Mrrrr,
Wisconsin winters can be tough on a cat. Over time a subset of us have evolved dense fur, a sturdy build, and some of the other physiological features that allow us to enjoy a good, deep snow. You also need to love the challenge of it: falling into snow pits, getting stuck in human leg holes, getting cold paws. I can't think of a better way to start a snowy winter day than by hanging on the back door caterwauling and threatening to run all four sets of nails down that length of lovely oak if I don't get to go out.
"Out" in our house means going out with one of our humans. We walk with them, generally stay within yelling distance, and usually respond to their voices...unless they panic, then we hide and watch them sweat. Kelley and I go snow-walking together. This year we had a good 2 to 3 feet of snow in south-central Wisconsin where we currently live.
My primary purpose in going outside is to explore my territory and meet, through smell, the other critters who share it. As you can see here my current backyard is great, especially in the snow when Kelley and I can see the tracks of the many animals that forage in the winter. This winter I've been obsessed by Black Cat and Marmota monax.Black Cat seems to be what we cats call a wanderer. Humans would call her homeless. She often uses our garage to sleep at night, but the snow has revealed how efficiently she uses our entire yard to hunt for small rodents and other tasty treats.
Marmot is another matter all together. Marmot - what folks in these parts call a Groundhog, Woodchuck, or Whistle Pig - is actually a big rodent about the size of me, or larger. Our human neighbor and my people have known about her for some time as she has been known to live under our garage in a grand hole/tunnel that Kelley will not let me enter. Anyway, we were surprised to find Marmot tracks leading across the snow, down the driveway, and into the garage three days (around 28 Febrary on the human calendar) after the big snow. It was a sign of spring amidst the glories of a snowy cold winter.
Sure enough, days after seeing Marmots tracks, box elder bugs started migrating from the house basement upstairs to head outdoors, then we saw a Turkey Vulture soaring and heard Sandhill Cranes. Now you can't go outside without hearing the owlish cooing of Mourning Doves. Spring is here!
P.S. You too can become a marmoteer like Kelley and me. Go to the site in my links bar to check out the Marmot Burrow website, written by a human UCLA scientist, and learn about all 14 species of my furry colleagues.
