This is a very unusual photograph of a relaxed, calm and indeed happy cat, surrounded by children who are petting and photographing him (or her).
The photograph has been retweeted over 10,000 times and it has almost 30,000 likes (if you are into those sorts of statistics!).
What interests me more is what the photograph is about. It’s hard to understand what’s going on. It may be Photoshopped (edited) but I don’t think it is and if it has been edited, it’s been done extremely well. On the basis that it is not Photoshopped it’s amazing how placid and accepting the cat is of all the attention that he is getting.
My guess as to what is happening
I’m going to have a guess as to what’s happening. This is a school, somewhere in Europe. They have a class which is about animals and animal welfare. The class also provides information about caring for domestic animals.
A friend of the teacher or the teacher herself brought into the class her domestic cat companion. This allowed the teacher to illustrate what she was teaching and provided an interesting focal point for the class.
After the class the children were invited to interact with the domestic cat. A boy picks up the cat and cuddles him. The cat accepts it. The other children come around and want a piece of the action. Some of them photograph the cat while others want to pet him.
The photograph was taken, perhaps by one of the children or the teacher who took the class. That’s my assessment for what it is worth. It’s an interesting and unusual photograph.
Is it a good or bad one? The photograph is good but I’m not completely convinced that what is going on is good because I’m not sure it’s wise to handle a domestic cat like this, in a strange place and then surrounded by a lot of young people. The cat looks fine and therefore I’m probably being overly concerned.
Martha Kane in Malta
It is a good thing to provide lessons to children about animal welfare. It should be a standard lesson. It could focus on how to look after a cat companion or a dog. I remember attending a class in Malta given by a colleague of mine who runs a cat rescue organisation. She brought a dog into the class. I took the photos.
I have just found out that Martha Kane died on April 25, 2018 aged 65. She was a great lady who loved cats and fought for their welfare. I visited her and stayed in Malta for several days. Her husband, Richard, is a great guy. Very resourceful.
Please click on this link to read about Martha and her work. RIP.
Kids these days need to learn about loving all animals. Instead their useless parents just spawn and leave them to play with their phones, computers, or video games. This leaves the them not learning anything but how to be narcissistic!
Well, yes, there is some truth in what you say. Modern kids don’t really connect enough with nature.