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An older man in glasses and a cardigan sorts black-and-white photos on a table while a calico cat sniffs at them. 3 / 39

Otis Opened the Old Photo Box. Clementine Moved In for a Closer Look.

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A shoebox worth of black-and-white photographs is spread across the wooden table, and Otis is working through them one at a time under the warm glow of a lamp. His glasses sit low on his nose, his gray beard catches the light, and his big hands move carefully so no corner gets bent. A tin of paper clips, a few keys, and a mug of pens crowd the edge of the table. Clementine has pushed in from the right, her calico face just inches from the pictures, nose working hard as if she can smell the years on them.

Cats investigate new objects with their noses before anything else, and old paper has plenty to offer: dust, glue, and the faint scent of the drawers and boxes it has lived in. That is why a cat so often lands right in the middle of a project the moment it comes out. If you are sorting treasured pictures, it helps to keep the originals on a surface the cat cannot reach, or to work behind a closed door for a short while. Small items like paper clips, rubber bands, and loose string are worth tucking away too, since cats may bat them off the table and chew on them. A quick sweep of the floor afterward is a good habit. If a cat swallows something it should not have, call your vet right away.

Otis does not look bothered in the slightest. He seems to be enjoying having company for the trip down memory lane, even if his helper is mostly interested in sniffing. Some of those faces will get a quiet smile before the box is closed again.

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An older man in a green cardigan sits on weathered porch steps holding a calico cat securely in his arms.Otis Picked Clementine Up Halfway Up the Porch StepsA calico cat rests her chin on a wooden table beside a checkerboard while an older man in a cardigan makes a move behind her.Otis Was Deep in a Game of Checkers. Clementine Picked Her Seat.A calico cat leaps between white sheets on a clothesline while a smiling older man in a cardigan pins up laundry.Otis Was Hanging Sheets on the Line. Clementine Took a Flying Leap.A calico cat sniffs a pile of wood curls on a porch bench while an older man in a cardigan whittles with a small knife.Otis Was Whittling on the Porch. Clementine Had Questions About the Curls.