Purr...Brrr!!

Yesterday's day-long snowfall here was not well-received by the inhabitants of our house. It's too early in the fall for the fluffy white stuff to be coming down, especially since it hasn't even been six months since our last spring snowfall! I am intellectually capable of knowing that this snow won't last and that we will have some more warm days before winter is here to stay. The cats, however, don't like what is going on at all.
Last winter Smokey and Russ became "inside" cats after it got cold out. I felt sorry for them, and they so appreciated the warmth and coziness of being in the house. We adjusted to being a 5-cat household--even though Snickers, Jazz, and Crunchy didn't much like having new siblings.
When spring finally came, the two "outsiders" were eager to get out and explore again after the long winter--and Crunchy was allowed to go out for the first time, too. For five months now, they have been indoor-outdoor cats. All three have spent whole nights and even weekends outside if we were gone. I would hear them at the door if they wanted to come in, and we were all happy with the arrangement.
Yesterday, however, brought a forgotten wrinkle in their collective cat consciousness. Smokey came inside covered with snow after being out all night--meowing pitifully, like "How could you leave me out there??!" Russ sat at the door wanting to go out as I assured her that it wasn't a good idea. She was insistent, though, so I opened the screen door and she stuck her nose out, sniffing the cold air--then retreated a little as a wet flake landed on it. Gathering her feline fortitude, she delicately put a paw onto the snow-covered porch--then looked back at me with a "what the heck is this?" expression on her face. She did go out, though, and awhile later Crunchy went through the same ritual.
They were in and out all day, like little kids wanting to play in the snow and then changing their minds. I could see out the window that much of their outside time was spent underneath the car!
Unlike their outside peers, Jazz enjoyed the day sitting on the heat vent, while Snickers burrowed in a fleece blanket on the bed. I think they had the better ideas.