First Step on Soft Ground

Stiff paws. Then, a slight shift. The wire cage stood quiet around me. Beneath my feet, the patterned blanket bunched up into soft folds. I tilted my head, testing the joint at my neck. Smooth. Deliberately, I pressed my right front paw down into a patch of blue fleece. It gave way softly under my weight, then pushed gently back. A quiet breath through my nose. I can move. Satisfied with the solid ground, I planted all four paws firmly in place, watching the dark bars.