Santa Wanted to Fill the Stocking. A Tiny Face Was Already in It.
Only a small face is showing, and it may be the sweetest one in the house. A pale kitten with dark brown ears and a darker nose and bright blue eyes has tucked itself into an oversized knitted stocking, red at the bottom and cream at the cuff. The cuff folds around its neck like a snug scarf. Behind the stocking, a couch with pale blue blankets, a wicker basket, and a few sprigs of greenery on the floor complete the cozy scene.
Cats love enclosed spaces, and for good reason. A snug spot makes them feel hidden and safe, and it holds in body heat. That is why boxes, bags, and baskets are so popular, and why a stocking that happens to be large enough gets claimed immediately. Kittens with this pointed pattern, dark on the ears, face, and paws, often have blue eyes, a combination seen in several breeds. If you want to give a kitten a hiding place, a cardboard box with a cut-out door is cheap and safe, and a quiet nook gives a nervous newcomer a way to settle in.
Our little stocking stuffer, perhaps called Mittens, looks perfectly content to stay put and watch the world through those round eyes. If Santa comes by to fill the stocking, he will have quite the surprise. The best gift this year already arrived.
