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Our kitten. Darcy smiled– it sounded so good. She watched as Mum settled the cat carrier on the back seat between her and Will. Darcy could just see the kitten through the spaces in the sides. He was huddled up in a little ball at the end and he didn’t look very happy.

“It’s OK,” Darcy whispered as Mum started the car. “I expect you don’t like being shut up in there. But we’ll be home soon and then you can get out.”

From inside the carrier, the kitten heard her whispering, but he didn’t know what she meant. He didn’t like this. The carrier had been swinging about and now it was moving strangely, so that his insides felt like they were being left behind. The car lurched to a stop and the carrier juddered. The kitten slid forwards with a little mew of fright.

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The carrier had a soft blanket on the bottom, folded up like a cushion. He remembered a blanket like that from the crate back at the shelter. It was soft and warm, and inside it would be dark. He’d feel safe in there, he decided. He patted at the edge of the blanket with his claws, ruffling it up into a fold so he could sneak underneath. It made a cosy little cave and he crept inside.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_9]

“I don’t think he liked being in the car,” Darcy said, looking worriedly at the small hump of blanket that was the kitten. “He mewed when we had to stop at the lights and then he hid in the blanket.” They had put the carrier down in the corner of the kitchen but the kitten didn’t seem to want to come out.

“Poor little thing,” Mum said, crouching down to look at the rumpled blanket. “I did try to drive as slowly as I could. But I suppose he’s never been in a car before. He’ll be OK soon. Right now, though, I think we need to be patient and just leave him alone.”

Darcy nodded. She knew Mum was right, even though she was desperate to play with the kitten. Jesse had told them that the kittens had been born at the shelter after their mum had been found abandoned. They’d never been anywhere else. Their kitten must feel like everything was different and scary. No wonder he wanted to stay wrapped up in a blanket.

“Maybe he’ll come out if we put down food for him?” Will suggested hopefully.

“He’s in a blanket!” Darcy pointed out. “He won’t see the food.”

“But he might be able to smell it,” Mum said thoughtfully. “It’s worth a try. We want him to like being here, so feeding him would be a good start.”

She fetched the bag of kitten food and shook some of the little biscuits into the kitten’s new bowl. It rattled as the biscuits fell in and Darcy saw the blanket twitch.

The kitten was thinking. He knew that noise and he was hungry. But outside the warm, safe cocoon of blanket there were different smells and the oddness of being away from his mother and the other kittens. Did he want to come out?

He wasvery hungry, though. He could smell the food now– the scent was creeping across the kitchen and it was making him feel even hungrier. His nose poked out from under the fold of blanket and he eyed the open door of the carrier. He could see the bowl right there, with the girl and boy sitting on the floor behind it.

When they saw him watching, the girl patted the boy’s arm and they edged backwards, leaving a bit more space between them and the bowl. That was better. It wasn’t quite as scary if they weren’t so close.

The kitten stumbled out over the folds of blanket and stood hesitantly in the doorway of the carrier. Then he crept over to the bowl and started to eat, keeping one eye on the children. It seemed ages since he’d last been fed and there was a good bowlful here. He had to go more slowly towards the end and he even left a few biscuits. He then sat down heavily and ran his paw over his whiskers.

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He could see the children looking at him. They seemed a lot less frightening now that they’d been sitting still for so long and he was feeling much better after the food, although he was a bit sleepy. Thoughtfully, he padded towards them and sniffed at the girl’s hands. She was less scary than the boy since she kept so very still. The smaller boy wriggled. The girl didn’t move, even when the kitten licked at her fingers – she shivered a little, that was all.

The kitten sat down. He was very full and he was getting sleepy, and the girl’s foot was in just the right place for his chin to lean on. He slumped against her and then, seconds later, he let out a tiny kitten snore.

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“Oh, Charlie! Where’s your collar gone?”

“Not another one!” Mum turned round and Darcy held up the kitten to show her. Charlie nuzzled happily against her fingers.

“Look – no collar.”

“I don’t know how he does it.” Mum stared at Charlie and shook her head. “Monster,” she said lovingly. “It’s lucky I bought you a spare last time, isn’t it? Hold on to him a minute, Darcy, I’ll get the new one.”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_13]