[Major Tom, a big grey tabby, is sitting in his crate, staring off to the left. There’s a blanket over most of the crate, but hints of the outside are visible on the left side behind Tom.]

Tom had to spend most of the event in the crate, because he refused to stop trying to get back into the van. This might not have been a problem if I hadn’t parked the van directly uphill from the booth, but even after I moved it, Tom was still very determined.

Of course he also didn’t love being in the crate. I was hoping he’d decide it’s a safe place, like the van & (sometimes) the stroller, but with the van as the easier option, he wasn’t having it. Ahh well, there will be more events, & more chances to get him used to the idea …

He did spend a lot of time watching the fighting, & watching people walk past. Of course he also spent a lot of time shouting, which did, at least, bring people over to pet him. That was perfectly acceptable in his world. Along with an audience for his complaints, of course.

He also spent a lot of time begging me to let him out. Or I guess that’s what this is?

[Tom is now sitting right at the edge of the crate nearest the camera. He’s got his muzzle wedged in between two of the crate bars. His eyes are squinched shut and his mouth is slightly open; I think I caught him on the edge of a shout.]

… I don’t know why he thought THAT was gonna work, I was laughing so hard I almost dropped my phone about six times. But he carried on with the combination of ‘existential screm’ & also ‘whack massive head into crate, thus causing clunk sounds’.

[Tom is caught in the middle of rubbing his massive head against the inside of the crate. It is, of course, blurry. His ears are tilted just slightly to the sides, his whiskers are perked very forward, one eye is squinched shut, and the other is just slightly open. Also, his bowtie is askew. Not visible is the egregious purring.]

There’s a whole lot of different kinds of purr. Most of you will be familiar with such classics as the quiet ‘I am very comfortable & at ease with my life’ & the loud, rattly ‘oh boy DINNER’; some will know, too well, the ‘everything is horrible but if I purr things might suck a little less?’. This is the ‘please give me the thing I want because I am the most adorable creature on the planet OR SO HELP ME I WILL–sorry see I’m the adorablest?’ & it is absolutely an egregious example of the genre.

Eventually, I got the shot I was waiting for.

[Tom, squarely facing the camera, mouth wide open, fangs bared. You can probably hear this photo.]

ANG ER EY. THE ANGIEST.

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