When Dutch photographer Marcel Heijnen first moved to Hong Kong, he noticed something very interesting about the traditional shops that are there – most of them have their own kitties living inside!

So fascinated with this culture of shop cats, Heijnen simply couldn’t resist photographing the feline fellows. He even went on to create an Instagram account featuring the Chinese kitties and uploads new photos of them regularly. Shop cats, market cats, alley cats – he’s been capturing them all!

You can find his photos on Instagram and even in his new book which will be launching at Blue Lotus Gallery in December together with his pop-up exhibition.

Read these characteristics which almost all cat lovers have in common:

INTROVERTED AND SENSITIVE
It’s the nature of cats that they are not friends with everybody, and the same trait can be seen in their owners too. Usually, they live alone and are happy with their independent lifestyle. They are introverts but are comfortable hanging around with other people. However, they would need some me-time to relax and recharge.

CAT LOVERS LEAN TO LEFT
It has been observed that people with liberal political leanings prefer cats over dogs. You might be a liberal dog lover or a conservative cat owner; if you’re a liberal, you love cats and vice versa.

CAT OWNERS ARE OPEN-MINDED
Five traits – conscientiousness, neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and openness are often seen in most cat lovers. As compared to dog owners, people who have cats as pets are more open and therefore, have greater artistic creativity.

ATTENTION SEEKERS
Just like their pets, cat lovers seek attention from people around them. They like to be the centre of all conversations. At times, cat owners rely on their pets for emotional support.

THEY RESPECT CATS MORE THAN ANYONE
Cat people respect cats more than humans, in general. The saddest sight for a cat lover is to see the animal on the streets without a home. Cat lovers are often seen making a special effort to rescue or rehabilitate homeless cats.