A Black Cat Put On the Antlers and Refused to Smile About It
Staring straight ahead with green eyes, a black cat sits on a wooden porch wearing a headband with felt reindeer antlers. Snow dusts the boards and clings to the white railing, and beyond the porch a bare yard with a fence, a few trees, and a snowy rooftop stretch into the gray winter day. A few branches of pine hang in at the edge of the frame. The cat's face is perfectly serious, in a way that makes the antlers funnier.
Black cats often get a bad reputation in folklore, but they are just as sweet and playful as cats of any other color. They are also a favorite for holiday photos because their dark coats show up well against snow. If you dress a cat for a picture, keep it brief and make sure the headband is loose, easy to remove, and has no small parts to chew off. Cats are generally safest indoors in winter, so a short supervised moment at the door is plenty before returning to a warm room.
This stoic reindeer, whom we will name Midnight, wears the antlers with the grace of an actor who has been told it is a serious role. He does not blink or move. The snow falls softly around him, and the porch is perfectly quiet. It is a tiny winter drama starring a very fine cat.
