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A fluffy silver Norwegian Forest Cat on a woven blanket holds a small tortoise between her front paws. 17 / 31

Old Gus Fell Asleep Right Between the Silver Cat's Paws

AI imagenorwegian forest cattortoisenap time

The silver Norwegian Forest Cat is mostly fur, and the fur is wrapped around a tortoise. She lies on a woven blanket with her eyes shut and her chin tipped down, her long pale paws curled around a small shell. The tortoise has drawn in his head and legs and rests snugly against her chest. A sofa, a plant, and a basket of laundry sit in the soft light of the room.

Norwegian Forest Cats were developed in cold northern climates, and their thick, water-resistant coats keep them warm. They tend to be calm, steady cats who enjoy company. Tortoises are cold-blooded and rely on outside sources of heat, so a warm, furry cat can be an attractive resting place. Still, for a tortoise the best warmth comes from proper lighting and a heated enclosure, and your vet can help you set one up. Supervise any time they spend together, and keep handling gentle and calm.

Let's call the tortoise Gus. He is breathing so slowly that you could almost miss it, and the cat's breath is only a little quicker. A soft, silvery fringe of fur covers half his shell, like a blanket on a tiny house. It is the stillness of two creatures who have decided that nothing in the world needs doing right now, and that is a decision worth honoring.

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A black cat licks the head of a large tortoise on a woven mat in a living room.The Black Cat Gave Old Gus a Very Careful WashA ruddy Abyssinian cat crouches outside a weathered barn door while a tortoise looks out from the dark doorway.The Abyssinian Crouched at the Barn Door and Old Gus Looked Back
A grey Exotic Shorthair cat sleeps curled around a tortoise on a woven rug outdoors.The Round Grey Cat Wrapped Herself Around Old Gus for a NapA grey hairless Sphynx cat and a tortoise look over the edge of a raised wooden garden bed full of small plants.A Hairless Sphynx and a Tortoise Inspected the Garden TogetherA grey hairless Sphynx cat sits at the edge of a stone ledge beside a tortoise facing a lily pond.A Sphynx Cat and Old Gus Sat Still Beside the Quiet PondA cinnamon Abyssinian cat sleeps with her head on the shell of a tortoise on a stone hearth.The Abyssinian Rested Her Head on Old Gus by the Hearth