A Big Fluffy Cat and a Tortoise Rocked Gently in the Hammock

A rope hammock sways gently on the porch, and a brown tabby Maine Coon is fast asleep inside it. Her big face rests on her paw, with long ear tufts spilling outward and eyes shut. Pressed against her chest, a tortoise has tucked his head in the shadow of his shell, drowsy and content. Beyond them, the siding of the house and a stretch of green lawn are visible.

Maine Coons are large, long-haired cats with a famously sweet temperament, and they love a comfortable spot where they can watch the world go by. A hammock is a favorite perch, though it should be sturdy and hung low. For a tortoise, a hammock is not a safe place, since he can fall and hurt himself. It is best that tortoises rest on solid ground in a protected area. The scene is sweet, but if you share space with a tortoise and a cat, a vet can offer good advice about keeping both safe.

Let's call the tortoise Gus. A breeze rocks the hammock, and a few leaves drift down. Neither of them stirs. The cat's tail hangs over the edge, swinging like a pendulum. It is the sort of afternoon where everyone has agreed not to do anything, and the Maine Coon and the tortoise are the best at it.