The Party Was Downstairs. The Real Hideaway Was the Pile of Coats on the Bed.

While the party carries on downstairs, the guest bedroom has become a quiet hideaway. A small brown tabby kitten has burrowed into the hood of a dark green puffer jacket and curled into a tight ball, eyes closed, chin tucked down. All around him, the bed is heaped with coats and jackets brought by the visitors: a tan canvas jacket, a navy fleece, and a soft gray hoodie. Toward the head of the bed, someone has left a bowl of cranberries, small decorative pumpkins, a glass, and a little autumn centerpiece on the plaid quilt.

A pile of coats is like a dream bed for a kitten: soft, warm, and full of interesting smells. During gatherings, though, it can be a hidden hazard. Guests grabbing their coats in a hurry may not notice a sleeping kitten, and pockets often hold things that aren't safe for pets, such as medications, sugar-free gum with xylitol, hand sanitizer, or loose change. Before guests arrive, consider designating a closet or a closed room for coats. And before anyone leaves, it's worth doing a quick check of the pile so no one takes home an unexpected furry souvenir.

For now, this little tabby is sleeping soundly, wrapped in the warmest jacket in the house. Whoever owns that coat will have a very good reason to stay a little longer.