When We Were Kittens. David Greagg

      Spent most of the day on the roof. It was good in the sun but I fell asleep and had to jump down in the dark onto the table out the back. Man shifted the chair for me so I'd have plenty of room to jump down, but I get scared jumping down. Come on, Dougal! I could hear him saying.

      I walked back and forward along the roof but it was the same distance down no matter where I was. Come on, Dougal, I told myself. You can do it! So I jumped into the dark and felt the table under my paws. I don't understand why I land with such a thump. Shadow seems to land softly, even though she's heavier than I am nowadays.

      I snuggled up against Man's paw and he took me into the Food Room. Everyone else had already had dinner and I looked piteously at Man. His lips moved sideways like they do when they want to tell you they love you, and he lifted down a plate with food on it that he'd kept on the stove hidden from my sister. None of us walk on the Hot Place if we can help it ever since Shadow almost put her paw in a hot dish there. So it's the best place to hide stuff. I sat down to eat in comfort.

      Mrowl? I heard my sister say behind me. I sighed and prepared to have her greedy little nose come between me and my dinner, but Man picked her up and cuddled her so I could finish my meal in peace. I left a bit for her, though.

      October

      1

      It's cold and wet again. I looked meaningfully at Man and at the Big Warm, hoping he'd bring it out again but he didn't. Shadow and I chased each other up and down the passage for a while and then my sister climbed up onto the Big Wooden Box where Man keeps his clothes. She likes being up there sometimes. I don't know if I could manage to climb up the way she does. She just launches herself at the bare wall and somehow scrabbles up to the top and hangs on with her front paws. Then she hauls up the rest of her and settles down there for day-long naps. She's very strong and I wouldn't fancy trying it myself. I think she needs somewhere she can go where I can't follow her.

      I can understand that because when I sit on the chair next door I'd like to have it to myself, except that she comes and wants to share it and I finish up giving her a cuff on her ears. I'm hoping if I leave her alone when she needs Personal Space she'll do the same for me.

      2

      Maybe it's working! She slept on the Wooden Box and I slept on next door's chair. I saw her little face poke out our front door once but I looked away and she didn't bother me again until later in the day, when I came back and sat out front of our house. Then there was a little prrt? of greeting and my sister walked up to me. We touched noses and washed each other's faces. I think by then we'd both had enough Personal Space and wanted company again.

      3

      Man did a lot of changing stuff around today. I followed him round to see what he was doing but I couldn't see any sense in it. There isn't as much stuff in our room now. I preferred it when there was.

      4

      Woe!!! I could have sworn Man had given up putting gunk on the backs of our necks! He did it again. I know my sister has fleas but I don't because I sleep under the tansy. It's not fair.

      5

      Okay, maybe I'm fooling myself. Man combed my fur today and I didn't enjoy it at all but he pinned me down with his paw and combed out a lot of loose fur. Then he showed me all the fur and there really were a lot of fleas in there. Sigh.

      6

      The birds in our trees are getting very excited. What they're so excited about I have no idea, but it's probably because we're heading into summer and they're talking about all the fun things they're going to do. I'm just guessing, of course. I only got a few words here and there, and I don't really speak Bird.

      7

      A good day. My sister and I played together early, spent some time apart during the day and got back together in the evening.

      Man brushed my fur again and I wasn't happy, but everything else went well.

      8

      Belladonna actually told me I should stop being a sook today! I could hardly believe my ears. I was complaining to Man about the quality of my munchies and all of a sudden I see her staring at me. She was sitting next to Woman at the table in the Food Room where she has a special place where no-one else is allowed to be, and she stretched out her paws reflectively and narrowed both eyes at me. She looked a bit scary and I asked what was wrong.

      You complain too much, she said.

      I felt like saying look who's talking but somehow I just didn't get around to it. I didn't think she would take that well and I might get a cuff on the ear.

      Man loves you and he gives you everything you could possibly want, she told me. Appreciate the fact that you're getting an amazingly good deal in this house.

      So I had a bit of a wash and looked at her again. I thought you said we cats should always expect the best? When I said that she looked away for a while.

      Look, you need to be more grateful, she said. You haven't purred at him for days now. He must be wondering what he's done wrong. It's what you do, Dougal. So why don't you do it?

      I had another wash and had a little think. It has been days, hasn't it? All I've done lately is accept food, walks, grooming and all that. I have been, in truth, a Bad Cat. So I purred all over him and he scritched my head beautifully and we all felt better, and Belladonna went back to sleep.

      9

      Another cold, wet day, but it got better in the evening. We went for a short walk up the road and back and the most amazing thing happened. Outside Red Cat One's house we saw what I thought was him, on a leash, tied up outside his house! We couldn't believe it. It was dark, but he looked very sad and sorry for himself.

      Shadow went and touched noses with him and came back to me looking thoughtful. You know what? she told me. I know it's Red Cat One's house but it isn't him.

      I stared at her and then at the poor cat, still tied up to a post in the middle of one of those little garden things we have along our road. Then who is it? I asked.

      Red Cat Two, she said. Look at him. His markings are different and he's bigger.

      Well, I didn't see how that could possibly be true. Red Cat Two is completely crazy. Look for yourself, she said, and sat down by the side of the road to consider the situation. Then I went up to him and he looked at me, but he didn't move. I sniffed at him and he sniffed back, but all the fight had gone out of him.

      

I asked if there was anything we could do and he just said, Get me out of this! And then he turned away.

      I looked up at Man and you could see he wasn't sure what to do either, but he bent over to stroke him. Red Cat Two shrank away at first, but then he let Man caress his fur, which he'd never let anyone do before. Suddenly Man went home at a fast walk. We didn't know what to do so we followed him.

      Do you think Man will let him go? I asked. Shadow said she hoped not. She's still scared of him.

      Man went into the house and came back with a bowl of water and a plate of food. We followed him back to Red Cat Two who was still there all tied up. Man put the bowl and the dish down in the garden next to him and this time he let Man stroke his fur properly. He wouldn't eat or drink, but I could see him calming down. I could see his point. If he was going to be tied up at least he was going to get food and water.

      So we went on our way and finished our walk in peace. When we settled down on our bed Shadow came and curled up with me.

      I