In tests, eight out of eight cats said they prefer dinner on the stairs
AMATEUR photographer Lorraine Playle thought she was the cat’s whiskers after pulling off this snap.
The mother- of-four – no stranger to juggling matters of a domestic nature – managed to persuade all eight of her beloved moggies to pose for the camera on her stairs.
The true copy cats lining up by their food bowls are Ashton, Cleo, Garfield, Ghost, Ted, Sooty, Boo and Ned. All are aged between six months and ten years old.
Mrs Playle had the idea for the picture after seeing one that had been taken by a friend – but that photograph involved only a mere three felines.
Her husband Andy, 43, an estate agent, said: ‘My wife had the idea to try it out herself and thought she could do better.
‘It came off at the first attempt. The trickier part was getting all eight cats inside the house at the same time.
‘My wife had made a couple of practice attempts but those only involved a small number of the cats. The picture was taken the first time she tried it with all eight.’
As well as their cats, Mr and Mrs Playle share their home in Ashford, Kent, with two dogs (an American Staffordshire bull terrier and a long-haired Jack Russell) and two guinea pigs – plus four children, including three teenagers. They also have two horses and a Shetland pony at stables nearby.
Mr Playle said the new feeding positions have caught on with the cats.
‘They used to feed in the hallway but now think it’s normal to stand on the steps waiting for their food – just like in the photograph,’ he said.
Anita Kelsey, a cat behaviour expert, said the secret to the shot was simple. She said: ‘Cats will go where the food is.’
Let’s hope the Playles’ dogs and horses don’t get the same idea...