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A brown tabby cat lies in an old metal wheelbarrow lined with straw, surrounded by about a dozen yellow ducklings. 17 / 34

The Old Wheelbarrow Got a New Job, and It Involves a Dozen Ducklings

AI imagetabby catducklingswheelbarrow

The old wheelbarrow has been converted into a nursery. A brown tabby cat with bold stripes and gentle green eyes lies in a nest of straw inside the weathered metal bed, chin resting on the rim. Around and beside him, about a dozen yellow ducklings have settled in, some tucked against his fur, others standing at the edge peering out. The wheelbarrow is parked indoors, surrounded by everyday clutter: pink slippers, a stuffed bunny, a wicker basket, a stack of folded towels, and a box of clothes near the door.

Brown tabbies are among the most familiar cats in American homes. Tabby isn't a breed but a coat pattern, and the classic tabby features stripes, swirls, or spots, often with a distinctive M shape on the forehead. Domestic shorthair tabbies are known for being adaptable, and their personalities run the gamut from playful to laid-back. If you share a home with a cat and young poultry, set up the birds' space so the cat can't get in unsupervised. A secure brooder with a screened lid keeps ducklings safe and warm, and also keeps the cat from deciding that a box of chirping fluff is a new toy.

In this particular wheelbarrow, though, everyone seems to have reached a peaceful agreement. The tabby gets a soft bed of straw, the ducklings get a warm, furry wall to lean on, and no one is going anywhere.

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