Browse ›
A fluffy white cat walks across a backyard lawn with a small tortoise riding on her back. 1 / 33

The White Cat Gave an Old Tortoise a Slow Ride Across the Yard

AI imagewhite cattortoisebackyard

The white cat is walking carefully across the grass, her ears turned back and her gaze fixed ahead. On her back, balanced like a tiny helmeted passenger, sits Moss the old tortoise. His domed shell is patterned in browns and golds, and his head is lifted as he peers out over the lawn. A blue watering can, some flowerpots and a weathered fence give the yard a lived-in look, and a few leaves dot the grass.

Tortoises are among the longest-lived animals kept as pets, and many species can live for decades, so they are a very long commitment. They need warmth, proper lighting and a diet of leafy greens and the right plants, and different species have different needs, so ask a vet who knows reptiles. Cats and tortoises can sometimes live peacefully together, but a tortoise should never be left unsupervised with a pet that might scratch or bite. A calm, gentle cat like this one is a good companion, though it is always safest to watch the two together.

The cat seems to understand that she is carrying something precious. She walks slowly and carefully, and Moss sits very still. It is an unhurried kind of journey, and the whole yard seems to move at their pace. If the lawn had a finish line, they would cross it in no particular hurry, and nobody would think any less of them.

More from this collection

All 33 →
A cream Exotic Shorthair cat and a tortoise drink from the same round ceramic bowl on a wooden floor.Two Unlikely Friends Shared One Water Bowl Without a FussA black and white tuxedo cat rests beside a tortoise on a pile of beige towels in a wicker basket.The Laundry Was Warm and Two Very Different Pets Moved In
A black Devon Rex cat and a tortoise rest together on a big round cream-colored fluffy bed.A Black Cat and an Old Tortoise Found the Fluffiest Bed in the HouseA grey hairless Sphynx cat and a tortoise rest side by side under a cream quilt in a bright room.A Sphynx Cat and a Tortoise Woke Up Under the Same QuiltA black cat and a tortoise sit on a grassy bank beside a small pond with lily pads in a backyard.A Black Cat and an Old Tortoise Watched the Pond Go StillA pink hairless Sphynx cat curls over the shell of a tortoise on a patch of snow and leaves in a yard.A Hairless Cat Tried to Warm a Tortoise in a Snowy Yard