Browse ›
An elderly man in a red plaid shirt sits under a patchwork quilt by a fireplace with a cream Persian cat curled on his lap. 23 / 23

The Fire Was Warm and the Quilt Was Ready. Pudding Settled In Without Asking.

AI imagepersian catfireplacecozy evening

A fire snaps in the stone fireplace behind them, and the room glows with a warm orange light. Grandpa Gus sits wrapped in a blue-and-cream patchwork quilt, his white hair neat and his red plaid shirt buttoned, smiling softly as he looks toward us. Settled in his lap is Pudding, a large cream cushion of a cat with a famously unimpressed face and eyes half closed. Baskets, books and a cup crowd the shelf behind them. A basket of yarn sits at the hearth, a mug has gone cold on the shelf, and the whole room is so comfortable that no one will want to leave.

A fireplace is a wonderful place for cats to warm up, but a few safety habits keep it enjoyable. Use a sturdy screen so sparks cannot escape, and keep the cat from getting too close to the hearth. Persians have thick, long coats and flat faces, so they can overheat easily, so provide a cooler spot to retreat to and watch for panting. Keep loose quilts and yarn away from the fire, and never leave a burning fire unattended. Brushing keeps a long coat tidy and comfortable. If you are unsure whether he is too warm, ask your vet.

By the fire, under a quilt, with a heavy purring cat in your lap: that is how a winter evening should go. Gus is happy to stay put. Pudding is happy to be carried through the season.

More from this collection

All 23 →
An elderly man in a red plaid shirt sorts old black-and-white photos on a table while a cream Persian cat peers at them.Grandpa Gus Spread Out a Lifetime of Photos. Pudding Examined Every One.A smiling elderly man in glasses sits in the cab of a cluttered old truck with a cream Persian cat on the seat beside him.Grandpa Gus Climbed Into the Old Truck. Pudding Insisted on the Passenger Seat.
A close-up of a cream Persian cat's face with an elderly man in glasses sipping lemonade on a sunny porch behind it.Pudding Leaned In So Close That Grandpa Gus Barely Made the PictureA smiling elderly man in glasses sits at a lace table with tea and cookies while a cream Persian cat lies beside him.Grandpa Gus Set the Tea Table. Pudding Moved Himself to the Lace Cloth.An elderly man in glasses waters a wooden planter of flowers with a metal can while a cream Persian cat sits at its edge.Gus Watered the Flower Box. Pudding Picked the Perfect Spot to Supervise.A laughing elderly man in a red plaid shirt dances in a kitchen with one arm out while a cream Persian cat watches.Gus Started Dancing in the Kitchen. Pudding Followed Every Single Step.