The First Stroke of Winter

Winter has just struck with all of its fierce power. We’ve been literally snowed in for the last couple of days and a state of emergency has been declared for Vojvodina. When even the highways are buried in snow drifts, what can you expect of the local roads?

And yet my shelter, although not fully prepared for the winter weather, is holding on in a small snow-covered village…

We’re in the grip of a deep freeze, with continuing snowfall accompanied by frosty, biting and

stinging northerly winds. Luckily, this heavy snow can't contrive to pile up on my chain link fence, but the heaps of snow do build up on the rooftop. I guess it’s a good thing that I still don’t hear ominous cracking sounds from the roof as it is successfully bearing

the burden of extra weight, at least for now.

The yard resembles a winter wonderland. It’s not so magical, though, for those of us who are shoveling paths through the deep snow so that the others, the furry, four-legged ones, can

run and jump easily all over the yard. The youngsters are having a great time and loving the snow (yeah, it’s easy for them to love it), but most of the older kitties are definitely not impressed. Some of them took a brief walk through the snow on that first day,

decided they didn’t like it and are now resting in their warm rooms, while the others didn’t even desire to set foot outside. The only exception is Speki, whose fascination with snow is well known, but he won't be so delighted if the food delivery truck

doesn’t manage to push its way through.

Although we’re in mid-December, the snow caught everyone by surprise. When things get back to normal again, all of the doors of the kitties’ indoor enclosure and the gates will have to be

strengthened and fixed. This winter is obviously going to be brutal, with above normal heavy snowfall and frigid winds. We must do everything within our power to prepare for the cold months coming ahead the best we can. Please, help us with whatever you are able

to give! It’s a dire emergency here and there’s no more time to waste!