Holli Vebb - A Kitten Called Tiger

For Angel and Poppy two adventurous cats!

www.hollywebbanimalstories.com

CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Extract

Collect them all

Biography

Copyright

Ava! Come on, wake up. Look at this! Mum held up her phone in front of Avas nose and Ava squinted at the photo on the screen sleepily. Then she sat bolt upright in bed and grabbed

the phone. Ever since her parents had agreed to getting a kitten, Ava had been scanning the local animal shelters website and checking the noticeboard in the supermarket. But no one seemed to have any kittens in need of homes until now.

Oh! Theyre gorgeous! Mum, are they real? I mean, are they for sale? Can we go and see them? The photo showed a litter of kittens snuggled up in a cardboard box it wasnt a very big one but theyd obviously all decided it was the best place to sleep ever. Ava was almost sure there were four but it was quite hard to count them

Yes, theyre real and, yes, we can go and see them. Rosie, the lady who owns them, put their picture on Facebook and she said shes free this weekend if people want to visit. Ive sent her a message to see if we can go round today. Your auntie Jade sent me their picture Rosies a friend of hers. Auntie Jade said she thought of you as soon as she saw them!

Theyre so little and fluffy Ava cooed, stroking the phone screen with her finger. Then she sighed as the picture disappeared. Oops! Sorry, Mum, Im still half asleep. I just wanted to stroke them!

Mum smiled as she took back the phone. I love the ginger and white one but the stripey kittens gorgeous, too. I think we might have a really hard time choosing. Oh, look! Rosies messaged me back, asking if we can come round at about ten oclock. Ooooh, I dont know, Ava, what do you think? Its a bit early for a Saturday, isnt it?

Mum laughed as Ava leaped out of bed, flinging off the duvet. You think we can, then? Weve got to get Lucy and Bel up, remember. And your dads still asleep.

Weve only got two hours! Ava squeaked. Wake him up now, Mum! And tell Lucy and Bel were going to see some kittens. Theyll be out of bed the fastest youve ever seen, I promise!

Hurry up, Ava groaned. Theres the house, look, number twenty-two. Lucy, you dont need to bring your toy cat, were going to see real kittens

They will like my toy cat, her sister said firmly, gathering up her toy cat and her handbag and all the cats clothes, and clambering down from her car seat. Lucy was only just three Mum and Dad had said theyd think about getting a family pet once she was old enough to understand that a kitten wasnt another toy for her to play with. Ava had been looking forward to Lucys birthday more than her own.

Avas middle sister, five-year-old Bel, had run on ahead and was trying to undo the latch of the garden gate.

She was just as excited as Ava was. Neither of them had been able to eat any breakfast, and theyd watched Dad and Lucy ploughing through their Weetabix with disbelief.

OK. Dad locked the car and led Lucy over to the gate. Lets go!

Bel finally managed to unlatch the gate and the front door opened as they walked up the path. A lady in a stripey T-shirt waved at them. I saw you coming. Im Rosie. She scooped up a silvery tabby cat who was trying to escape round her legs. And this is Moppet. Shes the kittens mum.

Shes beautiful, Avas mum said.

She really is, Rosie agreed. Come on in. Moppets too young to have kittens, to be honest. She was a stray. She kept coming into the garden and in the end I adopted her. I didnt know I was getting five cats instead of one!

Oh, wow Ava sighed. It sounded like a dream come true to her.

Anyway, come and see the kittens. Theyre in the kitchen.

Ava could feel her heart thumping with excitement as they walked through the hallway. The kitchen door was closed and Rosie opened it carefully, obviously trying not to bump into any kittens on the other side.

Oh! Oh! A kitten! Bel squealed as a little furry face popped round the edge of the door.

The kitten disappeared at once and Mum shushed Bel gently. Sweetheart, remember what we talked about.

Youve got to be quiet round the kittens. If you shout, youll scare them.

Bel nodded but Ava could tell that she was so excited she wasnt really listening. Ava swallowed hard as Rosie opened the door all the way. There seemed to be a bubble of nervousness stuck in the top of her throat. She had been daydreaming about this moment for so long!

The kittens seemed to have taken over Rosies kitchen. There were cat toys everywhere, a cosy basket sat next to the radiator, and a huge kitten climbing frame made of scratching posts and carpeted hidey-holes was squashed up next to the kitchen table. As they all went in, a small ginger kitten looked up from licking the butter off a piece of toast.

Rosie put Moppet down and sighed. That was my breakfast, she told the kitten, lifting it off the table. Youve had yours. She looked round at Ava and her family. Theyre lovely but they get everywhere. Then she frowned. Hang on. How many kittens can you see?

Ava laughed. Now that she could actually see the kittens, the strange feeling inside her had disappeared. Three, she told Rosie. The one who was licking your toast

Theres another ginger one over there on the climbing frame, Bel said.

And theres a tabby kitten by the door, Ava added, peering round the table to see properly. The tabby kitten was playing with a fluffy rabbit that was nearly as big as it was, rolling over and over on the floor.

There ought to be four, Rosie said, scanning the kitchen. Were missing one. Theres another tabby kitten and honestly, its always him!

Ava crouched down to check under the table but there was only the ginger kitten, still licking his buttery whiskers. Then, as she stood up, Ava spotted the tip of a stripey tail on top of the bookcase. Is that him? she asked Rosie, pointing. Behind those photographs?

How did he get up there? Dad laughed. Thats a huge jump for such a small cat.

Rosie shook her head, smiling. I didnt think any of them could get up there. But I suppose if he went from the climbing frame to the table, to the edge of the sink and then scrabbled up the curtain This whole kitchen is like a playground for kittens. But hes definitely the most adventurous!

Hello, Ava whispered to the kitten as he eyed her round the side of the photo frame. Are you stuck? The kitten looked so funny with his head sticking out one end of the frame and his tail the other. He mewed at her and edged a little further out from behind the photo. But there wasnt much room and he nudged into a vase that was standing behind him, making it wobble dangerously.

Oh! Ava said worriedly. Come on, kitten. Youre going to get squished in a minute. She reached up to lift him out from behind the photo frame and then looked uncertainly at Rosie. Was it OK to pick the kitten up?