Sun puddles

Here in the UK we seem to be enjoying something of a phenomenon; it’s April and we’re having the most amazing weather. Of course, we could be knee deep in snow next week, or howling gales, but the past few days have been just lovely.  Flowers are bursting into bloom; birds are singing; people are smiling at each other and the cats have been finding sun puddles to lounge in. 

I wrote last month about SAD in cats.  I’m sure that Casey and Gibbs both suffered from this, with Gibbs feeling more under the weather.  Since the sun has made an appearance, however, he has perked up.  He rotates his sleeping quarters between the box under the dining room table, a dining chair and on top of the papers on the dining table.  He’ll spend an hour or so in each place before moving to the next one.

The back of my house sees the sun from about midday until it sets so the dining room and this ‘office’ get quite warm and from the window, I am often privy to the most glorious sunsets.  Golden reds, purply pinks, and burnt orange sear across the sky.  Work forgotten for a few moments, I look out of the window and marvel at creation.

Downstairs Gibbs is sprawled out in a sun puddle by the door to the cupboard under the stairs.  His expression shows surprise as if I’ve caught him out at something he shouldn’t be doing. Fortunately, I have my camera to hand.  I thank him for allowing me to take his picture and he nods his acquiescence. 

We won’t speak of this again, he says. 

I remember back to the days of the original Daily Mewsers: Garfield, Billy, Timmy, Sam, Ricky and Ollie – all gingers apart from Sam, who thought he was ginger.  At the first sign of sunlight snaking across the floor, they’d desert the comfortable chairs and find their spot.  I once came home from being out somewhere and found three of them, lined up, nose to tail, enjoying a long skinny sun puddle.   

There is something about the sun that can bring out the best in us.  And for our cats, it seems as if winter is a distant memory (even if we were only clearing up snow two weeks earlier) and they embrace the warmth that a sun puddle provides.  All is well in their world, and seeing them so content, it is for us, too.   

Why not find a sun puddle for yourself and find out why cats love them so much.

 Pauline

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