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An orange longhair cat leans over a woven basket of golden dinner rolls on a kitchen counter with cranberries nearby. 16 / 23

Pumpkin Leaned in to Sniff the Dinner Rolls Before Anyone Else Could

AI imageorange catthanksgivingdinner rolls

Steam is still rising from a basket of golden dinner rolls, and a big orange longhair leans in for a long, careful sniff. His ears are slightly back, his whiskers stretched forward, and his eyes are half narrowed in concentration. Behind the basket, a small bowl of cranberries and a sprig of herbs sit on the wooden counter, while garlic bulbs, a lamp, and warm kitchen shadows fill the background.

A cat's sense of smell is far stronger than a person's, and fresh bread has a lot of interesting scents for a curious nose. Plain bread is not poisonous in tiny amounts, but it is not good nutrition, and yeast dough in particular can be dangerous because it can expand in the stomach. Rolls with butter, garlic, onion, or raisins are worse. It is best to keep bread baskets out of reach and let cats have their own cat food.

Cats learn very quickly that the kitchen is where interesting things happen, especially on a holiday. A fresh toy or a few cat treats given away from the cooking area can help redirect a curious nose. This is Pumpkin once more, taking his role as kitchen supervisor seriously. He has not taken a roll, and he likely will not, but he is there to report on how good they smell. If a cat could give a review, this would be a five star bakery.

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