Rat Cat

billyboy

Rat Cat

One of my favorites. Our kitten, OJ, was shot on the earth filled flower pot. The rat was killed by another cat who dragged it into our house, and I decided to take it’s picture before giving it a proper burial. Used the same Elinchrom studio flash as with the kitten shot, hanging the rat by it’s tail from a tripod. The flowers were crushed and shot separately, and all 3 elements were put together in Photoshop. The idea for the picture came to me when, as I was looking at the original photo of the kitten on the pot, the rat was dragged in… I waited till everyone else went to bed before doing the rat shoot session. Direction of lighting and shadow effects were important to make the collage look realistic.

Rat Cat belongs to the following groups:

All About Your Best Work, Black Cats( 2 uploads a day), Digital Photography, For the Love of Cats , 1 image a day , Kittens! and Paws n Claws <3 per day><Domestic cats & dogs only> Available for sale as

Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints and Framed Prints

Rat Cat by billyboy
Rat Cat by billyboy
  • Belinda Leopold

    Belinda Leopold

    What a catch!!! Poor Mr Rat ;( Very cute Kitten…and obviously well trained :)

  • billyboy

    billyboy

    Thanks Belinda. OJ was having a good day!

  • whisperingruth

    whisperingruth

    Very creative Billyboy! Job well done!

  • mayuphoto

    mayuphoto

    OJ looks so proud! I love the color contrast too. It is a lovely shot : )

  • billyboy

    billyboy

    Thanks Ruth and Mayu for the positive feedback!

  • Mel Brackstone

    Mel Brackstone

    You really do put some outstanding effort into these, well done billyboy!!

  • billyboy

    billyboy

    Rat Cat’s one of my favs Mel, so thanks for the encouragement!

  • Cathie Tranent

    Cathie Tranentcommunity host

    Well…. I like this even better than BirdPuss!!

  • billyboy

    billyboy

    You know what Cathie? So do I. Bird Puss is nice, but Rat Cat is straight from the heart… bent as it is !

    Thank you so much for looking in and sharing the wickedness!

  • Hiroko

    Hiroko

    icky but so cute!

  • billyboy

    billyboy

    Thanks Hiroko… and thanks for putting me on your watchlist!

  • Denzil

    Denzil

    Agree with CathieT, this IS better than Bird Puss – more revealing of cats’ true nature, pretty but lethal!

  • billyboy

    billyboy

    Cheers Denzil!!

  • Dave Moilanen

    Dave Moilanen

    I love this!

  • Damian

    Damian

    Fantastic result, you’ve blended the different images wonderfully!

  • billyboy

    billyboy

    Many thanks Dave and Damian for the encouragement!

  • Steve Axford

    Steve Axford

    Great card. I like Belgian’s (yea, I know you’re American, but some of it must have rubbed off) – they have my sense of humour. Did you ever work with a crazy bastard called Praga Kahn? I remember some of his music – he’s probably dead by now.

  • Helene Kippert

    Helene Kippert

    Amazing image!

  • billyboy

    billyboy

    Thanks Steve and Helen.

    Steve, I`ll have to check out Praga Kahn—there is an alarming number of crazy bastards we`ve recorded who are now dead… probably relates to their Belgian sense of humor!!

  • Steve Axford

    Steve Axford

    I looked him up, he’s still alive, and still making music. The Lords of Acid was his later guise. Apparently huge quantities of drugs don’t always kill you. But you’re in the music industry, so you’d have seen a bit of that.

  • billyboy

    billyboy

    Thanks for the research Steve. I don’t think drugs actually have much to do with deaths in the music industry these days… it’s more likely from the wives finding out what their husbands really get up to in the studio!

  • Claire McAdams

    Claire McAdams

    brilliantly put together! looks like a photo taken all at once!

  • Jennifer Vickers

    Jennifer Vickers

    Wow looks like my Raven when she was so little. The act is something she want to do with our Gigi. Great image.

  • Daniel  Rarela

    Daniel Rarela

    another home run from you, billy!

    had to smile when i saw this… i was looking at the rat like “jeez… you’re almost more than half as big as OJ and still got owned by him? you were pretty much asking for it, then!”

  • Greg German

    Greg German

    Great concept. Very well done.

  • susan davies

    susan davies

    aw poor rat, but cute kitty anyway

  • mlgkats

    mlgkats

    he is adorble, great photo

  • Rinkydink

    Rinkydink

    Another fantastic piece …& little OJ again immortalised,,,,,love it

  • Stephen Mitchell

    Stephen Mitchell

    That’s what I call dedicated, having to drag the rat back into the house and working late into the night. Great idea, great piece.

  • billyboy

    billyboy

    Probably more sinister than dedicated, but sometimes you just gotta be dark to do the business. Thanks Stephen and everyone else who was dark enough to dig Rat Cat and leave a comment!

  • felixx

    felixx

    Beautifully shot image! ....yet quite unsettling…the kitten is sooo cute, then your eyes suddenly drop to the dead rat and the whole picture takes on a slightly dark side. Love it!

  • Michelle Rogers

    Michelle Rogers

    that’s brilliant!!

  • Cadence Gamache

    Cadence Gamache

    Wow. I never ever would have guessed that this was a composite. Sheer Brilliance!

  • Colin Tobin

    Colin Tobin

    Absolutely bloody brilliant!
    Love this so much!

  • Globalphotos

    Globalphotos

    Wow, what an image, poor rat but what a gorgeous cat and shot !!

  • billyboy replied

    Thanks for finding this Varinia, it`s one of my all time favs!

  • Mechellerene

    Mechellerene

    Spectacular!!!!

  • jomash

    jomash

    Quite wonderfully unique, great imagination.

  • Sandra Fisher

    Sandra Fisher

    Fabulous shot you are clever!

  • Squealia

    Squealia

    wow, so clever, brilliant, and so thoughtful not scare the family with the rat! Don’t tell Ellen about the rat, she has some cute ones on here that quite like modelling!

  • billyboy replied

    Cheers Celia! Yeah, Ellen knows about me. I get her models when she’s done with ‘em… keeps the cats from scratching the furniture…

  • Joseph Darmenia

    Joseph Darmenia

    Great work.

  • Squealia

    Squealia

    You crack me up! LMAO!

  • Nancy Stafford

    Nancy Stafford

    Billy, this is one of the best photo and photoshop i seen.. it looks like you took the whole image at once.. brillinat..

  • SueAnne

    SueAnne

    OMG what a hoot, something only a real cat lover could enjoy

  • LjMaxx

    LjMaxx

    This is too cute an image.. Very very well done indeed.. :)

  • Sherry Osborn

    Sherry Osborn

    I dont understand how you put the three pictures together without looking bad. I also noticed the rat has a shadow. How do you do it? Are there any tutorials on this? What is it called.

    Its an excellent job!

  • billyboy replied

    Hey Sherry, thanks so much for liking this and for your interest in the process. The shadowing is very important, and it’s all about tracing, selecting, feathering and adjusting levels. I am a poor tutor, but if you made a Journal Entry and asked for help, you’d be surprised how many Photoshop addicts crawl out of the woodwork to help. If you’re keen, you’ll master it, and blow everyone away!

    Good luck, and cheers for the fav!

  • HeatherTS

    HeatherTS

    aw this is cute!

  • Sherry Osborn

    Sherry Osborn

    Thanks, Maybe I will do that. I just hate reading. I have found some videos on other stuff but I dont know what to look for to do this. I will try to find something! Thanks! I have a photoshop book. Maybe I should read it and try some stuff.

  • Rita  H. Ireland

    Rita H. Ireland

    Kitty brought you his Trophy!

  • Holly Werner

    Holly Werner

    This is too cute. Love it.

  • billyboy replied

    Thanks for lovin’ it Holly, and cheers for the fav!!

  • Sharon Perrett

    Sharon Perrett

    Ha Ha…..wonder why I’m suddenly thinking about Ikea and stuffed rats and bats LOL, You’ve done a fantastic job putting this together. I especially love the cute angelic look on the kitty’s face :)

  • Elana Bailey

    Elana Bailey

    Great job of putting this shot together. Well done.

  • clarkey

    clarkey

    Bill, I can’t believe I’ve not commented on this. I absolutely loved it the first time I saw it and still do. OJ looks so surprised to have found himself with a rather large “prize” and now, he doesn’t know quite what to do with it! His blue-gray eyes are beautiful and he was such a gorgeous little fellow. I don’t know which of your images is my favourites, but this one certainly comes up there. Beautiful piece of work.

  • billyboy replied

    Jannie, as I`ve waited now a full YEAR for you to comment on this (it`s actually been a year and 2 months!), I can finally reply to you by acknowledging that you are one of the few who really seem to have understood and appreciated what this is about. The surprise of having conquered something so massive in his youthful innocence and at a loss of knowing quite what to do next. This and the balance of color and composition make it my favorite picture in my pf. Many thanks for sharing my sentiment!

  • clarkey

    clarkey

    Billy, I don’t know how I missed commenting on this as I’ve looked at it several times – I do apologise most humbly and beg your forgiveness _ me on knees and hands in prayer mode with a huge grin on my lips, tears running down my cheeks _. I’ll try not to miss your next contribution. As someone else noted, that rat is almost as big as OJ himself – it probably weighed MORE than him; just as well he didn’t actually have it in his mouth, he probably would’ve tripped over it, I can picture him trying to drag it along! LOL Even though you “made” the pic, it’s pretty much as I would imaginge a kitten looking!. LOL Yeah, I stilll love it heaps.

  • DesignsByDeb

    DesignsByDeb

    This is a fantastic piece of work. I thought is was real until I read the description. Well done on every level along the way to the finished work!

  • Anette Tyler

    Anette Tyler

    Great shot. Brillant work

  • Emazevedo

    Emazevedo

    Great work!

  • Rayven

    Rayven

    this is amazing work. Very believable to be real! I was wondering how you got the tail in his mouth and could shoot this quick enough. Wow, you’re a photo magician. :)

  • C J Lewis

    C J Lewis

    Poor rat…gorgeous kitten….terrific shot and excellent work putting it all together :)

  • billyboy replied

    Thanks Chris!
    Yeah, poor rat. I was actually decent enough toi give him a proper burial in the flower garden after the shoot and after the cats were locked in for the night. I realized that if it weren`t for him I`d never have nailed the shot, so had to give the old boy a bit of respect. Didn`t bother asking my wife how she felt about that… sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do, yeah?

  • catnip addict manor

    catnip addict ...

    fried cat and roasted rat

  • ltruskett

    ltruskett

    Your imagination and talent combined are a whole lot frightening….......LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL…...........

  • Maria Murphy

    Maria Murphy

    AWW Poor rattie,I hope he is just pretending to be dead.
    Cute

  • billyboy replied

    Maria, there were no rats harmed during the laking of this shot. The guy was dead as a doornail hours before the shoot.
    But the thought of him pretending to be dead… jeeze you made me smile!!

    Thanks for digging cute dead rats and beautiful kittens in the same shot!

  • Maria Murphy

    Maria Murphy

    oops just read profile,poor rattie is dead. :-(

    Beautiful Kitten !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Fern Design

    Fern Design

    Oh gross hehehe.. but an awesome shot.. lol

  • billyboy replied

    No, he is NOT gross. he is cute. Maria says so.
    Cheers for your comment and thoughtful compliment!

  • linaji

    linaji

    Your masking techniques are so incredible.. and your shadows.. and your eye for perfection.. I am so wanting to learn how to mask!! when I do.. soon.. if I just get into some tutorial.. I will beging to fly to another level.. wow. wow.. wow!!

  • billyboy replied

    Lina, if you were gonna comment on any of my pics, it makes my day you chose this one. Whether good or bad, bent or straight, this picture is 100% from my heart and soul. Thank you for that.

    And I`ve got no secret or shortcut for masking… just use alt/lasso tool and get in close, then get in even closer and with a fine and relatively soft eraser just make sure each and every hair on that rats fur lends to the picture. For the shadows, I just trace forms, feather and use a levels adjustment layer. For the rest I just get anal. Piece of cake. And cheers for the fav!!

  • T SOUL

    T SOUL

    A real sweety! Love the look in his eyes….and love how you’ve put all this together too!

  • raindancerwoman

    raindancerwoman

    lucky you got the whole rat..my kitties would leave me choice parts ;)

  • billyboy replied

    Yeah, know what you mean… think this was coincidentally the first whole one we got!
    Thanks for the fav!!!

  • clarkey

    clarkey

    I’m glad you put this in the Black Cats Group, Billy, it sooo belongs there, it looks fabulous amongst all the others. It’s still one of my Favourite pieces of yours.

  • billyboy replied

    Thanks Jan, and for putting me onto the Black Cat group… what a cool idea!
    xo

  • Lorraine Creagh

    Lorraine Creagh

    Oh I have to admit, gotta love your sense of humour. Has to be an instant fave.

  • billyboy replied

    Hey Lorraine!
    It was a bit melancholy doing the rat part of this shot with everyone else asleep… but yeah, it was all about the humour. And I swear the rat was smiling back at me!
    You know it always makes my day when someone favs this, so…
    thanx for the FAV!!

  • Lori Shumey

    Lori Shumey

    Awesome photo. Cool what you can do with Photoshop. He has the cutest look on his face.

  • billyboy replied

    Yup, that rat was def a cutie!
    Thanx foir the awsome compliment !!
    :-x

  • DanaMS

    DanaMS

    True BEAST in this kitty’s eyes, lol! Wonderful postwork!

  • billyboy replied

    So cool you commented on this… totally one of my personal favs… and that you recognized the beast!
    Crazy to think it’s the same guy in Kandy Kit!
    And cheers for the compliment!!

  • Susanne Correa
  • billyboy replied

    Thank you Susanne for posting this amazing banner on my page. I so love the way you handle this group!!!
    xo

  • ScottyL

    ScottyL

    Well you could say the lil guy is punching well out of his weight division….

  • billyboy replied

    Yup, and it was a total knockout!
    Cheers for the comment!!

  • Susanne Correa

    Susanne Correa

    thanks so much billyboy, and we just love having you!

  • XOXanimalsXOX

    XOXanimalsXOX

    WOW. Genius shot and instant favourite.

  • billyboy replied

    Hey Sarah!
    I really appreciate you faving this and hope it doesn’t give ya nitemares!!

  •  Cheri Perry

    Cheri Perry

    This is taking your photography to a new limit..lol Nice work, but I’m sorry I don’t think I’ll do anything like it. lol Excellent work.

  • billyboy replied

    Hey c’mon Cheri… alls ya need to do is find a kitten, kill a rat and stick its tail in the kittens mouth and click the shutter. Piece of cake, yeah?
    xo!!

  • Barbara Morrison

    Barbara Morrison

    Congratulations on Challenge!

  • billyboy replied

    Cheers Barbara!
    It`s kind of an off-the-chain pic for a favorite toy challenge, so it kind of blows me away it got where it did.
    Your congrats makes it evben better!
    xo

  • Susanne Correa
  • billyboy replied

    Susanne, I`m just SO lovin these banners…
    and so chuffed that Rat Cat got enough votes to put it in the top ten. Paws N Claws is rapidly turning into my fav group!!
    xo

  • Susanne Correa

    Susanne Correa

    Thanks so much bb, we are so happy to have you and your beautiful work here.

  • James  Birkbeck

    James Birkbeck

    awesome!

  • billyboy replied

    Cheers James, always cool to get a comment on this one!

  • LoriSmaltz

    LoriSmaltz

    ... cold.

  • billyboy replied

    Lori, house cats are cold-blooded killers. Even as kittens. Thank God they`re not as big as us…
    But we love `em cause they`re cute and cuddly and they kill rats. Which is all good unless you love rats… Hey, maybe Ii should do another shot with the kitten in the rat`s mouth? Would you fave that one too??

    You don`t say much, but you`re sugar sweet to fave this so hugs2U!!

  • LoriSmaltz

    LoriSmaltz

    it’s on bb, a challenge, do it!

  • Lucindawind

    Lucindawind

    lol this is awesome !

  • billyboy replied

    Cheers Lucinda!
    Rat Cat thinks yer awesome too for faving him!!
    xo

  • Wendy  Slee

    Wendy Slee

    this is totally brilliant, even down to the look on the little kitten’s face – “what?” lol ….. your handling of the elements, lighting, and collaging is perfect and inspiring…...

  • billyboy replied

    Thanks Wendy!
    Yeah, like ”... so you got a better idea what to do with a rat?”
    Inspiring? That’s a cool compliment.
    Cheers for the smile, and for the fav!!
    xo

  • Gabby87

    Gabby87

    WOW…................................ That’s cool and nice shot and nice work too!!!!
    =D

  • billyboy replied

    Hey Gabby, thanx for the encouragement!!
    =x

  • Colleen Battistoni

    Colleen Battis...

    Umm,,, I would prefer a live rat (have had them as pets) but very creative and inventive technique, LOL :-)
    Thank you for mentioning no rats were harmed, LOL.

  • billyboy replied

    Colleen, I’d agree with you if I wasn’t taking a picture of him… they pose better dead for dead rat shots.
    And it’s not exactly like none were harmed … but it WASN’T ME!!!
    Thanks for the wicked comment!!
    xo

  • Colleen Battistoni

    Colleen Battis...

    LOL, understood :-)

  • Sandra Fisher

    Sandra Fisher

    I just love this!!! So clever,

  • billyboy replied

    Sandra, what I dig about you is that you`re not afraid to admit you got a thing about cute kitties with dead rats.
    Thanks so much for commenting on a picture so cose to my heart!
    xo

  • Wanda  Lechene

    Wanda Lechene

    lol that is just too cute lol i love it..

  • billyboy replied

    Hey Wanda, long time no see!!
    Nothing is ever too cute when it comes to playful kitties and dead rats. So glad you loved it enough to comment!!
    xo

  • Sharon Mau

    Sharon Mau

    Rat Cat is a brilliant composite Billy, if you had not described it in your commentary, I would have believed it was a photograph. Beautiful work!

  • billyboy replied

    Aloha Sharon!
    I lied. He actually did catch the rat and jumped up and crushed the flowers… thank GOD I had my flash set up and ready!
    See? Things are often not as they seem!
    Thank you so much for digging the reality!!!
    xo

  • Sharon Mau

    Sharon Mau

    :)))
    Aloha Billy! Mahalo for your wonderful humour today.
    I do enjoy your creative vision!

  • billyboy replied

    ... and Mahalo nui loa for the FAV!!

  • pene

    pene

    Fantastic work !!

  • billyboy replied

    Thanks Pene, for digging and faving one of my personal favs!

  • midzing

    midzing

    love this,,,,and I really hate rats!!! fantastic work billyboy

  • billyboy replied

    See Wendy? The good guys win sometimes!!!
    Thanks so much for breezing into my space and making my day with yer fav!!

  • billyboy replied

    Ooops.. forgot… ♥

  • Birgitta

    Birgitta

    You are a photoshop master. :)
    You’re equally impressive with your studio work
    though. You know your stuff & it shows!

  • billyboy replied

    Birgitta, I so love when you make me feel like a million bucks!

  • Starz

    Starz

    brilliant work Billy ~ very imaginative and creative
    the entire concept is well thought out and so beautifully composed

  • billyboy replied

    Hey Karon!
    Thanks so much for that…
    Nice to see ya back!!
    xo

  • billyboy replied

    And cheers for the fav!!!

  • charliethetramp

    charliethetramp

    meow monsieur cat
    another great image billyboy

  • billyboy replied

    Thanks Charlie, that’s a great compliment…
    And cheers for the fav!!

  • Katri Lumi

    Katri Lumi

    Brilliant work!!!

  • billyboy replied

    Cheers Katri…
    and many thanks for the fav!!

  • banrai

    banrai

    fine work

  • Tracey Mac

    Tracey Mac

    I’ve not commented on this before?
    That can’t be…........
    I think you must’ve taken my comment off lol!

    Ok….........OJ has to have been THE most adorable kitten of all catkind…...
    The way his little head is tilted is just way too cute and has that massive
    awwww factor…....and those eyes drag me deep into his little soul.
    As for his playmate, wtf happened to Ratty’s left hind paw? Did OJ have a good chew on that first, before you wrestled it out of his teensy mouth?
    And….I can just imagine you down in the dungeon working on this, creating your own ‘Frankestein’ while the rest of the world sleeps, totally unsuspecting of your latest creation being manifested in the early hours…...
    Whatever, this is such an amazingly cool take Billy
    Would look awesome on a T….......I’d wear it to bed if I had one!
    L♥ve n Hugz
    xox

  • billyboy replied

    Cool. I waited a year and a half for your comment and I have to say it was TOTALLY worth the wait!
    And well spotted… Ratty (so cute you named him!) was definitely NOT in good shape when he posed for me. Think it was actually Scratch who dragged him through the cat flap (bless him), and I think his wee foot must have got caught when it shut behind him… Scratch just kept on walking by the looks of it. In any case, that plus the puncture marks in the fur (guess OJ must have finished him off with a toothpick!) helped lots to make him look as dead as he actually was and that helped the overall image look real.

    And I can tell you… it DOES look awesome on a T-shirt… or a night shirt…:-)
    L♥ve n Hugz right back atcha!!
    xox

  • Antanas

    Antanas 5 days ago

    great work, well done

  • billyboy replied 5 days ago

    Cheers Antanas!
    Loving your Belgium series…

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