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The shiny ribbons caught the light as the girl shook the toy. The kitten padded closer, just to look. Then the feathers twitched again and she bounced, all four paws off the ground, to catch them. One paw came close, her claws just skimming the edge of the feathers, but the toy jumped away. She crouched down to stalk it across the floor, waiting until the moment was just right. Then she sprang straight up and thumped it hard with her paw.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_20]

She landed half in Abi’s lap, slipping down her knees. Abi put a hand out to catch her, gently scooping the kitten up. Abi was still holding the stick for the cat toy and the bundle of feathers was dangling next to her now. The kitten sat up on her hind paws and grabbed it, hugging it tight. She settled back on Abi’s lap to chew on the feathers and forgot that she was scared.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

“We need to decide what to call her,” Chris said, watching Ruby and Abi stroking the white kitten, who was stretched out between them on the sofa half asleep. They had danced the feather toy about for her all afternoon and she was worn out. She’d eaten another kitten food pouch and she’d worked out where her litter tray was. She’s doing amazingly, Abi thought. Especially since Maria had warned that it might take her days to settle in.

“It ought to be something to do with her colour,” Mum suggested. “Or her blue eyes. We could call her Sapphire.”

Abi made a face.“That’s not very easy to say.”

“Sky, then?”

Chris nodded.“That’s better.”

“My friend Sky would like that,” Abi said, tickling the kitten under the chin.

“Oh, I’d forgotten… It might be a bit confusing though. What about Blanche? It’s French for white.”

Abi wrinkled her nose.“I don’t think she looks like a Blanche. She’s like – she’s like…” Abi sighed. “I don’t know! She’s so pretty. And I love her pink nose – it’s like a flower petal.” She looked up at Mum and Chris suddenly. “We could call her Flower!”

Mum looked pleased.“That’s a lovely name.”

“Hey, Flower,” Abi murmured as she stroked the white kitten again. The kitten didn’t hear her, of course, but she began to purr, a purr so loud that Abi could feel Flower’s whole furry little body shaking under her fingers.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

On Sunday, Flower began to explore her way all through the house. It took her a while to get upstairs, as her legs were still a bit short for the steps, but she was determined and Ruby gave her a lift the last few steps to the top. She sat on Ruby’s bed and watched her play and then tried to climb inside the dolls’ house. Then she slept on Abi’s lap while she did her homework.

Sometimes she sat on the back of the sofa and watched the road outside through the front window, but she didn’t seem to mind that she was an inside cat. She didn’t know any different, Abi decided. Actually, even if they’d adopted a kitten whowasn’t deaf, it would have had to stay inside for a while, Maria had told them. Kittens couldn’t go out until they’d had all their vaccinations.

The leaflet had been right when it said that indoor cats liked things to hide behind. Flower went under the sofa, inside the pan cupboard and nearly got stuck behind the bookcase in the living room. She loved climbing too.

On Monday morning before school, Abi came into the kitchen to get her cereal and looked around to see where Flower was. She’d hurried down before she got dressed and found the kitten still curled up asleep in her igloo basket – but she definitely wasn’t there now. It was only when she heard a tiny meow that she realized where Flower was. She was perched on the curtain rail over the kitchen window and she looked abit worried.

“Mum!” Abi yelled. “You need to come and see this!”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_21]

Flower mewed again and tried to stand up, slipping a bit.

“How did she get up there?” Mum said, stopping in the doorway to stare.

“I don’t know, but I think she’s about to fall off! Can you reach her?”

Mum unhooked the kitten and made a frowny face at her, wagging her finger like a cross mother in a cartoon.

“What are you doing?” Abi asked her mum. Then she giggled, watching Flower stalk across the kitchen floor to her water bowl, pretending she hadn’t been stuck at all.

Mum laughed too.“I was trying to do a big facial expression, like Maria said. So she understood I was cross.”

“Ohhh. I’m not sure it was her fault though. I was reading about deaf cats on the internet and one of the websites said they liked being high up because it makes them feel safe. Like no one could creep up on them.”

“Maybe. But she can’t get into the habit of climbing the curtains,” Mum said firmly. Then she turned, looking towards the front door. “Oh no, is that the dustmen? I haven’t put the bin out!” She hurried from the kitchen to open the front door. “Abi, make sure you’re holding Flower or watching that she doesn’t go out.”