Jasmine threw on her dressing gown, and went downstairs, feeling worried. Star was always there when she woke up! Or sometimes she got sick of waiting and rubbed round Jasmine’s face until she woke up. But she’d never gone downstairs without Jasmine before.
She found Star in the kitchen, mewing at her mum, who was scooping cat food into her bowl. She didn’t even look at Jasmine, just danced and hopped round Mum’s legs until she put the bowl down.
“She seems hungry this morning!” Mum commented.
“Mmm.” Jasmine didn’t want to say anything. She felt a bit silly, as if she was making a fuss about nothing.
But it was the same all day. Star didn’t seem to want to play. She ignored the string and feathers toy when Jasmine waved it in front of her nose, and she didn’t seem interested in present wrapping at all. She went and slept on the sofa for the whole afternoon, and Jasmine felt really lonely. It was stupid, because she’d only been looking after Star for a couple of weeks – but now Star didn’t want to be with her it felt awful.
Jasmine watched Star anxiously as she bolted down her tea. It was the only time Star had been friendly all day – when she wanted Jasmine to feed her.
“She’s starving again,” Mum commented, smiling as she watched Star gobbling her food.
Jasmine nodded. “Mum, do you think Star’s all right?” she asked worriedly. “She hasn’t been very friendly today, not like she usually is. And she slept all afternoon!”
Mum looked at her in surprise. “Well, I don’t think she’s ill, not the way she’s eating!”
Jasmine sighed. “I suppose not. Maybe I’ve been fussing over her too much.”
Mum gave her a hug. “Don’t worry. Maybe cats have moods just like people. Perhaps Star just feels like some time to herself today.”
Star licked all the way round her food bowl, and looked at it for a moment in case it magically refilled itself. Then she turned round and walked out of the kitchen, without even looking at Jasmine.
Chapter Five
Star was feeling odd. She didn’t know why, but things felt different. She knew she needed to find somewhere quiet and warm, and just curl up and be on her own for a while. But no one seemed to want her to do that!
Star loved Jasmine, and usually she adored all the attention and cuddling she got at Jasmine’s house, but not right now. After breakfast that morning, she set off determined to find herself a quiet little nest.
But everywhere in the house seemed busy, and noisy, and full of people – which, considering only Jasmine and her mum were there, was rather strange. Grumpily, Star wandered back into the kitchen to see if there was any more food in her bowl. She was so hungry at the moment! Then she spotted the perfect place…
Jasmine’s mum had been looking for the red tablecloth she liked to use for Christmas lunch, and she’d left a drawer in the big kitchen cupboard half open. Star peered into it interestedly. It was full of hand towels, tea towels and tablecloths. Warm, soft, clean things that would be perfect to snuggle up and snooze on. Star wondered why she had never noticed it before – it was just right! She stepped in and curled up at the back of the drawer, yawning and closing her eyes.
Some time later, Star woke up to find herself in complete darkness. She opened her eyes very wide, her heart thudding, unable to think where she was. Then she remembered. Her soft, cosy nest. What had happened to it? Why had it gone dark? She edged forward to where the opening had been and pawed at the wooden walls. She was shut in a tight, dark box! Panicking, Star scratched and scuffled at the front of the drawer, and mewed frantically.
Jasmine and her mum were making cards at the kitchen table. “That sounds like Star,” said Jasmine. “I was wondering where she was. She’s shut in somewhere, Mum!”
“I don’t understand,” Jasmine’s mum muttered, opening cupboards. “Where can she be? Oh! Oh dear, the drawer!”
Star blinked and cowered as her nest moved sharply, bumping her head against the top of the drawer. She was pulled out into the light, huddling against the towels.
“Oh, poor Star…” Jasmine lifted her out, and Star snuggled gratefully against her.
“What on earth was she doing in there?” Jasmine’s mum asked, sounding rather guilty – she had been the one who shut Star in.
“I suppose she was just looking for somewhere cosy to sleep,” Jasmine suggested. “It wasn’t your fault, Mum, you couldn’t have known she was there.” She stroked Star’s head gently. “I know we’re cutting back, but I think she really deserves a cat treat!”
Mum and Jasmine went back to card-making, and Star played half-heartedly with some pencils, but she couldn’t enjoy the game properly. She was still feeling the need to find herself a quiet place to rest, and she sneaked away to go searching again. This time she found a space under the stairs. It was quiet and dark, and it didn’t have a door that anyone could close on her by accident. There were lots of odd things stored under there: wellies, roller skates, and a big basket full of gloves and scarves and hats. Star scrambled up the side and turned round several times, purring throatily. This was just right. She would stay here.
But it didn’t last. Star was sleeping peacefully when she felt her hiding place shudder as Jasmine raced up the stairs over her head, calling for her. And then Jasmine’s mum hauled out the vacuum cleaner, which was right next to her basket bed.
“Oh, Star, I didn’t see you. She’s down here, Jasmine!” Mum called. And Jasmine came dashing down the stairs again, thud, thump, thud, and picked Star up for a cuddle.
Star was still half-asleep, and she was grumpy. She didn’t want to be picked up. She wanted to be left alone. Crossly, she gave a loud hiss, lashed out with her claws and scratched Jasmine’s arm.
Jasmine was so surprised she yelled and dropped Star, who hissed and shot into the kitchen. There she yowled at Jasmine’s mum until she opened the back door.
Jasmine clutched her arm, which was oozing a few spots of blood. She entered the kitchen just in time to see Star’s grey and brown striped tail disappearing round the back door. Then she sat down at the kitchen table and cried. Star had scratched her – and then Jasmine had scared her so much by shouting that she’d run away!
Star stayed out in the garden until it got dark, hiding under a clump of bushes. She was shivering from the cold and knew she couldn’t stay out all night. But she’d spent a long time trying to work out where she could go and hadn’t found anywhere good. Everywhere was too busy, too full of people.
She crept out from under her bush and sneaked over to the hole under the fence. She didn’t quite have the energy to climb over the fence right now. She dug a little with her claws, widening the hole, then squeezed herself underneath. She had been back to her own garden quite a lot while she was staying at Jasmine’s house, trying to make sure all the local cats still knew it was hers. Perhaps she could go and make a nest in the bramble patch? She shivered again. No, it was far too cold, colder than she’d ever felt it, and the ground was frozen hard. She needed somewhere really warm.
Her house! Of course. She had been back a few times since she’d been staying with Jasmine, to see if the Murrays had come back, but it felt strange and empty. Now the quiet house felt like just what she needed.
Eagerly, Star scurried over to the door and nosed at her cat flap, squeezing herself in.
It was so quiet. No one around. Quite warm, or at least warmer than the bramble bushes. Perfect. She looked round the kitchen thoughtfully, trying to think of a good place to go.