Cats, Definitely

Day 310: No dogs were in evidence, but it was definitely raining cats as Merry ricocheted off every available surface in the house with the possible exception of the ceiling, and I'm not quite sure he missed that. Our weather went from partly cloudy to pitch-black dark over the space of a quarter hour, followed by thunder, lightning and a cloudburst which dumped approximately three-quarters of an inch of rain in ten minutes' time. By the time it was done, over an inch had accumulated in the pluviometer. The rain fascinated Merry as it flowed in rivers down the windows, but the thunder and lightning terrified him. It was a new and altogether frightening experience for him, and he was sure it was something I was making happen. As he bounced off chairs, walls, forbidden surfaces, he would launch attacks on my leg in passing, biting if he could, or nearly taking me down with a flying tackle from behind. I managed to drop the Containment Blanket over him at one point, and held him in my arms with just his head sticking out as I spoke softly and comfortingly to him to calm him down. Even after the storm subsided, he was wound tight as a clock spring until bedtime arrived. Then, he dropped like a rock and slept straight through until 4 AM. We don't often get powerful storms here like this one, and I have to admit that had I not been intensely focused on trying to project a sense of security to my poor kitty, I might have been a little frightened myself.