Found the sweet spot!
Last night my husband came down the stairs and saw Sparky in his usual pose, lying in a tight circle on the rug in the middle of the entrance hall. But this time he'd managed to find the sweet spot, exactly in the center of the round rug.
He's always slept tightly curled up, as if conserving body heat. We suspect that before we got him, he'd been left outside on cold nights with no shelter. He also had a massive coat, despite the fact it was September. In fact, we thought at first he was much bigger, but after we brushed him a few times we discovered he was quite thin, weighing around 20 kilos.
He's put on weight now, despite stomach issues, and this house is never cold, but he still curls up to sleep like a little cold mouse.
This is his second Christmas with us. And I believe it's a much merrier Christmas than we'd have without him. (The squirrels may have a different opinion, as do the cats across the street who used to hunt in our garden. And the mailman, who is greeted with vociferous barking if he dares approach the door.)
I hope this holiday season finds all dogs and kitties well fed, warm, and snoozing contentedly on someone's rug. If you can, open your home to a foster dog or cat; you'll never regret it.
