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An older man with a white mustache fills in a crossword at a breakfast table while a large silver tabby cat sits beside him. 8 / 35

Grandpa Hank Was Stuck on Fourteen Down. Pewter Looked Like He Knew the Answer.

AI imagesilver tabbycrosswordbreakfast

Morning coffee is half finished, the toast is getting cold, and Grandpa Hank is three clues deep into the crossword. He sits at the wooden breakfast table in a gray tee and his olive fishing vest, pencil in hand, brow furrowed in concentration. Pewter sits right beside him on the table's edge, tall and solemn, his thick silver coat and dark stripes glowing in the morning light, his eyes staring straight ahead as if he knows the answer to fourteen down and is simply too polite to say. A plate of toast, a mug of coffee, and a folded blue napkin share the table, and a small potted plant sits on the windowsill.

Many cats like to be right in the middle of whatever their person is doing, and the breakfast table is a favorite spot for supervision. Whether you allow it is a household choice, but consistency helps. If you would prefer your cat off the table, offer an appealing alternative nearby, like a chair with a cushion or a window perch, and reward them for using it. Cats love height and a good view, so a nearby perch often solves the problem. Morning routines also matter to cats. They tend to thrive on predictability, and many learn the exact order of their person's morning, from coffee to newspaper to the moment breakfast gets served. Feeding a cat at consistent times can help reduce early morning pestering.

Pewter may never fill in a single square, but every crossword is better with a dignified assistant who never once interrupts.

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