Photographer captures the wise faces of stray cats living on the streets

If you’re thinking about getting a cat, here’s a reminder to pop to a shelter.
Abandoned cats and strays may be a little scruffier than the purebred kitten you’d buy from a breeder. Maybe they’re a little older or need extra care.
But they’re just as cute and just as lovely.
That’s what 19-year-old photographer Gabriel Khiterer wants to show.
In reaction to all the super sleek cats plastered all over Instagram, he’s been photographing stray cats living out on the streets in Vilnius, Lithuania.

A photographer has taken portraits of stray cats - as a reaction to the stylised cats of Instagram. Gabriel Khiterer wanted to represent real-world kitties, and realised the hard lives of street cats were often reflected in their faces. Thankfully, when he went looking for homeless cats he found they were hard to find as there weren't many in his city. The 19-year-old from Vilnius, Lithuania, explains: "A few stray cats live near my house, and about a year ago I tried to take some photos of them. Two months ago I looked at those photos and realised that stray cats look really interesting - completely different to the cats we are used to seeing on the Internet. Clearly, each stray cat has its own life story, and it is visibly reflected in their appearance and demeanour. They all have this almost wise look, as if they have seen life in its entirety, which they have, I guess. So I started to look for stray cats around the city, which proved to be a lot harder than I had expected - there are not that many, as it turned out. After two months of wandering in the streets of Vilnius, I finally took enough photos and published them on Facebook. I was really surprised with the great reaction I have had online from different countries about my cat photos." Where: Vilnius, Lithuania When: 14 Mar 2017 Credit: Gabriel Khiterer/Cover Images **All usages and enquiries, please contact Glen Marks at glen.marks@cover-images.com - +44 (0)20 3397 3000.All usages and enquiries, please contact Glen Marks at glen.marks@cover-images.com - +44 (0)20 3397 3000.CREDIT: Gabriel Khiterer/Cover Images** — (Picture: Gabriel Khiterer/Cover Images)

Why? To show that these cats are just as worthy of love and affection as the super pretty kitties you see online.
‘A few stray cats live near my house, and about a year ago I tried to take some photos of them,’ said Gabriel.

‘Two months ago I looked at those photos and realised that stray cats look really interesting – completely different to the cats we are used to seeing on the Internet.
‘Clearly, each stray cat has its own life story, and it is visibly reflected in their appearance and demeanour.
‘They all have this almost wise look, as if they have seen life in its entirety, which they have, I guess.’

It took Gabriel a while to find the subjects for his project, as, thankfully, cat rescue organisations in his city are on top of finding stray cats homes.
But after two months of wandering the streets, Gabriel had captured enough pictures of strays to share his work, publishing the photos on his Facebook.
‘I was really surprised with the great reaction,’ said Gabriel.
Here’s hoping his photos will serve as proof that strays and rescues are just as brilliant as any cat or kitten you’d get from a breeder – they’re the ones the need loving homes the most.
(Metro, UK)