COURTESY OF MICHAEL CROSS

Cooper, the photographer cat in the natural surroundings that provide subject matter for his pictures. The small digital camera around the cat's neck is set up to take snapshots every two minutes.

Ever wonder where your cat goes during the day and what it sees? Seattle residents Michael and Deirdre Cross wondered the same thing. Moreover, they were worried their pet was eating the neighbors' cat food.

So Michael and Deirdre attached a small digital camera to Cooper, a 5-year-old American Shorthair who spends his days roaming around the Green Lake and Greenwood neighborhoods. The camera was set up to take snapshots every two minutes. The couple thought the photos would simply chronicle the cat’s day. But what Cooper brought back surprised them.

Below is one of his photos titled "Summer in the City."

COURTESY OF COOPER: THE PHOTOGRAPHER CAT

“We really became interested in what he was bringing back,” Michael said. “I would describe the photos as abstract and beautifully haunting. And some even are hilarious and make us pee our pants on the floor.”

Michael said one photo in particular had him and Deirdre rolling on the floor. “New Haircut” depicts Cooper hanging out under a car with a neighborhood cat who looks as though it has just had an encounter with a buzz trimmer.

COURTESY OF COOPER: THE PHOTOGRAPHER CAT

The Cross's experiment has catapulted Cooper from budding photographer to media personality and author. He's had shows at the Chicago Nature Museum and Urban Light Studios in Seattle, made appearances on Animal Planet’s “Must Love Cats” and The Today Show Australia and has, with help, penned the book “Cat Cam“.

But the cat photography business is by no means lucrative, Michael said. The couple breaks even on the project, with a portion of the proceeds going to the local animal shelter PAWS.

“There’s also enough so that Cooper can pay for his own cat food,” Michael said.

But some who see Cooper’s work aren't convinced it's art. Michael evoked the cat-versus-dog debate to illustrate that Cooper’s photos are indeed art.

“You know what would happen if you put a camera on a dog while you are away? It would probably sit on the couch the whole time,” Michael said. “A cat has more personality and an elusive mystery that is universally intriguing. That is what makes Cooper’s photos interesting.”

Take for instance the photo “Captive.”

COURTESY OF COOPER: THE PHOTOGRAPHER CAT

It captures a neighbor’s dog staring out of a window at Cooper, as if the cat were taunting the imprisoned dog. It’s this voice that comes across in Cooper’s photos and makes him not merely an accidental photographer.

“There’s an Ansel Adams quote that describes Cooper’s photos,” Michael said. "He said, 'There are no rules for good photographs. There are only good photographs.’”