To some, they are the most beautiful and majestic creatures, to others, they look like the kittens that survived a nuclear apocalypse.

These photographs show the unique beauty of the Sphynx cat, a breed known for its complete lack of fur.

They have been shot by Alicia Rius, a Catalonian photographer based in Los Angeles, California.

Ms Rius says she immediately fell in love with Sphynxes the first time she saw one, and so far, she has photographed 14 different cats for her project.

She said: 'When I started to do these series, I wanted the viewers to experience the same mixture of feelings I was feeling at the time I was photographing them.

'I hope to spark a fascination of such a rare breed, awaken a curiosity to want to know more about these hairless cats, and to also leave the viewer in amazement. The reaction has been quite interesting.


'People who had disliked them have reached out and told me that they can now appreciate their unique beauty, while there have been others who have always been fascinated with them, like myself.

'I think this breed falls into two distinct love-hate categories without much in the middle, which I hope to change along the way.'