PoCats
Latest · Photographing cats
Why a photo of a cat on a screen is not a cat
A photograph of a cat on a screen is flat, backlit and full of tells, and refusing it is the one decision I am least willing to soften.
Field notes
Writing about the cats living on your street: how to meet one, how to photograph it, and what it is telling you before you get there.
- Photographing cats
- Cat behaviour
- Finding cats
- Coats and breeds
Cat behaviour · 7 min
How to approach a street cat
Most people greet a street cat by walking straight at it. Here is the slower way that actually works, and the signals that tell you to stop.
Cat behaviour · 7 min
How to read a cat's body language in the street
A cat tells you what it wants with its tail, ears, whiskers and eyes, usually several seconds before you get close enough to make a mistake.
Photographing cats · 6 min
How to photograph a cat with your phone
A clear cat photo starts with distance, light and focus. These phone tips help you photograph the cat you actually met, without making it come closer.
Finding cats · 6 min
Where to find cats in your neighbourhood
Most neighbourhoods hold more cats than you notice, sitting in the same few places at the same few hours, and this is how to find them without bothering anyone.
Cat behaviour · 6 min
How to tell if a cat is stray, feral or owned
A cat's coat, posture and voice tell you more than a collar does. Here is how to read them, and what each answer asks you to do next.
Coats and breeds · 6 min
Cat coat patterns you will actually meet outdoors
A plain guide to the coats you meet on a walk: what tabby really means, why most ginger cats are toms, and how a calico differs from a tortie.
Cat behaviour · 7 min
Cat distribution system: meaning and what to do when a cat finds you
A cat turns up at your door or follows you on a walk: the internet calls it the cat distribution system. The joke is about being chosen; the practical next step is checking whether that cat already has a home.
Who writes these
Isaac Efraim, who makes PoCats at Vega Digital. I built a game about photographing the cats on my street, which meant learning how to approach one without ruining the moment, where they actually sit at four in the afternoon, and what a flicking tail means before your hand finds out.
These notes are the useful half of that. They are written to be worth reading whether or not you ever install anything, and none of them will tell you to chase, corner or handle a cat you do not know.
Corrections and questions: hello@vegadigital.app. There is an RSS feed if you would rather not be emailed.
There is one outside right now
On a wall, under a car, in a shop doorway.
