Misty hissed at him triumphantly, her fur still bristling.
“That was so mean of Misty!” Katie cried angrily. “All he did was try to say hello, and she clawed him! His nose is bleeding!” She snuggled Timmy close and glared at Jess and Misty.
“Maybe we should put Timmy’s cushion in the utility room to start off with,” Dad said worriedly, looking at Timmy’s nose. “I think it’s a bit much for Misty to get used to all at once.”
Jess folded her arms, and stared at the ceiling. “I told you this was a bad idea,” she said. “Misty hates dogs, and this is her home. It’s never going to work.”
“Well, now it’s Timmy’s home, too!” Katie snapped back. “Misty’s just going to have to get used to it.”
Katie sat up on her bed in the dark, her duvet wrapped round her shoulders, listening anxiously as Timmy let out another mournful howl. Everyone had agreed that he would stay in the kitchen and the utility room at first, so he could get used to the house gradually. It was what all the dog books and websites had suggested, especially as Timmy was still learning to ask to go outside if he needed to. Mum really didn’t want him messing up all the carpets.
Mum and Dad had been careful to keep Misty away from Timmy for the rest of the day, after their fight. For tonight they’d put a litter tray in the hall, and Misty was sleeping on Jess’s bed, as she always did. Katie had begged her parents to let Timmy sleep in her room, too, just for his first night, but Mum had said definitely not.
Timmy just didn’t understand why he couldn’t explore the rest of the house. Katie had stayed in the kitchen almost all that day, playing with him, and cuddling him, but Timmy had still been curious about what was going on everywhere else.
That cat was allowed to go wherever she liked, but he had to stay in, except when he was taken into the garden to do a wee. It didn’t seem fair. And when she wanted to be in the kitchen to eat her food, he had to go into the utility room! Why couldn’t he eat with her? She might even have leftovers.
But the worst thing was that now they’d all gone to bed. He had to sleep in the kitchen, and he was all on his own! It was so lonely! Where was everyone?
He howled so much that Katie just couldn’t get to sleep. She sat there listening to the sorrowful wails from downstairs, and eventually she couldn’t bear it any longer. She crept out of bed, wrapping her duvet round her like a cloak and trailing it along behind her. Mum might have said Katie absolutely must not have Timmy in her room, but she hadn’t said anything about not sleeping in the kitchen with Timmy, had she?
Timmy was sitting on his cushion, staring anxiously into the darkness. Like all dogs, he could see well in the dark, but he wasn’t used to being all alone – he never had been before. What if Katie never came back? He didn’t want to be on his own for ever! Timmy whimpered again, and then stopped. He could hear footsteps, and an odd swishing noise. What was that?
He looked worriedly at the door, hoping it wasn’t something horrible. Maybe the cat was coming to be mean to him again. In his mind, she was about twice her real size, and her tail was enormous. Maybe that was what the strange noise was… Timmy whined nervously.
Katie hitched up her trailing duvet and gently pushed the door open. She called softly to him. “Timmy? Hey, sweetie!”
Timmy heaved a massive sigh of relief and trotted over to her.
“Ooops!” Katie giggled. “I just walked into a chair! It’s so dark.” Timmy woofed in agreement. Dark, and lonely. He gazed hopefully up at her.
“Look, I’ve brought my duvet. I’ve come to keep you company for a bit. You’re used to having your mum to sleep with, aren’t you?” Katie curled up next to Timmy’s cushion, and he snuggled gratefully on to her lap. This was much better.
Katie smiled down at him, as he dozed off into a deep puppy sleep. He was hers, at last! The kitchen floor was chilly, and she had pins and needles in her toes, but she didn’t care. It was worth it.
Chapter Six
Katie’s mum came downstairs on Sunday morning, and found them both curled up together, Katie with her head on Timmy’s cushion, and him snuggled under the duvet with her.
“Katie! I thought you were still in bed! Actually, I was surprised you weren’t up and playing with Timmy already.” Mum sighed, as she poured Katie some juice and filled Timmy’s food bowl. “I should have known.”
Katie grinned. “Sorry, Mum. He was so lonely. I listened to him whining and crying for ages, and then I just couldn’t bear it any longer.”
“The thing is, now he’ll expect you to do it again tonight.” Mum watched as Timmy wolfed down his breakfast. “You can’t sleep on the kitchen floor every night, Katie!”
Katie wriggled her shoulders. “I know, this floor’s really hard. Honestly, Mum, I won’t do it again. I think he was just miserable the first night, that’s all.”
Katie was right. Timmy had never been left alone before, and he hadn’t been sure that anyone would ever come back for him. Now he knew that Katie and the rest of the family weren’t far away, and he’d see them in the morning, he didn’t mind being alone so much.
In fact, on Sunday night, he was so worn out from playing in the garden with Katie for most of the day, that he curled up on his cushion and fell asleep almost as soon as she went to bed. He didn’t bother with even one little howl.
A couple of days later, Katie’s parents decided that Timmy had settled in so well that they could let him explore a bit further.
“Just downstairs, mind,” Dad said. “There’s so much stuff he could accidentally damage upstairs. Imagine if he started chewing your mum’s shoe collection. She’d never forgive him!”
Katie nodded, though she wished she could have Timmy in her room. Still, she was really looking forward to curling up with him to watch TV in the living room.
“Come on, Timmy,” she called, standing by the kitchen door and patting her knees. “Come on, boy!”
Timmy looked at her with his head on one side. He wasn’t quite sure what was happening. He wasn’t allowed out of that door, was he? He’d been told no when he tried before. He pattered slowly over to Katie, then turned and looked at her mum, waiting to see if she’d tell him off.
Mum laughed. “It’s OK, Timmy. Go on, go with Katie.”
Timmy woofed with excitement, and trotted happily into the hallway. New things to smell! He worked his way curiously along Katie and Jess’s school bags and wellies, which were by the front door, then poked his nose into the living room. Jess was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine, with Misty on her lap.
Over the last couple of days, Katie and Jess and Mum and Dad had very carefully kept Timmy and Misty apart. They wanted to give Timmy time to settle down, and Misty needed to get used to the idea of a dog in the house.
Misty spent as much time as she possibly could in Jess’s room, only coming into the kitchen to bolt down her food – with one watchful eye on the utility room door the whole time. She would then shoot out of the cat flap, and rely on Jess letting her in the front door when she wanted to come in again. Now she looked up at Timmy, and hissed.
“Oh, Misty!” Katie sighed. “Don’t be so grumpy.”
Timmy had almost forgotten his first meeting with the cat. He was only very little, and he was naturally friendly. He assumed everyone else was, too. He bounced over towards Misty and Jess, his tail wagging, and yapped excitedly at her. Misty shot on to the arm of the sofa and growled, her back arching.