Smudge the Stolen Kitten (3 page)

In the end, the name was obvious. Smudge just fitted. Olivia’s mum suggested Alfie, and Ben wanted to call him after his favourite footballer, but Smudge just looked like Smudge.

He fitted into the house too. Debbie had said that he was already
house-trained
. She’d also explained that Smudge had had all his vaccinations, and was safe to go outside, but it would be better not to let him out on his own for the first couple of weeks, while he got used to his new home. Dad was glad about that, as it gave him a bit longer to fit the cat flap.

On his first night, Olivia had left Smudge curled up in his new basket.
She’d lined up all his toys next to him, and given him one of her old toy cats in case he was lonely. Then she’d refilled his water bowl, and given him a prawn-flavour cat treat as a bedtime snack.

“Olivia, it’s way past your bedtime!” Mum put an arm round her shoulders. “He’ll be fine. He’s used to the Rescue Centre. I’m sure our kitchen’s much nicer than that pen he was in.”

Olivia nodded. “Yes, but he doesn’t know our house yet, and he doesn’t understand what’s happening. What if he thinks we’re never coming back?”

“Come on. You’re not sleeping in the kitchen with him, Livvy.”

Olivia sighed and looked back sadly as Mum shooed her out. The light from
the hallway gleamed in the kitten’s huge eyes. He looked sad too.

Upstairs, Olivia got ready for bed. But she couldn’t stop thinking about Smudge, alone in the dark kitchen. Perhaps she should just go and check on him?

Ben was lying on his bed reading, and he glanced up as Olivia went past. “Mum’ll hear if you sneak downstairs, Olivia. She always catches me.”

Olivia leaned round his bedroom door. “How did you know what I was doing?” she hissed. “I might just have been going to the loo!”

Ben shrugged. “I could tell by the way you were looking at the stairs.” He frowned. “Hey, is that Smudge making that noise?”

From downstairs came a faint but pitiful wailing, along with a scratching sound. The noise of kitten claws scrabbling at a kitchen door.

Olivia hung over the banisters, listening to the sad little howls.

Eventually Mum came out of the living room, frowning. “I hope he’s all right,” she said over her shoulder to Dad. “Oh, Olivia. Is he keeping you awake?”

“Can’t we let him come upstairs?” Olivia pleaded. “He sounds so lonely.”

Mum sighed and glanced at Dad.

Dad shrugged. “Well, he is
house-trained
.”

“Thank you!” Olivia smiled with delight, and ran down the stairs to open the kitchen door.

Smudge shot out, and she gathered him into her arms, cuddling him against her pyjamas. “Don’t worry, Smudge,” she whispered. “I’ll look after you.” She carried him upstairs, and put him down gently on her bed.

Smudge looked around interestedly, and padded up and down Olivia’s duvet, inspecting it carefully. Olivia tried not to laugh. He looked so serious. Then he marched over to her pillow, curled himself up in the hollow between the pillow and the duvet, and went to sleep.

Chapter Three

Smudge had only been there a few days, but Olivia’s house was definitely his home now. He had explored every possible hole and hiding place, and got stuck in several of them. But Olivia or Ben or their parents were always there to rescue him. Except for today. Dad was at work, Olivia and Ben had gone to school that morning, and as it was
Thursday their mum had to go into school to work too. Smudge was all on his own for the first time, and he didn’t like it. He wandered around the house, his tail twitching. He’d already been into every room that was open, and he knew that no one was there, but he kept hoping that maybe if he looked again he would find somebody.

He padded back into the kitchen, and sniffed hopefully at the door. Olivia and Ben had taken him out into the garden when they got home from school yesterday. It had been his first taste of the outside world, and his ears flickered back and forth as he remembered watching the birds, and chasing after the little jingly ball that Olivia had rolled along the patio.

There it was, in the corner by the kitchen cupboards. Smudge trotted over and patted the ball with one paw. It rolled along, the little bell jingling, and he pounced on it. The ball slid along the polished tiles, and so did Smudge, rolling over on to his back, wriggling and clawing at it. But then the ball slid away from his paws and stopped against the kitchen table leg, and it wasn’t as much fun any more.

Grumpily, Smudge lay there on his back, licking his paws. He’d already had quite a long sleep in the recycling box on the kitchen counter. (Ben had emptied it that morning, and it was just the right size for Smudge to feel cosy in, much better than his basket.) Now he wanted someone to play with.

Perhaps by the time he got upstairs, Olivia would be back in her bedroom? He trotted through to the hallway and started to struggle up the stairs.

He was big enough to climb them, but it was an effort, and he had to scrabble and heave himself up each step. He sat down for a little while at the top of the stairs, his sides heaving, and then he crept along the landing and nosed his way round Olivia’s door.

She wasn’t there. The room was empty.

Smudge crept under Olivia’s bed. He picked his way between two tottering piles of books, and pounced on the flex of Olivia’s hair-dryer. Then, yawning, he snuggled himself inside her gym bag. He liked small spaces, and climbing the stairs had worn him out. When he woke up, surely they would all be back?

“I can’t believe it’s only lunchtime,” Olivia muttered, checking her watch for the hundredth time.

“Are you missing Smudge?” Lucie grinned at her.

Olivia nodded. “It’s the first time we’ve left him alone all day. I really
hope he’s OK. He nearly climbed out of the living-room window yesterday. I caught him just as he was sticking his head out.”

“He still isn’t allowed out then? Isn’t he old enough?”

“He’s ten weeks, so he could go outside, but Debbie said it’s best if we wait until we’ve had him a bit longer before letting him out on his own. It already feels like he’s been with us for ages, though. He isn’t shy or nervous at all.” Then she shook her head. “Except for yesterday, when we took Smudge into the garden with us, and Ben got him with his water pistol. He
said
it was an accident, but I don’t know…”

Lucie sighed. “I’m so jealous. I love Tiger, but he’s really old and just sleeps
all day. Can I come and see Smudge soon?” she asked hopefully.

Olivia nodded. She was desperate to show off how gorgeous Smudge was. “Do you want to come to tea tomorrow? Mum’s doing playground duty, we could go and ask her.”

They ran over to Olivia’s mum, who was turning the end of a skipping rope for a bunch of year one girls. “Mum, can Lucie come to tea tomorrow? She really wants to see Smudge.”

Mum frowned. “Oh, not Friday, Lucie, sorry. Ben’s already invited Rob. I’ll ask your mum about popping over at the weekend,” she suggested, and Lucie nodded, looking pleased, but Olivia was frowning.

“Rob’s coming? To tea? Mum, does
he have to? Ben always plays up when Rob’s round, they’ll be awful! They might upset Smudge!”

“I’m sure they won’t, Olivia. Oh dear! Up you get, Sinead!” One of the year ones had tripped over the rope, and Mum went to pick her up.

Olivia sighed, and glanced at Lucie. “I bet they will. You know what Ben’s like. And with Rob there he’s three times as bad. I’ll just have to keep Smudge with me the whole time.”

“Smudge! Where are you, puss?” As soon as Olivia got home from school, she dropped her bag, pulled off her coat, and dashed upstairs to search for him.
Maybe he was having a sleep on her bed? As she pushed her bedroom door wide open, there was a little mew and Smudge wriggled out from under her bed. A pile of books toppled over as he shot out and scrambled into her lap. Olivia giggled. “Mum’s right, I really do need to tidy up, especially if you’re going to go exploring under there. Those books nearly squashed your tail!” She settled down to do her homework with Smudge purring on her knee. When she’d finished she carried him downstairs, and wandered into the kitchen to talk to Mum. Ben was out in the garden building a den in the apple tree.

“Mum, does Rob have to come to tea tomorrow?”

Mum looked up from the saucepan she was stirring. “Well, yes. It’s all arranged. What’s the matter, Livvy?”

Olivia shrugged. “I don’t want him to…” she whispered. “He does stupid stuff, and he makes Ben do stupid stuff too. They always get into trouble.”

Mum sighed. “I know they’re a bit naughty. But Rob is Ben’s best friend. Can’t you just stay out of their way tomorrow, love?”

“But what if they upset Smudge? Can I take him up to my room tomorrow to keep him out of their way too?”

Mum looked at her seriously for a moment, and shook her head. “Olivia, Ben wants to show Smudge off to Rob. I know you really love Smudge, and he’s taken to you so well, but he’s not just yours, sweetheart. He’s Ben’s kitten as well.”

Olivia nodded miserably. She knew Mum was right, but it didn’t help. Smudge
felt
like he was her kitten, and she didn’t want the boys anywhere near him.

“Hello, Smudge!” Olivia’s dad walked in, and tickled the kitten under the chin.

Then Ben flung open the kitchen door, and stomped muddy footprints across the floor. “Is it dinnertime yet?”

“Shoes off!” Mum grabbed him. “And then it is, yes.”

Olivia rolled her eyes at Mum. “You see?” she muttered. She let Smudge down to the floor and went to help pass the bowls of pasta round.

“What?” Ben asked, as he hopped around taking off his trainers.

Olivia folded her arms. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to have Rob over tomorrow. Not when we’ve only had Smudge for three days. Rob’ll probably get Smudge to … to climb
trees or something. You always do stupid things with him! Like that time you dug a tunnel and pulled up all Dad’s daffodil bulbs!”

Ben shook his head. “That so isn’t fair! For a start, we didn’t know they were there! And anyway, Rob loves cats. He’s been asking his mum and dad for one for ages. He can’t wait to meet Smudge.”

“Oh…” Olivia muttered.

“Actually, where is Smudge?” Mum asked.

Olivia looked down, expecting to see him by her feet, hoping to be fed. But he wasn’t there.

“I don’t know.” Olivia went to look in the hallway, but then there was a worried little meow from
somewhere on the other side of the kitchen.

Mum frowned. “Where on earth is he?”

The meowing got louder.

“I think he’s behind the cooker!” Ben said suddenly.

“But it’s still hot from cooking dinner!” Mum cried.

Olivia dashed over to the cooker. “Smudge, come out of there!”

But Smudge only mewed louder.

“He’s stuck,” Olivia muttered, crouching down and trying to reach behind the cooker. “Ow, and it’s hot. I can’t get to him. I think he got trapped and now he can’t turn round!”

Dad shook his head. “What is it with that kitten? The smaller the space, the
more he likes it. I’ll have to pull it out a bit.”

He dragged the cooker out from the wall, and Smudge darted out and ran to Olivia. He was trembling, and covered in dust balls – he looked even furrier than usual.

Mum shook her head. “I don’t think Smudge needs the boys to get him into trouble, Olivia. He can manage it perfectly well on his own!”