Duchess (4 page)

Mia sighed. “Oh, Duchess. What are we going to do with you?”

“Why does she always ignore us? All we want to do is play with her.” Mia took a bite of vegetable lasagna and looked around the dinner table.

The Battellis were having a family chat. They were trying to figure out what to do with Duchess. She had been with them for four days, but she still hadn’t warmed up much. That afternoon, Mia and Michael had tried to get Duchess to play. She wouldn’t chase a string, a catnip ball, or even the special windup mouse that Logan had said she’d liked. “She didn’t even pounce on it once. She just sat on her pillow and looked at us like we were crazy,” Michael said as he ripped off a piece of bread and popped it into his mouth.

Mia looked at Duchess, a big white fur ball with
a rose-petal-pink nose, still curled up on her bed. Mia nodded. “The mouse ran right into her, but she acted like she didn’t care. She just lifted up her paw and cleaned her whiskers.”

“She’s
always
primping like that,” Michael said.

Dad snorted. “Maybe she’s getting ready for the royal ball.”

“I don’t get it,” Mia complained. “Abby said that she’s good with kids, but she usually just walks out of the room whenever me and Michael come in.”

“She’s never mean, but she’s not exactly nice, either,” Michael said.

“Maybe that’s what Abby meant by being good with kids,” Mom suggested. “Maybe Duchess pretty much ignored the twins, and that was a good thing.”

“Yeah, they probably didn’t really want to play with her,” Mia said. “But we do.”

“I’d say the biggest problem is that she still isn’t eating,” Dad said. “I’d sure be in a bad mood if I hadn’t eaten in four days.”

“Mia and I were worried about that, too,” Mom said. “We emailed Abby to see if she had any suggestions, and she wrote back with some ideas. Unfortunately, it sounds like Duchess has some bad eating habits.” She told Dad and Michael that Abby had admitted she had often fed Duchess people food, even though the vet had told her that it wasn’t good for cats. Duchess was a picky eater and hardly ever ate her own food without something special mixed in. Abby would make Duchess grilled chicken breast or fresh fish and feed her in the dining room, right along with the family. “Chicken Kiev was her favorite,” Mom finished, laughing. “But she won’t be getting that from me. I have a hard enough time making dinner for the four of us. I’m not making a gourmet meal for a cat, too.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Mia could see Duchess waking up. She opened her mouth wide and uncurled her tongue from between her white teeth. Duchess stood up and shook her fluffy
white mane. Then she hopped off her cushion and trotted over to the table.

“Oh, I see we’re awake,” Mom said. Duchess stared up at her with unblinking eyes.

It’s dinnertime! I hope they’ll share something with me this time. I’m so hungry.

“She always wakes up at dinnertime,” Michael noted. “It’s about the only time she pays attention to us.”

“Now, Michael, let’s not be too hard on the poor cat,” Mom said. “Mia, do you want to get Duchess’s dinner ready?”

“Sure,” Mia said as she scooted back her seat.

“Did you make her chicken Kiev?” Dad asked.

“Very funny,” Mom said, smiling at Dad.

“I’ll help Mia.” Michael got up and joined Mia in the kitchen. “So what are we going to feed her?” he asked.

“You heard Mom,” she said. “Duchess is picky,
but we’re not giving her people food.” Mia mixed some wet and dry food together as she talked. “But Mom doesn’t want to risk Duchess getting sick. So Abby suggested mixing all the cat food up, putting treats on top, and crossing our fingers that she likes it.”

“You can bring the bowl in here,” Mom called. “Maybe she’ll eat it on the floor.”

“Where’d we get that crystal bowl?” Dad asked when he saw Mia walk in with Duchess’s dinner. This time Mia had put the food into a special glass dish that turned different colors when it caught the light.

“It was in Duchess’s bag. I hadn’t noticed it until Abby told me to look for it. It was all bundled up in bubble wrap so it wouldn’t break,” Mom explained.

“Abby said it was Duchess’s special bowl, so maybe she’ll want to eat out of it,” said Mia. “Here, Duchess. This is for you.”

The Persian looked up when she heard her
name. As soon as she saw the bowl, she curled herself around Mia’s legs. Duchess gave the bowl a quick sniff and started to eat. Mia could hear a low, rumbling purr as the cat dug in. Mia gave Duchess a quick pet before going back to her seat. She was happy to see Duchess eating. Finally!

“Well, now that we’ve got her eating, let’s move on to the next problem,” Mom said. “I’m sure we all agree that Duchess would be happier somewhere else.”

Mia swallowed hard. That wasn’t exactly true. She still dreamed about keeping Duchess forever.

“Maybe Duchess would like having another cat around,” Mom went on. “It might perk her up a little. My friend Catherine from work has a cute little kitten named Boone, and she’s looking for an older cat to keep him company. I’d like to tell her about Duchess. Is everyone okay with that?” Mom looked around the table, her gaze resting finally on Mia. “Just think how happy Duchess would be if we found her the right home.”

Mia looked at the fluffy white cat. Duchess was busy licking the last bits of food from her dish. She licked the tip of her nose, and then she lifted her paw to comb back her whiskers. Mia did want her to be happy and loved. That was the most important thing. “Okay,” Mia said.

“I’ll call Catherine tonight. If she’s interested in giving Duchess a try, we might even be able to take her over there tomorrow.” Mom put her napkin on the table and announced that there was mint chocolate chip ice cream for dessert.

When Mom got up, Duchess walked over to Mia’s chair and rubbed her face against Mia’s ankle. Mia sighed. The pretty Persian was finally starting to warm up, just when she might be leaving. Mia understood that they needed to find her a home, but the next day seemed too soon. She looked down at the fluffy white cat. She knew Duchess wasn’t exactly the adorable, playful kitten she’d always wanted, but it still wasn’t easy to say good-bye.

When Mia woke up, the sun was shining through her window. She smiled as she sat up and stretched. She loved sleeping late on Saturdays! Then she remembered that Duchess might be leaving that day, and her heart sank. She still didn’t even know Duchess very well. How could she be sure Catherine was a good match for her?

Mia took off her pajamas and pulled on her favorite blue cords and a cozy red sweater. She headed straight for Duchess’s pillow and used both hands to scratch the white cat behind her ears. Duchess lazily lifted her chin and looked at Mia.

That feels nice. I do enjoy a good ear rub. This girl is catching on.

Duchess seemed almost as if she was enjoying the petting, for once. But then, a few moments later, the regal white cat stood up, twitched an ear, and walked out of the room.

Mia sighed. Then she went into the kitchen, pulled down a box of cereal, and fixed herself a bowl for breakfast.

“You’re up and dressed early today,” Mom said as she came into the kitchen, holding her gardening gloves. She plucked a raisin out of Mia’s cereal bowl and popped it into her mouth.

Mia nodded. “I need to learn everything I can about Duchess before she goes.”

“You’re taking this much better than I thought you would.” Mom rubbed Mia’s shoulder. “I spoke to Catherine last night after you went to bed. She said she’d like to meet Duchess this afternoon.”

Mia took a deep breath. “We need to meet Catherine, too. We might not be the right family
for Duchess, but I still need to make sure that she is.”

“So you’ll come with me?” Mom asked.

“I wouldn’t let you go without me.” Mia smiled up at her.

Mom smiled back and ruffled Mia’s hair. “I’m glad you’re serious about finding the best match. We’ll go after lunch,” she said as she opened the door to the backyard. “Don’t forget that Catherine has a kitten.”

Mia’s heart sped up at the very thought of seeing a kitten, but she needed to focus on Duchess. Dad had taken Michael to his basketball practice, so Mia was on her own that morning.

“Okay, girl,” Mia said as she reached under the cat’s belly to lift her. “I’m going to brush you. You need to look pretty for Catherine.” Mia sat down and crossed her legs. “Let’s try this again.” Duchess let out a small meow as Mia set her on her lap.

Careful, now. Be gentle, and don’t get that brush stuck again!

Just as Mia was about to start, she heard a light knock on the door.

“Yoo-hoo! It’s Nonna Kate. I wanted to check on the duchess.”

Mia let Nonna Kate in and sat back down with Duchess. “I’m brushing her so she looks good for her new home,” Mia explained.

“Is that so?” Nonna Kate settled in to watch. Mia tried to hold Duchess with one hand and brush with the other, but Duchess did not make the job easy. She squirmed around, trying to bite the brush.

“May I show you something?” Nonna Kate asked.

Mia looked up and nodded.

Nonna Kate moved over to sit next to Mia. She looked through the brushes and combs Mia had laid out and picked up a metal comb. “My cat Murray was a Maine coon, so I know all about
long hair. If you start with a comb, it helps get out the tangled parts. With this beautiful long coat, Duchess needs a good brushing every couple of days.” As she spoke, Mia’s neighbor gently moved the comb through the soft hair on Duchess’s tummy. “See? She has many layers of hair down here. The comb removes the dead hair so it doesn’t get ratty.” Nonna Kate scratched Duchess under the chin. “You’re a pretty pussycat, not a little rat.” With a rumbly purr, Duchess rolled over and held her paws up in the air so Nonna Kate could really reach her belly.

This is more like it. I deserve some real pampering.

Mia was amazed. “She loves it when you brush her.”

“I enjoy it, too. You’d better like brushing if you have a Persian. Persians are a lot of work,” Nonna Kate said.

“We’re learning that,” Mia admitted.

“But you’re worth it, aren’t you?” Nonna Kate said to Duchess.

Mia hoped Catherine would agree.

After lunch, Mia packed up Duchess’s brushes and her pillow. She rinsed out her crystal dish and put the canned and dry cat food and the kitty treats in a big plastic bag. The drive over to Catherine’s was quick.

“Thanks for coming, guys,” Catherine said when she opened the door. “You, too, Duchess.” Catherine brushed her wispy blond bangs from her eyes as she leaned over to peek into the carrier. “What a sparkly collar you have.”

“Where’s Boone?” Mia asked, looking around for the kitten.

“He’s in the bathroom,” Catherine said, motioning to a nearby door. “When you introduce two cats, it’s best to do it slowly so they can get used to each other. We wouldn’t want them to start off with a fight.”

“Oh, I don’t think Duchess would ever fight. She’s a lady,” Mia said.

“You never know,” said Catherine. She led them into a bedroom with lots of sunlight and a wall of bookshelves. “This is the guest room. I thought Duchess could stay in here until she and Boone are comfortable with each other.”

Mia wasn’t sure that Duchess would like being stuck in one room. Duchess was the type of cat who liked to roam around and find the most comfortable places to perch.

“I’ll spend plenty of time with her so she has lots of love, and, in a couple of days, she and Boone can meet face-to-face,” Catherine explained. “I hope they’ll become best buds. Boone really needs a playmate.”

Catherine bent down and opened the carrier. “Let’s give her a chance to come out of the carrier on her own time. Why don’t we go meet Boone? Be sure to close the door behind you.”

Mia was torn. She hated to leave Duchess
alone, but she was dying to see the kitten. “I’ll be right back,” she promised Duchess. As soon as Mia left the room, she saw a tiny kitten bounding past the bathroom door. Her heart melted. Boone was white with gray splotches all over, even on his tail. His bright green eyes looked mischievous. He batted at a yellow plastic ball, and it rolled under a dresser.

“I’ll get it, Boone,” Mia said as she reached under the dresser. When she pulled out the ball, Boone’s eyes grew brighter. She threw the ball, and he scampered after it.
Click, click, clack!
His tiny claws clattered against the wood floors as he skidded to a stop. Mia laughed out loud.

“Boone’s a little clown,” Catherine said with a smile. “He’s got gobs of energy. I hope another cat will mellow him out.”

Mia nodded. She wondered if Duchess was the right cat for the job. Just then, Boone trotted up to his dog-sized water bowl and walked right in.

“Oh, my gosh! He’s in the water,” Mia said. Water sloshed over the side of the bowl as Boone leapt out.

“Yep, that’s my boy,” Catherine said.

Mom and Catherine talked while Mia played with Boone. Mia threw him a catnip mouse over and over again. Then he chased her shoelaces and tried to eat them. Mia overheard Mom telling Catherine all the details they’d learned about feeding Duchess and about Duchess’s special crystal dish. Mia chimed in with Nonna Kate’s advice about grooming Duchess every other day, starting with the metal comb. Finally, Mom stood up and said they had to get home.

Mia grabbed her coat off a chair. “I just have to say good-bye to Duchess.” But when Mia opened the door to Duchess’s room, that quick little Boone slipped in before she could stop him. The curious kitten ran right up to the carrier, stuck his head inside, and took a sniff.

“No, Boone!” Mia grabbed the kitten just
as Duchess swiped a paw at his face. “It’s okay, Duchess. He’s just a kitten.” But when Mia looked in the carrier, Duchess hissed at her.

“Hmmm,” said a voice behind Mia.

Mia turned to see Catherine standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. Uh-oh. Maybe Duchess wasn’t the perfect pal for a pesky kitten like Boone after all.

Mia felt terrible the whole way home. She hadn’t meant to let Boone into the guest room. She had ruined Catherine’s plan for slowly introducing the two cats. And she hadn’t even had the chance to say a nice good-bye to Duchess. After Catherine had taken Boone out of the room, Duchess hid in the back of her carrier. She swatted her tail back and forth and ignored Mia.