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A round cream Exotic Shorthair cat sits in light snow with five yellow chicks tucked against its paws and chest. 2 / 26

The Grumpiest Cat in the Snow Had a Secret Job

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Snow dusts the backyard, the wooden fence is frosted along the top, and a big cream-colored cat has settled into the middle of it all with a frown that could stop traffic. Five yellow chicks have wedged themselves against his front paws and chest, tiny orange feet tucked out of sight. That flat, grumpy face is the face of a cat doing his job very seriously.

Exotic Shorthairs are often described as the lazy cousin of the Persian: the same round head and squished nose, but with a short plush coat that is easier to keep up. They tend to be calm, affectionate, and happy to supervise from a lap or a cushion. Because of the flat face, their eyes can water, so many owners wipe the corners gently each day, and a vet can advise on anything beyond that. They also do not love extreme weather, so a snowy outing like this would be a short one for a real cat.

The same goes for chicks, which chill quickly and belong in a warm brooder rather than outdoors in winter. The fun of the scene is how a thick cream coat makes the perfect windbreak, with soft fur on one side and downy fluff on the other.

The cat keeps that stern expression, and the chicks look completely unbothered by it. Some guardians simply look more serious than they feel, and this one clearly has a soft spot a mile wide.

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