Timmy’s tail drooped, and he looked round at Katie. He was only trying to be friendly. Why doesn’t she like me?
“Keep him away from Misty,” Jess said irritably. “He’s upsetting her.”
“Mum said we could watch TV,” Katie said. “There’s a safari programme on; I thought Timmy could watch it with me. Anyway, Misty and Timmy have to learn to get along. If we can just get them used to being in the same room, that would be really good.”
“I suppose…” Jess muttered. “Just keep an eye on him, though!”
For the next half-hour, Misty glowered from the arm of the sofa, her tail twitching warningly, and Timmy shot her curious, sidelong glances from the armchair, where he was curled up on Katie’s lap.
Gradually, Misty started to relax, and after a while she dozed off on the sofa arm, with one eye half open.
Timmy sat quietly for a while, but soon he began to feel restless. He slipped down from Katie’s knee, and went exploring. This was much more exciting! Katie was half-watching him, but the little lion cubs on the programme were so cute!
Timmy sniffed his way round the room, investigating behind the Christmas tree and sneezing at the dust under the big bookcase. He even managed to wriggle under the sofa. It was dark, and it smelled interesting. He could pop his head out from underneath as well, and then hide again, which made Katie giggle. It was a good game.
He crawled the whole length of the sofa, and poked his nose out at Jess’s end. There was an interesting fluffy thing there, dangling down, and twitching gently.
Timmy was mesmerized. It went to and fro, waving at him. The fluffy thing was like one of the toys Katie had given him, a furry rat that squeaked. Maybe this one would squeak, too, if he bit it? He wriggled a little further out from under the sofa, just as Katie realized she hadn’t seen him for a minute or so.
“Where’s Timmy? Is he behind the sofa? Oh, Timmy, no!”
And Timmy pounced on Misty’s tail…
Chapter Seven
Misty shot up in the air with a screech, and Timmy howled in shock – he hadn’t expected the fluffy toy to do that… He peeped nervously from under the sofa just as Misty raced out of the room. Why was she so upset? Perhaps it was her fluffy toy?
“Oh, Timmy…” Katie said worriedly. She was trying to sound cross, but she couldn’t help a tiny smile – Misty had looked so funny, like something out of a cartoon, as she’d leaped into the air.
“I’m telling Mum!” Jess snapped. “He did that on purpose, and you weren’t watching him!” Then she ran after Misty.
Katie picked Timmy up. “Oh, Timmy. That was her tail. I don’t think you knew that, though, did you? You didn’t do it on purpose, I know you didn’t. Our plan to get you and Misty to like each other isn’t going very well, is it…”
And things got worse and worse over the next week. Rather than Misty and Timmy getting used to each other as time went on, Misty just got more and more furious about her peaceful home being invaded. She tried as hard as she could to keep away from Timmy, but she couldn’t escape from him. It seemed that wherever she went, there he was, too.
Timmy didn’t understand that Misty wanted to be left alone. She kept running off upstairs whenever he tried to play with her, and when he tried to follow he got told off.
He was allowed out on his own in the garden now, though, and he thought he’d had a stroke of luck one afternoon when he found her snoozing on the garden bench in a patch of winter sunlight – she couldn’t dash away up the stairs now! But she raced up to the top of the apple tree and snarled at him, while he barked hopefully. But eventually, he gave up and ran over to Katie, who was calling him in.
Back in the kitchen, Timmy lay quietly on Katie’s lap, even though she bounced his squeaky ball for him. His ears were drooping, and he rested his nose on his paws, gazing sadly at the back door.
“You really want her to play with you, don’t you?” Katie sighed. “I think Misty’s a bit old for playing, Timmy.”
Timmy heard the worry in her voice, and rubbed his head against her arm lovingly.
But Katie was right. Misty was an old cat, and stubborn. She didn’t like new things, and she found it so strange and upsetting having Timmy around that she didn’t even want to eat properly any more. Besides, her food was in the kitchen, where he was. It was easier just not to bother. As the days went by, she started to look thinner.
A few days before Christmas, Timmy was curled up on his cushion, feeling bored. Katie had left him in the kitchen, explaining that she had to go upstairs and wrap presents in her room, because they were a secret, and no one was supposed to see. Timmy still wasn’t allowed upstairs, but she promised she’d be back soon.
Katie had shut the kitchen door when she went upstairs, but Timmy had been practising, and he could claw it open unless it was shut really tight.Timmy hooked his claws into the crack and scrabbled until it clicked open. Then he trotted cheerfully out. He was so clever! Katie had been ages. He was sure she wouldn’t mind if he went to find her, would she?
Timmy headed for the stairs, and suddenly felt a little less clever. They were very big. He almost couldn’t see the top. But he knew Katie would be up there. He could smell her, and as a tracking dog, his sense of smell was excellent.
He heaved himself up on to the first step, which wasn’t too difficult, except there were a lot more of them before he got to the top. Timmy sighed and set about the next step. It took him ten minutes to get all the way up, and he nearly went back to his comfy cushion several times.
But the exciting new smells upstairs soon made him forget how hard it had been to get there, and he set off snuffling along the carpet. Ah! An open door! Maybe Katie was here. No, it didn’t smell like Katie. But there was Misty, curled up asleep on the pink bedcover. Timmy trotted eagerly into the room. He was delighted to see her. If he woke her, perhaps she would play with him. He stood up with his front paws on the edge of the bed and licked Misty’s nose. He could only just reach.
Misty was sleeping peacefully, knowing that dog was downstairs and she didn’t need to worry. Then she woke up with a sudden fright.
He was right there! There, in Jess’s room! Was nowhere safe any more? Misty leaped off the bed, and raced across the room, looking for a way to escape. Timmy was whining, trying to show her he was friendly, but all Misty could see was Timmy in the one place she’d felt was safe. Desperately she clawed her way up Jess’s curtains, and up on to the top of the wardrobe.
The scuffling and barking brought Jess running upstairs; Katie rushed in after her.
“He’s not meant to be in here!” Jess yelled. “Get him out of my room! Misty, it’s OK, come on down, puss, puss…” She turned back to Katie, who was standing by the door, looking horrified. “Go on, get him out!” she cried angrily.
Timmy flinched back. Jess was so angry with him, and Misty was cowering on top of the wardrobe… It had all gone wrong! He’d only been trying to be friendly. And now he was in trouble again!