Browse ›
A brown tabby cat has a strand of spaghetti hanging from its mouth by a broken plate and spilled pasta on a wooden floor. 26 / 26

A Tabby Was Seen Sneaking Off With a Mouthful of Spaghetti

AI imagetabby catspaghettikitchen

One long strand of spaghetti dangles from Bruno's mouth, and nothing in the world can make that look innocent. The brown tabby stands on the wooden floor by a plate that has broken in two, with a tangle of noodles and tomato sauce spilled around it and a blue dish towel lying nearby. He looks away from the camera with careful casualness, his green eyes narrowed and his whiskers still glistening with sauce. The doorway beside him suggests that he was about to slip around the corner with his prize.

Many cats are curious about pasta, mostly because of the savory smell of sauce and the fun of slurping noodles. Plain cooked pasta is not toxic, but it has no real nutritional value for a cat, and sauces often contain onion, garlic and a lot of salt, which are not good for cats. Garlic and onion in particular can be harmful. Broken plates add another risk, so sweep up shards immediately and keep paws away until the floor is clear. The best way to prevent plate raids is to put food away promptly and never leave plates where a cat can reach them, and a good routine of feeding a cat its own meals at regular times can help. American Shorthairs like this one are sturdy, food-motivated cats, so portion control is wise. If you think your cat ate something harmful, call your vet.

Bruno will be steered off to his own bowl, and a brand-new plate will go on the table. He will watch the next spaghetti night very carefully.

More from this collection

All 26 →
A tortoiseshell cat holds a ragged, chewed gray slipper in its mouth on a wooden floor, with laundry piled behind it.Hazel Was Trusted With the Living Room for Five Minutes. Look at Her Face.A blue-gray Russian Blue cat with a dirt-smudged face sits next to a freshly dug hole in a garden bed, looking upward.The Garden Was Perfect Until a Russian Blue Went Exploring
A gray Exotic Shorthair cat with flour on its face and chest sits on a cluttered counter with spoons and spilled flour.Someone Started Baking, Left the Room, and the Cat Took OverA brown tabby cat sits in a wicker laundry basket surrounded by clothes strewn across a wooden floor.Fresh Laundry Was Folded. Maple the Tabby Had a Different Plan.A black cat with green eyes sits on a long sheet of brown wrapping paper, with a paper roll and torn scraps around it.Who Unrolled the Entire Roll? The Black Cat Knows Nothing.A calico cat sits on a rug looking aside, next to a torn cardboard tissue box and crumpled tissues on the floor.The Tissue Box Never Stood a Chance Against This Calico