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An elderly man in glasses holds a vanilla ice cream cone while a grey Sphynx cat leans in to sniff the scoop. 24 / 29

Grandpa Treated Himself to a Vanilla Cone. He Should Have Held It Higher.

AI imagesphynx catice creamsummer

It is warm enough for ice cream, and Clarence has a towering scoop of vanilla in a crisp waffle cone. He holds it low in front of him, glasses perched on his nose, smiling down with that patient, knowing look of someone who saw this coming. Moonpie has stretched her neck as far as it goes, nose pressed right up against the creamy scoop, whiskers fanned forward and eyes half shut in concentration. Behind them, a sunlit kitchen holds a pile of mail, a set of keys, a little basket of berries and a potted plant by the window.

Ice cream is one of those treats cats often seem fascinated by, but it is not a good choice for them. Many adult cats have trouble digesting lactose, so dairy can lead to an upset stomach, and the sugar in ice cream offers them nothing useful. Some flavors are even riskier, since chocolate, coffee and certain artificial sweeteners can be harmful to pets. Interestingly, cats lack the taste receptors to detect sweetness, so it is probably the fat and the cold, creamy texture that draw them in. On a hot day, a better cooling treat might be fresh water with an ice cube, or a lick of a frozen, pet-safe snack approved by your vet.

Clarence will likely finish this cone himself, but Moonpie certainly made her interest known, and the moment was sweet either way.

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