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A silver-haired woman sleeps in a rope hammock beneath an oak tree with a tortoiseshell cat curled on her chest. 25 / 27

Grandma and Maple Dozed Off Together in a Shady Backyard Hammock

AI imagetortoiseshell cathammock napoak trees

Both of them have given up on the afternoon. Grandma lies in a woven hammock slung between two oak trunks, her eyes closed and her chunky cream cardigan wrapped around her. On her chest, Maple the tortoiseshell cat is curled in a tight, warm spiral, her face tucked into her paws and her coat blending into the shadows. A green watering can, a pair of gloves, and a few potted plants sit scattered in the yard behind them. Dappled sunlight drifts down through the leaves. The hammock creaks gently in the breeze.

Cats can sleep for most of the day, and a warm, gently moving place on a trusted person is a fine spot for it. A cat who curls up on someone's chest is usually seeking warmth and the comfort of a steady heartbeat. If you nap outdoors with a cat, make sure the area is quiet and safe, and watch for cooler weather. Provide shade and water, and check for ticks and fleas after time in the grass or under trees, especially if she goes outdoors regularly.

Neither of them stirs. The breeze rocks the hammock a little, and the leaves whisper overhead. Time seems to have wandered off somewhere. Not even a passing bird disturbs them.

This is how a lazy afternoon is meant to be done.

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