During the week, Caroline lives in Sherbrooke, Quebec, with her boyfriend and their two cats, Lima and Noah. On weekends, she shares the family home in Saint-Paul-de-l’Île-aux-Noix (close to

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu) with her rooster Ross, her hen Annette and Lily, her faithful Golden Doodle. An animal lover since childhood, Caroline has always cared for them, and enjoys making animals the focus of her photography.

Animals have a lot to offer the art of photography, according to this young artist. She likes to place them in bucolic settings where they provide a welcome outlet for her creativity. See a sampling from her portfolio in the following shots.

Lily
Lily—who was the original spark for her interest in animal photography—has been a part of Caroline’s life for 11 years. She’s her oldest animal companion, “a dog who loves wearing disguises and being photographed. She’s so calm and collected, it’s as if she’s always posing for the camera! Lily’s lived with my parents forever.”

Ross and Annette
When she was a child Caroline loved to play school with her 20 chickens. As an adult, she’s dreamed of keeping a new brood. She acquired a rooster, named Ross, in Victoriaville. And, with her sister, adopted a hen called Phoebe. Phoebe came to an unfortunate end after a run in with a weasel but she’s been replaced by Annette, a young hen. Ross takes his role as Annette’s protector very seriously.

“In the first weeks, I was so happy to have chickens, I looked after them in my room. I had a pen and heating lamp and watched over them around the clock. We really bonded. I was a true mother hen to them!”

“It may be hard to believe, but chickens are very affectionate,” says Caroline. She’s observed how roosters and cocks protect, share and love one another—they’re always side-by-side. When Ross spies vultures, he cries out and rushes to protect Annette.

Ross recognizes the sound of Caroline’s car when she gets back on the weekend. And although he can sometimes be aggressive towards Caroline’s parents and Annette, as soon as Caroline arrives, he sprints over to greet her.

Lima and Noah
Before she left her parent’s home to move to Sherbrooke, Caroline and her boyfriend William adopted a photogenic cat called Lima. When Caroline reaches for her camera, it’s as though Lima strikes a pose and gazes straight into the lens. Lima follows her owners everywhere and loves to go for rides in the car. She even joins Caroline and William at parties during the holidays.

The latest addition to the family, Noah the cat, was adopted from the Delson SPCA to keep Lima company … and to everyone’s delight. He’s an affectionate feline and gets on perfectly with Lima: “The adaptation period is always easier when you bring in a kitten, and we experienced that. Lima was socialized with other cats, so it went smoothly. Now, they’re inseparable!”

Things to think about when you want chickens
Though they do spread joy, roosters and hens require a good dose of daily attention. To take care of luxury chickens, like Caroline’s, you’ll need:

• A calm, quiet location and a heating lamp to ensure their survival

• Chicken food (available at feed and hardware stores)

• Fruit and vegetable peelings, as a feed supplement

Chickens need to be kept warm and cozy in the barn or shed from autumn through spring. During the summer, they live in a chicken coop. On cold winter days, Caroline’s chickens are sometimes allowed to sit in front of the fireplace—but for this special treat, Caroline requires her father’s permission!

Caroline’s brood of animals are so inspiring, who wouldn’t want to have them?

All photos: Caroline Granger-Brodeur