The Kitten Nobody Wanted Read Online Free Page A

her, but he was trembling, and showing his tiny little teeth.
    “Oh no…” Emily said sadly. “It really scared you, didn’t it? Never mind, I’ve got some good news. Mia’s coming later, and she’s staying the night. That’ll be nice, won’t it? You love Mia, don’t you?” She sighed to herself, almost crossly. “And Mia loves you too, she just doesn’t know it yet.”
    Mia had been visiting the kittens almost every day, and she always made straight for Whiskers. “I wish she’d just hurry up and work out that she should take you home,” Emily told Whiskers sadly. “Mum’s already talking about looking for new homes for you in a few weeks’ time. I’ve given Mia loads of hints, but she doesn’t get them at all, and I don’t want to come out and say it in case it makes her miserable about Sandy again.”
    She tickled Whiskers behind the ears. “You want to be Mia’s kitten, don’t you, Whiskers? You never play as nicely with anyone else. And you’re always sad when she goes home. You mewed after her yesterday, and you looked really lonely, even though you were cuddledup next to Silky.” She sighed. “Anyway, you’ll all have to be super-cute tonight for my sleepover,” she told the kittens, half-seriously. “Mia’s coming, and Libby and Poppy. At least, they are if it doesn’t snow before then. It’s so cold now! You’d better groom your babies, Silky. Put their party fur on!”
    “Oh, did you do all the balloons, Emily? Good. I’ll hang them up in the hall, you go and get changed. Leah’s just putting the birthday banner on the front door.” Emily’s mum hurried into the kitchen, and gave her a quick hug. “Are you excited about your party?”
    Emily nodded, laughing. “Course I am. But it’s so chilly! I’m not sure about sleeping on the living-room floor now!”
    Her mum nodded. “I know, I hope itdoesn’t get too much colder before Christmas, it’s still only November.”
    Leah came in, rubbing her fingers. “I’m frozen,” she moaned, but then her eyes widened. “Hey, look at Satin!”

    The black kitten was teetering on the edge of the pen, and as they watched, she half-jumped, half-fell on to the kitchen floor, where she stood up and shook herself, trying to look as though she meant to do exactly that.
    “Oh, my goodness…” Mum muttered. “We’re in for it now. They’ll be everywhere. We must remember to keep the kitchen door closed. They would choose today of all days!”
    The two tabby kittens were now standing on their back legs, peering over the top of the pen and staring at their sister with huge, round eyes, as though they couldn’t believe what she’d managed to do. Satin had set off to investigate the kitchen and was sniffing thoughtfully around the table legs.
    “Shall I let her explore for a bit?” Emily asked, and Mum nodded.
    “I expect she’ll wear herself out quite soon. Go and get changed – they’ll all be here in a minute! Just make sure you shut the kitchen door!”

    Mia looked at the kittens a little anxiously. Libby and Poppy had justarrived, and the kitchen had suddenly got very noisy. She hoped Silky and the kittens wouldn’t mind.
    But Satin and the two tabby kittens were loving the attention. They put on a beautiful performance of stalking a piece of wool, and then climbed all over Libby and Poppy. Satin then snuggled up on Libby’s knee, while the tabbies fought each other for the wool. Only Whiskers was still in the kitten pen, hiding behind Silky.
    “The little white kitten’s so cute!” Poppy said, reaching into the pen to pick him up. Whiskers shied away from her, but she didn’t seem to notice – she grabbed him, and took him out of his lovely safe pen, dangling him in front of her.

    “Don’t scare him…” Mia said worriedly. She was itching to snatch Whiskers away from Poppy – it wasn’t that Poppy meant to frighten him, she just didn’t know how to hold him properly. But Whiskers wasn’t hers. She