Duchess (6 page)

“My mom told me to give you something I’d like to get,” Logan said.

Mia flipped through the shark book, looking at all the amazing photos. “I’ll still never know as much about sharks as you do,” Mia said.

“Probably not,” Logan said. “And I’ll never know as much about cats as you do.”

Mia smiled. She wasn’t so sure of that. He already knew a lot about Duchess.

When the party was over, Mia plopped down on the sofa between Mom and Dad and played with the string of a balloon. She was exhausted.

“Whew! Finally, it’s quiet in here. I’ll go get Duchess,” Michael said, heading for the hallway door.

“Wait,” Mia said. “Before you do that, I want to have a family chat.”

“Right now?” Mom asked.

“Right now,” Mia said. “It’s important.”

Michael sat down in the rocking chair.

“Well, what is it?” asked Dad.

Mia wound the balloon string around her finger. “It’s about Duchess,” she began. “We still need a good home for her, right?” Mia looked around. Mom, Dad, and Michael all nodded. “And we think she’d rather have a home without kids. Right?” They nodded again. “And since she didn’t really get along with Boone, we think she probably needs a family where she’s the only cat. Right?”

Mom and Dad were still nodding, but Michael was starting to look impatient.

“I’m almost done,” she promised. “When Logan and I went upstairs to see Duchess, she was sitting on the couch with Nonna Kate. She seemed really happy. She was even purring. And Nonna Kate looked pretty happy, too.” Mia paused. “What if we asked Nonna Kate if she wants to adopt Duchess?”

Mom sat up and looked at Mia. “Mia, that’s brilliant!” she said.

Michael raised his eyebrows.

“I don’t know why we didn’t think of it before,” Dad said. “Sounds like a great idea to me.”

“Yeah,” Michael agreed. “Remember when Catherine called and we were all worried about Duchess? Nonna Kate said that Duchess was strong and could look out for herself. It’s like she understands her better than anyone.”

“There’s just one catch,” Mom said. “We don’t know if Nonna Kate wants a cat.”

“She’ll want Duchess,” Mia said. “I’m sure of it. But let’s go ask her right now.” She stood up. “Who’s coming with me?”

Michael stood up. “I am.”

“And me,” Dad said.

“I don’t want to be left out,” Mom said. “But let’s be sure Nonna Kate doesn’t feel like she
has
to take Duchess.”

With that, the Battellis marched up the stairs and knocked on their neighbor’s door.

“Come on in. It’s open,” Nonna Kate said. Her eyes grew wide when the whole family trooped in. “Goodness. Surely it won’t take all four of you to carry this little treasure down the stairs.” She reached down to pet Duchess’s back as the cat nibbled food out of her crystal dish. Mia could hear Duchess’s rhythmic purr from across the room. Then she realized that Duchess had not walked away when she and Michael had come in, the way she often had before.
She really must be comfortable and happy here with Nonna Kate,
Mia thought.

Mia realized that Nonna Kate was staring at her with a curious look on her face. She felt Mom nudge her from behind. She took a deep breath as she thought of what to say. “Nonna Kate? We’re so glad you watched Duchess today.”

“Nonsense. It was no problem. We got on like two peas in a pod, didn’t we, Duchess?” The cat
sat up. Her food bowl was empty. Nonna Kate reached down and lifted Duchess into her lap. Duchess began to purr even louder.

Oh, a nice cuddle. I deserve that. I am such a good girl.

Mia turned around to look at Mom, who smiled encouragingly. “We’re wondering if you would like to keep Duchess a little longer,” she finished. “Like maybe for good.”

Nonna Kate raised her eyebrows. “Me?” she asked. “Keep Duchess?”

Now Mia looked at Michael. He nodded at her to keep going. “It’s just that Duchess seems so happy with you. You’d give her lots of love, and she could keep you company.” Mia paused again. “You could be Duchess’s forever family, if you want.”

Nonna Kate’s face broke into a grin. “I want, I want!” Nonna Kate exclaimed. “I have so enjoyed
Duchess today. I forgot how nice it is to have a cat around, and Duchess is such a dear.” She stroked the furry white cat from head to tail while Duchess purred. “Are you sure you all don’t want to keep her?” the older woman asked.

“We want the best home for Duchess,” Mom said, “and we think it’s with you.”

“Oh, thank you,” Nonna Kate said. “I will happily be Duchess’s forever family.” She quickly looked up. “But how was the party?”

“Super fun,” Mia said.

“Good. I liked your friend Logan,” Nonna Kate said.

Mia smiled. “He’s okay for a boy who likes sharks.” Maybe Logan really was her friend after all.

Michael stepped forward. “We brought you this.” He placed a kitty cupcake on the table in front of their neighbor.

“Oh!” Nonna Kate laughed out loud. “It looks just like you, Duchess. A gorgeous new cat and a
yummy cupcake. It feels like
my
birthday,” she said. Duchess purred even louder.

Mia smiled. Duchess and Nonna Kate were so happy together. Her birthday wish had come true.

True or False?

1. All cats are independent. They groom themselves and do not need help from people.

2. Cats sometimes swallow their own fur.

3. Brushing your cat is hard work.

Read on for the answers.

1. All cats are independent. They groom themselves and do not need help from people.

FALSE. It’s true that some cats are very independent. But all cats need help with grooming from time to time. Just how much help depends on the cat. Persians (like Duchess) and other longhaired breeds require daily brushing. Long hair is more likely to develop mats, or messy knots, that a cat cannot untangle on her own. Mats can be painful and can eventually hurt a cat’s skin. Cats need to be brushed often to keep their coats healthy. Short-haired breeds need brushing, too, but only every one to two weeks.

2. Cats sometimes swallow their own fur.

TRUE. All cats swallow some hair when they clean themselves. After all, their sandpapery tongues are designed to remove loose hair!
Sometimes, if a cat swallows too much fur, she will cough up a hair ball. Yuck! This is disgusting, but normal. If it happens a lot or seems to upset your cat, take her to the vet.

3. Brushing your cat is hard work.

FALSE. Brushing your cat is easy! Ask at a pet store which brush or comb is best for your cat’s coat. When brushing, remember to stay calm. Your cat will know if you are tense, and she will get nervous, too. Brush her for only a couple of minutes the first time. Figure out where your cat likes and doesn’t like to be brushed. Always finish with the spot your cat likes best. Then give her a treat, pet, or play with her so she looks forward to getting groomed again.

KITTY CORNER

Callie
Otis
Duchess

THE PUPPY PLACE

E
LLEN
M
ILES
loves dogs, which is why she has a great time writing The Puppy Place books. And guess what? She loves cats, too! (In fact, her very first pet was a beautiful tortoiseshell cat named Jenny.) That’s why she came up with a brand-new series called Kitty Corner. Ellen lives in Vermont and loves to be outdoors every day, walking, biking, skiing, or swimming, depending on the season. She also loves to read, cook, explore her beautiful state, play with dogs, and hang out with friends and family.

Visit Ellen at www.ellenmiles.net.

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Copyright © 2011 by Ellen Miles
Cover art by Mary Ann Lasher
Cover design by Tim Hall

All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc. SCHOLASTIC and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

First printing, November 2011

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e-ISBN 978-0-545-38818-4