I see cats everywhere.
Sometimes they let me photograph them.

The Cats of Highland Park was never meant to be a project, let alone a calendar. From 2018 to 2020, I photographed cats I saw on my runs and walks around the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Highland Park, Mt. Washington and Eagle Rock.

Random cats. Friendly cats. Scaredy cats. Runners. Sleepers. Some curious and friendly, some shy. Repeats. Multiples. I noticed the same cats but on different streets, a few many blocks from where I originally saw them. I just love cats, that’s all. I had my own cats for 20 years and they have all passed on. So these became my cats. When I encountered them on my runs, I would call to them and many came bursting at me from behind their fences, happy for attention.

Over time, the cats became a source of joy, something to look forward to that made my runs more exciting, like a cat treasure hunt. I always brought my iPhone in case I saw a cat. I’d run down new streets just to discover new cats. I’d return to streets where I’d seen a cat but didn’t get the photo, to try again.

Looking back over these photos, I remember them all and where I saw them... the avenues, the hills, the yards, driveways and porches. My east-side neighborhood was dense with cats waiting to be discovered. If you look for them, they’re everywhere. They became my new pets. It worked. It was enough. And in 2020, seeing the cats got me through the fear and anxiety of the pandemic. They were nonplussed.

Enjoy this diversity of other people’s cats. To everyone in Highland Park, thanks for having cats. I will always remember each and every one.

–Julie Peasley, October 2020

Photos of the cats on my Instagram: @juliepeasley
#otherpeoplescats
#catsofhighlandpark