To Warm the Dark Months

Since it is officially autumn now, I have to prepare the cosy apartment to become cosier. I have two heated cat-beds, and I am very satisfied with the continued performance of the heating pads in them. I bought them some years ago, possibly seven or eight, and, despite being plugged in and working continuously through the cold months, and, when it looked as if they were needed, into the spring and summer, too, they are still warming little feline bodies.

I cannot find their like, however, and I want more heat for cat-beds. So on Monday, (the first day of the new season), I bought this. It is a bed-warmer. Though it is neither the size nor shape of any cat-bed, it claims to warm a bed sufficiently. Note the size of the bed the dog is using on the box. I will be adding this little strip to Neville’s bed. (This reminds me that his bed is a mere towel. But with the addition of quilt-batting (with which I have stuffed the regular cat-beds), I can make it softer. I will have to put in more layers of cloth, of course.) The Thin Man will undoubtedly be with me through the winter, and, as the library can be stuffy with the door closed and no cross-stream of air, I tend to leave the window open a tiny amount for freshness. Nev will need a bit of extra warmth.

I will conduct a test with the warming-strip first. I want to know how hot it becomes, how much cloth I require to place under it, and between it and a reclining cat. I want to be confident that it is not a hazard, and I need to be sure Neville will use it. If it works well, I will buy a second.

Freezing temperatures are predicted for this weekend already, and snow, too, so making the apartment more snug comes not a moment too soon. The snow, I am sure, will not last, but it will return; low temperatures will certainly come to stay. And if they come knocking, I want some warmth with which to refuse them entry.