Stray dogs and cats are prolific in every country we visit. And if they're friendly, I will pet them. Most times, animals are unused to people actually wanting to approach them, and they respond accordingly. They usually act a little afraid first, and are hesitant to get too close to me. I usually squat down and hold a hand out for sniff-inspection. It is at this point that a dog or cat will either shyly stick around (prospects of petting good) or run away at full speed (prospects for petting zero). When it becomes clear that I mean them no harm and and might actually be nice, their demeanor changes.
The dog or cat in question will slowly come and smell my hand for a bit. Once I pass the sniff test, a total change takes place. What was a hesitant, jumpy dog or cat turns into an exuberant, wiggling, purring or tail-wagging machine. It always makes me happy to see this change take place, and to give these oft-ignored animals some positive attention.
Here in Thailand, I was especially looking forward to seeing the local cat population. Thailand was once known as Siam, and this is where the Siamese cat breed originates from. There should be Siamese cats everywhere, right? Well, half of that statement turned out to be true. There are cats everywhere, but I only saw one that had the typical Siamese markings (the centerpiece of my Thai cat collage).
The majority of stray animals, cats and dogs, looked to be very well cared for. They were fat, friendly towards people, and dogs and cats alike even had collars. So, even though there weren't the herds of graceful Siamese cats I was hoping for, I still obliged as many of the local cat (and dog) population as I could by petting them, and taking their picture.