Winston (Winnie) came to us last fall. He was a common sight in our neighbourhood and obviously neglected. Feeling sorry for him, our neighbour began to let him into the common area of our apartment building so he would have a warm place to sleep. Upon opening the door to the hallway, the little white and tabby cat with his bright pink nose would come running into our apartment, with his characteristic, stiff- legged gait, and promptly settle himself into our laps. Winnie is the quintessential lap kitty- he loves to snuggle. His short visits into our apartment become more frequent, and it was not long before we allowed him to sleep inside. We quickly fell in love with his friendly, curious personality. Winnie loves to play and can be quite the mischief-maker. If someone doesn't wake up early enough for him, he takes it upon himself to wake you up- whether it be by standing on your chest and gently pawing at your face (claws in, of course), or by systematically knocking every loose item off the bedside table. Yes, this can be a little irritating but it's impossible to get mad at him- he has such a strong personality. Of course,after he gets up in the morning and has his breakfast, he then promptly comes back to bed to cuddle. Winnie loves to chase little things like pens and pencils around the floor and adores the cat tree we made for him. Our extended family has also fallen in love with Winnie and he has become quite the worldy traveller as we bring him home to our parents in Muskoka from time to time at their request and because we just can't leave him.
Winnie-boy has grown to be very big (14 lbs!) and he is the most beautiful cat, with his sleek fur, bright green eyes and long legs. He is our baby boy and no matter what kind of day we've had, he always makes us smile and laugh. He is an essential part of our family and we cannot imagine our lives without him now.
