If you just read the title and feel a little shocked then you’ll understand a little of how very shocked and amazed I really was when this event happened.  Let me also add that my human, that I call Papa, almost got me onto Santa’s naughty list.  It all started with a simple question from my human Papa.

Papa said “Stravyn do you want to go to a holiday tree lighting ceremony?”

Well I do love Christmas lights. My grandmaw decorates every year for me for the holidays when I visit her with Papa. “OK Papa!” I meow loudly. “But first let me put some holiday lights on my buggy.””How do they look, Papa?” I ask.

Papa and I arrived at the lighting ceremony very early. It was still daylight out and we had the whole place to ourselves. Or so I thought. More about that in a minute. The first thing I did was admire the amazing big, wide and tall Christmas tree.

I couldn’t believe how beautiful the tree was. You must understand that Papa and I live in what some people call The South(not the south pole of course) in a tropical, hot climate and every Christmas, for a month, we travel to Grandmaw’s house. Grandmaw lives Up North as Papa calls it. It is where I see festive lights and Christmas trees. I even have my very own pink Christmas tree.  Also “up north” is closer to where Santa lives at the North Pole. So as you can understand I am not used to seeing such trees here in the south.

As I was inspecting the large tree I saw many big round silver balls.  I could see my whole face. Whiskers and all in the reflection!  I noticed something round and red in the reflection of the ball also. “What is that?” I thought as I looked?

Suddenly my concentration was interrupted with a noise.  Normally I’m very alert to any noise or movement since I am a Tigress!  But there were these large, colorful, very shiny,  ceramic boxes right under my paws that I was in the middle of inspecting also!

I quickly looked up to see what made the noise since I thought Papa and I were still alone.

Someone was looking at my red buggy. “Hey that’s mine” I meowed loudly. As I yelled my eyes opened wide. There was another red buggy next to mine. It was so large and looked so fast!  Instinctively I jumped in it to inspect it more closely. It’s was as tall as me in the inside!

Papa jumped also to reach for me. “Stravyn that’s not yours!” He said. I thought to myself for a split second. “I don’t know why that’s important I am a cat what does it matter if it’s mine or not?”  Just then the person that was looking at MY buggy started to laugh. Well it was sort of a laugh. More like a cough. Then a “Oh Oh” and then a “Ho Ho.”  What a funny sound he made.

I think I saw him eating while he was laughing.  Sniff. Sniff. It looks like he was eating beef jerky but it smelled different to me. It sort of smelled like reindeer. But there is no reindeer here down south!  Is there such a thing as reindeer jerky? I quickly forgot about that thought.

As I mentioned before I live with my human in the south and it is very rarely cold here but this person was dressed in thick red pants and a large red coat. His belly bounced when he tried his laugh again.

I told him he was welcome to look at my buggy. I also tried to explain to him what Papa and I were doing since he sort of looked out of place here.

“This is a holiday ceremony. They will be lighting that large beautiful tree tonight with many lights.” I meowed.  He was listening to each and every meow that came out of my mouth.  His eyes seemed to say “tell me more.”  My papa just kept on staring at him with his mouth wide-open and not speaking.  Humans as so silly sometimes…Well most of the time!

“Follow me!” I meowed. “Let me show you around.”  I had seen a very special mailbox a few minutes ago and had to go put a letter in it. “This is where you send letters to Santa. The letters go in way up here at the top!”

I told the man “I was telling Papa that while no one was looking we could take out all the letters EXCEPT mine so Santa would have less letters to read. We cats are thoughtful that way.” I meowed.

He seemed to agree and said “Your so thoughtful and you know a lot about Santa don’t you.”  “Yes!” I meowed. I still wondered why Papa was just staring watching the nice man and I talk.

I had one more area to show my new friend. “This is where a helper of Santa sits and talks to children after the tree lighting ceremony tonight.” I meowed.  “Whoever sits here must really be large!” I meowed to the man. “Look how big the chair is!”

My new friend sort of laughed and asked me “A helper you say?  But why not the real Santa Claus?”  I explained that the real Santa Claus lives very far up north. Even up farther north then Grandmaw lives. A place called the North Pole.  He would never come this far south unless it’s Christmas or he’s on vacation hehe” I chuckled. It must really be hot out because after I said this my Papa just looked like he was about to faint!

I better get Papa home I thought.  I meowed to the the nice man “I have to leave and take my Papa home but can I please sit in your red buggy once more and I’ll show you how I could make it go real fast!” He replied “Of course.”  I jumped in and showed him how I would lean over the front of his giant red buggy and make it go real, real fast.” You have to hold on very tight like this!” I meowed and showed him!

He looked amazed and he laughed. He made a Ho Ho Ho sound and his belly jiggled again. “Do you want to race!” I meowed. I love to go fast in my buggy.

He said “Well My sleigh is very fast.” I just laughed at this large man with the big red buggy. “I’ll show him!” I thought. I jumped in my red buggy and got ready to race.

Then the man sort of leaped into his red buggy. Wait did he just call it a sleigh??? A burst of wind came out of no where and a loud whoosh sound rang out. I jumped up into Papa’s arms. And  Papa looked to the place where the mans buggy was a second ago.  Wait!! Not a buggy.  His sleigh I mean!! I was shocked!

Papa and I both looked up!  “That was the real Santa Claus!” I meowed this to Papa. Then Papa just gave me a kiss and said “I know Stravyn! He must be on his way to pay somebody else a special visit just like the one he gave to us!”

Just then I realized it was nighttime and the tree lit up!! Merry Christmas to all!!!

Any questions feel free to reach me or my papa at Tigress@Stravyn.com and please read our earlier blogs. The links are below!