Dougal's Diary. David Greagg

this but I don't think she got it. Meanwhile we explored more of the room.

      Shadow is good at climbing. There is this big wooden thing where Man keeps all his clothes and she managed to climb on top of it. I can't get there because I'm too big and heavy to climb up there. I think she likes having one place where I can't find her.

      I REALLY think we are safe now. Man won't take us back to our cage, surely? If he does I don't know what I will do. Probably just lie on the floor of the cage and cry again. But I don't think he will, so I don't think we have to worry.

      22

      Man was away a lot today and kept coming in with big packages. We tried to play with them, but I don't think they were for us. Then he'd go out again and get more packages. I really don't know what's happening today, but Shadow and I played a lot anyway and we spent a lot of time on the Cat Castle. She likes to hide inside the crinkly bit and lie very still and when I put my head in the other end she jumps at me and we fight inside the tunnel. It's great!

      Man actually opened the door for a little while to let us see out. He had this big wire thing in the way so we couldn't get out, but we had a long look at the next room. Shadow was more sensible than I thought she'd be. She didn't hurl herself at the wire and try to escape or anything silly like that.

      The next room was really exciting to look at. It's got the same weird floors as our room but there is a huge bed there and lots of pillows and soft things. And there are big tall things filled with what looks like paper. Shadow sat next to me and sniffed at the wire and I told her not to worry. They'll let us out tomorrow and we can explore the new room.

      Then Woman came and spoke softly to us while we were looking and I think she was telling us we were being Good Cats. The other new thing today was that Man put somebody really big and furry on our bed. Shadow looked at it and went all tense like it was a Fierce Animal, but I told her not to worry. It's got four paws and a big black nose and two brown eyes and there's something droopy about its mouth. And it doesn't have a lot to say, so I think it's a teddy bear.

      What's a teddy bear? she asked. My old humans had one, I told her. This one was pretty old and had bits of her fur missing, but she was a really big teddy and I thought she was great. Man really does love us, I told Shadow. See, he probably thinks we miss our mums, so he's given us this big furry bear to cuddle. Yes, but is it alive? she wanted to know. What do you think? I said. It smells of human! she said. And I said, Yes, you're right. Can't you tell it smells of Man?

      Yes, all right, I believe you, she said. But what are we supposed to do with it? I don't know about you, I said, but I'm going to snuggle it. I've been through a lot since I last saw my mum and I want to pretend I'm back with Mum again. So Shadow watched me while I kneaded the teddy's fur with my claws and suckled at her. She came a bit closer and wanted to know if she could do it too. I was going to tell her to find her own bear, but there really was enough bear for both of us. So we both cuddled Teddy and felt better about life.

      Then Man came into the room and scared us by pointing a little silver box at us, which made a bright flash of light. He keeps doing this occasionally and I've got used to it, but I wish he wouldn't.

      23

      I guessed right about today! Man finally got up and gave us our breakfast. I must say that all the usual things just don't work with him. Patting his nose, washing his face, lifting his eyelids with our paws. We tried them all and nothing worked. I got about half of my breakfast before the Black Food Thief got the rest.

      When Man did get up though, he just opened the door and let us out! Carefully we walked out onto the new wooden floor and began to sniff around. The floor is covered with boxes under the new bed in there. There were a few little toy things and we played with them for a bit, but they smelled of other cats, so we ignored them.

      Speaking of other cats, there is definitely at least one cat in the house with us. Every now and again over the last few days we can feel her just outside the door. We just sit there and we can smell her clearly. She smells very cross and annoyed. This is a pity, but I'm sure we can learn to get on. I think the other cat must be locked away somewhere else in the house while the door is open, because we can't smell her anywhere. Plenty of time to make friends with her later.

      After a while Woman lay down on the big bed and turned on the picture box. This is a really big one and it got Shadow terribly worked up. She raced across the floor and reached up and tried to chase the humans on the screen. She pawed frantically at them and mewed at them and I just looked at her.

      She came back and sat next to me on the floor and I explained as best I could about picture boxes. It's very hard to explain anything to other cats if they've never seen anything like it before; which she hadn't. My old home had one and our new humans do, but Shadow's old humans mustn't have. It was a bit funny watching her chase the humans on the screen, because everyone knows they're not real.

      But she behaved quite sensibly when I tried to explain, and walked around the back of the box to see if anyone was there and of course they weren't, so I think she believed me. Then we curled up on the bed next to Woman and we watched a whole lot of cats playing on the picture box. They looked like they were having fun, because they were outside and it looked like a nice day wherever they were. Better than here, anyway. It was hot today and we had to drink a lot of water to stay cool.

      Then suddenly on the picture box there were two big dogs. Shadow crouched down and looked really nervous. I was a bit tense myself, even though I know they're not really there. Dogs barking make any cat scared, even when we're perfectly safe.

      So Shadow crept up on a black plastic thing next to Woman and she batted it with her paw until the dogs went away and there were just humans again.

      How did you make the dogs go away? I asked her. She just looked at me. Haven't you noticed? she said. She can change what happens on the picture box by tapping the black thing. So I just tapped it until the dogs went away. I don't like dogs! she said, and looked away.

      I am beginning to think my adopted sister might be one very smart cat. I hadn't noticed that at all about the picture box. We stayed in the room until late and Man shut us back in our room with our supper. Today was a very good day indeed.