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Elderly couple holding coffee mugs on wooden porch steps while an orange cat sits at their feet looking up 17 / 33

Bev Brought Out Two Cups of Coffee. Toffee Thought One Was for Him.

AI imageexotic shorthairmorning coffeeback porch

Early light falls across the weathered back steps, where Harold and Bev have settled in with two steaming mugs of coffee. He holds his cup on his knee and smiles toward the yard, she tips her head down with a fond little laugh, and their matching cream sweaters keep off the morning chill. Garden gloves, a blue watering can and a basket of dried stems are scattered behind them, along with a row of shoes by the door. Toffee sits on the step at their knees, chin tilted up, round copper eyes fixed on Bev's mug with a hopeful, slightly worried expression, his stripy tail curling down the step below.

That hopeful stare aside, coffee is one treat cats should never share. Caffeine can be harmful to pets, and even small amounts can cause restlessness, a racing heart or stomach upset, so it is best to keep mugs out of reach and not leave half-finished cups on low tables. Milk is not a good substitute either, despite the old image of cats lapping from saucers. Many adult cats do not digest lactose well and can end up with an upset stomach. Fresh water is the best drink for a cat, and some cats drink more when it comes from a wide bowl or a gently flowing fountain. If your cat ever gets into coffee grounds or a full cup, call your vet for advice.

Toffee will have to settle for a scratch behind the ears instead of a sip. From the look on Bev's face, he is about to get one.

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