A good cat picture is worth its weight in gold on the internet, so there’s nothing wrong with wanting to catch a selfie with your favorite feline. Getting your furry friend to go along with the photo is quite a different matter, however.

Through scrapes, scratches, and no lack of meows, these cat lovers tried their best to snap a pic, and several wound up with a post full of paws. There’s a reason they say herding cats is difficult, and photography comes in as a close second.

You can avoid a claws-out battle if you just follow the simple steps mentioned at the end. In the meantime, here’s photographic evidence of our findings.

6. Into Positon

Finding the right pose can be hard. We recommend handling the subject as little as possible, allowing for her natural features to shine through.

Source: Instagram/catloversworld

5. Stand Still

Some cats are always on the move, which makes them less suited for portraiture. You may want to switch to a high-speed film for these.

Source: Instagram/lilsisthebigcat

4. Line up the shot

Are you capturing the essence of the scene, or is your angle obscured? Check your viewfinder to make sure you have all the right elements in focus.

Source: Instagram/meow4calice

3. Fatal Distraction

Flashing lights can be distracting. Then again, anything can be distracting to a cat. Make sure your have your pet’s full attention if you want a good photo.

Source: Instagram/cx.cky

2. Shoot For Realism

Camera tricks and out-of-focus fur can be demoralizing to cats, because they don’t understand how such things work. Avoid any and all urges to make your cat look smaller or larger than they already are.

Source: Instagram/karleemisi