1. FELIX THE FLUFFY KITTEN
Chapter One
Jodie Taylor woke with a start and remembered what day it was. She jumped out of bed and ran straight downstairs in her pyjamas.
“Happy birthday, sleepy head!” her mum said as Jodie bounced into the kitchen. “I was just about to come and wake you up. Fancy sleeping in late today!”
“I was awake at five o’clock, wondering what presents I’d get,” Jodie said, rubbing her eyes. “But then I snoozed off again.”
Jodie’s dad came into the kitchen with his coat on. “Happy birthday, love!” He looked at his watch. “I’ll just about have time to watch you open your presents.”
Jodie looked excitedly at the pile of cards and presents beside her cereal bowl. She sat down and began opening them.
There was a soft pink sweater from her nana, a computer game from Uncle Jack and a rucksack in the shape of a lamb from Auntie Joyce. But nothing from her mum and dad.
Jodie looked at them, surprised. Then her dad winked at her mum. What was going on?
“Now open the cards!” he said.
Jodie tore open her cards. There were eight of them– the same number as her new age.
At the bottom of the pile was an ordinary-looking brown envelope with Jodie’s name on it. “This doesn’t look like a card,” she said.
Mr Taylor peered at it.“It doesn’t look like anything much.”
“Looks like a bill,” said Mrs Taylor, trying not to smile.
Jodie opened the envelope and pulled out a small white square of paper. On it was written:
IOU one kitten.
Jodie looked at her mum and dad in astonishment.“What does this mean?”
“It means,” said Mrs Taylor, smiling, “that your dad and I owe you one birthday kitten – and we’re going to collect it later.”
Jodie gave a squeal of delight.“Really?” This was what she’d dreamed of for ages. But her mum and dad had always said no. Until now!
Mr Taylor did up his coat.“Mum’s taking you to see a lady called Mrs Dent after school,” he said. “She has a litter of kittens ready to go to new homes.” He dropped a kiss on Jodie’s head. “Got to rush. Have a lovely day!” And he left to go to work.
“A kitten,” Jodie breathed. “A real live kitten.” She gave her mum a hug.
Mrs Taylor smiled, then she said,“Dad and I think you’re old enough now to look after a pet of your own, Jodie.”
“Oh, I am, I am!” Jodie said.
“So it’s up to you to look after the kitten,” Mrs Taylor went on. “You know how busy Dad and I are at the moment. We don’t have time to feed and groom a pet or …” she pulled a face “… clear up any messes.”
“Oh, there won’t be any messes,” Jodie said. She knew lots about pets and loved reading stories about cats. “Kittens are really clean. They’re house-trained by their mothers from the moment they’re born.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” said Mrs Taylor as she swished around the sink and gave it a little extra polish. “Because you know I can’t bear any mess.”
Jodie, used to her mum’s neat and tidy ways, hardly heard her. She was getting a kitten! She was getting a kitten of her very own. She could hardly wait!
Chapter Two
“Oh, they’re all lovely!” Jodie said, as five tiny kittens played about her feet. There were three fluffy grey kittens, like their mum, and two sweet black and white ones with pink noses.
Jodie sighed deeply.“I’m never going to be able to choose!” She got down on the floor and picked up each kitten in turn. “Oh, I don’t know!” she wailed.
Jodie’s mum smiled. “Can you help, Mrs Dent?”
“They’re all good, clean little kittens,” Mrs Dent said. “But the short-haired black and whites would be easier to care for. The grey kittens, being long-haired, will need lots more grooming.”
“Oh, I won’t mind doing that,” Jodie said. “I shall love combing my kitten.” She held up one of the grey fluffies. “This one has the bluest eyes. And he’sreally fluffy!”
The kitten looked at Jodie and miaowed.Choose me!
Jodie laughed and put him down so she could look at the other kittens again. But she kept coming back to the fluffiest one.
The kitten went up to Jodie and rubbed his face against her ankle.“You look nice,” he purred. “I’d miss my mum and my brothers and sisters – but I wouldn’t mind coming home with you.”
“I really think you’ll have to make up your mind, love,” Jodie’s mum said. “I’m sure Mrs Dent has other things to do.”
Jodie watched as the kittens tumbled about, each trying to look the sweetest.
“Come on, Jodie,” said Mrs Taylor.
The fluffiest kitten climbed onto Jodie’s trainer, mewing up at her. And … well, if a kitten could smile, he was doing it.
Jodie’s heart melted. “OK, I want …” She took a deep breath then scooped up the fluffiest kitten. “This one! I love him to bits already.”
Delighted, the kitten pushed his head into Jodie’s neck. “Good choice,” he purred.
“At last!” said Mrs Taylor.
“What are you going to call him, dear?” Mrs Dent asked, smiling.
Jodie thought hard.“I’m going to call him Felix,” she said. She gave Felix a cuddle. “You’re my fluffy Felix.”
Tired from all his kitten capers, Felix closed his eyes, burrowed his nose into the crook of Jodie’s arm and went to sleep.
Jodie’s mum paid Mrs Dent, and Felix was put in the pet carrying box they’d bought from the local pet shop on the way.
Jodie looked down at her sleeping kitten and smiled.“Look,” she said. “He’s so fluffy that you can hardly tell which way round he is!”
“He does have a wonderful thick coat,” Mrs Dent agreed. “The thickest I’ve ever seen. You’ll need a special comb for grooming him. And he’ll need combing every day.” She wrote down the details for Jodie.
Jodie thanked her and gave Felix a gentle stroke before closing the carrying box.
Still sleeping, Felix purred. What a lovely life he was going to have with his new family …
On the way home, Jodie and her mum popped into Pearce’s Perfect Pets in the high street.
“Oh, you’ve brought your new kitten in to see me,” said Mr Pearce, the owner.
Felix allowed himself to be lifted out of his basket, put on the counter and shown off to Mr Pearce.
“Well!” said Mr Pearce. “What a fine kitten – and such a wonderful coat.”
Felix preened himself, purring loudly. He could get used to all this praise!
Jodie nodded, pleased.“He’s lovely, isn’t he?”
“You don’t want to sell him, do you?” Mr Pearce joked.
“No way!” Jodie said. “We’ve come in to buy a special comb for grooming long-haired cats.” She gave Mr Pearce the piece of paper Mrs Dent had given her, with the type of comb written on it.
“I don’t think I’ve got one in stock,” said Mr Pearce. “But I’ll order one for you. Jot down your phone number and I’ll ring you when it’s in.”
“I hope it won’t take long,” Jodie’s mum said, writing down their number. “I want that grey fluff combed out before it gets shed all over the house!”
Mr Pearce tickled Felix behind his ears.“With a thick coat like that, I reckon you’d soon comb enough fluff off him to knit yourself a woolly jumper!” he joked.
Jodie laughed.“I just want to keep him looking good.”
“I tell you what,” Mr Pearce said. “He’s such a handsome kitten that I’d like to take his photograph to put in my window. I’m sure it would attract a lot of attention. I’ll give you the comb and a smart new collar in return. How’s that?”
“Great!” said Jodie. “Can we, Mum?”
Mrs Taylor nodded.“I can’t see why not,” she said.
Felix began to wash around his face so that he’d look his best for the photograph.
“Why don’t you choose a collar while I go and get my camera?” said Mr Pearce.
Jodie held a red and a green collar next to Felix, then chose the red one. She was carefully putting it on him when Mr Pearce came back with his camera.