Last night the world turned white. It was beautiful to watch as fluffy white flakes fell from the black of the sky.

Dippi in the snowIt was also beautiful to watch from behind the window when the house was quiet. The human was asleep, snoring after indulging in red wine .... again. Dumpty stretched out by her side on the bed.

The white flakes started off slowly then they came down bigger and faster. Last year I was outside trying to survive in the wild when the world turned white. It was very cold and food was scarce, the insects just seemed to have disappeared. I spent most of my time curled up tightly in a ball under a hedge with no leaves on it just trying to keep warm. I was very frightened and weak. I dreamt of a home like this here at Tom Cat Towers, but never dared to hope I would ever find a human who would love someone as odd and wobbly as me.

The fluffy flakes fell for hours, and they were fascinating to watch.

At first they sank into the grass, then gradually they stuck, building up to a layer which turned everything they touched to a beautiful clean white.

I couldn’t wait to get outside and scamper round in it.

Dumpty, her madamship, refused to even get off her duvet to look at it. Apparently, she doesn’t ‘do’ snow. Another one on the extensive list of things she doesn’t 'do' that every normal cat should.

When the human woke up and dragged herself into the lounge, she opened the window to put kibbles out for the blackbirds; I went out just to say I had walked in the whiteness. It was very cold on my paw pads as I sank into it but very exhilarating. Before I knew it I was scampering round really enjoying it. The village idiot ginger cat wasn’t too keen to get outside, but after threatening to sick up a sticky ginger fur ball  on the carpet, he was scufted out sharpish.

It was fun to watch him skittering round the garden on tippy-claws trying not to get his paws wet.

Wills in the snowThen he did what has become his annual party piece. He ventured out onto the ice on the pond to gaze at the fish under the ice. He sat there peering down; I dread to think what the fish must have thought as a great big pink bottom suddenly plonked itself above him!

There was an almighty crack as the ice gave way under the bulk of the ginger twerp and he was soon scrabbling for the bank; soaking wet, eyes full of fear and covered in weeds. The human just sighed, with resignation, as she got out the towels and the hair dryer.

He stunk to high heaven and was on the receiving end of a good finger wagging telling off. Not that anything ever sinks into his peanut sized brain. The human then spent an age spraying air freshener and lighting candles to get rid of the stench which he had bought in with him

Willi’s version

The world turned white overnight and I don’t like going out in it as it makes my paws cold and wet. Needless to say just as I was about to have a special moment bringing up a fur ball my human just picked me up and shoved me outside into  the white stuff. I wasn’t best pleased. Dippi was out in it but it was too cold for me to go supervise as I tip toed around, crying to be let inside again.

I can’t get my head round this one. The pond is full of water all year, but when the world turns white, it goes solid. I venture onto the top of the solid water to watch the fish, and then there is an almighty crack as the solid top gives way to very cold water. It happens every year!!  I then have to be rubbed dry and blown with the hairdryer which is not what a rufty-tufty tom should have to put up with,

 

Dogs Come when Called

"Dogs come when called. Cats take a message and get back to you."

"Of course, every cat is really the most beautiful woman in the room."

Edward Verrall Luca (essayist)