Photographing cats: timing, trust and body language

This page covers the cat side of a portrait photo: when to try, how to read a cat's face and body, how to build trust with the slow blink, how to get a cat's attention, and when to stop. Cats set their own schedule, so the aim is to be ready when your cat is calm and to avoid anything that makes it tense. The camera settings are in the main pet photo guide, and the article on how to photograph your pet for a portrait has short tips for dogs and cats together.

Choose the moment

A cat that is relaxed gives the soft face that suits a royal portrait. Cats Protection, the UK cat charity, suggests taking a photo just after your cat has eaten or woken up naturally, when it is more likely to be sleepy and relaxed.

For an alert face, with ears forward and eyes wide, pick a time when your cat is ready to play. International Cat Care, a cat welfare charity, says cats are naturally more active at certain times of day, often dawn and dusk. A short game at that time, then a pause, can bring the ears forward and the eyes wide. International Cat Care also says each cat's wish to play is different, and that some cats respond to a sound linked with their toys, such as the sound of the drawer where the toys are kept. Open that drawer when your phone and your light are ready.

The Cats Protection volunteer who wrote photo tips for the charity says the most important thing is to keep your phone or camera close for moments you do not want to miss. Cats often settle into a good pose on their own, on a windowsill or a favourite chair, and the phone needs to be in your hand when they do. Set the flash to Off and check the light before that moment comes; the page on lighting a pet photo explains how.

Reading a cat's face and body

Cats Protection says cats have fewer facial muscles than dogs, so their faces are less expressive, and small changes in body language say a lot. International Cat Care describes the signals in detail. The table sets out the parts that show in a portrait photo.

International Cat Care also describes the alert state: whiskers fanned out and pointing forward, and ears erect. A cat in that state is watching something closely. A portrait photo of an alert cat can look bright and curious, as long as the ears and whiskers point forward and stay out of the flattened, afraid position.

Purring and mood

Many owners take purring as a sign of a happy cat. Cats Protection says this is true only if the body language is relaxed. It says cats also purr to get attention, in stressful situations such as a visit to the vet, and sometimes when they are in pain. Check the ears, eyes and whiskers in the table as well.

Build trust before you take the photo

Do not stare

Cats Protection says the most important thing to remember is not to stare at your cat, because a cat can see staring as a threat. International Cat Care says cats that feel threatened may look away or blink rapidly. A phone held in front of your face while you watch the screen can keep your eyes fixed on the cat for a long time. Hold the phone lower, look away between shots, and let the cat get used to you being close.

The slow blink

Cats Protection suggests that when your cat is relaxed around you, you slowly blink at it and move your head to the side. If you are lucky, your cat will do the same back.

A study by psychologists at the University of Sussex and the University of Portsmouth, published in the journal Scientific Reports, tested this. The University of Sussex reports two experiments. In the first, 21 cats from 14 households were more likely to slow blink at their owners after the owners slow blinked at them. In the second, with 24 more cats, the cats were more likely to slow blink at an unfamiliar researcher who slow blinked at them, and more likely to approach that researcher's outstretched hand, than when the researcher kept a neutral face.

Professor Karen McComb, who supervised the work, describes how to do it: narrow your eyes as you would in a relaxed smile, then close them for a couple of seconds. Try it before you pick up the phone, and again between photos.

Getting a cat's attention

The Cats Protection volunteer admits that getting a cat's attention by clicking your fingers or dangling toys is hard while you hold a camera. Cats Protection suggests asking someone to help by dangling a toy out of view of the camera. The helper stands just behind or beside you, so the cat's eyes point toward the lens.

International Cat Care names the toys most cats like: wand toys with feathers on the end, small objects on a wire that move in sudden, uneven jumps, and small fur mice. It says a gentle noise, such as a bell sealed inside a ball, may encourage play, and that catnip appeals to most cats, though not all.

Sound matters too. Cats Protection says saying "puss puss" or making any noise with a strong "ss" will put a cat off, because it sounds like hissing. Use your cat's name in a soft voice, or the sound of a toy it knows.

A cat looking away can still give a good photo. The Cats Protection volunteer says photos of cats looking away from the camera also carry a lot of emotion. For a portrait photo, choose one where both eyes are visible, even if the head turns partly aside. The page on camera height and angle explains why.

Keep sessions short

International Cat Care says cats are built for short bursts of activity, and that one minute of intense play is a good result. It adds that a game with a laser pointer should end with a wand toy the cat can catch, so the game ends with a catch. For photos, plan several short tries across a day or a week.

Signs that your cat has had enough

International Cat Care describes several signals that mean a cat is frustrated or feels threatened. Stop the session when you see any of them:

• A tail held out and moving slowly from side to side across the body may signal frustration.
• Ears erect and turned outward, with narrow pupils, are usually a sign of frustration.
• Dilated pupils with the ears flat against the head often show fear.
• A puffed-up tail, with the hair standing up, sometimes along the back as well, is a defensive signal. International Cat Care says some cats puff up their tail when they are suddenly frightened.
• Crouching and thumping the tail on the ground is a classic defensive posture.

A cat that shows these signs will also give a tense face in the photo, with the ears turned or flat and the whiskers pulled back. Let it walk away, and try again another day at a calmer time.

The Cats Protection volunteer warns against doing anything that makes a cat uncomfortable or puts it in danger, and says that when a cat has had enough, you should let it be. There will be other chances.

Background and colour

Cats Protection suggests a background that complements the colour of a cat's eyes, such as gold or green, or one that contrasts with its fur. The volunteer adds that a white cat looks good against a dark background, a dark cat against a light one, and that patterned cats such as tortoiseshells can get lost against a busy scene and look best against clear, pale backgrounds. The page on black, white and two-tone coats covers the brightness settings for those coats.

When you choose the photo, look for relaxed ears, whiskers and eyes, and check that both eyes are sharp. The page on sharp pet photos shows how to check. The gallery has finished cat portraits in several of the 15 styles.