- Dominic and Merlin (Blue Tabby Maine Coon).
- Nancy and Buttons (Scottish Fold).
- Arlo and Buttercup (Cream Persian).
Learn how to make your own chicken jerky. Its a healthier alternative to the store-bought kind. Get the directions here.
- Elisabeth, and Angelique (Khao Manee).
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- Gunther and Albert (Exotic Longhair).
- Matthew and Hubert (Abyssinian).
Many dogs have a condition nicknamed “Frito Feet,” in which their feet smell little bit like corn chips. As Matt Soniak wrote in a Big Question on this site, this has to do with the kind of bacteria found on a pup’s feet, and “could be due to yeast or Proteus bacteria. Both are known for their sweet, corn tortilla–like smell. Or it could be Pseudomonas bacteria, which smell a little fruitier—but pretty close to popcorn to most noses.”
More than once he turned up at a house and the cat flat-out refused to come out from under the bed, until Gethings left, “feeling quite defeated and a huge failure”. Other times, he would set up the gear and lights around a small table, “and the cats would jump up and sit on the table beautifully, lick their paws and just watch what was happening as I set up the backdrop”. Then, as soon as he got his camera out, “they’d jump off and hide and never come back. It seemed almost deliberate.”
- Tobias and Hero (Moggy).
The imperious-looking cat paired with the sophisticated woman in a grey fur stole was one of the trickiest to photograph. “The cat looks really calm, but it spent the first hour hiding under the furniture, and this was probably the only perfect shot we achieved. It was motionless for a fraction of a second. It required every trick in the book: laser pointers, clockwork mice, spiders, doorbells, duck calls, birds on strings – even my son’s whoopee cushion.”
- Marielle and Jacques (Silver Maine Coon).
A professional animal portraitist, over the years Gethings has photographed goats, cows, sheep, pigeons and bumblebees (“I’ve learned a lot about bee behaviour – they’re really zen”), as well as the pets of celebrities, including Elle Macpherson, Gok Wan, Mark Ronson and Brix Smith Start. He started his career as an abstract painter and worked in the studio of legendary portrait photographer Terry O’Neill . But while the work was “interesting – I met a lot of famous people”, taking photos of celebrities didn’t feel like the right fit.A Wagging Tail Does Not Always Equal a Happy Dog. Don’t approach a strange dog just because it’s wagging it’s tail. Tail wagging isn’t always the universal sign of happiness – it can also indicate fear or insecurity. Be sure to teach your children about the basics of dog bite prevention.
An encounter with a fine art book by Tim Flach , who photographed dogs in studio settings, was a eureka moment. “It had never occurred to me that you could do the kind of work that Terry did – high-end portraiture – of animals.” Around the same time, he got a border terrier puppy, Baxter, now 12 years old. Unsurprisingly, the two of them have a lot in common. “We both have beards, the same hair colour and are starting to go grey. We like cats, are obsessed with food, love the beach, share the same friends and never want to go out at night. We’re really very similar.”READ ALSO:
• Do You Look Like Your Cat? A Matching Game by Gerrard Gethings/@gezgethings and Debora Robertson is released on 12 October, laurenceking.comKeep Them Active. Energy varies between breeds, says Dr. Becker. “Greyhounds, Labs, Golden Retrievers, Jack Russell Terriers, Border Collies, and other active breeds have unfathomable energy.” He continues, “wolves spend 80% of their time awake, moving. With cats, there’s not such an exercise requirement,” but providing outlets for play at home is still crucial. For both cats and dogs he recommends food-dispensing that “recreates the hunt,” and puzzle feeders that engage your pet’s “body and mind.”