That Furball Puppy and Me (4 page)

This girl looked me over carefully. I struggled to get away. I wanted to run. I wanted to hide. She stroked my fur and talked real soft to me. It made me relax a bit, but I still wanted down. Ribbons and paper and string cluttered the floor and the furniture.

“Jenny, it's okay to let Gray down. He can't tear up anything now. We'll just have to make sure that he doesn't climb up in the tree again.”

The girl put me on the floor and rubbed my fur the wrong way. It made my tail flip. I pulled away and hid behind the tree.

I didn't hide for very long. There was too much going on—too much excitement. I reached out to bat at the shiny things again. The little people pulled strings in front of me. My claws popped out when I tried to catch them.

Josh, the biggest little kid, rolled paper up into a ball and nudged it in front of me. I slapped at it. It rattled and tumbled away. I batted and scampered after it all the way across the floor. I chased the paper ball until I was exhausted.

Finally I jumped onto the couch with Mama. She held me in her lap. I closed my eyes. I had to keep listening though. The Grandkids would grab at me if I wasn't careful.

I must have dozed off. When my eyes opened, the room was much quieter. The Grandkids were nowhere in sight. Mama rubbed my fur and stroked under my chin.

“Gray, it's almost time for Santa to come. You'll have to spend another night in the playroom!”

Mama set me on the chair in the corner. As soon as she turned out the light and shut the door, I dashed to my litter box. I ate so much yummy meat at dinnertime, I was afraid I was going to bust.

When I was done, I scratched at the litter. Bits of fine gravel flew everywhere. Sometimes Mama would get upset when she found kitty litter all over the floor. I didn't understand. All good kitties cover up their messes. So I got a little carried away. I flicked my ears. It was no big deal. I went
back to the door. My sharp ears picked up sounds.

Paper crinkled. There were whispers, then a grinding sound.
Grrr …

Someone giggled.

“Josh is going to love this one,” someone else whispered.

I couldn't tell who was talking. I couldn't see anyone there when I looked under the door. I wondered if it was the Santa that everyone was talking about. Who is Santa?

And where were we going to put him? The house was full enough already. There were too many people. There was too much stuff! A cat couldn't walk for all the mess in the house.

M
orning sounds came from the kitchen. I peeked under the door. Feet shuffled past my view. The smell of coffee came to my nose.

“It looks like the kids got tons of stuff from Santa,” Daddy said.

“Yeah, what a mess!” Girl's feet as big as Mama's moved to the table. “I hope we can find room for all these things in the van!”

“Let me
out!”
I reached my paw under the door. I grabbed the wood and gave it a good shake.

“Heather, will you please let Gray out? I don't think he can make any bigger mess than what we already have here.”

The door opened. The girl with the Mama-size feet reached down and swooped me up.

“Hey, Gray, you put up with a lot yesterday. What a good kitty you are!”

I stretched my neck trying to look around the room and see what had happened last night. I rubbed my face against the big girl's cheek. While I was there, I peeked over her shoulder and into the living room.

“Okay, kitty, you can go.” The girl set me on the floor.

I walked toward where the big tree stood, tall and beautiful. The papers that I had played with last night were missing. Ribbons and bows were gone, too! Under the tree new boxes covered with colorful wrapping were spread out on the floor.

Stepping carefully, I moved closer to the tree. Three tiny girls in beautiful dresses sat under a branch. A little car and clothes were strewn out on the floor. I walked up cautiously. I looked the little girls directly in the eyes. They stared straight ahead. I rubbed against them. They didn't budge. I sniffed the little car. It didn't budge, either.

Curling up under the tree, I watched the movements above. The lights on the limbs twinkled. I put my chin on my paws and studied all the wiggly things.

“Heather, why didn't you wake me?” A kid as big as Daddy walked to the table. He leaned down and kissed the big girl.

“Since you were up so late last night, I thought you needed the sleep.”

“I think the kids are awake. I heard a lot of whispering in the girls' room. Josh was getting dressed, but I told him to stay put until everyone was ready in here.”

“I'll get Paul and Dana up, before we let the kids loose.” Mama walked to the hall and disappeared toward the bedrooms.

Squeals of happiness suddenly filled the house. Two big kids staggered down the hall. Excited voices shouted toward the living room.

“Everybody's up, now. We're ready to come out! Let us out!” The Grandkids were yelling as loud as they could.

“Who woke them up?” the big boy people growled. “I've got to have some coffee before they come in!”

“You'd better hurry. Josh has been awake for a long time!”

Mama handed Dana and Paul mugs of coffee.

I scooted farther back under the tree. The Grandkids would be after me very soon.

Noises grew louder from the bedroom. Squeals and giggles, then whines of despair. (The sound was weird—more like play whines than really unhappy.) I wasn't sure what would happen next, but I was hidden where they couldn't get their hands on me.

In a few minutes the big boy, called Carl, finally walked to the hallway.

“Okay, Josh, bring Kensey, Jenny, and Katie in! Everybody's ready!”

The rest of the family was standing near the kitchen.

As soon as the Grandkids stepped into the living room flashes of light lit up everything. I turned my head to see where it came from. Mama and Daddy were holding boxes in front of their faces. I was looking right at Mama when her light flashed. It was so bright it made me blink. When I opened my eyes, all I could see was a blue dot. It went away quickly. I decided to watch the Grandkids instead of the light boxes.

The Grandkids stood still for a few minutes, then yells and squeals filled the air. Each one of them ran to a pile of things under the tree. Nobody seemed to notice me.

I was safe in my spot for a long time. The Grandkids ripped open presents and tore boxes. They looked at each gift carefully then set it in a pile beside them. Then they turned to open another box. The house was a mess again.

“Breakfast is ready,” Mama called.

The living room was suddenly empty. I ventured from my hiding spot. I carefully worked my
way toward the kitchen. Callie had left me plenty of tender cat food in the bowl.

“I think there is one more present that Santa left.” Carl got up from the table and headed for the front door. “I am sure there is one more gift out here!”

When Carl came back inside, he was carrying a big box with holes in it. He pushed the empty boxes and paper away from under the tree and set it down as the family came back into the living room.

“Look, Mama. It's for you!”

I stood near the kitchen door. Sounds of scratching came from the box. This was a bad sign.

Mama frowned at the box just like I did. A whining sound came from inside, then more scratching. Mama tilted her head to the side. I felt my tail puff—just a little—but I didn't know why. My ears wiggled when I turned to look at it.

Mama reached for the big red bow. Before she touched it, the box began to wiggle.

“Yap, yap!” the box said.

My tail fuzzed up even bigger as a strange, shrill sound came from the wiggling box.

If I thought the Grandkids were bad, they were nothing compared to this … Mama's present.

T
he Grandkids squealed. The big kids all moved toward the box. It wiggled. Then it bounced. Then it almost tipped over.

“Yap, yap!” the box said.

“Look, Mama! Look what Santa brought you!”

Mama leaned over and peered into the box. Then she turned to Daddy.

“Oh my gosh! A puppy!” Mama smiled. Then she got this sort of helpless look on her face. She smiled again, then frowned. “Is it a puppy or a big rat? What is he?”

Did she say rat? I jumped to the back of the couch.

Mama knelt down and pulled something from the box. The children and Grandkids pressed closer.

“We knew how much you missed Muffy. Santa brought you a new puppy.”

“But what is it?”

“It's a Scottish terrier,” Carl said.

Mama frowned. “I didn't know they were white. The ones I've seen are black. Are you sure it isn't a big rat?” Mama smiled as she held the squirming, fuzzy beast up for a better look.

“We're sure!” The big kids all spoke at once.

It was the first time I got a good look at it. It was white and fuzzy and as ugly as could be. It had this long pink tongue that kept flopping out of its mouth when it tried to lick Mama's hand. And the back end of the thing kept wiggling so hard, I thought it might shake apart. (At least, I think it was the back end. Mostly the thing was just fuzz and fluff. It was hard to tell the front from the back.)

“Isn't he cute!” Heather sat down next to Mama. Dana moved nearer. I jumped to the top of the big wooden chest near the kitchen door. I needed a better view, out of reach of this big rat!

Curling my tail around me, I licked my paws and washed my face. I kept one eye on the fuzzy, wiggly, little beast below me.

The Grandkids were laughing and petting it, all at the same time. Each one pushed to get closer.

It was hard to see what this animal really
looked like with all the family gathered around it.

“Okay, kids, it's time to give Grandmother a chance to hold her puppy by herself. Go get your stuff and leave them alone for just a little while.” Carl scooted the Grandkids toward the bedroom doors. He kind of held his arms out and waved them—like Daddy did when he was herding cows in the big lot behind the barn.

“Go play with your toys. The playroom will be a good place. Give your grandmother just a while.”

“Awww gee, Dad! He's so cute.” Josh looked up at Carl. “Can I take him outside when Grandma gets through playing with him?”

“Sure, son,
but later!”
He jabbed a sharp finger toward the bedroom. “Now, scat. Take the girls and go play for a while.”

“Okay! Come on, Kensey! Jenny and Katie get her hands.” The Grandkids bounced toward the hallway.

I didn't like the looks of the thing on Mama's lap. It was horrible! The animal was covered with shaggy white fur. Even its eyes were hidden by the long fuzz. Its short legs shook in the air as Mama gave it a nice tummy rub. It was disgusting. I could use a good rub, but instead, the beast got one.

I jumped down from the chest, then walked over and rubbed against the door.

“Mee … ow! I need some fresh air.”

“Will somebody let that cat out?” Daddy called from the kitchen.

When the door opened, I slid out as quickly as I could. Cold air shook my whiskers as I stepped to the end of the porch. There was no sunshine. Just another cold and dreary day.

There was this strange white covering all over the ground. I frowned. When I stepped off the porch it went crunch under my paws. I yanked my foot back and looked. I touched it with my tongue. The white stuff was cold but tasted just like rainwater. Whatever the stuff was, it wasn't bad—just cold.

I checked all of my favorite spots. The apple tree. The woodpile. The holly bushes. I even peeked into the barn. Three rats were in a corner eating grain. Nora, the big rat, glared up at me. Okay … time to go back in with my people. At the front of the house I jumped to the ledge under the window.

“Meee … ow! I need in! It's cold out here. Me … ow!” I could see the little furball asleep on Mama's lap. That should be me—all warm and cozy!