THOMASINA'S STORY

It was a few days before Christmas and I went to visit the new petshop the vet has established in my local shopping centre. I was hoping to find some Christmas presents for my cats. Several lively kittens were in two playpen enclosures in the window. I entered the shop and looked at various toys settling on several small noisy mice. As I went to leave the small grey kitten came to the back of the cage and soft-meowed at me. I found myself promising that if she was still there on Christmas Eve she would have Christmas dinner with me and left.

I didn't need or want another cat and I was sure that my cats wouldn't appreciate a kitten for a Christmas present. However, a promise is a promise so as close to closing time as possible I went back to the shop and there she was, waiting for me. Most of the other kittens had been sold and the few left had been reduced to increase their chances of a last minute sale. I am surprised this one didn't sell earlier said the assistant as she has such a nice nature. Apparently, the kittens are allowed to run around at the back of the shop for a few hours to give them a break from the window display (and so the staff can play with them no doubt). She likes to climb said the assistant. The kitten was guaranteed if she ate a certain brand of dry kitten food, which she really loved according to the assistant (pity she didn't ask the kitten), so I purchased a packet of it and left with it my new kitten.

Bonnie is "boss cat" so if she accepted the kitten it would be much easier. Bonnie growled, sniffed at her then led her to the bowl of cat milk in the kitchen. A good sign - her mothering instinct was still there. Bonnie being grey and white could easily have been her mother.

The First Meal

I fed the kitten the special food in the laundry where I had made her a bed and the rest of the cats in the kitchen as usual. Next thing I know the kitten is in the kitchen eating from each of the bowls of food on the floor. Well Bonnie did show her where to eat so I quickly put down a bowl of the special food as well. All the other cats quickly moved to the new bowl and began to eat. This left the kitten to eat from any bowl of food she wished. I can honestly say that she maybe ate two mouthfuls of the special food on that first night however, she never ate it again.