You’re invading my personal space

Kako was trying to nap on the bed when I walked in with the camera.  Being the busybody I am, she looked like a good target for some close-ups.  I therefore knelt on the floor beside her, put the camera in macro mode to see if I could gain some comfort with that setting, and proceeded to get all up in her business.  Well, she was sleeping at the time and I was convinced she wouldn’t mind too much as long as I didn’t disturb her.

That being the catch: not disturbing her.

Something I failed at miserably.

At first, she was sleeping soundly and made the perfect subject.  She was still, she was in perfect natural light (or at least usable natural light), and she looked so content and peaceful.

A close-up of Kako who was almost asleep (171_7119)

But if you look closely, she wasn’t really sleeping soundly.  She was almost asleep, and there’s a huge difference between the two.

Her eyes popped open and she immediately turned enough such that she could see me clearly—without looking at me directly.  It’s the feline equivalent of eyeballing someone peripherally so they understand they’ve crossed a line they shouldn’t have crossed, the gaze that says you’re not worth a direct glance but do need a clear message.

A close-up of Kako after I disturbed her nap (171_7121)

For reasons I can’t explain, I ignored the scowl on her face.  I continued to lean into her personal space instead of taking the hint and leaving her alone.  Woman needs her beauty sleep—or, in her case, her good mood sleep.

Finally, and undoubtedly because I’m such a feeble primate that I didn’t understand the look she was indirectly giving me, she turned to fully face me and put on The Look.  It’s the face the vet knows, the one that earned her the veterinary term of “very unpleasant.”  It’s the direct look with head lowered and eyes raised, the one that says some boundaries are not meant to be crossed and any hope for my personal well-being requires that I back away quickly.

A close-up of Kako giving me the look that says I better let her sleep (171_7149)

That’s when I turned the camera off, gave her some quick and innocuous attention, apologized profusely, and left the room.  Thankfully I got the hint.  That’s evidenced by the fact that I left her with all my limbs intact and no excessive bleeding.

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