Browse ›
Smiling woman at a lantern-lit patio table strokes a gray Russian Blue cat's chin beside croissants, butter and berries. 11 / 38

Fresh Croissants, Butter and Berries on the Table. Sterling Wanted Something Better.

AI imagerussian bluepatio breakfastgarden

A little lantern glows on the garden table, and the patio is set for a slow, lovely meal: a flaky croissant on a plate, a dish of butter with a knife resting beside it, a bowl of strawberries and blueberries, and a steaming mug of coffee. Grandma Dottie, wrapped in her cream cardigan, isn't eating yet. She's busy scratching under Sterling's chin, and the Russian Blue leans right into her hand, eyes half-closed, completely ignoring the food in favor of affection.

Breakfast spreads like this are full of things cats should only sample sparingly, if at all. Most adult cats don't digest lactose well, so butter and milk can lead to an upset stomach, and rich, fatty foods aren't a good habit. Pastries offer nothing useful to a cat. Blueberries are generally considered safe in tiny amounts, but grapes and raisins should be avoided entirely, and onions, garlic and chocolate are toxic to cats. The easiest approach is the one Sterling seems to prefer anyway: attention instead of snacks. Many cats are happy with a good chin scratch, which hits a spot rich in scent glands they enjoy having rubbed.

The croissant can wait a minute. Some mornings, the first order of business is making sure the cat feels appreciated, and Dottie clearly has her priorities straight. The coffee will still be warm enough when she's done.

More from this collection

All 38 →
Gray-haired woman smiles for a close selfie on a wooden deck, holding a gray cat with yellow-green eyes against her cheek.Grandma Wanted One Nice Selfie With Her Cat. Sterling Gave Her His Serious Face.Woman fills in a crossword with a pencil at a breakfast table while a gray Russian Blue cat sits close, eyeing the page.Grandma Got Stuck on a Crossword Clue. Sterling Leaned In to Take a Look.
Gray-haired woman sips iced lemonade on a wooden porch while a gray Russian Blue cat lounges across her lap.It Was Too Hot to Move, So Grandma and Sterling Settled the Matter TogetherElderly woman in a knit cardigan sits on a covered porch watching heavy rain, a gray Russian Blue cat seated beside her.The Rain Wouldn't Stop, and Grandma Found the Best Company to Wait It OutSmiling woman at a lace-covered table with teacups and cookies faces a gray Russian Blue cat resting a paw on the cloth.Grandma Set Out the Lace Tablecloth for Tea. Her Guest Arrived on Four Paws.Woman kneels in garden soil planting a tomato seedling while a gray Russian Blue cat paws at the dirt next to her hands.Grandma Was Planting Tomatoes. Sterling Decided He Knew a Better Way to Dig.