'You ever find a cat sleeping in a ray of sun? There’s a sound over there. It’s a golden sound. That’s the only way to describe it. It’s a bright sound, and it has little flecks of music in it, drifting like motes of dust. And you just know if you let that sound get inside you, if you hummed along with it, you’d rest like a cat in the sun. A perfect rest. You could rest a billion years.'
Joe Hill
I think if you asked most people about pets, I'm guessing most would say men are more like dogs, and women more like cats. The truth is, men are more felid like than they'd like to admit. I love the quote above by author Joe Hill. (Joseph Hillström King) Joseph's father Stephen, has often featured cats in his novels, and knows quite a bit about their behaviors and idiosyncrasies.
There are many similarities between cats and men, starting with a cat's need for dominance. No matter how many people live in the house, no matter how many other pets you own, most people with cats, know the cat is in charge. They do what they want, when they want. They're independent, and usually hate asking for help. Even cats who love physical attention from their owners, control when and where, and when they're finished, they done, and slink off to nap alone.
If you've had a cat, you know two of their most common behavior traits. The most common is their tearing around the house with sudden bursts of energy. Frantic running known as the 'zoomies'. They' run, tumble around, leap onto laps and furniture, then just as suddenly, flop down exhausted, often napping for hours.
Cat's however, are just relaxing and sleeping. Often these siestas are just an excuse for them to plot, from how to extra treats, to taking over the world. When they do finally relax, it's usually after a heat seeking mission. Cats are magnet for heat, preferably in front of a window, with the sun as their heat source. If the sun is not available though, any heat source will do. A heating vent, a radiator or portable heater and on cozy winter nights, in front of the fire place.
Cats are looking for more than just their daily dose of Vitamin D. Cats are desert created, originating from the Middle East. They have a high tolerance for heat, and their regular body temperature is higher than us humans. Because of their high metabolism, not to mention all those 'zoomies', it's important they spend time replenishing themselves by soaking up the sun, and the heat.
Their basking or sunbathing is an organic and natural behavior. The warmth from the sun not only helps their physical health, but is also comforting, helping the psychological well-being of cats as well. When I saw this series of images, I immedeately thought of cats. In every shot that George, (
Random Exposures) captured of Jason, he was heat-seeking. From the window to the mattress on the floor, if there was a ray of light, Jason's bare skin was soaking up both the heat and the energy.

It's a good thing George's home studio has plenty of windows, and is located in the Central Valley of California. It made the perfect space for the naked sun soaker to find plenty of places to lie down, relax, and plot his take over of the world. Also like a cat, Jason was totally comfortable being naked, having his skin and fur exposed and open to the heat and sun. Like the man behind the camera,, Jason was a fellow nude art model who was referred to George by an art instructor they had both previously modeled for.
If you want to see more of George's work with this furry, adorable creature, both cat-like, and not so cat -like....head on over to the
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