Categories: funny

Now I Know What the “Vaccuming the Kitty” Photo is All About

If you like checking out sites that feature interesting or humourous pictures, chances are you’ve stumbled across this photo:


Click to see the photo on its source page.

I’ve always wondered what was going in the photo — often captioned in LOLcat-ese with something like “TIEM TO VACUME TEH KITTYNUTS” — and who took it. I had no idea that it was an award-winning photo:

La Shinda Clark, photographer at The Philadelphia Inquirer and 1995 Scholar, won third place for feature photos in the National Press Photographers Association 2003 Best of Photojournalism contest. In the photo, volunteer Cameron Tarzwell, 13, cleans loose hair that has been shaved from an anesthetized cat, Princess, in preparation for an operation. Tarzwell has been assisting a veterinarian for four years. The photo was one in a picture story on a spaying and neutering program in Chester County in Pennsylvania.

Joey deVilla

View Comments

  • I'm much too (perhaps unhealthily) attached to my cats to laugh. Mostly I wince. Please, post warnings on future cat torture pictures so the faint of kitty heart can look away before it is inflicted upon our delicate souls. Trauma! Trauma!

    Must Go Cuddle A Cat Now.

  • This is horrible animal abuse my god you people are sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • If the explanation is true, then I can rest a little easier because, from the perspective of someone who loves her pets like they are members of her family, this was initially very disturbing. In fact, anyone who wouldnt find this disturbing (before reading the caption explaining it) should seriously get their head examined. Torture of any living thing (even YOU) is horrific! And to the "Gentleman" who told the cat lovers to "lighten up".....I think we should neuter you, sans sedation....that would "lighten me up" quite a bit....

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