Hello, it's Chloe here . . . have you a moment to spare?I thought we could have a quick chat and catch up on things . . . like Spring.
"In the Spring," my Mum said to me the other day, "a young cat's fancy lightly turns to climbing trees."
True, I was balancing on a tree-stump at the time, but there's no doubt she'd got the right idea.
There's something in the air at the moment, something in the increasing light. It tickles your whiskers and gives a cat an unaccountable urge to move upwards . . . preferably up a tree.
According to my Mum, this spring in the step could be something to do with what she calls an Equi-knocks.
I must say I've never come across an Equi-knocks, have you? But what with the birds singing so loudly, and all those flowers suddenly coming into bloom, well, it certainly knocks a lot of extra bounce into a cat's spirits.
Mind you, I wouldn't agree that cats take the idea of climbing trees lightly. It's nothing like as easy as some ignorant people might suggest.Oh no . . . it takes careful planning, a lot of digging in of claws, and you have to hold on very, very tight.
It also helps if you've got a Mum at ground level who'll give your backside a push at the critical moment . . . and negotiate you down again if you get a bit stuck.
Coming down is always the tricky bit.
You have to do it very carefully . . . backside first.
And, between you and me, knowing that those pesky squirrels are watching doesn't help . . . a cat has her pride. As you can see, we practiced hard in the garden, and then, when I was really good at both going up and coming down, my Mum took me on an exciting outing to Richmond Park.
Did you know they've got some very hard-to-climb trees in Richmond Park? Not only that, if you look at these pictures you'll see all the water underneath. Good balance and steady paws are essential!
Oh dear, is that the time?
I'm so sorry, it's been lovely to have a chat but I must be off.
A cat can't waste Springtime pawing at a keyboard when she could be climbing trees in the garden.
I wonder what a young cat's fancy turns to in the Summer . . . swimming, perhaps?
I'll let you know!
