Misty the Abandoned Kitten Read Online Free Page A

definitely friendly. But you’re right, she is much too thin. When I stroked her I couldfeel her ribs. She needs a nice owner to feed her properly.”
    The kitten obviously agreed. She came back to the tree house the next afternoon at the same time, and Amy opened one of the tins of cat food she’d bought. She put it in an old plastic bowl she’d borrowed from the kitchen cupboard, and sat in the doorway of the tree house, watching Misty gobble it down. Misty let Amy stroke her again, too, and even put her paws on Amy’s leg, as though she was considering climbing into her lap.

    “Are you going out to the tree house again?” Mum asked. “It’s raining,though! I didn’t realize you loved it that much.”
    “It’s my best present ever!” Amy giggled, a little guiltily. She did love the tree house, but that wasn’t the main reason she was spending so much time out there. Every afternoon that week, as soon as she got home, she’d rushed straight there to look out for Misty.
    She threw on her hoodie over her uniform and went out to the tree house. The ladder was slippery from the rain so she climbed up slowly, peering out along the fence for a little kitten. But no kitten came running to see her today. She sighed. Maybe Misty was sheltering from the rain somewhere.
    She stood up and pulled open the tree house door, planning to sit andread on the beanbag, while keeping an eye out for Misty through the window.
    But the beanbag was already occupied.

    A little kitten – her fur shiny and spiky from the rain – was curled up on it, fast asleep.

    Now that she had discovered that the tree house had a soft, comfortable place to sleep, and that Amy would come and feed her, Misty spent most of her days there, even though she still went back to Mrs Jones to sleep at night. She had climbed in through the half-open window that first time to get out of the rain, and Amy hadn’t seemed to mind. In fact, she’d looked really pleased, and spent ages stroking her. The window was always open a little way now, so that she could get in, and there would always be a little bowl of cat crunchies or something else delicious waiting for her.
    “I don’t know if I’m imagining it, but I think you’re looking plumper,” Amytold the kitten lovingly, a week after she’d first found her inside the tree house. She stroked the little black tummy, as the kitten lay sleepily in her lap. “Are you getting fatter, Misty?”
    “Prrrrp.” The kitten purred, and yawned. Then she snuggled up on Amy’s lap, feeling more at home than she had for a long time.
    Amy stroked her gently, wishing Misty was really hers. “Stay here, puss,” she murmured. “This is your tree house now too.” But it was getting dark now and Amy knew she’d have to head inside soon, and leave the kitten all alone.

    “Amy! Your tea’s getting cold!” came her mum’s voice, from just below the tree house.
    Amy jumped and so did Misty, springing off her lap.
    She could hear her mum climbing up the ladder. Panicking, Amy dropped her hoodie top over Misty. She couldn’t let the secret out now – not when Misty felt almost hers. Mum would never let her keep a kitten.
    Amy’s mum poked her head through the doorway. “I’ve been calling you for ages!”
    “Sorry!” Amy got up quickly and went over to her mum, hoping she wouldn’t see the wriggling hoodie behind her. She followed her down the ladder.

    Misty edged her way out from under the top, shaking her fur crossly. Why had Amy done that?
    She slunk over to the tree house door and watched Amy going up the garden towards the house. Misty slipped out along the branch, and jumped down on to the fence, then into Amy’s garden. Keeping her distance, she followed Amy, trotting after her. But just as she reached the house, Amy closed the door.
    Misty stood outside it sadly. She wished she could follow Amy into the house. It looked warm and friendly.
    There was a big magnolia tree, growing close to the kitchen