The battle of the snowflakes is on again.

[wnylib]

Every year, when the snow starts, Ember the cat wages a valiant battle against all flakes that dare to touch or come close to the living room window, her favorite perch for looking outdoors.

Is it the feline instinct to chase anything that moves? Or is it hostility toward those white swirls that block her clear view of the outside world? Maybe it's both. Whatever the reason, she races from one end of the windowsill to the other, paws swatting frantically at every passing flake.

After a few weeks, she no longer rises to the challenge. She gets accustomed to (or resigned to) the fact that snow is here to stay for a few months. But until then, she is addicted to the battle, ignoring my attempts to distract her.

[hlthe2b]

1. She may have a natural beauty esthetic, but it is the movement--very instinctive

and the reason why they are such tremendous hunters. No snowflake will go uneaten if given the chance. LOL

[3Hotdogs]

2. Flies, also.

[wnylib]

3. The fact that there is a glass barrier to

the snowflakes does not deter her. I get torn between concern for her obsession versus appreciating the exercise that the battle provides for an indoor cat.

Western NY in the Buffalo area is under a snow emergency alert from later tonight until Sunday. Lake effect snow. Snow has begun already in some areas. The I90 expressway (called Thruway in NY) is closing down between Buffalo and the PA border. Ember will have plenty of opportunities to engage her battle instincts for the next few days.

[hlthe2b]

4. Northern Colorado & WY also, south to Denver and the mountains of course.

I am taking the day off after my cat converter was stolen last Thursday to light a metaphorical fire under both the dealership charged with repairing it and my insurance company. Not to mention I really don't want to drive my rental car on ice and snow. Already have one insurance claim ongoing, don't need another. So snow is going to cause further delays in getting oxygen sensors and other parts in. AAARGH. But, I have a little fire going and will walk a happy put at daybreak. And if I had a window seat to play with snowflakes, I might just join your kitty in the effort.

[wnylib]

5. Ember would enjoy the company.

Many years ago (decades, actually) I drove a rental through a snowstorm. I would not have done it except that it was a family emergency. My then fiance's car had been totalled when a school bus rear ended it. (An old car. He was a grad student then.) We had just got a call that his mother was dying and asking for him. He was in no shape to drive, so I took over.

The damned rental did not have snow tires! The "all weather" tires were nearly bald. I could only go about 25 mph on the highway to avoid fishtailing and losing control. We made it without an accident but it was harrowing and tense.

So you are wise to be cautious, even if your rental is in better condition than the one that I drove.

The prediction here is up to 18 inches overnight and the same amount next day, with continuing snow afterward but tapering down. I90 here follows the Lake Erie coast a few miles inland of the water, so it is open space that gets the brunt of wind and snow off the Lake. In storms like this one, the wind freezes the first melting snowflakes and then piles snow on top of ice. The wind causes snow swirls that create zero visibility. There are already reports of semis jack knifing on the Thruway, which is why it is closing down. I have been on it in the past during a snow and ice storm and it is very scary.

[niyad]

6. One of my kitties many years ago would actually growl at the snow coming down.

Not exactly sure why, as she had never been in the snow. Perhaps both your guesses are correct.

[wnylib]

7. That's funny, and cute.

Ember growls at fireworks that are visible from the window. She also growls at the yearly Christmas parade floats that pass by us on their route.

But she has not growled at snowflakes. At least not yet.

[niyad]

8. The first time I heard her growl, surprised the heck out of me. My little kit

sounded like a dog! But, other than that, and her affinity for toasting herself in front off the fireplace, she was fairly normal. For being one of mine, anyway!

[wnylib]

9. Yeah, cats can really growl pretty menacingly.

Ember was a growler even as a kitten. She was possessive about her toys and growled when I got near her while she had one in her mouth. But that was just a game with her. She usually dropped the toy for me to toss again, then growled her ownership when she "captured" it.

But I have also heard her angry growl, which can be very intimidating. She came from the home of a former co-worker of mine when she was 9 weeks old. That coworker was neglectful at best and treated her roughly on the day that I picked Ember up.

Two years later, when the coworker visited me to see how Ember had grown, Ember recognized the scent and voice. She instantly turned from a sweet kitty who usually was friendly to visitors into a very angry, growling cat who would not let the coworker within 6 feet of her.

[niyad]

10. Cats have VERY long memories. And they can exact revenge when so inclined.

[wnylib]

11. Growling means that they feel threatened.

Last edited Thu Nov 17, 2022, 01:36 PM - Edit history (1)

So what is threatening about snowflakes to your kitty?

Maybe to a cat, all those white flakes hurling fast and furious at the window look like an attack?

[niyad]

12. True. Maybe they think they are tiny birds?

Come to think of it, when my little rescue hears neihbors banging or slamming doors, he will growl, just once.