shots are just toooo adorable..you'll win him over.I'm sure of it!! He really does have beautiful eyes:)

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  16. Aw, these pictures break my heart in one way, and yet I'm so glad Clyde finally has food and a safe place to live now. He looks like an old cat, or one who has aged rapidly with such a hard life. I'm glad he found you, Dani.

    We have a half-wild cat I found and even had in the house for awhile when she was young. Now she has chosen to live outside again, but she comes and perches by our window, looking inside and somehow gaining comfort by our presence. She likes to be close, but not too close. I long to pet her, but at least I know she is well fed now (and spayed, so she won't produce anymore wild kittens.)

    You are doing great with these cats, Dani. Keep up the good work!

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  17. He's gorgeous! I'm sure he'll come around. We had a cat adopt us too and she was the same but eventually came around and would even sit on a lap! Took her several years though! So perhaps you should settle down for a long wait!

    Glad you finally got your shot!

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  18. Aw. Poor little guy.

    There is a mostly white, short-haired cat who accosts us every time we walk to the store. I try not to pet her, but yesterday she jumped out at me from under a car so suddenly it was like she said, You will pet me, damn you! So I did. But I worry about her being so friendly, and said so to Steve. Some people are weird, you know?

    So later as we passed one house where a little black kitty was sitting in the driveway, when he took off all of a sudden as we got closer, I said, Good kitty- stay safe.

    I hope that Clyde will eventually understand that you won't hurt him and that he can trust you. My mom had a cat like that once. She was a black and white long-haired Manx, and she spent the first two years at mom's house under the deacons' bench in the family room. But she eventually got it and became quite friendly.

    Maybe Clyde will too.

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  19. Oh my gawd. I am totally smitten with Clyde. With your gentle approach and George's easy trust of you, he's going to come around, I just know it. I'll bet he feels a whole lot better after being dewormed. I think he's gorgeous. Oh, how I would love to plant a bit smooch on his scruffy face. Thank you for sharing this with us!

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  20. Danni, I think it is so awesome you adopted these little boys. Why people would move away and leave them is beyond me [like, how exactly do they think the cats will manage?!] Your black and white kitty looks just like my little boy muta. If you ever need to rehome them, they are welcome with me!

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  21. I love those last two shots of him sleeping in the sun. The poor guy has led a rough life and needs to sleep in the sun a bit. I'm thinkin' that hanging out at Critter Farm is like sleeping in the sun... he's a lucky cat.

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  22. Oh my gosh, Danni. It was so hard to patiently read through this post, admiring with anticipation the photos, knowing full well I'd be able to adore the blue blue eyes. Fantastic story!

    I know what you feel when you see his matted fur . . . you just want to take a brush/comb to help him out a bit.

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  23. I wonder if they are littermates having the same type/length of fur?
    Suzanne

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  24. Clyde is beautiful, and I bet good money that he is going to come to trust you to the extent that one day, you'll be able to brush out a mat like that. Mark my words. What a gorgeous, lovely cat.

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  25. Thanks, everyone! I loved the similar-situation cat stories you shared.

    Linda, according to their former owner (I did manage to track him down), both George and Clyde are around 10 years old, so that's getting up there for an exclusively outdoor cat, don't you think?

    Paula, that's funny what you said about feeling better about the cats who flee. I believe those are the hearty ones who have developed the survival skills that keep them alive in challenging situations. Run first, ask questions later. Even George will bolt at the drop of a hat, sometimes when I least expect it.

    Carrie, I'm a firm believer that people who abandon or mistreat animals should go to jail. I think it's the height of cruelty and irresponsibility. It breaks my heart to think about what these kitties were working through in their heads in the early days/weeks after their lifelong owner abandoned them. Thanks for the offer of a home if they need one... :-) I think you'd have to pry them out of my man's hands at this point. He's smitten with them both.

    Suzanne (Window on the Prairie), I don't know whether they were litter-mates, but I do know that they've been together for at least the last ten years. They are firmly bonded to each other. And that fur? I'm wondering how they're going to do over the summer when it gets hot out. Sheesh!

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  26. What a good story - great images. Have a great week!

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  27. The password is...."telephoto". And here I always thought you waltzed right up next to your models during your photo shoots. He is really a furry little guy, and looking much less slender than the pictures you took of him when he first arrived.

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  28. Ah ole blue eyes, so I assume it's Clyde 'Frank'. He certainly did have a very exhausting day, and now looks forward to a very comfortable retirement in his later years.
    LiBBiE in Oz

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  29. Those eyes ARE gorgeous! He's a special cat. In a special place.

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  30. Back in the day when I wasn't allergic to every animal on Earth I had a special cat, Kitty Pearl who was siamese too! He has siamese in him for sure by the looks of his tail and parts of his face! God Bless YOU for adopting those sweet lil' fellows!

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  31. such great pictures of him! And he looks really really happy!

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  32. I love that kitties have joined your family there at Critter Farm. You make it safe there for them with your good energy.

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  33. awwww! It is soooo wonderful to see Clyde sooooo relaxed around your home. I know still far enough to need telephoto but on the premises and very relaxed... that's wonderful; glad you caught his eyes for us. And yes, he does look bigger and yes, that unruly 1/2 shedding hair would drive me nuts, too :)

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  34. When I was young, we had a come and go cat we named Skitten (skittish kitten). She was mostly white, gray ears and blue eyes. I had heard that blue eyed cats were deaf and thats why we figured she was skittish. I don't know if its true but I'm sure you will research this now. ;)

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  35. Clyde reminds me so much of my Himalayan, Mimi. He has the same sweet face and gorgeous blue eyes. I'm so glad that Clyde has found you.

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  36. with those blue eyes, we sure know that Clyde is part Siamese, even thou he does have that long hair. Keep at it and he will be as friendly as George.

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