First general rule: Do not use a flash. Cats (and dogs) see well at night; their eyes are designed to amplify dim light. When you hit the eyes of a cat straight-on with a flash, you will get the "demon eyes" or "headlights" effect.
This is Rocky, with a flash:
Rocky, without a flash:
You will have to brace the camera if the light is not sufficient for a fast shutter speed. Digital cameras do not have the vibration of a film single-lens reflex camera (focal plane shutter flying, mirror slamming up), so you can cheat a little on the old rule that you need to brace the camera at any speed less than 1/60th of a second. But you can't cheat by much, as the digital cameras without a viewfinder, the ones that only use a LCD screen, are not as stable as a camera you can brace against your head. You don't have to use a tripod, set your elbows on something firm or rest the camera itself on something.
Generally, because you cannot trust a cat to hold steady, you may wind up using the autofocus feature. Just be careful that it is not fooled by other objects. Manual focus is the best way, though.
Enough with the lecture, here is a new stray cat that has been hanging around a friend's house. We think she is pregnant.
After she has her litter, we may see about catching and spaying her. The problem then is we either have to adopt her or find her a new home. She seems to be a lovable cat.
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