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An elderly couple whittle sticks with knives on a cluttered porch while a Siamese cat sits among the wood shavings. 15 / 31

Shavings Kept Falling From Their Whittling Knives. Miso Was Watching Every One.

AI imagesiamese catwhittlingfront porch

Ruth took up whittling the year Harold retired, and now it is their favorite porch hobby. She sits in a green plaid flannel shirt, a small blade in one hand and a stick in the other, curls of pale wood dropping into her lap. Across from her, Harold in a cap and denim jacket works on his own piece, focused and quiet. Their porch looks like a busy workshop: a basket of branches, a gardening glove, a trowel, a thermos and a bag of tools. Planted right in the middle of the floor is Miso, sitting tall among the shavings, blue eyes turned upward as if he expects the next curl to fall right on his head.

Wood shavings are fascinating to cats. They flutter, they crunch and they smell like the outdoors. Still, a whittling session calls for some caution around pets. Sharp blades should be kept out of reach and never left on the floor, and small splinters or chunks of wood can be swallowed or cause mouth injuries if a cat decides to chew. Some woods and finishes are also irritating or toxic, so if you work with treated lumber or stains, keep pets away from the scraps. A quick sweep at the end of each session keeps the porch safe for curious paws.

By the end of the afternoon there may be a little carved bird or two on the railing. And somewhere in the pile, Miso will have found the perfect shaving to bat across the porch.

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