Creagerj
Incidental Artist
This hit me because of a thread I had read, a story I had heard, and the death of a cat. A few days ago I read a thread about photographing the dead. There were some rather mixed feelings about the subject on the forum. I agreed with most, it is kind of weird, but there are many different cultures out there.
Today, my cat died. Yes I know this unrelated, but just wait. When I found her, she had apparently been dead for a few hours as she stiff as a board. Later on tonight, I was talking to my friend, and after I had told her the story about my cat, she told me a story about a rather unusual photo op that had been requested of her while working at a veterinary clinic.
A lady brings her cat in to have it put down because the cat was very sick or old, or both (can’t remember). So, the vet puts the cat down and the lady leaves. After the cat is put down, it is taken by my friend (a vet assistant) to the back where they have a freezer for keeping dead animals until they are cremated or buried. Keep in mind that the position that the cat is in is not really important after it’s dead, so who knows how it will be placed in the freezer to save space.
Three hours later, the lady returned…with a camera. She wanted to have a photo taken of her with her cat. My friend, not seeing the harm in it, dug the cat out of the freezer and brought it to the lady. Unfortunately the cat was rather awkwardly positioned, and was frozen solid. The lady asked if the cat could be made to look more “alive”. My friend tried her best but alas the cat was dead, and looked the part. The lady settled and handed my friend the camera to take a picture of her and her now frozen cat. The picture is taken. A couple of days later, the lady returns with the picture only to complain that her cat didn’t look very alive in the picture, and she was upset that they had not tried to do more. It seems like she could have thought of a better time to take a picture of her and her cat. Perhaps when her cat was still alive and well, especially if she wanted the cat to look alive and well.
Today, my cat died. Yes I know this unrelated, but just wait. When I found her, she had apparently been dead for a few hours as she stiff as a board. Later on tonight, I was talking to my friend, and after I had told her the story about my cat, she told me a story about a rather unusual photo op that had been requested of her while working at a veterinary clinic.
A lady brings her cat in to have it put down because the cat was very sick or old, or both (can’t remember). So, the vet puts the cat down and the lady leaves. After the cat is put down, it is taken by my friend (a vet assistant) to the back where they have a freezer for keeping dead animals until they are cremated or buried. Keep in mind that the position that the cat is in is not really important after it’s dead, so who knows how it will be placed in the freezer to save space.
Three hours later, the lady returned…with a camera. She wanted to have a photo taken of her with her cat. My friend, not seeing the harm in it, dug the cat out of the freezer and brought it to the lady. Unfortunately the cat was rather awkwardly positioned, and was frozen solid. The lady asked if the cat could be made to look more “alive”. My friend tried her best but alas the cat was dead, and looked the part. The lady settled and handed my friend the camera to take a picture of her and her now frozen cat. The picture is taken. A couple of days later, the lady returns with the picture only to complain that her cat didn’t look very alive in the picture, and she was upset that they had not tried to do more. It seems like she could have thought of a better time to take a picture of her and her cat. Perhaps when her cat was still alive and well, especially if she wanted the cat to look alive and well.
