From what I gather in the book they actually do paint them with a process that sucks tiny hairs in and dyes them. ??? I'm not sure if it is the same author as the other books. The photos are actually very pretty even if they aren't real. There is a story in the book about a woman who's cat was blind who painted (dyed) dark glasses on it so people would know it couldn't see. I guess this was in the 40's or 50's. It also says that in India people paint prayers on their pets to protect them.