It's often said that pets and their owners can start to look alike, but these adorable photographs take the old mantra to a new extreme. They are the work of Svetlana Valyiskaya (27), from St Petersburg, who snaps pets in everyday poses in her spare time from her job as a commercial photographer. The vibrant costumes and scenes, which Svetlana designs herself, have made the photos a hit in her native Russia – and it's not hard to see why. She said: “I really love animals, they are loyal, faithful and true and always interesting to work with – plus they never criticise the photographs afterwards”. (Photo by Svetlana Valyiskaya/Mercury)

A follower of the Afro-Brazilian religion Umbanda pays tribute for Iemanja, goddess of the sea, in Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil December 29, 2017. Hundreds of practitioners of Brazil's Afro-Brazilian Candomble and Umbanda faiths have gathered at Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach to honor Yemanja. Worshippers were mostly dressed in white as they launched their offerings to Iemanja: small boats with flowers and bowls with candles and fruits. (Photo by Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)

Nick Krist makes a funny face as he and his son, Noah, 8, take a selfie before a baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Minnesota Twins, Wednesday, July 22, 2015, in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)

TV host/blogger Louise Roe attends The Weinstein Company's Academy Awards viewing and after party in partnership with Grey Goose at TAO Los Angeles at TAO Hollywood on February 26, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for The Weinstein Company)

Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders including the first two male cheerleaders in Super Bowl history (C) perform in the third quarter of Super Bowl LIII between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 03 February 2019. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/EPA/EFE)

A screen grab from a police body camera video shows the pilot of a plane that crashed on railway tracks being rescued by Los Angeles Police Department officers moments before a train hit the aircraft in Los Angeles, California, U.S. January 9, 2022. (Photo by LAPD/Handout via Reuters)

A man covered in motor oil, poses for a picture next to a girl dress a traditional clothes during a festivities in honor of Santo Domingo de Guzman in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday, August 1, 2015. Some of the faithful coat their bodies in a black motor oil, red paint and wear traditional clothes as a promise for a prayer or miracle they believe was performed or answered by Managua's patron saint, Santo Domingo de Guzman. (Photo by Esteban Felix/AP Photo)

Volunteers carry an idol of the Hindu elephant god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, in a pond for its immersion during the ten-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India, September 18, 2015. During the festival, the idols will be taken through the streets in a procession accompanied by dancing and singing, and will be immersed in a river or the sea in accordance with the Hindu faith. (Photo by Shailesh Andrade/Reuters)