Мужики с котами =)
Not every cat lover is a crazy cat lady cooped up in a cartoony ol' house.
When David Williams started photographing men with their cats, he wasn't expecting the series to go viral. Now Men with Cats has its own book, and a tumblr where users can submit their own photos.
"I started Men with Cats in 2009 while I was living in Denver, Colorado," Williams explains in his book. "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."
In addition to encouraging people to adopt or rescue cats, Williams hopes the series changes the way people think.
"I hope that seeing these portraits and reading these stories will encourage you to rethink stereotypes about gender and personality types," he said.
- Paul with Cuauhtemoc and Mateo
“Cats are zen. Living in Mexico City and sharing this space with 20-million-plus people is pretty hectic. The best part of my day is coming home and closing the door and finding my six cats at home. Best stress relief.”
IMAGE: MEN WITH CATS - Santiago with Adele and Nikos
“I’m not only a cat lover, to me, any animal’s life is important and I have spent my life with other species. Nevertheless, cats mean a lot to me because recently I have found love in them.”
IMAGE: MEN WITH CATS - Ian with Mowgli
“I talk to them, I answer on their behalf. I make up stories about their day. I make cat forts and on occasion, dress them. I’d say I’m pretty entrenched in the cat lifestyle.”
IMAGE: MEN WITH CATS - Jim with Bea and Arthur
“Arthur is a female, which we didn’t know when we adopted them. The vet told us after we had them fixed. But we decided to raise him as male, because we already painted his room blue and decorated it in a baseball and race car theme. Just kidding, but we did buy him a blue collar. And cats don’t seem to care about gender.”
IMAGE: MEN WITH CATS - Simon with Diablo
“I consider myself a cat person because I’m away at work most of the day and when I come home Diablo brings his energy to pep me up a bit.”
IMAGE: MEN WITH CATS - Brent with Sammy
“Most people that live in the mountains have dogs. It’s part of the ‘mountain man’ attitude, I guess. I’ve just always loved cats. I grew up with them.”
IMAGE: MEN WITH CATS - John With Yuki
“Cats can be really demanding. When she wants food or treats, she can be relentless until she gets what she wants. The thing she wants most though is my lap and my attention. If my lap is not available, the next best thing is to lay on top of whatever I am working on. It’s a small price to pay for unconditional love and friendship.”
IMAGE: MEN WITH CATS - Alex with Freya
”Now that my wife and I have two kids, it’s been hard to give our first born - Freya - as much love and attention as we used to give her. Each evening, when we’re finally done putting the kids to bed, it’s natural to want some time to ourselves. Yet, that’s when Freya spots her opportunity and comes looking for love. Of course, she usually wins”
IMAGE: MEN WITH CATS - Matt With Filet-O-Fish
“I was traveling through New Jersey with a friend when we stopped at a McDonald’s rest stop. I heard her meowing when we were getting into the car and I went to inspect the dumpster area it was coming from. Not sure if someone had dropped her off or if she had wandered there and gotten lost. My friend helped me grab her and she came home with me. She was so sweet and she seemed grateful to have been saved. She ate some of my Filet-O-Fish sandwich on the way home.”
IMAGE: MEN WITH CATS - David With Cocoa
“After we took her home from the shelter we spent a few days thinking out loud about a name for her. Eventually my girlfriend said, ‘Cocoa?’ and I said, ‘I’m in love with it.’”
IMAGE: MEN WITH CATS - Amani With Pozza
“He likes TV, salmon and BBQ chicken. His favorite shows are CNN, Walking Dead, and all of the Housewives brands.”
IMAGE: MEN WITH CATS - Ian with MJ
“He’s been known to drop smelly treats wherever the creature he hates most sleeps.”
IMAGE: MEN WITH CATS - Jack with Salem and Django
“They demand attention at all hours of the night and will not stop until you wake up.”