Yes, I know what you thought and what you are thinking now when you are able to see the image more clearly. When people see the photograph most of them see a black cat on fire which makes the image disturbing. But they can’t really believe it and of course they are right. It is a good looking medium-longhaired black cat shredding a cat tease (a cat toy) made with yellow/orange feathers. It is one of those images that is deceiving. It is not often that you see a cat photo that is truly deceiving on first take.
As mentioned, the toy is called a ‘cat tease’. They come in a wide range of styles. This is a classic one as it seems that genuine feathers have been used and the feathers dyed a bright orange to stimulate the cat. The cat tease is meant to be a fake bird. It is moved around over the head of the cat to tempt them to try and grab the ‘bird’.
Helmi Flick the cat photographer employs Ken her husband as a cat wrangler. He uses a range of cat teases to encourage the cats to take up interesting poses and postures for Helmi to capture. They are fleeting moments. Flashlight is used to freeze the movement.
This cat tease is actually very effective despite being destroyed as it is more realistic. Cats need to be able to destroy their toys to simulate a real attack on a prey animal. They want to kill it. Plastic toys can’t be ‘killed’.
Play is vital to a cat’s health particularly those who are confined to their owner’s home. Sadly, all too often their lives are too boring because they cannot exercise natural behavior. Play substitutes hunting which is the only way cats play. It is play-hunting. Cat caregivers owe it to their indoor cats to play with them on a regular basis.
