Casey Christopher is a Los Angeles-based photographer whose work highlights the neediest cats at her local shelters and animal sanctuaries. Her photos are both heartbreaking and inspiring.

It all began with a kitten named Imogen that Christopher adopted at just 3 months old but her work has saved so many lives since then.

Imogen the kitten

In a GoFundMe campaign from 2020, the photographer described adopting Imogen 5 years prior.

“Because of her, I started volunteering at the shelter and fostering kittens. I began working with animal rescues in and around Los Angeles and photographing cats to help them get adopted and to raise money for cats in need. I have learned a ton about animals and I began specifically focusing on medical and special needs cats and kittens.”

Sadly, despite raising nearly $5,000 following a medical incident, Imogen died of Saddle Thrombus (a blot clot in her pelvis) in March of 2020.

A life of service

Christopher is a self-taught photographer, but you’d never know it by her stunning work.

One of the first projects that went viral was her work with Milo’s Sanctuary & Special Needs Cat Rescue, which specializes in blind, senior, and other special needs cats. These are typically adult cats that are deemed unadoptable and would be euthanized by shelters.

The collection of photos was called “The Beauty of Blind Cats.”

She told iHeartCats:

“I had grown particularly attached to a handsome orange cat named Regis, who was surrendered to the West LA Animal Shelter in April. He had huge, cloudy eyes and was suffering from glaucoma. He was very lucky because Best Friends Animal Society agreed to take him and he received surgery, in which his eyes were removed. Since then, I have had a particular interest in blind cats and when I learned that a rescue group for cats with special needs called Milo’s Sanctuary not only existed but had taken Regis in, I knew I had to work with them.”

Sadly, Regis passed away in 2017.

Sir Thomas Trueheart was another catalyst (no pun intended) for the photographer’s volunteer work. He had half of his face burned off but remained a sweet and trusting cat.

Christopher also set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for his care, raising over $13k of a $10k goal.

To the rescue

In addition to Milo’s Sanctuary, Christopher has also volunteered with – and photographed cats for – Stray Cat Alliance, Kitten Rescue, and The Cat’s Meow Animal Rescue.

Currently, she serves as the Foster Program Coordinator for Stray Cat Alliance.

And she’s photographed the cats in residence in order to help them get adopted (or at least find a foster family).

Between her Facebook page and Instagram (@ImogenTheKitten), we gained a whole new appreciation for special needs cats. They certainly show what some extra love and affection can do for cats that wouldn’t have had a chance to survive at all if not for the help of these very special rescues.

Be sure to check out Casey Christopher’s social media accounts and consider donating to some of the organizations mentioned above.

Donate to Stray Cat Alliance here.
Donate to Milo’s Sanctuary here.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Instagram – @ImogenTheKitten, For All Animals, GoFundMe, Facebook – Casey Elise Photography