When We Were Kittens. David Greagg

inside it, and then sitting on top of it. The plastic crinkles just like the Cat Castle did when we were kittens and before it shrank so much that I can only fit my head in it now. So now I have a new, proper-sized one and I can hide in there and play Ambush with my sister.

      12

      No mice at all today. Belladonna has gone back to sleeping on one of the chairs for most of the day. I don't know why she knows so much about what happens here because she seems to spend most of her life asleep. Maybe the Crows talk to her in her dreams.

      It rained a lot today so we stayed inside.

      13

      It keeps raining. I am on top of the big Cat Castle outside, just thinking. Man keeps coming out to see if I want to come in but I don't seem to. I don't know what I want, actually. I think I want the rain to stop. Man went out and had fun while we stared at the rain.

      When he came home again he fed us and played with his Picture Box until I cried outside his window to tell him it had stopped raining. He took us for our walk and then he gave me the Plastic Tube Of Happy. *PUUURRR!*

      14

      It finally stopped raining today so we had a long walk through the Huge Buildings. I think my sister enjoys it more than I do. It's scary and exciting at the same time.

      There were a lot of birds there and they sounded scared too, so I didn't go near them and neither did my sister. Maybe she was thinking about the crows and their big pointy beaks.

      15

      We went around the Other Walk tonight and got barked at! But we weren't really scared because we had Man with us and the dogs were all locked up in their houses.

      16

      It's cold and wet again. Short Walk tonight, and my sister complained most of the way. Well, you could always stay home if you like, I told her.

      What??? she said. Sometimes she just complains for the sake of it, I think.

      17

      More rain, but it held off enough for us to go on our First Walk. There were two other cats but they stayed on their side of the fence and Man called us past them and then we had munchies. I like the way all the local cats except Red Cat Two seem to have got the idea. Here we are - nothing to see here, really - we do this nearly every night - just passing through.

      We don't annoy them and they don't annoy us.

      18

      Wet again. I mean me, because I got stuck outside in the rain. When I came in, Man stroked me and I had munchies. Is it just my imagination or was there really more hot around when we were kittens?

      Wonderful big walk tonight; even further than ever. So many strange and wonderful smells! We saw Red Cat Two but he saw Man had the Squirter Of Dogs so he stayed under his car and we went safely on our way. Then we met a new cat and she hissed at me, but we all went into our polite standoff positions: me on the footpath, Shadow under a car, and the little girl cat defending her territory. When Man called us, we followed and nobody had to get squirted at all.

      19

      Didn't do much today. I think we were tired out from our big walk last night. I wasn't bored and I don't think Shadow was either. She just sat on top of Man's clothes box and slept the day away. It's sometimes hard to tell how happy she is, but she wasn't grumpy when she got down so I think she had a good day.

      20

      It's warm and still and the sun is shining through the trees; a peaceful day. Man brought home a new Picture Box which has a big picture on it of a kitten lying down on the plastic tapping part. I just saw Shadow touch noses with the kitten as if it was real. So sweet!

      This Picture Box is much thinner so, especially after Man put the other one out the front of our house, I thought there would be more room for us to sit up there on the table and keep Man company. But he put all these other things there and so we can't. Anyone would think he didn't want us to help him do whatever it is he does there.

      21

      It's almost hot today. Man took us around the Other Block again and we didn't hear from The Dog in the Sky. I hope he's gone away because he is very big and fierce.

      22

      Man is spending a lot more time at his Picture Box but he always stops to stroke me when I come and ask for a cuddle.

      Today was very good except that Red Cat Two jumped on me when I wasn't watching during our walk. I hit him very hard and chased him away, but my shoulder is sore. He must have bitten me. Man chased him too and used the Squirter of Dogs. Even after he'd jumped the fence Man gave him another spray. He was very angry and he stroked me and asked me if I was all right, and Shadow came and licked my shoulder.

      23

      Woe! I am hiding under the bed. Why? Because my shoulder was hurting so Man put me in a box and took me to a Bad Place! I think Red Cat Two really did bite me and now it's all swollen; and I'm limping! I cried all the way to the Bad Place and back, even when Man told me I wasn't going back to The Cage. I am not a happy cat right now.

      24

      No walk tonight. I spent the whole day resting and, except for a few munchies, I don't feel like eating. My sister came and washed me a couple of times and that made it feel better. I love my sister.

      I love Man too, even though he made me eat some disgusting muck! I only ate it because he seems concerned and I'm old enough to know why he's giving it to me. It's because my shoulder still hurts and he wants to make it all better. And I'm really trying to get better because I'm scared that if I don't he'll take me back to the Bad Place. I know it isn't really The Cage but it smells the same and it makes me scared.

      25

      I feel a little better, but Man doesn't want to take me for a walk. I think he and Shadow went for a small one without me but that's OK. She's been restless lately. She used to go for walks by herself sometimes until the time she got shut in an empty house. So we don't dare go too far on our own, in case we get stuck inside something.

      26

      I was thinking I'd like a small walk tonight but it started raining so we stayed in and slept. Woman put the gunk in my mouth. She's better at it than Man. I still don't like it.

      27

      I feel all better today and much more hungry! I hoped there would be a walk tonight, but it's still raining hard and Man has filled every bucket in the house. He knows I like fresh water in buckets but this is ridiculous.

      Also he came home smelling severely of Dog; very large Dog. There was even blonde fur. It smells friendly, but it's still a dog and I am not amused. I don't think Man should get that close to them. What if one follows him home? What would happen then?

      28

      Small walk tonight when it stopped raining for a little while. My shoulder has completely healed which means the other good thing is they aren't putting that gunk in my mouth anymore.

      29

      My sister and I played Chasey and Ambush all day up and down the house waiting for it to fine up. Even Belladonna joined in. She says we don't get the summers we used to get when she was a kitten either. When it finally stopped raining we went out and smelled all the wonderful smells again and later we did the full First Walk.

      30

      Sunshine! Purring!