Walk The Blues Away

We’re in the middle of winter. And I still feel blah. There are more days with grey skies than blue. The sun might grace us with its appearance for a few hours or if we’re lucky we may get a whole day of sunshine.Boredom has set in pretty much. The tv lost its excitement after a couple of months. I’ve knit so many little blankets for the Humane Society I’m all knit out. I’m stuck in a rut between finding something to do and actually having things to do outside.

While this winter’s weather has been a relatively easy (albeit still a struggle for someone challenged by s.a.d. (seasonal affective disorder) on top of clinical depression) I have not been one to go outside for a walk in the wintertime. But when you’re responsible for the emotional well being of your emotional support cat it definitely brings a challenge to the forefront. And I really need to consider someone other than myself.

The life of an adventurecat in Canada can be a challenge during the winter. When the lovely days of hanging out in the grass watching bugs or dogs walking by, parents with babies in stroller and little children on bicycles cease with the drop in mercury.

Last fall I upgraded the lightweight pet stroller for one made by the same company, PetGear, which has three sturdy knobby tires and comes with a weatherproof cover. My goal was to keep going on walks as long as I could into December and begin as early as possible the following spring. If there was a way to “shorten” my winter, I was certainly going to try.

With the mild winter we have had this year, Maisie and I have been able to get out in February for a total of six walks. This may not sound like many but it was 100% more than February the previous year. This meant we had the opportunity to break up a day and get fresh air at least once a week.

The process of preparing to go for a walk in winter is a lengthy one. First I have to put a harness on Maisie. There are some days where this is a big deal and only the use of a creamy cat treat can keep her attention diverted to where I can secure the harness around her midriff. (The IBD has always made her tummy a sensitive spot)
Then there is the addition of a sweater and a coat. These tasks are not the easiest with my spicy sassy firecracker who knows what she wants and what she will not tolerate (winter coats or hats). There have been times where I have given up at just putting on the sweater but I always bundle her under a mountain of blankets.

Along with the heavy duty stroller, I added a portable power bank powered heating pad. The investment of just $25 for the heating pad and $20 for the power bank provided warmth under the blanket where Maisie lays and allowed me to feel more at ease about going for walks on colder days. I still tried to avoid going out if the windchill was more than -8C (we are usually only out for a half hour and she was very cozy)

Since getting out benefits both our mental wellness, the purchases have been a win-win investment. With my mobility challenges, the exercise helps keep the blood flowing and the joints moving. The fresh air (and if we’re lucky a dose of natural vitamin D) is a great mood enhancer too. It’s an investment in Maisie’s mental health as well. Having an emotional support cat fighting the blues alongside the patient can make for some dark days.

While it may seem like “spring” is right around the corner because we’ve turned the calendar page to March, it will be weeks away from saying adios to winter and the blues. Just saying the word spring has such a good vibe to it even if we will still experience snow up until mid April here in SW Ontario.

Whereas our days used to run according to when temperatures were freezing and above, the Kat team will now be out in full force with the stroller for walks in colder temperatures. For now, I look forward to keeping an eye on the daily temperatures and planning a walk here and there to keep us from going completely stir-crazy.