Shironeko, also known as “Basket Cat”, is a Turkish van cat called “Shiro”, which is best known for his extremely relaxed demeanor and ability to balance things on his head, similar to Oolong the Pancake Bunny. The cat has been given several nicknames by its fans, most notably “Basket Cat” and “Zen Cat.”

Japanese embroidery artist Hiroko Kubota was in the process of making custom sized clothes for her smaller-framed son when he made a small request: could some of the shirts have cats on them? Kubota explains her son was somewhat obsessed with cats and had collected a small library of adorable images found around the web.

A cat jumps from a shelf to catch a light beam at the “Kis-Kis” Cat Cafe in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, July 6, 2015. A local animals rights group founded the shelter for dozen of homeless cats and combined it with the cafe, where visitors can communicate with animals for hourly fee in addition to drinks, table games, books and WI-FI. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Scottish Fold cat is displayed during a cat exhibition in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 26 November 2017. Cats owners from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan gathered in Bishkek to show their pets. (Photo by Igor Kovalenko/EPA/EFE/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

On the streets of Kunming, Yunnan Province, you can find odd couple – a dog and a cat who sits on his four-legged companion. They are Vantsay and Mimi. The owner of animals, a 42-year-old retired policeman Xu Jin is surprised with so strong friendship. “When I got the dog, and I began to take her for a walk, the cat became plaintive, – says the man. – So I bought a leash and began to take her too. Soon, however, the cat began to tire and quickly realized that it is much easier to ride on the back of a dog. ”

A photographer has captured the bizarre beauty of sphynx cats in a series of intriguing portraits. Creative Alicia Rius snapped them from different angles showing off their unusual flesh, colourings and bones. In the images the cats can be seen curiously playing, observing their surroundings and even grooming themselves. (Photo by Alicia Rius/Caters News)