What is it about cats that keeps humans so enthralled? That’s the question the renowned animal photographer Tim Flach asks in his stunning new book of feline portraits. Is it their wildness — the predatory animal in our homes “that reminds us of a time when we were immersed in nature, not separated from it,” as Flach describes it. Or is it their cuteness, which at times comes as a result of selective breeding, to emphasise baby-like features like large eyes and round faces? “At the heart of this project lies a quest to unmask the essence of being feline,” Flach says. “Of all my subjects the domestic cat has undoubtedly made me work the hardest. They’re notoriously difficult models. If there’s one thing I can be sure of it’s that they’ll do exactly as they please.”