I know that I’ve said before that I don’t like certain types of weather but I am very lucky and I’ll explain why. The weather at the moment seems to be different every day, sometimes it’s rainy, sometimes it’s freezing cold, sometimes it’s windy and sometimes it’s all of them at the same time.
No matter what the weather is like mummy takes me out for a walk each evening when she comes home from work on time. As long as the wind isn’t nasty and swirly and the rain isn’t completely torrential then I’m all up for going outside. I love the freedom it brings (even though I’m on a harness and lead), being able to explore, feel the wind in my fur and go wherever I want to go and just be myself. I think this desire to be outside and exploring comes from my start in life as a street cat.
When I first started going outside the heavy rains and any strong winds were very scary as they mixed up my senses but now with practice I’m more used to it, I know that mummy wouldn’t let anything hurt me. What I have learnt is that if it’s rainy it brings a whole new set of smells for me to process. It makes the ground smell fresh and makes interesting noises for me to listen to. I can hear the water drops hitting the leaves, the grass and pavement. I can feel the fresh water on my paws 🐾 it generally feels cold but I don’t mind and it makes them tingle after a while. The downside is that if we go for walkies in the gardens it makes the ground all muddy and slippy for mummy and my paws get dirty, all the way in between my pads, making my fur muddy and mummy’s shoes get all dirty. Because of this we sometimes go walkies along the other side of where we live which has paving rather than grass and mud. It’s not my favourite walk but sometimes it’s easier and a better place to go when the weather is bad. It gives us some variation but this side is busier with people and sometimes there are cars going along but I sit and wait for them to go past before I carry on exploring. There are big things that mummy calls planters which have plants and trees in for me to explore but I also like to sniff the cars. They have very different smells and sometimes I’m not sure what they are. I think it’s because the cars go to all different far away places, but they all smell interesting and even when it’s raining I can smell the different places they’ve been. I’m not sure where they all go, I have been in one before with mummy and daddy when they took me to see the animal doctor but they can’t all go there can they? Whilst I explore under the cars (as far as mummy will let me go under so I don’t get dirty) and in the bushes I can keep away from the wind and rain for a little bit. Then I remember, when there’s a gentle tug on the lead, that mummy is still outside getting wet or being blown about patiently waiting for me.
On the garden side the smells the rain brings are fresh and exciting. The rain washes away and smells from other animals so as I run along and explore I’m the first to leave my scent behind, the ground all belongs to me. I can smell the grass and the ground smells different. Even when it’s this cold there are still flowers around and the rain makes them smell stronger, their scent carries on the wind and I can smell where they are and go to them, if I’m lucky there will be a bumbly bee 🐝 there for me to try to catch before mummy sees me. Mummy won’t let me chase the bumbly bees as she says they need to be looked after as there aren’t many of them around these days and so I mustn’t catch them, plus they might give me a nasty sting if I catch one. I can give them a good chase though – I just can’t help it! Mummy says it’s a bit different at the moment as the bumbly bees shouldn’t be out and flying around at this time of year and the flowers shouldn’t be flowering yet. I don’t know about this but I know that it makes my walkies much more interesting and exciting.
When it’s windy, there’s lots of interesting sounds, I have to listen carefully but I like the challenge it gives me. I have been learning since I first went outside with mummy how to improve my senses when I’m outside and now I can pick out the different sounds even when it’s really windy. It’s taken a lot of practice but I’m pretty good at knowing the difference between leaves rustling and the sound of a bird moving. The wind makes the leaves on the trees and bushes rustle, sometimes I can hear the leaves moving along the ground, caught up in the wind I can hear them twisting, turning and swirling. I chase them along the ground following the sound, copying their movements and pouncing at every opportunity to catch my prey. It’s like a wind ballet the leaf and I moving in time with each other if I’m quick I can catch the leaf unless the wind blows it upwards where it can escape. If I want to challenge myself I can listen for any birds still in the trees but whilst the weather is cold and wet there aren’t many around but if they’re there I’ll hear them despite the weather.
Sometimes recently when we’ve been out and it’s been windy and rainy, mummy’s nose gets all sniffly and her hands get cold and she zips her coat up all the way and puts up her hood. She says the rain will make her hair all frizzy, I’m not sure what that really means but I don’t think it’s a good thing. She gets all the wind and rain in her face and eyes, I don’t have that problem – there are some advantages of not having eyes. If she goes through all of this just so I can go outside and explore then I’m a very lucky girl. I don’t think there’s many mummy’s who would go through all that for their furry family but then I’m not sure there’s many pussy cats that want to go out in all weathers besides us adventure cats of course.
There’s always a towel at the ready when we get in to dry me off if I’m too wet and then dinner at the ready for me. Walkies and exploring makes me a hungry girl. Daddy makes mummy a cuppa tea to warm her up from the inside and then often she’ll have one of her hot baths to warm her from the outside. I can keep her company on the side of the bath and while she does her washing I do my washing, clean off my paws, dry off my fur and then snuggle with mummy on the towel on her lap with a snuggle transfer on the towel to the bed for a little sleep 💤.
Whilst I’m out in the cold and wet I remember back to the sunny days when mummy and I would go outside and it was just as hot outside as inside. we would sit out and play a little bit and then I’d sit under a tree somewhere and just soak up the sun and listen to the world go by. It was just too hot to be chasing insects or birds but I still enjoyed all the outdoor sounds and summer smells. I think I prefer the cooler weather though as I can run around, go a bit mad, be challenged by the sounds and smells, be myself but most importantly have a really good time with mummy.
Most cats (and humans too) probably think I’m crazy going out in this weather as I should be indoors where it’s warm but they’re missing out on so much. I have been given a second chance at life and want to make sure I make the most of it, I don’t want to waste a minute. I keep thinking what a great life I have now. I have to remind myself that it is all real and I’m not just dreaming. I truly love my life.
Jenny’s Story 