KITTENHOOD: Life-Size Portraits of Kittens

This gorgeous volume does exactly what it says on the cover: gives us portraits of kittens from 25 different breeds, both pure and mixed, reproduced on large pages at life size, some with their friends and siblings. A three-week kitten is just beginning to explore the world, and at six weeks is learning how to play. Older kittens, between nine and 12 weeks, are at their most entertaining - rambunctious, athletic, all over the place, and in some cases changing their eye colour and fur colour. Snow White and Gretel are lovely white examples of Cornish Rex, with their huge mesmeric eyes, while Waylon and Oreo, both Tuxedo Mix with their distinctive black and white markings, are photographed at 8 and 9 weeks and are obviously enjoying an audience. Joey is an 11 week old Birman with long silky white fur, weighing 3 lbs, and looking proportionally more like an adult cat than some of the others. True Blue is a 12-week old Oriental with a pointed face, magnificent ears and very short brown fur, while Mabel, a 9-week old Sphynx, has no fur and the highly prized pedigree wrinkled skin. Tonkinese Cosmo is utterly gorgeous at 6 weeks, squeezing his eyes shut at first and then coming out to play with his mate Joe, both of them adorable. Bella is an Exotic Longhair, with thick unruly brown fur at 9 weeks and a squashed-looking face which adds to the pugnacious air. Johnny and June are Black Mix kittens, thin in the body with a prowling walk, in total contrast to tiny Tillie, a 6-week-old Napoleon weighing only three quarters of a pound, but very furry and with an expression of cute appeal. Sonnet is a lovely Siamese with huge ears and those arresting blue eyes, at 7 weeks weighing in at almost 2 lbs. Four 4-week old Siamese kittens, Twist, Cachet, Rhyme and Melody, are pictured playing together in a tangle of legs, ears and tails. 120 VERY LARGE pages 33 x 28cm, life-size photos. A total delight for a cat lover.