We generally assume a purring cat is a contented cat. It’s safe to say a hissing cat, its ears drawn back, is not pleased.
But aside from the visage of Grumpy Cat — who may not have been grumpy at all — feline faces don’t tell us much about how cats feel. Or rather, as a new study on the topic found, most of us are pretty terrible at reading cats’ expressions.
Cats have a reputation for being “inscrutable,” the researchers say, and their results mostly back up this notion. More than 6,000 study participants in 85 countries, the vast majority of them cat owners, watched brief cat videos and then judged the animals’ moods. The average score was just under 60 percent correct — an F, if cat videos were a school subject.
However, 13 percent of participants did quite well, scoring 75 percent or above. The researchers dubbed these achievers “cat whisperers” — and said their results are important.
o some, they are the most beautiful and majestic creatures, to others, they look like the kittens that survived a nuclear apocalypse.
These photographs show the unique beauty of the Sphynx cat, a breed known for its complete lack of fur.
They have been shot by Alicia Rius, a Catalonian photographer based in Los Angeles, California.
Ms Rius says she immediately fell in love with Sphynxes the first time she saw one, and so far, she has photographed 14 different cats for her project.
She said: ‘When I started to do these series, I wanted the viewers to experience the same mixture of feelings I was feeling at the time I was photographing them.
‘I hope to spark a fascination of such a rare breed, awaken a curiosity to want to know more about these hairless cats, and to also leave the viewer in amazement. The reaction has been quite interesting.
‘People who had disliked them have reached out and told me that they can now appreciate their unique beauty, while there have been others who have always been fascinated with them, like myself.
‘I think this breed falls into two distinct love-hate categories without much in the middle, which I hope to change along the way.’
Since she first photographed a Sphynx, in San Francisco, in 2013, the photographer has slowly been building a solid body of work, hoping one day to turn her collection into a book, ‘The Disturbing Beauty of the Sphynx Cat.’
For the series, Alicia looks to photograph the animals using an abundance of natural light and only a few backdrops.
Arguably the most important factor in shooting the felines, Ms Rius said, is time – as allowing the cats to familiarize themselves with her, the equipment and environment makes for better shots.
Ms Rius, 34, said: ‘A cat without that protective, typical coat allowed me to recognize and experience each emotion and sensation the Sphynx cat was experiencing, as it was exposed on its raw, naked flesh.
‘Open-minded people, who think outside of the traditional cat box, are intrigued with this unique cat’s exterior.
‘They may not have fur, but when you pet one, it’s like you’re caressing velvet.
‘These cats may outwardly look edgy, aggressive, or a bit odd – however, their personalities are actually in fact bright, joyful, very affectionate and quite social.
‘This breed is a great example of the notable cliche: ‘Looks can be deceiving.’
Source: DailyMail
