Williams - Men with cats: intimate portraits of feline friendship

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Copyright 2016 by David Williams All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Number: 2015946876 eBook ISBN: 978-1-59474-886-8
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-59474-885-1 Designed by Andie Reid
Production management by John J. McGurk Quirk Books
215 Church Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
quirkbooks.com v3.1 My family of seven always treated our pets as family members. My mother invariably had a pug or two. My father took long trips with our cat Spikey loose in the car.

My siblings and I all have our own pets now. Theyre our emotional support animalswe depend on them just as much as they depend on us. So I learned at an early age that humans form strong bonds with animals, especially the ones they take into their homes. I started Men with Cats in 2009 while I was living in Denver, Colorado. The first guy I photographed was my coworker at a grocery store. He had a big beard, listened to loud music, worked out a lot, and loved his cat.

I began finding more and more men whom I would never have suspected to be cat lovers. Since then, I have photographed close to one hundred men with their cats, from artists and actors in Hollywood to a chef in Brooklyn to a car mechanic in Georgia to an opera singer in Oakland. Tattoo artists, mountain men, police officers, punk musicians, bikerseach one has a story about finding and falling in love with his cat. Some are funny, others are poignant, most are surprising. I hope that seeing these portraits and reading these stories will encourage you to rethink stereotypes about gender and personality types. After all, pets dont care how their human companions present themselves to the world.

They only care if they receive love and attention (and food!). I also hope this book inspires you to rescue and adopt pets or donate time or resources to animal welfare groups. I adopted my own cat, Margot, after Hurricane Sandy hit New York City, when shelters were filled to capacity. She has helped me more fully understand the bond that we humans have with our pets. I would do anything for my cat, and I know that every guy in this book would, too.

MAN DAVID WILLIAMS CAT MARGOT When we split ways, my ex kept the other cat, and I got Joshua.

Now he and I are bonded for life, like penguins. MAN JEREMY CAT JOSHUA

I picked up Chloe outside my precinct six years ago. She was dirty and skinny and followed me to my car when I tried to shoo her away. I didnt know she was pregnant, but two months later she gave birth on my couch. MAN LOUIS CATS FLUFF CHLOE PEPPA Mook is 18. Ive lived with her longer than I lived with my parents.

I know her so well I can predict her actions, and she gets very few surprises from me. Were like an old married couple. MAN BENN CAT MOOK

I was indifferent towards cats until we got these kittens. I was immediately enamored of them. I mean, cats are just fur and whiskers, but they make me laugh, the lil rascals. MAN ARLIN CAT ZIGGY Im the president of Alley Cat Animal Rescue, and I fostered Desmal after a bad house fire.

She was burned, neglected, sick, covered in fleas, and she had never been to the vet. When the rescue group followed up with the family, they requested she be killed; they didnt want her back. I quickly adopted her. MAN AL CAT DESMAL

I went out to buy an iPhone and somehow came back with two kittens. MAN ALAIN CATS CHESTER (aka Professor Gobbles-worth) PONGO (aka Panda Bearington-Bear) Were roommates, so when Prestons boss rescued a litter of barn cats, we decided to check them out. Franklin came right up to us like he was summoned by the cat gods to look after us.

Orange Juice was hiding. MAN CHRISTOPHER CAT ORANGE JUICE

MAN PRESTON CAT FRANKLIN I probably like animals more than people. Hopefully I wont turn into a crazy old cat lady later in life, but I guess there could be worse things. MAN CHRIS CAT MJ Sampson is a black cat in a metaphysical store, so hes a celebrity! He has the run of the place, and people come in just to see him. I always say I work for him. He even has his own line of Organic Full Moon Fever Catnip.

MAN TIMOTHY CAT SAMPSON

We named her Saisha because she looks so regal. Her name means flower from God in Sanskrit. She used to be standoffish, but now shell be in your lap as soon as you sit down unless shes getting her picture taken. MAN MICHAEL CAT SAISHA The name Lucifer stuck, with the e changing to a u at the suggestion of punk legend Genesis P. Orridge. (I was photographing him the day I adopted Lucifur.) Pazuzu is the demon from The Exorcist .