The Saddest Kitten Read online

  For all the perfect shelter cats and their amazing owners

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  About Holly Webb

  Copyright

  Isla pushed away her plate, leaned her chin on her hand and sighed. “You’re so lucky,” she told Hailey over the noise of the school dinner hall. “I wish we could adopt a kitten.”

  “I don’t see why you couldn’t have one,” said Hailey. “You love cats – you always play with Pickle when you come round to mine and he really likes you.”

  Pickle was Hailey’s beautiful black cat and Isla loved making a fuss of him. He even sat on her lap sometimes, when she and Hailey watched TV. Then Isla would sit like a statue, hoping he’d stay.

  She shook her head sadly. “I’ve asked my mum and dad loads of times, but they always say no – Mum thinks Chloe and Sienna are too young. They’re only four and she says they’d chase a kitten around too much.”

  Hailey scraped out the last of her yogurt, looking thoughtful. “I suppose they might. But we’ve had Pickle since before I was born. I don’t think I ever chased him. Maybe Max did? I don’t remember it, though.”

  “Yeah, but Max is sensible,” Isla pointed out. “Chloe and Sienna are … not.”

  “They aren’t that bad!” Hailey said, giggling.

  “Yesterday they climbed up the shelves in the dining room and tipped a whole bottle of yellow poster paint all over the carpet. Mum says it’s never coming out. Now isn’t the time to suggest we get a kitten as well.” Isla made a face. “So how does it work? Do you go to the animal shelter and check out lots of kittens? That must be so hard. I’m not sure I’d be able to choose!”

  “The shelter has a website,” Hailey explained. “We looked at pictures of them last night. There are loads – I loved the black and white ones, but they’re going to be rehomed in pairs. The shelter likes to do that, so they’ll be with a friend. But we only want one kitten because we’ve already got Pickle.”

  “Oh, I see. But will they let you have just one?”

  “Oh yes. There are three ginger and white kittens, so we could have one of those. And there’s a tabby kitten with really long fur – she doesn’t have any brothers or sisters. I’m hoping we can have her – she’s so pretty.”

  “Oh wow, I love tabby-striped cats!” Isla bounced a little in her chair. “So when are you going to decide?”

  “Someone from the shelter’s coming round today, Mum said. They have to do a home visit to check that we’ll be good cat owners. They want to see if the road outside the house is too busy and that sort of thing.”

  “But you’ve already got Pickle,” Isla pointed out. “And he’s so lovely and friendly. That ought to prove you’re good cat owners.”

  Hailey nodded. “I said that! But Mum says they have to make sure.” She frowned. “I hope it’s OK. I don’t think our road’s that busy, do you?”

  Isla shook her head. Hailey lived two doors down from her and their road was quite narrow – cars always went down it really slowly. “I’ve seen Pickle sitting in the middle of the road before,” she pointed out. “He glares at the cars and they have to stop and wait for him to move. He couldn’t do that if they were going fast.”

  Hailey grinned. “I know. Mum says she was right to name him Pickle – he’s so naughty!”

  “Do you think he’s going to be OK, having another cat in the house?” Isla asked.

  “Of course he will!” Hailey stared at her. “Mum and Dad already had another cat when they first got Pickle – he was fine. And you just said he was lovely and friendly!”

  Isla blinked. Hailey sounded almost cross. “Yeah, I know he is, but cats like their own space, don’t they? Pickle thinks your house is his house. What if he doesn’t want another cat to share it?”

  “He won’t be like that,” Hailey said firmly. “He’ll love having a kitten around. Mum said it’s going to give him a new lease of life – he’ll enjoy playing with the kitten and he won’t spend the whole day sleeping like he does now.”

  “Sleeping in the middle of the road,” Isla giggled.

  That afternoon, after school, Isla and Hailey were going to walk home with Hailey’s mum and her younger brother Max, who was in the year below them. Isla’s mum and Hailey’s mum took it in turns to do the school run since they lived so close to each other.

  Hailey dashed across the playground to find her mum as soon as they were let out and Isla hurried after her.

  “Mum! Did the person from the shelter come round today? What did they say?” Hailey demanded, throwing her arms round her mum’s middle.

  “Hello, sweetheart. Did you have a good day? Hi, Isla.” Hailey’s mum smiled at her.

  “Mum! The cat person! What happened?”

  “Well, she said the road was fine and it was good that we had a garden. She was a bit worried about Pickle, but—Oh, there’s Max!”

  Hailey and Isla exchanged worried glances as Hailey’s mum stopped to wave at Max and then admire the star sticker on the worksheet he was showing her.

  “What did the lady say about Pickle, Mum?” Hailey broke in eventually as her mum was making sure that Max had brought all of his PE kit home to be washed.

  “Oh! Sorry, Hailey. She said sometimes an older cat finds it hard to get used to sharing with a new kitten, but I explained that Pickle is super chilled. How he never fights with any of the other cats in the street and he’s very friendly.”

  “That’s what I said to Isla,” Hailey agreed, nodding.

  “He doesn’t even mind that little ginger cat from down the road sitting in our garden,” Hailey’s mum went on. “So I told her all that and she said in that case he’d probably be fine. But we have to introduce them to each other carefully and give them their own space for the first few days. It was all very sensible.”

  “So … she said yes? We can have a kitten?” Hailey hugged her mum again and then Max hugged her too.

  Isla watched, trying not to feel a little envious. She was glad for Hailey – but Hailey and Max already had Pickle and he was gorgeous! Now they were getting a kitten too? It was hard not to be just a tiny bit jealous…

  Hailey’s mum was laughing. “Yes! I called your dad and we agreed we’d go to the shelter tomorrow morning and have a look.”

  Hailey nodded eagerly. “I hope no one’s adopted that tabby kitten!”

  The tabby kitten padded across the wooden floor, her ears flickering. She was very confused. Until today, she had been sharing a pen with three ginger and white kittens, a brother and two sisters. They’d curled up in the same basket, squabbled over food and chased each other’s tails. There had been people too, bringing them their meals and cleaning up the pen, but she hadn’t noticed them all that much.

  Now everything had changed and she didn’t understand what was happening. There were no more ginger and white kittens. She was alone in a big room, with a new bed that smelled strange and a food bowl that seemed to be just for her. She curled up in the clean-smelling bed, feeling very small and very alone.

  There was another cat somewhere, though. She was sure of it. She could smell it and, when the people had first brought her into the house in that odd, jolting carrier, she had heard a cat. There had been mewing as it was bundled away into another room.

  The little kitten huddled closer to the cushioned side of the bed and stared wide-eyed at the door. The handle was rattling. Someone was coming in!

  Two someones – a woman and a girl. They had come to top up her
food bowl and bring her fresh water, and then the girl sat down on the floor by her basket and made squeaky noises, gently patting her knees and whispering. The kitten eyed her anxiously.

  “Don’t scare her, Hailey.”

  “I’m not! I just wanted to stroke her.”

  “OK, but you know they said we had to take it slowly. Besides, we probably smell like Pickle to her. I expect she’s confused.”

  The kitten watched them talk, her eyes darting from person to person. The girl was very close and that worried her, but she did sound gentle. And the food smelled good – it was making her hungry. Cautiously, she sat up and crawled to the edge of the basket.

  “Let her get at the food, Hailey. Move back a bit. I think she’s nervous about going past you.”

  The kitten twitched her tail as the girl moved, but she was only backing away so that was all right. She kept watching the girl as she went over to the bowl, gulping down the food with one eye on the people all the time. There was definitely another cat – she could smell it on them. A boy cat who’d lived here a long time, she thought. His scent was everywhere. This was his house.

  The kitten finished the bowl of food and sipped a little water. She was feeling sleepy now and the girl had been so quiet all the time she was eating. Perhaps it was safe to go and have a look at her? A bit of a sniff?

  She padded slowly forwards, keeping her bottom and tail nervously low. She was ready to leap back at once if either of them made any sudden movements. But they didn’t. The girl was so still, she was hardly even breathing.

  The kitten sniffed at her shoe and then started to climb, slowly and carefully, up on to her foot. The girl felt warm and her trousers were soft. The kitten slumped sideways against her crossed legs and yawned.

  Just then the door creaked a little, sliding slowly inwards, and the kitten’s eyes widened. What was happening? Who was coming in now?

  “Mum! You didn’t shut the door!” the girl yelped, leaning protectively over the kitten, reaching for her.

  The kitten saw the big hands coming and quivered with fright. She didn’t know where to run. Where was safe? She squeaked in dismay and then her fur stood up all over as a huge black cat stalked into the room.

  It was him – the one this house belonged to – and he was angry! His ears were flattened right back, as though he was ready for a fight, and he was hissing loudly.

  The kitten tucked her bottlebrush tail right underneath her and scurried in terror for the shelter of her basket – the only safe place she knew. She watched, her heart hammering, as the woman hurried across the room, swept the big black cat up in her arms and carried him out. He was still hissing furiously and the kitten huddled in her basket – even the air felt angry. What was she doing here, in someone else’s home?

  “Did you get her? Did you choose the tabby kitten? Can I come and see her after school?” Isla asked eagerly as soon as she opened the door to Hailey. She dragged on her coat and called, “Bye, Mum!”

  Isla’s mum was watching Sienna and Chloe eat breakfast. Their nursery started later than school and it was a bit much to expect Hailey’s mum or dad to take them as well. She hurried out of the kitchen to say goodbye, waving to Hailey’s dad at the end of the path. “Have you got your homework folder, Isla?”

  “Yup. See you later! Oh, Mum, can I pop in and see Hailey’s new kitten on the way home? If that’s OK with them? I can ask her dad.”

  “Yes – but don’t be too long. Have a good day!” Her mum straightened Isla’s coat – it was tricky to get it on just right sometimes.

  “So did you choose the tabby kitten?” Isla asked again as they went to the gate. “I’ve been thinking about you all weekend. I really wanted to come round yesterday but we were visiting my gran.”

  “Yes. She’s beautiful,” Hailey said proudly. “We chose her on Saturday and then went to pick her up that afternoon. Once we’d got food bowls and a basket and things.”

  “Would it be OK if I came and saw her after school?” Isla said pleadingly.

  “That’s fine, isn’t it, Dad, for Isla to come over later?” Hailey asked. “But can I show her some of the photos on your phone now?”

  “Not right this minute,” said Hailey’s dad. “Max is already halfway up the road. Let’s get to school first and then Isla can look. You must have taken about fifty photos already, so it might take a while!”

  Hailey sighed, but her dad just grinned at her and shooed them on. When they got to the school playground, he pulled out his phone and Hailey took it eagerly.

  “Oh, she’s so gorgeous,” Isla murmured as Hailey started to scroll through the photos. The kitten was a tabby, with long silky fur and perfect little white boots on all four paws. “Are you keeping her in the dining room then?” she asked – all the photos seemed to be by chair legs or half under the table.

  “Yes – the people at the shelter said it was the best thing to do in the beginning because we already have another cat. We keep Silky in one room—”

  “Silky! Is that what you’re calling her? Because of her lovely long fur?”

  Hailey nodded. “She really is silky,” she said, smiling down at the photo on the screen. The kitten was gazing out at them with big blue-green eyes. “Her fur’s so soft. She’s in the dining room and Pickle’s supposed to smell her through the door and get used to her scent and not feel too threatened. Then we’ll gradually introduce them to each other until they become friends.” Hailey sighed. “That’s the plan, anyway.”

  “Isn’t it working?”

  “Ummm, not really. Mum forgot to shut the dining-room door on Saturday afternoon – she says it was me but it definitely wasn’t! Then Pickle came in while we were trying to get to know Silky and he was furious. He was lashing his tail and hissing – I’ve never heard him make a noise like that. It was really scary! Mum had to grab him and take him out or I really think he might have jumped on Silky.”

  Hailey’s nose scrunched up and she frowned. “He scratched Mum as she was carrying him out of the door and he never scratches. We’re supposed to bring Pickle into the dining room for a few minutes every day. But when we tried it yesterday, Silky ran behind Max’s drum kit and wouldn’t come out, and Pickle stomped up and down in front of the drums, hissing and spitting like anything.”

  “It’ll be OK, Hailey,” her dad said reassuringly. “They just need a little more time. Pickle’s ten, you know. He hasn’t shared a house with another cat since we had Marmalade, but that was years ago. And then it was Marmalade who was in charge and Pickle was the kitten. He’s not sure what’s going on but he’ll get used to it.”

  Hailey nodded. “I know. But I don’t like seeing him so cross. And I hate it that Silky’s so scared. When she can’t hear Pickle hissing outside the room, she’s really sweet and friendly, but even hearing him sniffing at the door makes her nervous.”

  “Poor Silky. Poor both of them,” Isla said sympathetically.

  “I just want them to be friends,” Hailey said. “Before Silky came, I imagined them snuggling up together on the sofa, and sleeping in the same basket.” She sighed again and handed the phone back to her dad. “But Dad’s right. They just need time to get used to each other.”

  Hailey’s dad put the phone back in his pocket. “Don’t worry. They’ll be curled up together on the sofa in no time.”

  Isla peered under the table and flicked the piece of string she was holding. She giggled as the little tabby kitten settled into a hunting crouch, her tail swishing from side to side. She watched for a few seconds and then leaped on the string with fierce growls. Silky was so small and bouncy – she could fling herself around like a rubber ball, squirming and wriggling with the string.

  “She’s so sweet!” Isla whispered to Hailey.

  “I know,” Hailey said proudly. “I love her – she’s really funny.”

  Hailey’s mum edged carefully round the side of the door, obviously trying to stop Pickle getting in. She had a food bowl in her hand and, the moment she p
ut it down on the plastic mat, the kitten danced over to it, the string still trailing round her back paws.

  “She’s forgotten about it!” Isla giggled.

  “Do you two want to come and have some strawberry milk?” Hailey’s mum asked. “I got some as a treat.”

  Isla would have preferred to stay and watch Silky for a bit longer, but it seemed rude to say no, so she followed Hailey and her mum into the kitchen. Pickle was still sitting outside the dining-room door and he tried to sneak in as they came out.

  “Come on, Pickle.” Hailey’s mum scooped him up in her arms. “You can have your tea too.” But as soon as she put him down on the kitchen floor by his bowl, Pickle marched straight back out again and began to pace up and down by the dining-room door. The fur on his back was standing up in spikes, so he looked like a dinosaur. A hissing, angry black dinosaur cat, who didn’t know what had happened to his house.

  Isla only picked at her tea. She wasn’t that keen on tomato pasta anyway, but she usually ate it. Today she just didn’t feel hungry. She couldn’t stop thinking about Pickle and Silky. The tabby kitten was so beautiful and Hailey’s mum had said she’d been found outside a shop, abandoned in a cardboard box by the bins. She deserved to have some good luck now, after such a sad start. She needed a lovely home and Hailey’s house would be one, if it wasn’t for Pickle.

  It wasn’t Pickle’s fault, though. He’d been living with Hailey and her family for years and years, and now suddenly everything had changed and he was just supposed to put up with it. That wasn’t really fair.

  When Isla left Hailey’s house to walk back home, Pickle had been sitting on the front wall. He still had spiky fur all along his spine and his tail was twice its normal size. He did not look happy. Isla had tried to cheer him up, making lots of kissy noises and scratching him under the chin.