Via Nocturna*PL and Mighty Minikitten Lilith: Lilith presents

Those feared words... winter is coming... the iceage. No more eternal warmth of the sun and no more laying in its rays on the balcony but moving inside to sit next to a radiator to struggle through the cold times. Winter. It comes every year. Sometimes earlier, sometimes later. But it comes. Just like taxes you pay for the government.

As winter is still some time away, I gathered for you a small survival guide to make your preparations for the ultimate survival. This year... we are prepared!

1. Gather some excess body mass around your organs. The fat keeps the heat inside better than being skinny.

Bony and thin orientals... this is not ok for winter

Nice, round Mr.Elb. Note the excess body mass that has been developed just for the sole purpose of protecting the vulnerable insides.

2. Prepare your nest. It is good to have a nice hiding place prepared for yourself, where you can hide from the cold and darkness. Just any nest wont do, as it is important to first of all test drive your hiding place properly. This is why it is good to start early, as every nest wont be suitable for the purpose.

Not suitable nest - even the plants give good feng shui, they do not provide much protection against the harsh winter conditions.

Not suitable - The nest, even as it appears nice and fluffy and warm, is not enough as there is no walls on the roof to protect from being snowed in.

Approved - even not made out of cardboard (my favorite building material), this nest will do. Note also NanoSurgat carrying wool inside the nest to insulate it better against the cold spell.

Also approved - sleeping on top of a PC that is on. It radiates a lot of warmth.

3. Stashing up with food ingredients is also important. You never know if it gets too cold (below +20c) and you just simply cannot go outside. What then ? The food wont just walk inside your home (unless you use the pizza delivery guy).

Durotan stashing pretzels for the winter

4. Prepare some entertainment for yourself. The winter lasts 10months out of a year (at least that is how it feels!), so it is better to prepare to spend the time somehow, sleeping is good hobby, but too much of sleeping might get bit too boring.

Playing Tortilla is a good thing at winter and will keep you warm inside the blankets. You can always take your favorite toys with you inside the tortilla. Here A-A is demonstrating how to make a nice tortilla.

Also Game of Thrones - Who gets to sleep on the best place in house - is a good thing during the winter. Just remember, you might loose your seat if you leave it unattended even for a moment.

And if nothing else, you can always watch football (ps. the TV radiates a lot of heat!)

5. Prepare mentally for the winter. It is better to be physically (see mr. Elb) and mentally prepared for the dark days ahead. You can make some winter test drives at home by making some snowflakes and see how it is.