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A calico cat lies in a round gray shaggy pet bed with seven yellow ducklings nestled against her side. 16 / 32

That Shaggy Round Bed Was Meant for the Dog. Look Who Moved In Instead.

AI imagecalico catducklingspet bed

That shaggy round bed was surely meant for the dog, but the dog is nowhere in sight, and the new tenants are very comfortable. A calico cat with a patchwork face of orange, black, and white has curled up along one side of the plush gray bed, eyes squeezed into sleepy slits. Packed into the rest of the bed are seven yellow ducklings, tucked against her fur and against one another in a warm golden bundle. Late sunlight drifts across the room, past a basket of laundry, a plaid shirt, a blue toy, and a pair of slippers on the floor.

That half-closed, squinty look on the cat's face is worth knowing about. Cat behavior experts often describe a slow blink, where a cat gently closes and opens its eyes, as a sign of trust and relaxation, sometimes nicknamed a cat kiss. Cats generally avoid closing their eyes around anything they consider a threat, so a drowsy gaze suggests this calico feels completely safe. You can even try it yourself: look at a relaxed cat, blink slowly, and see whether she blinks back. Many cats do, and it is a lovely way to say hello without words.

Here, the trust seems to run both ways. The calico is relaxed enough to doze, and the ducklings are relaxed enough to snuggle right into her side. The bed may have been borrowed, but the comfort is entirely real.

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