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A grandmother with a hammer repairs a wooden fence while a large tabby Maine Coon holds a nail in her mouth. 4 / 36

Nora Reached for a Nail and Maple Already Had One Ready

AI imagemaine coonfence repairbackyard

There is a rusty nail in Maple's mouth, and Nora is waiting for it. Grandma Nora crouches by the weathered wooden fence in her cream cardigan and jeans, a hammer in her hand and her glasses low, eyeing the board she is about to fix. Beside her, the big tabby Maine Coon sits upright with a look of grave responsibility, whiskers bristling around the nail. Behind them stand old gray fence boards, a bag of tools and a few pliers on the ground.

Maine Coons have a reputation for being smart, curious and eager to be near their people, and some enjoy playing fetch or following owners around while they work. That charm has limits, though, and real nails, tools and splintered boards are not safe for any pet. A cat who picks up small hardware can swallow it, which can be an emergency, so keep nails, screws and tools in a closed box and sweep up when you finish. If a cat ever swallows something she should not, call your vet right away. For helper cats, a harmless toy that looks like a tool is a far better way to let her feel part of the project.

Nora grins and reaches out, perhaps for the nail, perhaps for the cat. The fence will be mended, and a repair job with a feline foreman is a story worth telling. Whatever Maple thinks she is doing, her face says she is doing it with total confidence. Teamwork is rarely this fluffy.

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