David Williams is a portrait photographer and lifelong cat lover whose project "Men With Cats" went onto the shelves on Thursday. He'd always noticed the way society tended to involve gender in animal ownership, especially with the "crazy cat lady" stereotype, and he wanted to break down those barriers. He started the project in 2009, documenting the strong bond between all sorts of men and their cats. The portraits show the men and their cats in their homes, reported My Modern Met.

"The first guy I photographed was my coworker at a grocery store. He had a big beard, listened to loud music, worked out a lot, and loved his cat. I began finding more and more men whom I would never have suspected to be cat lovers," said Williams said, according to The Telegraph.

"I want to show that regardless of the stereotypes put on cat ownership, many people have found the joy that cat companionship can bring. I also want to stress how important it is to rescue your pets. Adopt, don't shop, duh!" said Williams, according to Buzzfeed.

Williams started out taking pictures of his friends but then branched out to any interesting cat owner he could find. "From mountain men in Colorado to mechanics in Georgia, actors in Los Angeles, opera singers in San Francisco, and artists in New York. It was extremely important for me to show how unique every guy (and cat) is," he said. He also included blurbs from each cat owner.

It wasn't always easy getting cats to cooperate and work the camera. "I'd like to think that after shooting over 100 of these portraits I've found a way to communicate with cats to make my job easier. But cats are mostly unpredictable animals, so a little bit of patience and a handful of treats usually help," Williams said.

Pick up a copy of "Men With Cats" today!