I Help Dapper Cats Find Love

by Patrick Penrose Published Nov 13, 2025

I am a lover of cats. After a decade of working as a professional wedding photographer, I sought a way to use my talents for the good of my beloved felines.

In 2015, I began crafting bow ties specifically designed to fit cats and headed to my favorite shelter Miss Kitty Feline Sanctuary in Thomasville, Georgia. I created a uniquely stunning series of 101 cat portraits featuring residents of the shelter. The first 101 images required multiple shoots and took almost a year to complete.

These portraits have been featured in magazines, newspapers and shared all over the world through the 101 Cats in Bow Ties Instagram account. Most of the felines in the “Cats in Bow Ties” series went on to find homes and a few are still looking.

I am currently planning more events with more feline sanctuaries to create more portraits with the goal to help spread awareness for feline adoptions and help more cats find homes. It’s my dream to travel the world helping people connect with kitties and increase adoption rates.

This Fall, my photographs will be featured in new a book “Cats in Bow Ties: Photographs and Stories of Shelter Cats with Style” which features over 120 different cats and their stories.

I encourage anyone interested in photography and helping animals to combine those interests and head to your local shelter to volunteer. Whether you are a seasoned professional photographer or a newbie just starting out and looking to gain skills, photographing animals in a shelter is a challenging and rewarding practice that will make you a better photographer and will help an animal find a potential home.

More info: catsinbowties.com | Instagram | Facebook