Photographer Captures Cats Enjoying Catnip and It’s Hilarious

Many people believe that it’s rare to catch cats completely uninhibited. After all, these are the type of animals that always land on their feet. Most of the time, cats are poised and contained and aloof. At least that’s what non-cat lovers think. However, cat aficionados know there’s another side to cats—the side that could make you laugh out loud out of nowhere. It’s the kind that will catch you off guard in delight. Photographer Andrew Marttila’s latest project, Cats on Catnip, captures cats like we’ve never seen them before. In this project, we see just how much personality cats really do have.

Funnily enough, Marttila’s passion for photography is only surpassed by his passion for cats. You see, Marttila has had cat allergies since he was a kid. His allergies have kept them from having cats for pets then, but over the years, he’s grown a bit of tolerance to cat fur and dander. He currently takes care of three permanent cat companions and six fosters along with his girlfriend. He manages well enough by taking allergy pills and walking around with an inhaler. It may sound like hassle to you, but to Marttila it’s just a small hindrance in pursuit of his animal photography.

It turns out that he’s quite good at it too. Some of the pictures in this gallery are just absolutely adorable that you just can’t help but gush a little. He’s managed to capture so many different cat personalities, and it’s something that even non-cat lovers could appreciate. Some of the shots are so candid that you almost can’t help but think of how Marttila managed to capture them. Perhaps the funniest part about the entire project is the fact that each cat in every picture is surrounded by or somehow covered in catnip. If you didn’t yet know, catnip is an herb that’s rumored to mimic cat pheromone. It also induces a range of sensations in cats including arousal, euphoria, and sedation among others. In short, cats are obsessed with catnip. Catnip is just the type of thing that could induce drooling in some cats.

In Marttila’s photos, we see different stories told by these cats, shown to us by how they’re reacting to their environment and the proximity of all the catnip around. The photo series features some of the most adorable and beautiful domestic cat breeds there are. The project has photos of a Siamese, a few different kinds of shorthairs, a couple of Bengals, a longhair, a Scottish fold, and even a Sphynx cat among some others. You can see kittens and paws, bellies and tongues, fangs and claws, and so many different expressions. It’s truly a remarkable effort for someone to capture something that’s so ordinary that we take for granted just how wonderful it truly is. While this project may not convince anyone to believe that cats are better than dogs, the gallery will at least push you towards the direction of cat love and cat appreciation.

All photos are via Martttila’s website:

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