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Our cat Melchett loves catnip, and I love photographing him and our other cats. Neighborhood cats also visit to “borrow” some nip, including Benji, Tommy, and Bob.

We have two cats at the moment, who have one eye between them. Melchett had one eye removed last year due to a cataract, and Gertrude had both eyes removed this year also due to cataracts. All our cats have been named after characters and animals in the TV show Blackadder, including Edmund, Baldrick, Bubbles, Turnip, Percy, Meg, Mrs. Miggins, and Mildred. Some of our cats have come from rescue centers, but many have just appeared at the door, hoping to be fed and have stayed with us for years.

I have been photographing cats since I got my first camera when I was ten years old, and I’m now in my 50s. They are fascinating to photograph as they always do their own thing and are impossible to predict, so they always provide a challenge to photograph successfully.

Nepeta cataria, otherwise known as catnip, catswort, catwort, or catmint, is well known for its attractiveness to cats. What’s less known is that domestic cats aren’t the only felines that react to it almost the same as domestic ones. Lynxes, leopards, servals, and cougars, and in rarer cases, tigers and lions, all enjoy the recreational effects of catnip. In general, two-thirds of cats have a natural attraction towards it. The most common effects of catnip on cats are rubbing on the plant, rolling on the ground, licking, and chewing. When they overdose, they usually drool and get irritated or sleepy, meow, growl, and purr, or get really scratchy. But other than that, it’s a harmless, fun opportunity for cats to relax.

More info: Instagram