A few years ago, longtime friends Audrey Khuner and Carolyn Newman combined their twin interests of cute baby animals and burly guys and published a book on the subject. They called it Hot Guys and Baby Animals. They then embarked on a new endeavor that repeated the basic formula but with a feline twist. Naturally, it’s called Hot Guys and Kittens, and the project pairs photographs of sometimes muscular and often topless men with dinky kitties.
With Hot Guys and Kittens available and ready to be stuffed into stockings for the festive season, I spoke to Audrey about such pressing issues as fantasy celebrity-and-cat pairings, the benefits of kitten adoption, and where the average cat stands on the issue of chest hair.
Phillip Mlynar for Catster: How would you explain the appeal of combining hot guys with kittens?
Audrey Khuner: The little, helpless kittens bring out the warm, nurturing side of even the most manly man, which makes them even more attractive. Also, the juxtaposition of cute and cuddly with hot and sexy is pretty entertaining.
Who benefits most from this arrangement — the hot guy or the kitten?
Hmm, I know the guys enjoy cuddling with the kittens because they tell me so. From what I can tell, the kittens’ experiences vary: Some are all purry and content to cuddle up with the male model, while some are more shy in front of the camera.
Which celebrities would you most like to see posing with a kitten and why? And are there any celebrity Internet cats that you think would take to the hot-guy modeling world well?
We would love to see Joe Manganiello from True Blood with a kitten. He’s so big and burly, he’d look sweet and tender holding a little kitten. Or Ryan Gosling. As for celebrity cats, we are fans of Colonel Meow — what a face! It would have been great to get him posing for a photo shoot before he passed away.
What advice would you give to a hot guy who is considering adopting a kitten?
Do it! Adopting an animal is a lot of responsibility, but it pays back tenfold. Also, cats are a total chick magnet.
What’s your take on chest hair — do kittens enjoy snuggling up to it? Or do they prefer a slick and hairless torso?
I think kittens prefer chest hair because it reminds them of cuddling up to their mothers and siblings.
Finally, what’s the best muscle group to develop at the gym if you’re looking to provide a bodily perch for a kitten to nap on?
Biceps!
About Phillip Mlynar: The self-appointed world’s foremost expert on rappers’ cats. When not penning posts on rap music, he can be found building DIY cat towers for his adopted domestic shorthair, Mimosa, and collecting Le Creuset cookware (in red). He has also invented cat sushi, but it’s not quite what you think it is.
