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An older man in a cap and fishing vest dangles bare feet in a lake from a wooden dock while a silver tabby sits beside him. 19 / 35

Grandpa Hank Dipped His Toes in the Lake. Pewter Had Firm Opinions on That.

AI imagesilver tabbylake docksummer

Boots off, cuffs rolled, toes in the cool lake water. Grandpa Hank sits at the end of a weathered wooden dock in khaki shorts, a plaid shirt, and his trusty fishing vest, a faded green cap shading his eyes. He is grinning down at Pewter, who sits primly on the dry boards right beside him, paws together and tail wrapped neatly around his feet, staying a careful distance from the water's edge. The dock behind them is cluttered with the good kind of mess: coiled rope, a tackle bag, a cooler, and a pair of muddy shoes. Reeds and still water stretch toward the misty shoreline.

Pewter's careful position at the edge of the dock is typical cat behavior. Most domestic cats prefer to keep their paws dry, possibly because a wet coat is heavy and slow to dry and leaves them feeling chilled. Some cats will swim if they have to, but few choose to. Around docks and open water, a few precautions help: never leave a cat unsupervised near deep water, keep fishing hooks and line put away, and consider a harness and leash for cats who are new to the area. Cats can also slip on wet boards. If you spend a lot of time on the water with a pet, pet life jackets made for small animals are available. Fresh drinking water is important too, since lake water can contain bacteria or algae that are not safe to drink.

Hank has the lake, and Pewter has the dock. Neither of them is in any rush to leave, and the afternoon seems happy to wait for them.

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