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Leonidas
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Leonidas

by Alberto Patiño

Gallery: Man & FaunaPosted January 24, 2016125 views2 comments
This handsome dude is Leonidas - one of our seven rescue cats. He is a special case. He was born in a feral cat colony at the University of Georgia, where we have a volunteer organization called Campus Cats that takes care of several such colonies in the area. We adopted him when he was less than 3 weeks old, and he grew up with humans. As far as he is concerned we are his parents, yet he will not allow us to get close (hence the less than ideal framing with twigs, leaves, etc. - this is as close as he would let me get on that particular day). When it is time for a vet visit we have to start planning weeks ahead so as to catch him. He gets along very well with the other cats, though. We assume that he comes from so many generations of feral cats that he has lost all of the "domestic" genes. Many feral cats are probably this way - they will never be adoptable. Yet that does not make them any less deserving of living full and happy lives. The problem is humans, not feral animals. 

Zuiko Digital 150mm f2, Olympus OM-D EM-5 + MMF-2 lens adpater, ISO 640, 1/160 sec at f 2.2

Comments

2 comments
Comment posted by Jim Gavin on January 24, 2016 at 5:28 PM
He is a handsome dude, and I think he knows it.  He also appears to be a no nonsense guy who is probably in charge.  At least that is what this wonderful photo communicates to me.  The leaves, twigs, etc? I think they do ideally frame him. I am intrigued by your taking him to the vet. How do you catch him? In what do you transfer him? How does the vet. handle him?
Registered on August 14, 2008, 293 Posts, 1250 Comments
Comment posted by Cay-Uwe Kulzer on January 27, 2016 at 5:38 AM
Alberto,

this is truly a nice guy and you manage to picture it very well. The good isolation from the background is something I like in this image and the typical cal stare. Even when some may disagree with me, I would have  like to see some more room at the bottom to have some virtual space for the legs or feet.

Technically well done, great sharpness and exposure.
Registered on January 27, 2004, 494 Posts, 4021 Comments