The nights are drawing in, the mornings are darker for longer and the days getting shorter, how can I tell? Everyday is dark for me! That’s easy, I can feel the temperature drop, the air smells crisp and fresh, the sun isn’t as warm on my fur and there’s less spots to sun myself in. I have to make do with a cosy bed instead of the sun and I feel more like snuggling with mummy. As well as that mummy and daddy’s behaviour changes too, they struggle just a bit more to get out of bed in the morning, they have put the thicker snugglier cover on and mummy has changed into her furry pyjamas and daddy his thicker warmer robe.
When I go out for walkies the ground is wet and cold, cold, cold and it’s a bit of a shock on my paws so when I first go out I take turns standing on three paws and lifting up one front paw off the ground until they all get used to the cold. Then a quick run around and the odd tree climb and they’re back to being toasty and warm. I don’t really mind the cold, in fact even though I was born in Cyprus I much prefer the colder weather. Even now I not only still love going for walkies but also sitting out on our balcony at night, listening to all the night time noises and smells. The sound and smells of the night are different to the daytime, it’s quiet and I can sit and really listen. Now though I listen coz I want to and not like when I was a kitten because I had to. I’m safe on my balcony, no predators can find me up here so I can enjoy the noises I hear and when I’ve had enough I can go back inside and into the warm. Millie who is the fluffiest of all of us and would be the one most suited to being outdoors is just a wimp, she doesn’t like the cold, one minute out there and she’s ready for going back inside.
The cooler weather means the air is crisp and clean and the scents that I pick up are much cleaner, clearer and more intriguing. When we go for walkies in the summer there’s so many sounds around me from people having fun outdoors, dogs barking, children playing and running around and making lots of noise, I don’t mind this as I can listen to them knowing that they’re not going to come near me but when it’s cold the surrounding area is quiet and I can sit and listen to the sounds quietly, taking in each one. From the noise I can tell how far away it is, if it sounds dangerous or not, which direction it’s going in how fast it’s moving and if it’s human or animal.
There are so many different sounds, the wind in the trees, the sound of the water, people, dogs, birds and even the occasional fox 🦊 or bat 🦇. Each noise is unique and sometimes I just like to take a moment to sit and listen, hear the world go by and just take time to be calm and breathe and just take a few minutes to myself. With those sounds go the smells, in the summer all the scents mingle together but in the winter the crisp damp mornings clear all the other scents away, each day is like starting fresh a clean slate.
The cooler weather makes me much more snuggly so after walkies and a run around playing indoors, a bit of dinner then it’s time to settle down for the evening, I normally like to sleep where mummy and daddy are and curl up in one of the beds behind them, then after a while I sneak down the back of the sofa and onto mummy’s lap, she’s all warm and cuddly and she doesn’t fidget very much so I have a little wash and curl up on her warm lap. What a lovely end to the day.
Jenny’s Story 