Cats Soak Up the Morning Sun on a Village Road

Why are these cats (Clemmy on the left and Hendricks on the right) chilling in the middle of this dirty road?

Well, in Indonesia, as with other tropical areas, it's good for cats to bask in the sun before 9 am. For one, it allows them to get a solid dose of vitamin D. It's also helps them avoid fungal problems, with the sun drying their fur and preventing prolonged buildup of moisture on the skin, especially during the wet season, when all sorts of diseases crop up. And finally, it helps that it's before 9 am, because that's about as late as you can tolerate sitting in the sun for more than ten minutes, before the heat becomes intolerable. So, these cats, whether consciously or not, are engaged in a healthy practice.

That said, however, why this specific part of the road? Why not closer to home? I have a second hypothesis. Do you notice how one actually seems to be hiding behind a bush? He looks like he's waiting for something, and watching something across the street. This road leads nowhere, but it's adjacent to the back of some houses, including a specific one right there. And I suspect that there's breakfast to be had from it, be it from the owner throwing out bones or offering some other morsel. During the several days of shooting this sunrise series, I saw him going over and hiding behind this specific bush and then patiently waiting with his face pointed towards that house.

So, healthy behaviour or trying to scam a delicious bone for "sarapan" (breakfast)? That's a good question.