Hi, I’m Munchkin. Mom and I got good news at the vet’s yesterday: I’m up to eight pounds! I dropped to five pounds when Mom was taking care of Granny all the time and Ami and I stopped eating. Now Mom is back, and we’re eating again and I’m taking my hyperthyroid medicine. Mom wants me to gain two to four more pounds.

Anyway, it’s my turn to write a story, so here’s one based kind of on Granny’s getting her eye fixed and kind of on stories Mom tells me about our friend Jane’s cats. I hope Jane likes it.

The Pirate’s Cats

by Munchkin Allen

“Feathertail! Feathertail!” Miss Meow darted around the yard, searching for her best friend. She looked in the old plastic playhouse, under the glass-topped table, in the spirea bushes, and behind the garage. She found six other semi-wild cats who made the yard their home, but not Feathertail. She finally found her in the crook of a tree.

“Guess what?” Miss Meow scrambled up the tree and licked Feathertail’s ears in excitement.

“What?” Feathertail swatted Miss Meow’s nose, pushing the rough tongue away. Just to show there were no hard feelings, she yawned and purred. “What’s all the excitement about?”

“Mom’s a pirate!”

“No, she isn’t. Pirates sail the seven seas. Mom sits on the porch and observes us.”

“She’s a pirate now! You know how she was gone all day? Well, she’s back, and she’s a pirate! She must have been to pirate school or something! I saw her through the window.”

The back door opened. All the cats in the feral pod swiveled their heads to look.

A human female came out, carrying a pitcher of water and a sack of kibble. And, sure enough, she wore a patch over one eye!

“See?” Miss Meow scratched the tree’s bark until chips fell to the grass below.

“Suppertime!” the Mom called. “First ones get a treat!”

“C’mon!” Miss Meow threw herself off the limb and landed lightly on all four feet. Feathertail was right behind her. They trotted up the walk, bumping each other as they went, the way kitty girlfriends do.

Mom filled the bowls that lined her porch with food and water. Miss Meow and Feathertail were still the only cats there, the others being too shy or too independent.

“Fine, then,” Mom said. “You girls get the treats. I picked up a sample at the store when I went to the store after the doc fixed the scratch on my eye. Two in a package. One for you and one for you.”

The friends gobbled their salmon treats, crunched through some kibble, and made room for others.

Back in the tree, Feathertail said, “You’re right – she is a pirate. She gave each of us a piece of ate. Everybody knows pirates give each other pieces of ate.”

“Maybe tomorrow she’ll bring us a parrot.”

“On a cracker.”

Life was good.

~*~

A WRITING PROMPT FOR ANIMALS: What’s your favorite treat?

MuA