Birthday card leads to calendar; catapults Bay View kitty to fame

BAY VIEW (WITI) -- Many of us dream of being famous and in the limelight, and for one Milwaukee woman, it's happened! Not necessarily for her -- but instead, for her cat! The unique friendship the two share is bringing smiles and success.

Behind every great picture is the perfect photographer -- one with patience, creativity and imagination.

"It doesn't feel like a job. It just feels like I'm having fun. It's pretty awesome," Kate "Funk" Anderson said.

Art is in action inside Anderson's Bay View home. It doesn't take a fancy camera or studio, but at times, the job can be exhausting -- especially when your model isn't cooperative and acts like a diva!

Anderson, or "Kate Funk" as she's known in the art world has turned what started as a joke into a career. Her muse is AC -- a seven-year-old cat she adopted from a shelter.

"When people ask me what I do, it's always weird to tell them I'm a cat photographer," Anderson said.

Anderson's best friend has now become a star.

"It's gotten out of control," Anderson said.

It all started with a birthday card for a friend.

"He just looks so angry in it, because he always looks really angry," Anderson said.

The angry cat made people smile, and caught the attention of the owner of a stationary shop. Greeting cards eventually became calendars.

"The first year we did 75 calendars, and this year we did 3,000," Anderson said.

Kate Funk and AC have recently landed a book deal!

She says there's a lot that goes into every photo.

"It's actually more work than you would think," Anderson said.

From the creation of the costumes, to the building of the sets -- this cat photographer is always on the job.

AC, on the other hand, has the easy job. While Anderson preps, he acts like a model -- resting, practicing his strut and dreaming of tropical shoots -- until finally it's time to get dolled up.

Anderson says she's having fun, and thinks she and AC have the best job.

"It would be cool if it lasts forever," Anderson said.

So does AC know he's a star?

"I tell him, but I don't think he gets it," Anderson said.

The book featuring Anderson and AC should be out this fall.