Winter is coming to Ringoes, NJ. That means the cats at Tabby’s Place will feel a chill in their solariums. As a special treat, late autumn is bringing temperatures that can freeze water in bowls and fish mush stuck on noses.
Fear not! Bed- and bowl-warmers were deployed when overnight temperatures began their descent. Now that daytime highs are barely reaching recent lows, the heat is getting turned up to stave off the cold. As always, the stunning sanctuary staff keep keen eyes on the thermometer, whiskers, and weather prognostications.
While the sun is favoring the southern hemisphere with the best of its warming rays, staff and volunteers here are coordinating efforts to put up barriers to blizzards. Eventually, the cold will set in deeply enough that solariums will become off-limits. No few of the cats have had several unsavory things to say about that.
Beautiful, quiet, shy Hoopla Green can swear like a sailor when she is forced to give up her favorite spot in her favorite tree in her favorite part of her suite, the solarium. It is flat out astonishing to learn that this precious pearl can wield her tongue more sharply than finely honed claws. Thankfully, a bed warmer helps create a second-favorite option that is sub-optimal, yet far above par.
Meanwhile, in yet another suite, the lovely yet timid Magda shudders at the thought of being forced indoors. She too has quite a mouth on her when it is made clear that daily food deliveries will be held solely within the main suite, along with everything else…and every single other cat in the suite. While we humans are celebrating some joyous, recent adoptions, Magda is suspicious of the qualities of her newest suitemates. Will they respect a tuxedo’s need for decorum? Will they be gadabouts that baldly and boldly get in her way, especially when her way across the hallway is blocked for her own well-being?
In every suite, such concerns are shared with Hoopla Green, Magda, or both. Staff are aware of the extra challenges that result from more limited space. Throughout the coldest months, they will remain alert to any days when solariums can be reopened while the sun shines. Unseasonably warm overnights would be a boon. But, no matter how hard Old Man Winter bites, the wonderful people of Tabby’s Place will yank out his teeth like a cat’s with stomatitis.
Upgrades to the heating system, renovations to the oldest suites, and battalions of people keeping oodles of cozy bedding fresh are all the tools needed to ease the sting of the coldest days. It’s still early December. Winter isn’t here yet, but it is coming. At Tabby’s Place, the cats will be ready – especially if somebody remembers to wax Hips’ skis.