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An elderly man in a knit cardigan offers grain to mallard ducks at a pond's edge while a Siamese cat sits calmly beside him. 5 / 38

Four Ducks, One Handful of Seed, and a Siamese Sitting Inches Away

AI imagesiamese catduckspark pond

Fallen leaves float on the pond's edge, and a little flotilla of mallards has paddled right up to the bank. A green-headed drake and three speckled hens dabble at the seed scattered in the shallows, while Clarence crouches low in his olive cardigan and offers another handful from his open palm, smiling down at them through his glasses. Sapphire sits on the grass just beside his knee, tail wrapped neatly around her paws, studying the ducks with wide blue eyes and an expression of extremely polite interest. Not a whisker twitches out of place.

If you enjoy feeding ducks, what you offer matters. Bread is a common habit, but it fills birds up without giving them much nutrition and can pollute ponds when it goes uneaten. Better choices include cracked corn, oats, birdseed, chopped lettuce, or thawed peas, given in small amounts. Many parks have their own rules about feeding wildlife, so it is worth checking local signs. As for cats, even a calm one has hunting instincts, and wild birds can carry illnesses and parasites. A cat taken outdoors should be on a well-fitted harness and leash, and it is wise to keep a respectful distance between pets and wildlife.

The ducks seem unbothered, Clarence is clearly enjoying himself, and Sapphire is on her very best behavior. It is a gentle autumn scene: soft gray sky, rustling leaves, and three kinds of creatures sharing one muddy little patch of shoreline in peace.

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