Promise has always loved the snow. As soon as the first flakes fall, she's bursting with energy and heads out into the garden to run, play... and most of all, go sledging with her family. It has become a real winter ritual for them.
When she's not sharing the sledge with her owner, Mary, Promise has no problem pulling it up the hill all by herself. But this year, a completely unexpected guest joined in on the fun: Whisper, the family cat.
A crazy Christmas idea
It all started a few days before Christmas. While Mary was out buying a new sledge for Promise, a slightly crazy idea popped into her head. What if Whisper, her adventurous rescue cat, gave it a try too?
“We decided to get him one too, just in case he was interested,” explains Mary. Unable to find a sledge that was the right size, she opted for an original solution: a simple litter tray.
Back at home, Whisper immediately climbed into the litter tray to inspect it. Mary then attached a lead to it, which Promise promptly grabbed, just as she would with a real sledge.
“Promise was dragging him all over the house,” she recalls.
An unlikely sledging team is born
This wasn't Whisper's first thrilling experience. “He’s learning to skateboard and often travels around in my jacket, so he’s very used to being on the move and he enjoys it,” Mary adds.
Promise and Whisper usually play by taking turns pulling each other around. But seeing how relaxed the cat was in his makeshift sledge, Mary decided to try the experiment outside. She settled Whisper into the litter tray, placed it on the snow, and Promise immediately grabbed the lead. Without a moment's hesitation, the dog pulled her little passenger all the way to the top of her favourite hill.
Once at the top, Promise carefully positioned the litter tray. She gave Whisper a reassuring lick, placed the lead beside him, and then gently nudged the 'sledge' with her muzzle to send him sliding down the slope.
Throughout the entire descent, Promise looked delighted. Whisper, on the other hand, remained stoic. “He was incredibly calm,” confides Mary. “His reaction was mostly mild curiosity, and probably a bit of annoyance when Promise accidentally tipped him over. He would just look at her as if to say, ‘Really?’ before climbing back in.”
The sledging session continued for a while longer, much to their owner's amusement. Mary admits that seeing Promise play with a sledge reminds her of her former dog, Secret, who also adored the snow. But sharing this passion with a cat was something she never expected.
Once they were tired out, Promise and Whisper went inside to warm up and fell asleep together. They have been friends since Whisper was rescued at just two weeks old, so their bond was already strong. This experience has only made it stronger.
