When We Were Kittens. David Greagg

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      1

      My sister was trying to be a Bad Cat today but she didn't get very far with it. The wattle-birds were flying through the fountain and she was stalking them. I told her not to but she didn't listen to me. She never does when I'm trying to tell her not to do stuff.

      But then an enormous crow landed on a branch near her and swiveled its head around to glare at her.

      Shadow sort of sat there frozen for a moment until the Crow said AAAARRRRK!

      She ran away and hid. This was the first sensible thing she'd done all day.

      2

      The wattle-birds had the yard to themselves today because my sister was nowhere to be seen. I think she's hiding in Woman's clothes box. I sat out there on my chair and the birds just ignored me because they seem to know I won't go near them. I can't promise I'll never chase birds again, but not in our yard.

      No rain at all today and it was warm and sunny.

      3

      It's actually hot outside today so I'm lying on Man's bed listening to the Cold Box. There was a huge flying dragon thing in our room just before. I tried to catch it but it was too quick for me. Whatever it was seems to have gone now and I am very glad.

      4

      No more flying dragons, but some flies got into our room and my sister had fun trying to catch them. I think she got one or two. I'm sure it's OK to catch flies.

      5

      A new Long Walk, further than we've ever been. Shadow and I thought it was exciting at the time but when we got home again I asked her about it. She washed her paws and had a long think. It was good, she said, but I hope he doesn't take us there again.

      I agreed with her, and said it was like a reminder that the world is very, very big and that we don't feel comfortable about that.

      And that huge yard, she went on, smelt of lots of dogs. I washed her face and said she was right. Do you think Man will take us there again? she asked. I suppose we have to follow him wherever he goes, don't we?

      I wasn't sure about that. He seems to want to let us choose our walks, I told her.

      What would happen if we didn't follow him then? My sister asked. He would come back for us, wouldn't he? I washed her face again.

      6

      Well tonight I found out, because Man took us down to the Huge Buildings and there were people AND dogs; and far too many of both. Wherever we went there were people in cars and people with dogs and just people. It was all very upsetting so I just went home.

      I really did!

      We were just across the Big Road and there was a huge dog in a car with noisy people and they were opening doors and making a terrible racket and I suddenly thought I've had enough of this, I'm going home. Now!

      So I ran across the Big Road (looking to see if any more cars were coming) and just set off for home. I could hear Man calling me but I didn't listen.

      I could have coped with either dogs or humans but not all at once and with cars too. It wasn't fun.

      But I hadn't got very far along our street before Man caught up with me, with my sister at his side. Man didn't sound cross. I think he was asking me, Was it all too much?

      So I rubbed my head against him and said, Yes it was. So we went home and had munchies.

      7

      Woman has a new brown teddy bear with very soft fur. She sits in Valentine's paws on her bed and she looks very sweet. (Valentine is the White Teddy; unlike CJ, who is brown and is Man's teddy as well as ours.) Belladonna informed us that the new teddy is called Ursa Minor.

      There is something odd about Ursa Minor though. I swear she moves around the bed by herself, because when I came in to remind Man that it was time for our walk there was Ursa Minor with Valentine. Next morning Valentine was still there, up by Woman's pillow, but Ursa Minor was down at the end of the bed.

      Do you think Ursa Minor is alive? I asked my sister. She looked away and pretended she hadn't heard me. No, really, do you think so?

      Why do you think that? Shadow asked.

      I told her that Ursa Minor had somehow moved down the bed during the night.

      My sister didn't answer so I just had to wonder to myself. We all love our teddy bears, but I found it a little disturbing that they might come alive at night.

      8

      I watched Ursa Minor carefully for a long time but she didn't move. Then I walked up to her and asked her if she could hear me. She didn't answer. I touched her with my paw but nothing much happened. Puzzling. More so because late at night I had another look, and there was Ursa Minor at the End of the Bed Again hugging my sister.

      9

      I asked Shadow what was with her and Ursa Minor. She just said, What???

      Typical.

      10

      The mystery is solved! I went in to Woman's room very late to investigate. I could see everything quite well, I am a cat after all, but Man had also left the light on outside. I very quietly watched my little sister stretch out on Woman's hair - which really doesn't look comfortable for Woman, but Shadow doesn't seem to mind about this and she hasn't asked Woman if she minds.

      Anyway, when Woman was really, really asleep, and I was almost nodding off myself, I finally discovered the truth. Shadow carefully got up, fastened her little jaws around Ursa Minor's front paw and began to drag the brown bear down the bed. When they were both at the end, and safely away from Woman's back paws which often move, my sister curled up in a ball, hugged Ursa Minor to her belly and wrapped all her paws around her.

      This was so sweet that I just sat and watched until she was sound asleep, and then I crept quietly out of the room to go and have a drink of water and some munchies.