The Cat Days of Winter

© Diane B. Reed

A hard frost hit overnight, and the grass and flowers are covered with frost. There's a faint wisp of steam coming off the pond. But it's been weeks since we knew winter was coming. Our cat always let us know when the cold weather is approaching by heading for her heated bed, which she ignores over the summer.

Many of you may wonder why an avid birder even has a cat. Let me reassure you that our cat is an indoor cat. Her only contact with birds is sitting in the window overlooking the bird feeders and the pond watching what we've dubbed "kitty TV." She keeps track of the birds, the squirrels, and visitors to the park out the pond window, and watches passers by and dog walkers out our front window.

She spends much of her time patrolling the house, upstairs and down, and keeping tabs on wildlife and the neighborhood cats that pass by.  But at this time of the year she spends a fair amount of time seeking out the warming rays of the sun in the window, or curling up in her heated bed. It's a good life. If there is such a thing as reincarnation I think I'd like to come back as a cat.

© Diane B. Reed