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A smiling older man in overalls holds an ice cream cone while a fluffy white cat stands on his lap to sniff the scoop. 33 / 35

Grandpa Got One Ice Cream Cone on a Hot Day. His Cat Assumed It Was for Two.

AI imagewhite catice creamsummer heat

It is hot enough out that the ice cream is already softening, and Hank is sitting on the back step with a cone in one hand and a cat in his lap. He wears his usual olive shirt and overalls and a sheepish, tender smile, holding the cone low as if he already knows how this will end. Cotton has climbed up with her front paws on his knee, stretched her neck out, and pressed her pink nose right against the creamy scoop. Behind them, the porch is crowded with boots, a laundry basket, garden gloves, a water bottle and pots of plants.

Hot days call for some extra attention to how pets are handling the heat. Unlike dogs, cats rarely pant, so a cat that is panting, drooling, stumbling or unusually restless may be overheating and needs to be moved to a cool place right away and checked by a vet. Long-haired cats and older cats can struggle more in high temperatures. Plenty of fresh water, shady resting spots and cool floors indoors make a big difference, and some cats enjoy lying on a damp towel. Ice cream is not the best way to cool a cat down, since dairy and sugar can upset their stomachs, but a few ice cubes in the water bowl can be a fun and safe alternative.

Hank may lose a lick or two of his cone, but on a warm afternoon with Cotton in his lap, that seems like a fair trade.

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