When she photographed Kamala Harris, Margot Duane chose the angle that would best capture “her aspirational nature and the luminous hope in her eyes.”

Now, the Petaluma-based photographer is working on a project to once again harness that hope, this time not in the eyes of the badass fighting to be the first woman president of the United States, but in those of every woman in the country whose rights to reproductive freedom depend on her election.

Tiffany Shlain with her cat Midnight.(Margot Duane)

With her Pounce! Project, Margot Duane is amassing an army of cat ladies to join the front lines.

Since the resurfacing of, then doubling down on, a comment Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance first made in 2021 disparagingly referring to Harris and other women politicians without biological children as “childless cat ladies,” the term has become a source of strength for millions. Duane is collecting their portraits—along with those of their beloved cats—to support Harris in the final, crucial weeks of her bid for the presidency.

“Women’s rights and autonomy are severely threatened in our society,” says Duane.“My vision for creating The Pounce! Project is to illustrate and celebrate the power and diversity of the cat lady movement… [It’s] a rallying cry that will shine a spotlight on this burgeoning movement and the importance of women’s power and rights.”

Cindy Emch with her cat Monty,(Margot Duane)

Duane won’t just donate the net proceeds from the project to the Kamala Harris Victory Fund. The Pounce! portrait series, along with personal messages from the cat ladies to the presidential hopeful, will be made into a book the author hopes to present directly to Harris and will make available to the public.

Duane is photographing her battalion of cat ladies at home in their native habitats. From each session, she’ll choose one of three high-resolution, magazine-quality options for the book and pair them with each woman’s own words of hope and perspective on this crucial point in U.S. history. The package can be gifted to fellow friends of felines and participants will be able to purchase the book at a discount after publication.

Kimberly Ellis with her cat Agave.(Margot Duane)

“The dangers of a second Trump term, resulting in an erosion of women’s rights, is blatantly obvious and deeply concerning,” argues Duane. “Kamala combines steady and strong leadership with a message of change, as well as hope for a better future. As the first woman president, she would shatter the “glass ceiling” and inspire generations of girls and women to pursue leadership roles.”

For anyone who identifies as a cat lady, says Duane, “our time is meow.”

// Join the Pounce! Project at margotduane.com.