Cats. I know these people well. I grew up with them also, and I was just weird enough as a child to actually modify my behavior to become more cat-like. I suppose that's why I often have to wear a bell when walking up stairs, or why people are often startled when I appear behind them. I practiced cat-walking as a kid, especially since I noticed that cats never trip. I'd decided that tripping was just so...annoying, so I figured out ways of avoiding it. Cats helped. Yeah, and they're good thieves, and they're smart, and they're the only companion animals that modify human behavior. We can't train them, but they have discovered that baby-cries get them free cans of tuna. And so having said that, I'll also say...I saw this cat this morning, and one of his companions. I love all three of the felines that live in that apartment (I photographed the black one, if you remember) and nearly stumbled over the tortiseshell one this morning. She was...perturbed, but I think she got over it. This is a fantastic image. I love the cat-damaged screen. If you look carefully at the improvised stitching, you can see cat-shape to it as well...the little black one uses that as her doorway, and those claw-marks are from her as well...I've seen her entering and leaving the apartment through that hole and it's amazing to watch her jump, attach to the screen, and shimmy through the opening only to vanish into the kitchen. Anyway, I love this shot. The screen is perfect, and Mister Red Tabby, looking decidedly disinterested in anything human is the prefect feline touch. I suspect that I'll be back in the presence of cats: I miss the purring and the long moments of casual elegance that cats pull off so well. This is a great shot. Oh, and one more reason to like, or be jealous of cats...they're the only animals that can exercise while sleeping. It's been discovered that cat muscles flex as they sleep while purring, thus proving that cats are most efficient at both conserving energy AND exercising at precisely the same moment. What's not to like about so efficient and cute a critter. By the way, there are two cats in this picture. The black cat is also visible, once you know where to look...just look for her eye. I love the fact that she's there and largely invisible...well seen!

cool capture :-)

Wonderful look on that face! I thought these screens were metal!

Geeez! Not many mosquitoes going to be kept out by that holey apparatus. Well seen... Just read Chip's comment and yes, I see the black cat too:)

splendid capture!!

They can do so much damage, carpets especially. Lovely capture!!!

The damaged screen would be an interesting abstract on its own (that patch on the right has me scratching my head!) but with the inclusion of the cat(s) a whole 'nother dimension is added. Well seen and well made!

beau travail!

SUPER COOL TERRIFIC AMAZING AND WONDERFUL SHOT

Did you steal my screen??? I had one exactly like this--and I thought it was an original!!! Not only that, I think you have my feline twin--or well, my cat's feline twin!! Or, well, to be REALLY REALLY precise, my former car's feline twin!!

I love that title so much I can't even begin to express it, without a lengthy babble that would even take Chipka aback. It's really fantastic that you caught the culprit and the screen at the same time, especially given the posture of the cat. This is one of the best photos I've seen in ages!

Really nice Corey - I didn't notice the black cat with the golden eyes until Chip mentioned him/her. Love the narrative and the shot. You have such a great eye!

This is a wonderful shot! I love not only the fact that the perpetrator is at the scene of the crime, but that his pose is sublimely unapologetic. His concern is not in such trivial matters as the actual purpose for a screen. The screen was in his way and he took care of the problem. The opinions of any humans are infinitely beneath his concern. From the fixed nature of his stare, there is obviously something of real importance afoot. I love that one of his eyes shows in the hole, all the little claw marks, and the eye of the other cat. Superb capture! Excellent composition, detail, title, and humor. It is a great representation of the nature of cats. We had a cat who was a champion leaner. If you picked her up, she would slowly lean away from you, hoping that the weight of her body (which was fairly considerable) would effect her release. She did the same routine (and with better effect) on the screen door. The door was designed by someone without cats. There is a wooden portion that stands out a little from the screen and is big enough for cats to jump up on. Loca (my aptly named cat) would jump up and then lean into the screen. Soon it tore away at the bottom and she didn't have to wait for the slow humans to let her in.

The expression, "when will people learn?", comes to mind. It looks like the resident tried to patch up a previously engineered porthole in to screen only to have a new one opened up. Resistance is futile. My spouse often speaks of a time in her childhood when the family cat was left shut up in the house one afternoon. It appears that the cat was not keen on her liberties being restricted in this fashion. She set about the intervening hours tearing up every window screen she could dig her claws into and ripped them to pieces. They found her contently asleep in the living room when they returned.

a great shot, Corey, a truly terrific shot. I grew up with dogs the way you did with cats, and being a dog person, it took a while before I learned the beloved & intuitive language of cats. (Some cat friends always regarded dogs as dumb big footed clumpy floppy throw pillows. And that was on a good day...) I love them both, so there's no antagonism from me, lol. But this shot---I mean, it's hard to believe you didn't spend all day setting it up, it's so fine. The cat is wholly present even though that bright mesh. The hole is so stark, accented by that wonderful green around the opening. One cat eye peeks through the hole: first-rate seeing! And that stuff on the right---that kind of sewn-over replacement for a hole (yes?) with all those wires and the backing: How do you GET these shots? It's just terrific, the kind of shot I look for but never find, and the textural contrasts & contrasts of light & dark---even the peek into the hole to what looks like a microscope back there---are just terrific. Great work. It opens my eyes when I go out & shoot again...

Fabulous intent look this beautiful fellow has. Wonderful capture - I have to nod to Andrea though. I thought these screens were metal. ^=^