Loverboy

Happy Valentine's Day! What better way to celebrate than with an awesomely adorable cat who went from the gutter to glitter, and now lives the life of an L.A. cover model?

I recently came across this picture, and knew it was something I wanted to post on the site. What I didn't know know was that when I contacted the photographer, Christina Gandolfo, I would find such a great story behind those heart-shaped glasses. A cat named Doo!

Let's get to know Doo, in Christina's own words:

"Doo came from somewhat hardscrabble beginnings. He and his littermate/sister Lucy (also part of my cat family) were rescued almost 6 years ago from a would-be feral existence on the outskirts of San Diego. In their first year, Doo and Lucy made the move with me to Minneapolis, where he and his sister thrived in the "tundra," insisting on getting their paws wet from the very first snowfall. They subsequently became avid hunters (I can't count the number of times I took their prey into the wildlife rescue center; thankfully many more were saved than lost) but were made the foils of a local gang of squirrels, who taunted them year-round. It was in Minneapolis that I began photographing both Doo and Lucy almost daily, and they quickly earned a following on flickr. It was also during that time that I was learning studio lighting and I would bribe both cats to sit for me as I tested new lighting set-ups. They obliged for the most part, as long as they were generously rewarded with cat crack (i.e., Whiskas Temptations -- their junk food of choice).

When my work brought me back to sunny California, Doo, Lucy and I set up camp in Los Angeles where they continue to be photographed as well as serve as studio cats (along with me and my partner's two other cats) at our West Hollywood photo studio. Despite their images now being licensed for things like calendars and greeting cards worldwide, Doo remains ever-humble. At 16 lbs and nearly 15 inches tall on all fours, Doo is bigger than most dogs in L.A. But has NO idea of his size, often still trying to fit into the tight spaces he occupied only as a kitten. When provoked, he'll box like Sugar Ray (he has a mean right jab, left hook) but most of the time he's just a big loverboy."

Special thanks to Doo's talented owner, Christina Gandolfo, for sharing her story with us! Please be sure to check out her website and Flickr page, where you can see even more pictures of her fabulous felines!

As for Doo, he's set to appear on the cover of the Bad Cat 2012 Page-a-Day Calendar, now available for pre-order on Amazon.

Loverboy