Men With Cats
Intimate Portraits of Feline Friendship
Hardcover | Kindle
Written by David Williams
Quirk Books
Release Date: February 2nd, 2016

Seriously, the title says enough. If Men With Cats: Intimate Portraits of Feline Friendship doesn’t make you curious, or maybe make you laugh out loud, then skip to the next link.

Before 2009, I wasn’t a cat guy. My dad and sister were allergic, and all the cats I knew would spend their days under furniture hissing at any would-be petters. So when my wife took me to a friend’s house and surprised me by saying, “Oh, yeah, we’re getting a cat,” I was a bit the contrarian. Being a kitten owner for 6 years now has been great. It’s like having an extra loving family member who always greets you at the door, and occasionally trips you when you walk.

Author David Williams began this journey in 2009 as well. A long-time pet owner and cat lover, he found that a lot of men were into cats as well… debunking the popular “men and dogs” stereotype. Starting with friends and moving along to actors, artists, mechanics, chefs, and mountain men, Williams took photos of men with their feline friends.

This hardcover book contains over 70 bright colored photos of… well… men with cats. The photos are taken in the men’s homes and includes quotes from the guys, but not the cats. Some of my favorites include Randall on page 124 with his cat Lil Misfit. Randall, pictured in front of a massive collection of comics and graphic novels, says that “she didn’t want to be touched at all…now I can no longer lie down without her sitting on my chest.” Page 24 sees Timothy, who runs a Metaphysical store with his black cat Sampson. On page 50, Haley and his toddler son Henry are at the breakfast table with Pepper. Haley, with his dreadlocks and and tattoos doesn’t scream “cat lover,” but pictures are worth a 1,000 words.

The book fits perfectly as a coffee table display item, or what I call a “bathroom book” that can be picked up and looked at over and over without boredom. You’ll laugh, you’ll “aw,” and hopefully, as Williams says, you’ll be inspired to adopt a cat, or donate your time to an animal shelter in your area.

Men with Cats is available now from Quirk Books.

Official Book Synopsis:

Countless books and blogs have extolled the virtues of the Cat Lady””now photographer David Williams celebrates cat-owning men and the precious kitties who have stolen their hearts. His subjects represent a cross-section of American society””musicians and artists, soldiers and CEOs, truck drivers and tattoo artists””with one very furry common denominator. These fun, fuzzy, and offbeat portraits are full of personality, and the accompanying stories share everything from “how we met” to how the cats earned their names. Men with Cats is a delightful gift book for anyone who appreciates the bond between pets and their people.