The children of the family “furnished” our household with animals over the years. Currently a dog of indecent ancestry and a Norwegian Forest cat dominate the premises. We won’t discuss the Boston Terrier and Labrador incident, but Harley B was the result. He isn’t really “our” dog; we are dog sitting for the youngest son. The fluffy grey cat with hairy paws was the result of the compassion of the youngest son; he was a rescue—the cat, not the son.
Harley isn’t prepared to stay outside in this cold weather. Yes, he has a dog house, but he also has the terrier coat—too light for outdoors in Texas winters. Oliver Twisted is supposed to be a house cat—at least, we tell him he belongs in the house. But both animals are convinced that they need to be as close to us as possible right now. They seem to think we need our laps warmed or feet cuddled.
The dream I had about a motor boat was a direct result of having a sneaky cat curled and purring around my head one night, but normally we really don’t want our animals in our bed. However, whether animals are kept in crates or in a separate room from the rest of the family, most pets should not be out in this cold. It is just too severe. Fresh water in a pan or bowl—unconnected to the toilet—plenty of food, and their own bed (or couch, or chair, or top shelves of a bookcase—depending on your cats’ tastes) are about the least we can furnish our pets right now.
The only lovely thing about winter—other than the lack of mosquitoes—is the fact that we know spring is next. Spring brings its own problems--shedding, more heartworm meds, hairballs, and wild dances in the mint beds---but at least the animals can sleep outside when the weather is warmer. Everyone else may be looking forward to Christmas and New Year’s. I am looking forward to having a certain cold nose a warmer shade of pink.
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