For over five years Jason and Elizabeth Putsche have documented the mysterious lives of a regularly misunderstood animal—the feral cat. Also referred to as community cats, alley cats, street cats, stray cats—controversy surrounds them, headlines vilify them, and scientists scrutinize them, yet millions of people feed, care, and advocate for them. Because they aren’t adoptable they have the highest kill rates in animal shelters, and though talked about and debated regularly, they are rarely seen.
“Many people draw a distinction between their pet cats and cats that live outside, but they are really the same,” says Elizabeth Putsche, founder and executive director of Photographers for Animals. “The care and compassion we give our animals at home should be extended to these cats, even if we can’t pet them. Each has a personality and individuality—and each has a story to tell.”
The Putsches’ photographs bring feral cats into focus, showing these inconspicuous creatures in their natural habitats. Urban, rural, industrial, suburban—constant chameleons, they adapt to any conditions. These felines captivate and fascinate—and the Putsches’ photos contend that their magnificence ought not be overlooked.
The Putsche Clan
At home, they have plenty of four-legged subjects of their own. The Putche’s have Bella, a kitty they adopted as a kitten and Frank a foster failure, who was found in a dumpster at Virginia Tech with her sister Sadie, who was adopted by one of Elizabeth’s co-workers.
Frank is a big part of their social media and you can see her photos posted every Friday on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #FrankFriday.
Their other adopted family member is Joey, an 8 year old Pomeranian. A victim of the puppy mill industry, she has alopecia and only has hair on her head and feet. The Putche’s like to adopt senior dogs, since they are less likely to get homes.
Then there’s the foster cat, Hoppy. Hoppy was found at a photo shoot at a local cat colony. Elizabeth noticed he has a bad eye infection and so she asked if he could be trapped and taken to the vet. After having surgery to remove his eye, they found he was actually socialized so they kept him to find him a home. Hoppy has turned out to have more medical issues and has over $7,000 in vet bills to date. You can follow his story on the Photographer for Animals blog.
Photographers for Animals
Through their nonprofit organization, Photographers for Animals, the couple is working on an ongoing photo series that details the lives of community cats and the people and programs that help them.
“We started Photographers for Animals because we know what a difference a photo can make in telling a story – and how persuasive photography and film can be to inspire people to take action,” says Elizabeth. “There are a lot of animals that need help – and Photographers for Animals is a way to put photography and videography skills to work for those animals.”
“There are a lot of misconceptions about stray and feral cats – but the truth is that a lot of people don’t have firsthand experience even seeing community cats,” she continues. “Because they are cautious, they typically avoid people and come out at night. We want people to be able to see that the cats are healthy – that they have bonded relationships with each other and their environment. They are just like the pet cats so many people love in their homes, and they deserve the same respect and compassion.”
For the best odds of photographing these elusive felines the Putsches work with caregivers who feed a group or ‘colony’ of cats on a regular schedule. Unsung heroes, they are men and women from all walks of life who typically spend their own money to feed and neuter the cats—providing a public service to the community.
Call for Professional Photographers
The founding program behind Photographers for Animals was the national photographer registry.
“There are a lot of nonprofits who can’t necessarily afford to hire professional photographers – and there are a lot of photographers who love animals and are willing to donate their services,” explains Elizabeth.
So, they created a site that allowed professional photographers to donate their time to non-profits in need of a good cameraman. Pictures are vital in the world of rescue and animal advocacy—you can talk all day about the plight of the homeless cats, but it’s not until you see a picture of one that it really hits home.
And for shelters, a good picture of an adoptable animal can make the difference between finding a forever home or not.
“By creating a database where photographers and videographers can sign up and ‘advertise’ that they are willing to help local animal organizations, it gives nonprofits an easy resource to find volunteers with the skills and equipment they need,” she explains.
They already have nearly 100 photographers signed up and they are calling for more. They are looking for photographers from across the country (and even around the world) who are willing to donate their photography services to animal-centric nonprofits in their local area.You can sign up using their online form.
About the Author
Based in Wilsonville, Ore., animal lover Kristina N. Lotz is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA). She is the founder of A Fairytail House. In her spare time, she trains and competes in herding, agility, obedience, rally, and conformation with her Shetland Sheepdogs. She smartly married a Veterinary Technician, who helps keep the fur kids happy and healthy, and provides a quick resource for articles.