The Frightened Kitten

by Holly Webb

  “Why not?” Her mum looked confused.

  “If your cat gets lost, it’s best to leave someone they know in the house – otherwise they might not think it’s their home if they come back. My book said so.”

  “Really? OK, well, if she’s not back when Dad gets home, you and I can go and look for her then.”

  The hour before Maddy’s dad got home seemed to crawl past. Maddy kept searching the same places over and over again, just in case she’d somehow missed Biscuit the first five or six times she’d checked.

  As soon as she saw her dad at the gate, Maddy was out of the front door and running down the path.

  “Biscuit’s lost! We’re going to look for her, you have to stay here!” she gasped.

  Her dad stared at her, and then at Mum, dashing down the path after her.

  Maddy’s mum looked at him worriedly. “I said we’d go and look round the streets. I don’t think she could have gone far.”

  Maddy was already hurrying down the road, peering under the parked cars. “Come on, Mum!” she called.

  Biscuit peered miserably out at the strange garden. As she’d jumped off the fence, she’d been trying to look behind her at the same time, and she’d landed badly, jarring one of her front paws. It hurt, and so did the scratches. But she’d kept going, desperate to get as far away from Tiger as she could. She’d crawled under fence after fence, hurrying on and on, until at last she felt as if she might be safe. She’d smelled several other cats and even seen a couple, but none of them had chased her yet.

  Eventually she’d stopped to rest behind a garden shed. She didn’t feel like she could go any further, her paw hurt so much. She’d huddled there for the rest of the day, unsure what to do. She couldn’t go home, could she? Tiger would chase her again. She’d have to wait until she was sure Maddy was back, then it would be safe.

  They searched for ages. Maddy kept looking at the road and hoping that Biscuit hadn’t been so scared she’d run out in front of a car. I should have taken more care of her. I ought to have made Josh do something about Tiger and Tom, she kept thinking. When I find Biscuit, I’m going to tell him!

  They were halfway down the next road and Maddy was hanging over a garden wall staring into some tall flowers, when a surprised voice said, “What are you doing?”

  Maddy jumped. She hadn’t even noticed anyone approach. Becky from school was standing behind her, while her mum locked up the car. She was wearing a cardigan over ballet clothes, and peering over the wall to see what Maddy was looking at.

  “Oh! Hi, Becky. I’m looking for my kitten.” Maddy gulped and swallowed. “She’s lost…” It was so horrible to say it.

  “Oh no! The cute little tortoiseshell one? You’ve got her photo in your locker, haven’t you?”

  Maddy nodded. She was surprised Becky had noticed.

  “Want me to help look? Can I, Mum? We were just coming back from ballet,” Becky explained. “This is our house. I didn’t know you lived so close to us.”

  Maddy went red. “Sorry about looking in your garden,” she said to Becky’s mum.

  “Don’t worry,” she replied with a smile. “You can help Maddy look up and down our road, Becky. But only until it’s dark – you’ve probably got another half an hour, that’s all.”

  Maddy looked around anxiously. Biscuit had never even been out at night! She hated the thought of her being all alone and scared in the dark.

  The two girls went on up the road, calling for Biscuit, and Becky’s mum joined in too, asking their neighbours if they’d seen a kitten. But no one had.

  “We have to stop, it’s too dark,” Maddy’s mum said eventually.

  “We can’t!” Maddy said pleadingly.

  “I’ll come and help you look first thing tomorrow,” Becky told her, giving her a hug. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

  At last, as it was starting to get dark, Biscuit decided she could leave her hiding place. Maddy must be home by now. As long as she could get back in through her cat flap before Tiger spotted her, she would be safe.

  She crawled out of the dark space behind the shed, wincing as she tried to put her weight on the hurt paw. It seemed to be getting worse. She limped across the garden, and squeezed under the fence, only to see a pair of glinting amber eyes, glaring at her from under a bush. She backed away nervously. Her first thought was that it was Tiger, but it didn’t smell like him. It was a strange smell – strong and fierce. And the creature it belonged to was big…

  The fox darted forward, and snapped at her, his teeth huge and yellow.

  Biscuit ran blindly. She didn’t know where she was going – just away. She darted down the side passage, under a gate and out on to the pavement, where she stopped and glanced quickly behind her. The fox wasn’t following. But now she had even less idea where she was, and her paw was throbbing after her panicked dash. She limped on, hobbling down the kerb. She needed to rest, and there was a garden on the other side of the road that looked like a good hiding place, overgrown, with bushes spilling over a low fence. Biscuit set off across the road, not understanding the low growl of the car turning the corner.

  She was halfway across when she noticed it – the huge machine that seemed to be towering over her, its lights dazzling her. The car braked sharply, its tyres squealing on the tarmac. Biscuit wailed as she dived forward out of the way, her injured paw collapsing underneath her, so that she half-dragged herself across the road. She struggled through the gate of the overgrown garden and flung herself down under the dark bushes, her breath coming in terrified gasps. She was so tired, and everything seemed to hurt.

  Biscuit lay there, gazing into the dark night. She had no idea where she was, or how to get back to Maddy. What was she going to do?

  Chapter Seven

  Becky’s mum dropped her round first thing on Saturday morning. “It’s not too early, is it?” Becky asked. “Mum said it might be, but I told her you’d want to get looking straight away.”

  Maddy half-smiled. “I’ve been up for ages. I’m just waiting for Dad. It’s really nice of you to come.”

  Becky shook her head. “I said I would! I want to help you find her.”

  Maddy’s dad appeared behind her. “Ready, girls?”

  As they came out of the gate, Tiger and Tom prowled down Josh’s front path and leaped on to the wall, staring at them with round green eyes.

  Maddy clenched her fists. “Look at them! They’re so mean!”

  “Are they the ones who scared Biscuit?” Becky asked. Maddy had told her how frightened Biscuit had been.

  Maddy nodded. “They’re horrible.”

  Becky pushed open Josh’s gate, glaring at the ginger cats. “Come on! Don’t you think we should make Josh help us look?”

  “I suppose so,” Maddy faltered. She shook herself. “Yes, he should.”

  “Come on then,” said Maddy’s dad.

  Maddy stomped up the path and rang the doorbell hard. She was a bit shocked when Josh’s dad answered the front door. She’d been expecting Josh.

  “Um… We wondered…”

  “Your cats chased her kitten away,” Becky put in, over Maddy’s shoulder.

  Maddy’s dad nodded. “She’s lost, I’m afraid. We haven’t seen her since yesterday morning.”

  Josh’s dad looked worried. “Josh did say something about Tiger and Tom having a fight with a new cat…”

  Maddy nodded. “We think they had another fight, and she ran off.”

  “Oh dear. Look, Josh has got to get to his football match, but can we come and help you look afterwards?”

  “Thanks,” Maddy told him, and the girls set off to search again.

  Biscuit twitched and wriggled in her sleep, then woke up with a jolt, her fur all on end. She stared around the thick bushes, searching for the strange creature that had been chasing her. It had been even bigger than Tiger and Tom. But the gloomy space under the branches was empty – just her and a few beetles. She’d only been dreaming.

  She pee
red out from under the bushes into the overgrown garden, her whiskers twitching.

  The house had been abandoned, and the garden was covered in brambles and weeds. Biscuit shivered in the early morning chill. She was stiff all over. She wasn’t used to sleeping outside. She hadn’t meant to, either, she’d been planning to hurry home to Maddy. But the car had frightened her so much, she’d crawled into this safe little hole and fallen into an exhausted sleep.

  Now she had to get home to Maddy. And Maddy would feed her too. She was so hungry, it seemed ages since she’d last had anything to eat.

  Biscuit stood up, ready to creep out of her hiding place, but then she collapsed, mewing with pain as her paw seemed to double up underneath her. She’d forgotten. She tried again, putting her weight on her other front paw, but she could hardly move. She was so stiff, and her injured paw was dragging painfully as she limped through the damp grass. She had to stop and rest every few steps, and her paw was hurting more and more now. Finally, Biscuit sank down at the edge of the weedy gravel path. She couldn’t go any further for a while. She was frozen, her fur was soaked through from the dew, and she was aching all over and so very tired.

  How was she ever going to get home?

  “If we don’t find her soon, maybe we ought to make a poster?” Becky said. They’d searched all down Maddy’s road again, and gone round the park, and the maze of little streets between the park and school. Now they were going back down Becky’s road.

  Maddy swallowed. “Yes,” she whispered. It made sense. They’d been searching all morning. But it seemed like admitting that Biscuit was properly lost.

  Lost Cat posters always made her so sad. She couldn’t imagine seeing Biscuit’s photo stuck up on all the lamp posts.

  “Let’s keep calling her for a bit longer,” she whispered. She rubbed her eyes to wipe away the tears, then shouted, “Biscuit! Biscuit!”

  Curled up by the garden path, Biscuit was startled out of her cold half-sleep. That was Maddy, she was sure! She struggled to get up, but she couldn’t stand on her hurt leg at all now. What if Maddy didn’t see her? The garden was so overgrown, Maddy might easily miss her. Biscuit wailed desperately, a long heartbroken meow.

  On the other side of the road, Maddy stopped suddenly, almost bumping into Becky. “Did you hear that?”

  “Yes! Do you think it was Biscuit?”

  Maddy’s dad came running up the road. “Maddy, I think I heard—”

  “I know! We did too! Come on!” Grabbing Becky by the hand, she hurried across the road. “It sounds like Biscuit’s in that tangly old garden!”

  Becky nodded. “I think you’re right. No one lives in that house any more, it’s really quiet. And spooky. I don’t like walking past it. But it would be a good place to hide if she was scared.”

  Biscuit could hear Maddy getting closer. She called again, mewing desperately, and scrabbled her way down the path, dragging her useless leg.

  “She’s here!” Maddy flung the gate open. “Oh, Biscuit, you’re hurt! She can’t walk, Dad.”

  “Has she been hit by a car?” Becky asked anxiously.

  Maddy picked up Biscuit, as gently as she could. “I’m not sure. Her paw’s hanging a bit funny, but it’s not bleeding. She’s scratched, though, all round her ears and nose. I knew Tiger and Tom had been after her again!”

  “We’d better get her looked over by the vet,” said Dad, taking out his phone.

  Biscuit lay in Maddy’s arms, purring faintly. Maddy had found her. She should have known. She rubbed her chin lovingly against Maddy’s jumper. She wasn’t leaving her, ever again.

  Chapter Eight

  “Is she going to be all right?” Maddy asked, exchanging an anxious look with Becky. Becky had begged to be allowed to come to the vet; she was desperate to know if Biscuit was going to be OK.

  The vet nodded slowly. “I think she’s just torn a muscle in her leg. She probably jumped and landed badly. She just needs to rest it. And I’ll clean up these scratches and give her an injection of antibiotics, just in case. You said she’s had trouble with the neighbour’s cats? Looks like she’s had a hard time.”

  Maddy nodded. “She won’t go outside, she’s so scared. They even came in through her cat flap. I think that was the worst thing. I’m not sure she feels safe even inside the house now.”

  The vet glanced at his computer screen. “She is microchipped, isn’t she?”

  “Yes, we had it done with her vaccinations,” Dad said. “Why?”

  “There’s a new kind of cat flap you can get – it’s a bit expensive, but it works off the microchip. So only your cat will be able to use it, you see.”

  Maddy looked up at Dad hopefully. “Can I have one of those for my birthday, just a bit early? Please?”

  Dad was grinning. “Two months early? We might be able to stretch to it.”

  “You can program it, as well, so you can keep Biscuit in at night, if you like,” the vet added.

  Maddy nodded. “Then if Josh and his dad agree to keep Tiger and Tom in some of the time, we could tell the cat flap only to let Biscuit out when we know they’re inside!”

  “Was it two tomcats who were fighting her?” the vet asked. “Are they neutered? Boy cats can be rough, if they haven’t been. It might be worth suggesting to their owner that he gets them done. I’ll give you a leaflet.”

  “We’ll talk to Josh’s dad, Maddy,” Dad promised.

  As Dad drove back home, Maddy cradled Biscuit in her lap. They’d gone off to the vet’s in such a rush, they hadn’t had time to put her in her travel crate.

  “I’ll drop you two off, and then I’ll go and see if that big pet shop by the supermarket has those special cat flaps,” Dad said, as he pulled in.

  “Look, there’s Josh and his dad!” Maddy got out, carrying Biscuit.

  “You found her!” Josh’s dad hurried forward. “Is she OK?”

  “She’s hurt her paw and we had to take her to the vet,” Maddy explained.

  “She’s really scratched, too…” Josh’s dad peered at Biscuit’s nose. “Was that our two?”

  Maddy nodded. “I think so. Um, are Tiger and Tom neutered? The vet said maybe that would help. He gave us a leaflet.”

  Becky pushed the leaflet into Josh’s dad’s hand. “Probably not,” he said. “We didn’t have them done – they were strays, you see. They turned up at work, about three years ago now, and I brought them home. They were only tiny – about the size of your little one.” “Ohh…” Somehow, knowing that Tiger and Tom had been stray kittens made Maddy feel less cross with them. And Josh and his dad. It wasn’t as if they’d asked to be cat owners, and they’d never realized how important it was to have the cats neutered.

  “We can try and keep them in sometimes as well, like you said,” Josh put in suddenly.

  “That would be brilliant,” Maddy said gratefully. She brushed her cheek lightly over Biscuit’s soft furry head. It was all going to be OK…She should ring Kate to tell her what had happened, she thought suddenly, smiling. It was a nice thought. It didn’t make her feel teary, like it would have done a couple of days ago. She missed Kate loads, still. But it wasn’t as bad any more, somehow…

  “I suppose I’d better get home,” Becky said, as they reached Maddy’s.

  “Would your mum let you stay for a bit?” Maddy asked hopefully. “That’s OK, isn’t it?” she added to her mum, who had come to the garden gate and was looking anxiously at Biscuit. “It’s good news, Mum, the vet says she’s probably just torn a muscle.”

  “Of course you can stay, after all your help. Ring your mum, Becky. Is she really all right?” Maddy’s mum stroked Biscuit gently. “Oh, she’s purring.”

  Maddy beamed. “She is! She must be feeling better, now she’s home.”

  “Maddy!”

  Maddy looked round, and saw Becky come racing across the playground. “How’s Biscuit?”

  “Loads better,” Maddy said happily. “She walking again now. She’s got a bit of a limp, but
it’s not too bad.”

  “I bet you’re fussing over her like anything.” Becky laughed.

  “I love spoiling her,” Maddy admitted. She looked at Becky shyly. “Mum said I could ask you over, so you can see how she is.”

  Becky beamed. “Really? Yes, please! Can I come today? Just to pop in and see her on the way home?”

  “Yes, of course.” Maddy could feel her face going pink. She hadn’t been sure if Becky would be as friendly at school as she had been over the weekend.

  “Do you think Mrs Melling would let you move tables, now that Kate isn’t here any more?” Becky asked thoughtfully. “There’s space for you to sit with me and Lara and Keri.”

  “I suppose we could ask,” Maddy said, going even pinker.

  “Cool.” Becky pulled her over to the little group of girls she’d been chatting to. “Have you got a photo of Biscuit in your bag to show everyone?”

  “She looks different,” Becky said thoughtfully, later on that afternoon as the girls sat in Maddy’s kitchen, watching Biscuit sleeping in her basket.

  “The scratches don’t look as bad,” Maddy suggested.

  “No, it isn’t that. I think she just looks happier. I suppose she must have been feeling really miserable on Saturday.” She glanced at the door. “Did your dad get that special cat flap?”

  “Yes. And then he went round and worked out the times Biscuit gets to go outside with Josh’s dad. He told Dad he’d already rung the vet. Tiger and Tom are booked in for Wednesday. Once they’re neutered, the vet said he was sure they’d be less fierce.”

  “That’s amazing.” Becky grinned. “Aren’t you glad I made you go and ring their bell? Oh look, Biscuit’s awake!”