House Cat, Australian photographer Paul Barbera's lavish art book, showcases eye-catching architecture and the pets inhabiting these stylish spaces. The aim is to document "how cats and interiors interact," so, appropriately, equal attention is paid to the décor and to the feline residents. After all, Barbera writes, cats can seem "at times like a moving piece of furniture--that is, of course, if they can be bothered to move at all."
Most of the featured dwellings are in New York City, the Catskills, or Connecticut, with a few farther afield. The book notes the architect or interior designer. There are opulent apartments and converted barns; exposed wooden beams and striking sculptures. Shadow the Siberian exists amid Scandinavian minimalism. Gary and Gunnar (an Abyssinian and Toyger, respectively) follow the sunlight around their penthouse overlooking Central Park. A Beverly Hills hacienda is home to nine cats--five to seven of whom appear together in some shots. Three felines enjoy scampering down the long central hallway of their I.M. Pei-designed Philadelphia apartment.
Each photo-essay ends with a q&a that serves as a witty dating profile for the cat(s), asking such questions as "Diva or devoted friend?"; "Explorer or homebody?" and "Lap cat or not?" Often two home-sharing cats have opposite temperaments. Barbera (Where They Purr) captures his subjects mid-leap or at rest, draped across furniture, or illuminated by shafts of light.
Whether in a Revolutionary War-era restoration or a modernist home, these cats preside with a befitting dignity. Perfect for design aficionados and cat lovers alike. --Rebecca Foster, freelance reviewer, proofreader and blogger at Bookish Beck