Some girls just are not ready for the day without their lipstick or their eyeliner. All Rachel needs is her kitty cat under the arm. Here, she is loosening dirt with a hoe to prepare for grass seed.
Cat under her arm
Published
Glimpses True and Pure
Prairie Sings 
Claire is the same way. She can’t go anywhere without her kitty tucked under her arm, even if she has a million different things in her hands (like her Critters).