The Gingerbread House Was Finished. Then the Inspector Arrived.
The gingerbread house stands about as tall as the kitten, which makes this a fair fight. A calico with patches of orange, black and white sits right beside it, ears turned sideways and amber eyes locked on the white icing along the roof. Candy dots line the walls, a tiny door is piped on in frosting, and the rest of the table is a cheerful jumble of knit hats, keys, a plant and crumbs from earlier decorating.
Gingerbread houses look irresistible to curious kittens, but they're not a kitten snack. Icing and candy are full of sugar, and the little decorations can be a choking risk. Spices like nutmeg are best kept away from pets too. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means their bodies are built for meat, so sweet treats offer them nothing and can upset a small stomach. The simplest plan is to display the house on a high shelf or under a clear cover, and give your kitten a safe toy of her own to sniff and bat around instead.
Calicos are known for their patchwork coats, and almost all of them are female, which is a fun bit of cat trivia. This one is clearly more interested in architecture than in dessert, circling the walls and sniffing at the tiny door. She may be plotting a break-in or simply admiring the craftsmanship, and either way the house remains standing for now.
