Because I primarily write about cats, I spend a good part of my day trying to capture the perfect pics for my writing assignments and blog entries. Some turn out well and are perfect matches for my needs, but others … let’s just say I’m ever-so-grateful for the advent of the digital camera. I’m pretty heavy-handed when it comes to the delete button.

Some of the goofs are actually pretty hysterical, and I often wish I could write a humorous post using those throwaway photos. Well, friends, this is such a post.

Here are six photos that turned into silly goofs.

1. Yawny-cackle

I took this one while writing a product review for my Catladyland blog. I wanted a photo of Phoebe sniffing the food cans and packets. Apparently, the modeling bored her because what I snapped was this monster yawn, which also looks like a giant cackle. Or perhaps she was laughing at my attempt at securing a usable photo. Probably a combination. She needed a nap and also wanted to laugh as a way of showing me who’s really in control. As if there were any question.

2. I’m ready for my (blurry) closeup

Sometimes I just want a nice, clear, up-close face shot. Sometimes cats want to get all up in the camera’s business and the photo turns blurry. That’s the trouble with cats: They have to be in everyone and everything’s business at all times. Because what if food might fall out of that camera lens? Anything is possible in a cat’s world.

3. Slurp, slurp, slurp

“Smile, Cosmo!”

Slurp, slurp, slurp.

Anytime I take a cat photo, I run the risk of catching a spontaneous cleaning. Cats can’t help it — when they have the urge to lick themselves, it’s completely overwhelming. And no camera’s going to get in the way of a nice butt slurp.

4. The moving mystery

I have no idea what was happening in this photo, but sometimes I go for one shot, and a really questionable one reveals itself on the preview screen. Usually a cat will move and disturb my carefully planned frame, and it looks like that’s what happened here, but the photo also leaves us with the thought: Was he just slurping her butt? Based on the previous evidence of his butt-lick love, it’s highly possible. Maybe we’ll never know.

Mystery!

5. Sabotage!

And then there’s the classic “Cat turns head just as shutter clicks” shot. We’re all familiar with this one. It’s like they’re intentionally trying to sabotage our art. The only redeeming quality of this pic is that it shows a squee-worthy look at the super-soft fur behind her ears. You know that fur — I swear it’s made of baby bunnies and magic.

6. Trippy tongue

Again with the tongue, Cosmo! The crazy thing about this one is that his tongue looks transparent. I suppose when you slurp your bottom (and other cats’) as much as he does, a tongue can wear pretty thin. Even though this is a goof and I couldn’t use it, I like to stare at it because it’s super trippy.

Do you have any good photo goofs of your cats? Post them in the comments!

Let Catster make you laugh:

• “Hello, My Name is Angie, and I’m a Cat-Huffer”
• Cats and Bags: 2 Very Important Scientific Experiments
• The Pros and Cons of My Cats as Health Care Providers

Read more by Angie Bailey:

• Do Your Cats Demand Snuggle Time Like Mine?
• Texts from Mittens: The “Antiques Roadshow” Edition
• And Now, 5 Photos of My Cats Caught in the Act
• What Happens When My Cats Tell Me What to Wear
• 5 Ways My Cats Completely Own Me
• My Cats Are Addicts: 5 Reasons They Would Land in Rehab
• Do You Ever Wish You’d Given Your Cat a Different Name?
• What if Cats Held Office Jobs? Worst. Cubicle Mates. EVER!
• 3 Ways You and Your Kids Can Help Big Cats

About the Author: Angie Bailey is an eternal optimist with an adoration of all things silly. Loves pre-adolescent boy humor, puns, making up parody songs, thinking about cats doing people things and The Smiths. Writes Catladyland, a cat humor blog, Texts from Mittens (birthed right here on Catster) and authored whiskerslist: the kitty classifieds, a silly book about cats wheeling and dealing online. Partner in a production company and writes and acts in comedy web series that features sketches and mockumentaries. Mother to two humans and three cats, all of which want her to make them food.