Haroun the cat.Photo:Andrew Marttila @iamthecatphotographerCats can look pretty wild when they’re on a catnip high – and photographerAndrew Marttilahas spent the last six years capturing those crazy moments.“There’s saliva and catnip everywhere,” says Marttila, a 37-year-old animal photographer.About six years ago, Marttila was playing around with his camera, experimenting with flash photography. “You can capture really interesting bizarre things,” he says. On a whim, he gave a bit of catnip to his 13-year-old Bengal cat, Haroun, “to see what his reaction is and try to capture whatever happens.”“I had no idea what I would get. And the result was something really, really incredible and strange and sparked the interest of a lot of people around the world,” Marttila says. The images launched a series of photographs about cats high on catnip that has been turned into a book, and an annual calendar and more.Shrampton.Andrew Marttila @iamthecatphotographerMarttila says he loves showing cats' funny, silly sides. “I think there’s a misunderstanding that cats are aloof or very stoic, and it’s only in recent years that the silliness of cats has started to become more prevalent and prominent in pop culture," he shares. “And I love exploring that side. I love showing cats sort of just enjoying themselves. I like just showing them funny and out of the norm.”The flash photography allows him to “freeze these little moments” that “the human eye is not able to see,” he adds. “It’s a different window into their lived experience, especially when they’re high. You’re able to get an insight into just how crazy they do get on catnip.”The artist loves showing people what their cats really look like in a way they’ve never noticed. “Aside from it just being so different and funny, I love seeing the expression of the guardians when they see just how crazy their cat looks,” he says.Grendel.Andrew Marttila @iamthecatphotographerWhen he arrives at a photo shoot, he usually brings five varieties of catnip with him. “I’ll put catnip on a table or on the ground and have the lighting set up to accommodate where I think they will have their little freak out moment and then sort of just let them do their thing. And as they are going wild, I snap photos.”Marttila says about 70 percent of cats respond to catnip — and every cat reacts very differently. “You never know what you’re going to get,” he shares. “I think it’s the sort of the surprise factor, especially when I’m taking the photos, even I don’t know what I’ve gotten until I go back and review the images because it happened so quickly.“Mr. Peep.Andrew Marttila @iamthecatphotographerNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.For anyone worried the practice may be inhumane, Marttila — who also runs theOrphan Kitten Clubrescue in San Diego with wifeHannah Shaw— assuages those fears. “One comment that I get a lot when these pictures are on bigger publications is, ‘This is damaging to the cats. Why are we creating drug addicts in our cats?’ And it’s ignorance. It’s really not understanding what catnip does. And it is a very fast acting type of chemical. It is completely natural. There’s no chance of them becoming dependent on catnip,” he says.Marttila also encourages people to try it at home. “I highly recommend giving a little bit or a lot of it to your cat just to see what their reaction is. Most of the time it will be an extremely positive experience for you and your cat. The daily life of a cat can … be just indoors in an apartment somewhere, and this can give them a little bit of a reprieve from the monotony of their daily existence.”
Haroun the cat.Photo:Andrew Marttila @iamthecatphotographer
Andrew Marttila @iamthecatphotographer
Cats can look pretty wild when they’re on a catnip high – and photographerAndrew Marttilahas spent the last six years capturing those crazy moments.“There’s saliva and catnip everywhere,” says Marttila, a 37-year-old animal photographer.About six years ago, Marttila was playing around with his camera, experimenting with flash photography. “You can capture really interesting bizarre things,” he says. On a whim, he gave a bit of catnip to his 13-year-old Bengal cat, Haroun, “to see what his reaction is and try to capture whatever happens.”“I had no idea what I would get. And the result was something really, really incredible and strange and sparked the interest of a lot of people around the world,” Marttila says. The images launched a series of photographs about cats high on catnip that has been turned into a book, and an annual calendar and more.Shrampton.Andrew Marttila @iamthecatphotographerMarttila says he loves showing cats' funny, silly sides. “I think there’s a misunderstanding that cats are aloof or very stoic, and it’s only in recent years that the silliness of cats has started to become more prevalent and prominent in pop culture,” he shares. “And I love exploring that side. I love showing cats sort of just enjoying themselves. I like just showing them funny and out of the norm.”The flash photography allows him to “freeze these little moments” that “the human eye is not able to see,” he adds. “It’s a different window into their lived experience, especially when they’re high. You’re able to get an insight into just how crazy they do get on catnip.”The artist loves showing people what their cats really look like in a way they’ve never noticed. “Aside from it just being so different and funny, I love seeing the expression of the guardians when they see just how crazy their cat looks,” he says.Grendel.Andrew Marttila @iamthecatphotographerWhen he arrives at a photo shoot, he usually brings five varieties of catnip with him. “I’ll put catnip on a table or on the ground and have the lighting set up to accommodate where I think they will have their little freak out moment and then sort of just let them do their thing. And as they are going wild, I snap photos.”Marttila says about 70 percent of cats respond to catnip — and every cat reacts very differently. “You never know what you’re going to get,” he shares. “I think it’s the sort of the surprise factor, especially when I’m taking the photos, even I don’t know what I’ve gotten until I go back and review the images because it happened so quickly.“Mr. Peep.Andrew Marttila @iamthecatphotographerNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.For anyone worried the practice may be inhumane, Marttila — who also runs theOrphan Kitten Clubrescue in San Diego with wifeHannah Shaw— assuages those fears. “One comment that I get a lot when these pictures are on bigger publications is, ‘This is damaging to the cats. Why are we creating drug addicts in our cats?’ And it’s ignorance. It’s really not understanding what catnip does. And it is a very fast acting type of chemical. It is completely natural. There’s no chance of them becoming dependent on catnip,” he says.Marttila also encourages people to try it at home. “I highly recommend giving a little bit or a lot of it to your cat just to see what their reaction is. Most of the time it will be an extremely positive experience for you and your cat. The daily life of a cat can … be just indoors in an apartment somewhere, and this can give them a little bit of a reprieve from the monotony of their daily existence.”
Cats can look pretty wild when they’re on a catnip high – and photographerAndrew Marttilahas spent the last six years capturing those crazy moments.
“There’s saliva and catnip everywhere,” says Marttila, a 37-year-old animal photographer.
About six years ago, Marttila was playing around with his camera, experimenting with flash photography. “You can capture really interesting bizarre things,” he says. On a whim, he gave a bit of catnip to his 13-year-old Bengal cat, Haroun, “to see what his reaction is and try to capture whatever happens.”
“I had no idea what I would get. And the result was something really, really incredible and strange and sparked the interest of a lot of people around the world,” Marttila says. The images launched a series of photographs about cats high on catnip that has been turned into a book, and an annual calendar and more.
Shrampton.Andrew Marttila @iamthecatphotographer
Marttila says he loves showing cats' funny, silly sides. “I think there’s a misunderstanding that cats are aloof or very stoic, and it’s only in recent years that the silliness of cats has started to become more prevalent and prominent in pop culture,” he shares. “And I love exploring that side. I love showing cats sort of just enjoying themselves. I like just showing them funny and out of the norm.”
The flash photography allows him to “freeze these little moments” that “the human eye is not able to see,” he adds. “It’s a different window into their lived experience, especially when they’re high. You’re able to get an insight into just how crazy they do get on catnip.”
The artist loves showing people what their cats really look like in a way they’ve never noticed. “Aside from it just being so different and funny, I love seeing the expression of the guardians when they see just how crazy their cat looks,” he says.
Grendel.Andrew Marttila @iamthecatphotographer
When he arrives at a photo shoot, he usually brings five varieties of catnip with him. “I’ll put catnip on a table or on the ground and have the lighting set up to accommodate where I think they will have their little freak out moment and then sort of just let them do their thing. And as they are going wild, I snap photos.”
Marttila says about 70 percent of cats respond to catnip — and every cat reacts very differently. “You never know what you’re going to get,” he shares. “I think it’s the sort of the surprise factor, especially when I’m taking the photos, even I don’t know what I’ve gotten until I go back and review the images because it happened so quickly.”
Mr. Peep.Andrew Marttila @iamthecatphotographer
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
For anyone worried the practice may be inhumane, Marttila — who also runs theOrphan Kitten Clubrescue in San Diego with wifeHannah Shaw— assuages those fears. “One comment that I get a lot when these pictures are on bigger publications is, ‘This is damaging to the cats. Why are we creating drug addicts in our cats?’ And it’s ignorance. It’s really not understanding what catnip does. And it is a very fast acting type of chemical. It is completely natural. There’s no chance of them becoming dependent on catnip,” he says.
Marttila also encourages people to try it at home. “I highly recommend giving a little bit or a lot of it to your cat just to see what their reaction is. Most of the time it will be an extremely positive experience for you and your cat. The daily life of a cat can … be just indoors in an apartment somewhere, and this can give them a little bit of a reprieve from the monotony of their daily existence.”
source: people.com
