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An older couple in cream sweaters share tea and cookies at a lace-covered table as a fluffy tortoiseshell cat sits in front. 13 / 34

Afternoon Tea on Lace, Cookies Within Reach, and a Very Fluffy Guest Up Front

AI imagetortoiseshell catafternoon teakitchen

The teapot is still warm, a plate of golden cookies sits within reach, and Walt and June are laughing at some private joke across a table draped in white lace. In the foreground, Mabel the tortoiseshell has positioned herself front and center, her thick, fluffy coat swirled with black, rust and amber and her golden eye fixed on something just out of view. Pale cream cups, a matching teapot and soft gray light from the window give the kitchen a gentle, old-fashioned charm.

A cat on the table at teatime is a familiar sight in many homes, but it is worth keeping a few things in mind. Hot tea and boiling kettles can cause burns if a curious paw knocks a cup over, so it helps to keep drinks toward the center and handles turned inward. Most cats should not lap up milk or cream, since many adult cats do not digest lactose well and it can upset their stomachs. Sweet baked goods are not a good treat either. If your cat likes to join you, a chair of their own or a cat-safe treat in a separate dish can keep everyone happy and the lace tablecloth spotless.

Some traditions are worth keeping simple: a pot of tea, a couple of cookies and good company. For Walt and June, that company happens to include a very fluffy, very watchful guest of honor.

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An older couple in matching patterned sweaters hold a tortoiseshell cat up to a kitchen window with snowy trees outside.The First Snow Fell Overnight. Walt and June Couldn't Wait to Show Mabel.An older couple in knit sweaters plant tomato seedlings in garden soil while a tortoiseshell cat digs a hole nearby.Walt and June Were Planting Tomatoes. Mabel Started a Project of Her Own.
An older couple in cream sweaters squeeze into a wooden rocking chair while a tortoiseshell cat sleeps on the rug below.One Rocking Chair, Two People, and a Cat Who Couldn't Care LessAn older couple in cream sweaters drink coffee on blue painted porch steps while a tortoiseshell cat gazes up at them.Morning Coffee on the Blue Porch Steps, Plus One Very Hopeful StareAn older couple in cream sweaters wrap a tortoiseshell cat in a brown plaid blanket near a coat rack and umbrella.After a Rainy Walk, the Smallest Family Member Gets Warmed Up FirstA tortoiseshell cat with yellow-green eyes sits up front as an older couple in cream sweaters watch rain from a porch.Rain Pouring Off the Porch Roof, and Mabel Spotted Something in the Yard