Winter here will be one of, if not, THE coldest on record. As the economy falls apart and people lose their jobs, the utility costs have gone up, and the thermometer plummets down. I've managed to survive the chill of my thermostat being kept at 58 degrees by wearing multiple layers of clothing. But, what concerns me, is how well my cats are weathering the winter storms.
My poor black and white kitty, Groucho, is 15 years old, and therefore rather thin. Many a night I have found her shivering close to me and I feel quite guilty knowing that her frail body prevents her from keeping warm. So, in order to provide her comfort and warmth, I now allow her to seek shelter under my blankets. I actually tried to make her a little sweater out of an old sock today, but I wasn't quite sure that she welcomed her new "coat." She came to my lap shivering, and it appeared to be more out of fear than simply being cold, so I removed it.
My big boy, Theo, despite being quite fluffy and a little more "insulated" than my elderly cat, even finds the temperature in here to be a little on the chilly side. I catch him waiting impatiently by the vent for the rations of heat to blow over his fur. The look on his face (in the above photo) combined with the shivering of his "sister" guilted me into turning the heat up four degrees.
Having all of this snow has been rather beautiful, however, week-long bouts with temperatures in single or negative digits have made this winter more of a source of anxiety, than a source of white wonder. More like wondering how you will be able to afford your heating bill!
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