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A calico cat looks down at a wicker basket where several fluffy yellow chicks sleep on a soft cloth 1 / 35

The Calico Pulled the Night Shift Over a Basket of Sleeping Chicks

AI imagecalico catbaby chicksbasket

The kitchen is quiet and a calico cat has taken the night shift. She sits beside a wicker basket lined with soft cloth, one white paw resting on the rim, her orange, black and cream face tilted down toward the pile of sleeping chicks inside. The little yellow fluffballs are packed together in a warm heap, eyes closed and beaks tucked in. A mug, a folded blanket and a few odds and ends sit in the soft light behind her.

Baby chicks cannot keep themselves warm during their first weeks, which is why they huddle together and need a gentle heat source and a safe, draft-free box. That makes a basket like this a temporary bed at best, and anyone caring for chicks should follow proper brooder guidelines from a feed store or vet. Cats are natural hunters, so a household with both should always supervise closely and keep chicks securely separated when no one is watching. It is also good practice to wash your hands after handling chicks, because poultry can carry germs. A calm, gentle cat can be remarkably patient, but caution always comes first.

This calico looks completely absorbed. Her whiskers are forward and her gaze is soft, as if she has appointed herself head of the nursery. It may be the sweetest watch duty in the house, and the chicks sleep soundly under her care.

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