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“Yesterday they climbed up the shelves in the dining room and tipped a whole bottle of yellow poster paint all over the carpet. Mum says it’s never coming out. Now isn’t the time to suggest we get a kitten as well.” Isla made a face. “So how does it work? Do you go to the animal shelter and check out lots of kittens? That must be so hard. I’m not sure I’d be able to choose!”

“The shelter has a website,” Hailey explained. “We looked at pictures of them last night. There are loads – I loved the black and white ones, but they’re going to be rehomed in pairs. The shelter likes to do that, so they’ll be with a friend. But we only want one kitten because we’ve already got Pickle.”

“Oh, I see. But will they let you have just one?”

“Oh yes. There are three ginger and white kittens, so we could have one of those. And there’s a tabby kitten with really long fur – she doesn’t have any brothers or sisters. I’m hoping we can have her – she’sso pretty.”

“Oh wow, I love tabby-striped cats!” Isla bounced a little in her chair. “So when are you going to decide?”

“Someone from the shelter’s coming round today, Mum said. They have to do a home visit to check that we’ll be good cat owners. They want to see if the road outside the house is too busy and that sort of thing.”

“But you’ve already got Pickle,” Isla pointed out. “And he’s so lovely and friendly. That ought toprove you’re good cat owners.”

Hailey nodded.“I said that! But Mum says they have to make sure.” She frowned. “I hope it’s OK. I don’t think our road’s that busy, do you?”

Isla shook her head. Hailey lived two doors down from her and their road was quite narrow– cars always went down it really slowly. “I’ve seen Pickle sitting in the middle of the road before,” she pointed out. “He glares at the cars and they have to stop and wait for him to move. He couldn’t do that if they were going fast.”

Hailey grinned.“I know. Mum says she was right to name him Pickle – he’s so naughty!”

“Do you think he’s going to be OK, having another cat in the house?” Isla asked.

“Of course he will!” Hailey stared at her. “Mum and Dad already had another cat when they first got Pickle – he was fine. And you just said he was lovely and friendly!”

Isla blinked. Hailey sounded almost cross.“Yeah, I know he is, but cats like their own space, don’t they? Pickle thinks your house ishis house. What if he doesn’t want another cat to share it?”

“He won’t be like that,” Hailey said firmly. “He’ll love having a kitten around. Mum said it’s going to give him a new lease of life – he’ll enjoy playing with the kitten and he won’t spend the whole day sleeping like he does now.”

“Sleeping in the middle of the road,” Isla giggled.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

That afternoon, after school, Isla and Hailey were going to walk home with Hailey’s mum and her younger brother Max, who was in the year below them. Isla’s mum and Hailey’s mum took it in turns to do the school run since they lived so close to each other.

Hailey dashed across the playground to find her mum as soon as they were let out and Isla hurried after her.

“Mum! Did the person from the shelter come round today? What did they say?” Hailey demanded, throwing her arms round her mum’s middle.

“Hello, sweetheart. Did you have a good day? Hi, Isla.” Hailey’s mum smiled at her.

“Mum! The cat person! What happened?”

“Well, she said the road was fine and it was good that we had a garden. She was a bit worried about Pickle, but—Oh, there’s Max!”

Hailey and Isla exchanged worried glances as Hailey’s mum stopped to wave at Max and then admire the star sticker on the worksheet he was showing her.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

“What did the lady say about Pickle, Mum?” Hailey broke in eventually as her mum was making sure that Max had brought all of his PE kit home to be washed.

“Oh! Sorry, Hailey. She said sometimes an older cat finds it hard to get used to sharing with a new kitten, but I explained that Pickle is super chilled. How he never fights with any of the other cats in the street and he’s very friendly.”

“That’s what I said to Isla,” Hailey agreed, nodding.

“He doesn’t even mind that little ginger cat from down the road sitting in our garden,” Hailey’s mum went on. “So I told her all that and she said in that case he’d probably be fine. But we have to introduce them to each other carefully and give them their own space for the first few days. It was all very sensible.”

“So … she said yes? We can have a kitten?” Hailey hugged her mum again and then Max hugged her too.

Isla watched, trying not to feel a little envious. She was glad for Hailey– but Hailey and Max already had Pickle and he was gorgeous! Now they were getting a kitten too? It was hard not to be just atiny bit jealous…

Hailey’s mum was laughing. “Yes! I called your dad and we agreed we’d go to the shelter tomorrow morning and have a look.”

Hailey nodded eagerly.“I hope no one’s adopted that tabby kitten!”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_6]