What's a birthday?

Hello, it's Chloe here . . . tell me, are you busy?
I'm hoping you can explain something that humans seem to know all about, but cats definitely don't.
It's been bothering me a lot over the past few days, and I'm sure you'll know the answer.

Can you tell me . . . what's a 'birthday'?

It's all been very strange.  I first realised that something was different when my Mum picked up my harness and lead and told  me that we were off to celebrate my birthday.  We were, so she said, going out to have a special lunch with a friend.

Well, I wasn't going to argue . .  .  as you know, I'm all in favour of going out to lunch.  But what was this birthday she was talking about?

Then, to my surprise, through the letter-box came an envelope addressed to me.  It had a card inside with a picture of a kitten, and my Mum told me it was called a 'birthday card'.

Next came an e-card, all the way from Ohio . . . which was very exciting.
And then all Mum's friends made a great fuss of me and brought me lots of lovely presents.
One of them even brought me a cake.  She said it was a 'birthday cake'.  I don't know why, but it had a funny sort of fire on top that nearly burned my whiskers . . . my Mum told me it was called a candle.

I must say that, once I'd recovered from all these surprises,  I got into the spirit of the thing and really enjoyed myself.

But what's this birthday business all about?
Do you have them too?

Apparently, this was the fifth one I've had . . . although I must admit that I can't remember the others.

I wonder, do birthdays come when you've been good . . . because I was ever so good at the nursing home on Friday?
 Or do they come to brighten things up in the middle of winter?
And can you have one whenever you feel like it?
All that's gone on this week has made me very pro-birthday!

Now, I've had an excellent idea, and I hope you'll agree with me.
Will you join me in campaigning for lots more birthdays for everyone . . . birthdays whenever you want them?

Birthdays when it's wet and cold so that they'll lift your spirits.
Birthdays when your toys are getting old and worn and you need some new ones.
Birthdays just when you feel in need of someone to notice you and stroke you, to tell you that you're special and important . . . and to show you that you matter.


For some reason, my Mum doesn't seem as keen on lots of birthdays as I am.  She says she's had more than enough of them already, and that they come around all too quickly.
But, between you and me, my Mum always was a little stuck in her ways.
Come to think of it, if she doesn't want any more birthdays, perhaps she'll give me some of hers?

I'm sure you'll agree with my brilliant idea.
And you can forget my original question.  It doesn't matter in the slightest what a birthday is . . . let's have them . . . lots of them.

Birthdays to get you purring . . . birthdays whenever you need them.
Birthdays . . . beneficial birthdays . . . bring 'em on!