Monday, May 7, 2007

Walking Billy the Cat

On my way home yesterday evening, I saw a woman walking her cat. I was totally intrigued because I have NEVER seen a cat on a leash before. I quickly introduced myself and the lady, who is also my neighbor, introduced me to Billy the cat.

Billy is a Persian and is totally accustomed to walking with a lease around his torso. Because Billy can easily wiggle out of a regular neck strap, he was fitted with a neck and chest strap that is commonly found on smaller dogs. Billy was very shy and kept moving, which made it difficult to take a good photo. But after much coaxing, he finally sat still and I snapped this photo.

So have you ever seen a cat on a leash before? What is the weirdest thing you have ever seen on the street?

28 comments:

Jing said...

what a cute cat!!!
:))
like a young charming girl..

love this shot.
well, seldom to see the cat talks a walk with his/her master.

jing
shanghai daily photo

Jing said...

takes a walk...

sorry for my mistakes.

:P

pusa said...

nice cat... i've seen cats on a leash but not as a companion while walking more like preventing the cat to stray

Anonymous said...

Urm, I've actually put one of our cats on a leash. He didn't mind (the other two do) though we didn't really go out for walks on a regular basis. Do have a photo with the two walking along? I'd love to see it?

z in Villigen Switzerland
basedinvilligen.blogspot.com

Olivier said...

tres belle photo, j'avais un chat, j'ai essaye un jour de lui mettre une laisse pour le sortir, depuis j'ai une cicatrice a vie ;o)

very beautiful photograph, I had a cat, I have try one day to put one to him leaves to leave it, since I have a scar has life ;O)

kuanyin333 said...

I have a photo of kittens on leashes on one of my blogs. However, this photo is very cute!!!

Anonymous said...

today is such a rewarding day, i came from St.Louis learning about toynbee tiles and now this..GREAT!

Todd HellsKitchen said...

There's a lady on my block that walks her black cat with a harnass and leash and smokes a cigar...

There's another lady in Hell's Kitchen that walks her rabbit on a leash...

alice said...

I have had many cats but no one which like to be on a leash (I remember they didn't like to be in a car either!),this woman must be very skilful, perhaps is she a tamer, who knows?
I do liked your photos in the MOMA, i know quite well Money's garden in Giverny, a dream for gardeners and Impressionisme lovers...

stilettoheights said...

lol....I used to walk my cats when I was small....people looked at me like I was a nut.

have you seen a rabbit on a leash yet??

Oh for the love of food! said...

Hey Ming,

this cat probably thinks it's a dog!

Anonymous said...

I really like this photograph and hope all the world sees it as there are too many people in the world who just let their cats out and outside cats kill more song birds than anything else. It is hard to understand why dogs have to have a license and cats do not here where I live. I know it dates back to the days when dogs killed farm animals and the dog license money was paid to farms whose animals were killed. But nobody seems to care that cats kill so many song birds, baby rabbits and other animals. Sorry for the long post. I just am so glad you posted this picture. It should be on a US Postage stamp as a reminder of what people should do.

I got to fly last night. I mean I just dove in and flew. You can find out how on my blog post today.

JM Vigil said...

Dear Abraham,
Cats are not dogs and never will be. True cats kill birds, they also kill mice, rats, and other pests. My cat likes to catch flies and then eat them in front of me. I say good girl, go get more. She however, does not like the leash, tried it once and she would just lay on the floor refusing to move.

yournotalone said...

sweet

Missy,Mrs and Mum said...

how cute!!! look at his little paws, the little cutchie pie!
I have heard of taking cats for walks, i think its if you live in a city like new york, you don't want to let your cat out on its own. if i had another cat, i'd love to take it for walkies!

Deb said...

that cat is giving the exact look that one would expect from a cat on a leash!

Anonymous said...

This cat is beautiful, very beautiful. I love cat. This photos is wonderful

Dsole said...

Ming, i've never seen it before!!
And the weirdst thing I've seen... man I don't know! a cat in NY?? ^^

Kate said...

Weird things I've seen on the street would make a good theme subject! The cat in the photo doesn't look that happy or content, does it?

Annie said...

I've never seen a cat on a leash, though I have seen children on leashes.

Today on the street I was stopped by a homeless man who just wanted to talk. After we chatted for a couple of minutes, he told me, "you look okay for someone your age".

I wasn't quite sure how to take that.

Ming the Merciless said...

Annie - HAHAHAHA!! Thanks for the good laugh.

Fabrizio Zanelli said...

I agree with Jules (BTW my cat too love to catch flies and to eat them). He doesn't want any kind of leash and I didn't insist.

blueboat said...

the weirdest thing? A man riding a bicycle on the pavement, and on the handlebars, a (real) dog wearing sunglasses. And they nearly ran me over...

thwany said...

cats scare me

エスタ said...

gorgeous cat! you see quite a few cats on leads here (japan) and in cars....and the other day, sitting on a mans shoulders (with lead) while they took their evening walk, I too, HAD to get a picture of that and put it on my blog!

Unknown said...

haha..
i actually am quite blur.

i did not realise anything peculiar until you mentioned that cats are not usually on leashes!

oops. :-P

Fénix - Bostonscapes said...

My nephew used to walk his little pig on a leash. The pig behaved like a dog. Unbelievable.

Greetings from Boston.

Z said...

No one is probably going to read this except you Ming, but I thought I should add something to what Abraham Lincoln wrote. In Switzerland, there have been a few (too many!) cases of children being mauled by dogs. At least one child lethally. While I think that the owners are to blame in almost all these situations, I will say that I'm not sure there have been very many documented cases of cats deliberately attacking and killing people. That said, I agree with his comments about cats killing song birds and so on, and my poor pets are indoor inmates partly because of it. I also understand now the sentiments behind his "ugly cat post" from some days ago. That had surprised me, but now I see the setting for it. :-)