Cats are truly distinctive creatures. Throughout history, they have held a complex place in human society, admired for their beauty and yet sometimes feared. Breeders have tailored them to align with our tastes. In his latest book, feline, celebrated animal photographer Tim Flach delves into the captivating world of felines.

“The core of this undertaking was to reveal the genuine nature of cats,” Flach explains. Featuring over 170 stunning images, feline also presents insights from neuroscientist Morten Klingelbach about why cats enchant us, alongside evolutionary biologist Jonathan Losos’s examination of felines and their development.

The image above showcases Stella, a Cornish Rex from Montreal, Canada. Her striking appearance arises from unique genetic characteristics during her embryonic development. Interestingly, cats with heterochromia often have one blue eye, a trait frequently observed in all-white breeds.

Flach further captures images of cats who have achieved online fame. Acchom (below) is a long-haired Persian cat who suffers from a rare condition known as hirsutism, leading to abnormal hair growth. Currently, Acchom boasts over 900,000 Instagram followers.

In another example, the exotic shorthair named Zoo embodies cuteness in its purest form. It’s a perfectly round, fluffy bundle of joy (below).

Cuteness, as Klingelbach notes, is fundamental. As outlined in feline, the traits that make young mammals and birds appealing help them gain care from their parents, compensating for their vulnerability. Features like large eyes and round faces activate the orbitofrontal cortex, the area of our brain responsible for emotional responses. Such mechanisms ensure the survival of our species. Interestingly, this pleasing response extends beyond our own kind; cats elicit the same reaction in humans.

By scanning his own brain while interacting with his long-haired cat Loki, Flach illustrates the impact of cuteness, showing how the orbitofrontal cortex activates within a mere 130 milliseconds, faster than conscious thought. “In some ways, you’re observing the fundamental effects of cuteness,” he notes.

Cuteness isn’t the sole evolutionary asset for cats. Valentine, an 8-week-old Sphynx cat, demonstrates exceptional hunting agility as he leaps for an inconspicuous toy.

Cats possess 40 times the number of scent-sensing cells in their noses compared to humans. Their uniquely designed whiskers are finely tuned to detect slight vibrations, aiding in navigation and close-range hunting in the darkness. Moreover, their tongues, featuring small papillae made of keratin, serve multiple purposes, including grooming and sensory tasks. This structure also enhances their sense of smell by transmitting pheromonal scents to the vomeronasal organ, located at the top of their mouths.

However, one of the most striking features of cats is their mesmerizing eyes. Ancient myths claimed that a cat’s glowing gaze indicated a connection to the devil. In reality, the luminous effect seen when a light hits a cat’s eyes in the dark is caused by a special reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum, which bounces back unavailable light to the photoreceptors (rods and cones) in their retinas. Cats possess a far greater density of rods than humans, enabling them to see in one-sixth of the light that humans require, as Losos discusses in his book.

In exploring the mesmerizing quality of a cat’s gaze, Flach and his team employed specialized lenses and high-speed flashes, presenting the cats’ eyes in an unprecedented manner that evokes the imagery of shining mirrors, akin to lighthouse beams.