Cationary: Meaningful Portraits of Cats

by Sharon Montrose

On the heels of her engaging and inventive Dogtionary comes photographer Sharon Montrose's discerning demystification of the other side of the pet world. This humorous and affectionate photographic essay features cats of various breeds and personalities, captured with all the idiosyncrasies their human owners have come to know and love. Cationary is filled with more than ninety images that are alphabetized by each cat's name, from A to Z, in a unique format that juxtaposes them with their dictionary-style "kitty definitions"-captions as evocative, mischievous, and telling as the pictures they accompany.

Whether it's feisty Billy (who hisses, growls, and scratches), or Parker, the complacent Cheshire Cat-type (who does a little eating, a little playing, and a great deal of sleeping), feline fanciers will recognize their own pets among these charming creatures. For them, Cationary is a gift as heady as catnip-elegant, heartwarming, and beautifully photographed.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art

96 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

Melding her passion for photography with her love of animals, Sharon Montrose’s definitive photographic style has made her one of the most sought-after commercial photographers specializing in animals. In addition to eleven published photography books to her credit, Sharon shoots for some of the world’s foremost pet industry brands. Her animal series photographs are part of numerous public and private collections, including The Sir Elton John Photography Collection and have been awarded recognition by Communication Arts, Photo District News, The Art of Photography, Hey, Hot Shot!, and the International Photography Awards.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wonder where my copy got to...

[C J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully done! Cats are such complex and amazing beings and that is beautifully captured in this book! ❣️

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's black-and-white photographs and short prose poems together make a moving portrait of both a cat's appearance and personality. Her photographs aren't the expected "cute cat" locations and looks in each shot, although there is plenty of cuteness to go around. The cats' names and little prose poems/definitions about them are compelling. Much is said about each cat with just a few words. This is a book I would like to own.

[Aricle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's black-and-white photographs and short prose poems together make a moving portrait of both a cat's appearance and personality. Her photographs aren't the expected "cute cat" locations and looks in each shot, although there is plenty of cuteness to go around. The cats' names and little prose poems/definitions about them are compelling. Much is said about each cat with just a few words. This is a book I would like to own.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute pictures of cats! Need I say more.

[Cherie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A dictionary related to cats. It has pictures of various cats and then "definitions" of the cats' names.