by Tina Nolan
“‘Willow – How sweet is she!’” Eva read the words which Karl had written for the Animal Magic website. “‘We hope this abandoned kitten won’t be lonely long!’”
“What do you think?” Karl asked Jen and Eva.
“That’s perfect,” Jen told him. “And with the picture to go with it, I’m sure it’ll do the trick.”
Karl nodded. “What do you bet we won’t keep Willow here for five minutes?”
Jen smiled as she went to open the front door, ready for business. “Yes, she’s a little cutie. Hi, Cath – how are you?”
The pony sanctuary owner had been waiting in her car for the door to open. Now she breezed in, dressed in jeans and stable boots, bringing the smell of stables with her. “I’m fine, thanks. I was driving by and thought I’d pop in to check on Peggy and Oliver, and to catch up on the kitten situation.”
“Come and take a look!” Eva invited Cath to check out Karl’s website entry. “We called her Willow. Isn’t she adorable?”
Cath smiled and nodded. “Heidi rang early this morning to say you’d rescued the poor little mite. She may have had a rough start in life, but by the look of things you plan to make up for it.”
“Do you want to come to the cattery and see her?” Eva asked. Usually she was shy with the brisk, no-nonsense sanctuary owner, but today Eva’s excitement about the kitten overcame that. “Did Mum tell you where we found Willow?” she chatted on.
Cath nodded and followed Eva into the cattery. “In the back porch – left there without a second thought about how she would survive,” she replied. “It beats me how people can do these things, but you should see the awful condition of some of the ponies who come to me. Often nothing more than bags of bones… Oh, yes, I see what you mean!” Stopping beside Willow’s cage, Cath leaned forward. “She really is pretty.”
“Hello, Cath,” Heidi said, coming out of the storeroom to greet their visitor. “I was just about to call you. I was thinking about Willow earlier and I wondered if the people who moved out of Willow Cottage left a forwarding address.”
Eva frowned. Why did her mum even want to know?
Cath shook her head. “To tell the truth, I didn’t even know their names. They were a youngish couple, but they only rented Willow Cottage and I hardly ever saw them in the six months they lived there.”
“Cool,” Eva said quickly. “Then we don’t need to try and trace them.”
“Hold on,” Heidi argued. “There’s a chance that these people left Willow behind in the confusion of moving house and they’ve only just realized what they’ve done. In which case, they’ll be back.”
“No way!” Eva protested. She was eager to crack on and find a brilliant new home for Willow. “They definitely dumped her on purpose.”
Heidi frowned. “We can’t be certain, Eva. Cath, do you happen to know the landlord at Willow Cottage?”
“Yes. His name’s Brian Verney – a sheep farmer on Briscoe Moor. Do you want me to give him a call?”
“Please,” Heidi said. “I think we should be certain that the tenants can’t be found before we post Willow’s details on our website. Ask him if he has a forwarding address, and whether his tenants owned a black and white kitten.”
“Will do,” Cath agreed, smiling kindly at Eva and going out with Heidi to check on Peggy and Oliver.
Chapter Four
“We’ve got another new admission,” Jen announced to Eva and Karl at the end of the Sunday morning session. “A stray dog without collar or identity chip. He’s a mixture of all sorts, probably mostly Westie, picked up on Swallow Court after a phone call from Miss Eliot.”
“Cool. Did Cath ring us?” Eva asked. She’d just come back from Annie’s field where she’d been helping her friend pick out a stone wedged in Guinevere’s shoe.
“Not yet,” Jen told her, “unless she used Heidi’s mobile number.”
Eva dashed to the kennels where Heidi was settling in the new dog. “Mum, did you hear from Cath?” she asked.
“No,” Heidi answered quietly. “Be patient, Eva.”
How? Eva wondered, running back into Reception just in time to hear the phone ring. She darted to pick it up before Jen or Karl could get there. “Hello, this is Animal Magic Rescue Centre,” she gabbled.
“Hi, Eva, this is Cath.”
“Cool! I mean, hi, Cath. Have you got any news for us?”
“I finally got hold of Brian Verney,” Cath said. “He’s not happy. He told me the couple, who by the way are called Hines, did a moonlight flit from Willow Cottage.”
“What does that mean exactly?” Eva frowned.
“They left without paying him the rent they owed, and without a forwarding address, so Brian has no way of getting the money out of them.”
Eva nodded and gave Karl a quick thumbs up. “And does Mr Verney know if they had a kitten?”
“He said yes, they did, even though he has a no-pets rule for his tenants. They got one about a week before they did their flit. When he challenged them, they said they were only looking after the kitten for a friend, but Brian didn’t altogether believe them. He said he was glad to get rid of them in the end.”
Eva had put the phone on speaker for Jen and Karl to hear. They all grinned as Cath finished the story.
“Thanks, Cath, I’ll tell Mum,” Eva promised. She put down the phone and beamed at Karl. “Now we can get moving!” she cried. “Let’s put Willow on the website and see how many calls we get in one afternoon!”
“We had seven calls about Willow, out of which there are three possible owners.” Karl was almost as excited as Eva about their hopes for the abandoned kitten. He was chatting to their mum and dad over Sunday tea.
Mark turned to Eva. “What was wrong with the other four?”
“Two already own cats and Mum thinks Willow needs a home where she’s the only one. One lives on a main road – too much traffic. The other woman said she’d call back in ten minutes, but she never did.”
“So what about the three who did make the list?” her dad asked, giving Eva a warning look as she let Holly sneak up to the table and beg for scraps.
“Bed, Holly!” Eva said sternly.
The puppy crept back to her basket by the stove.
Karl gave his dad the details. “Number one – Tom Ingleby at High Trees Farm. He wants a new farm cat to chase mice.”
“And we like the Inglebys,” Mark said.
“But it’d be a tough life for Willow,” Eva pointed out. “She’d have to live in the barn, not in the house. She wouldn’t really be a pet, would she?”
“So what about number two?” Mark asked Eva.
“Mrs Wilman,” Karl cut in. “She lives on the far side of Clifford, which is a long way away, so Eva wasn’t too keen on her.”
Heidi smiled at her daughter. “I know you want to find a home for Willow close enough for you to go and visit, but that’s not always possible.”
Eva blushed. “Mrs Wilman did sound quite old,” she pointed out. “She might not be able to cope with a new kitten.”
“And number three?” her dad prompted.
“Jake and Julie Shannon,” she answered quickly. “They’re a young couple and they’re new to Okeham.”
“And where do they live?” Mark asked with a grin.
“In a lovely new house on Swallow Court, which is really quiet with hardly any traffic!” Eva said with a slow, satisfied sigh. “And it’s just down the road from here!”
“The Shannons have arranged to come and see Willow at four o’clock today,” Eva told Annie as they sat on the school bus on Monday afternoon. They sat side by side, looking out at the bleak grey fields on the way home to Okeham.
“They sound keen,” Annie commented.
Eva nodded. All day at school she’d found it hard to concentrate, staring out of the window and dreaming about how much Willow would love living with the Shannons. They would give her a soft bed near a warm radiator and buy her lots of kitten toys. She would get the best foo
d and probably wear a collar with a small bell, which would tinkle wherever she went. When Miss Jennings had read out the afternoon register, Eva hadn’t even heard her name.
“Willow must be a special kitten,” Annie sighed.
“What makes you say that?” Eva hadn’t realized that she’d mentioned Willow’s name to Annie at least twenty times that day. “Willow likes chicken flavour kitten food … Willow has black patches over both her eyes … Willow’s miaow is really cute…!”
Annie grinned. “I suppose it’s because you rescued her from Willow Cottage yourself – that’s what makes her special. Anyway, can I come and see this mega kitten before she leaves?”
Eva nodded. “Better be quick. Come round before four o’clock.”
“Eva, you haven’t even met the Shannons yet,” Annie reminded her.
“I know, but…”
“But you’ve already made up your mind. You want them to have Willow.” Annie laughed, getting up from her seat and walking down the aisle as the bus pulled up at their stop.
Annie was cuddling Willow in Reception when Julie and Jake Shannon walked in.
“I love her!” Annie told Eva, giving Willow a tickle under the chin.
Miaow! The kitten lapped up the attention. She’d been at Animal Rescue for less than forty-eight hours, but she’d already settled in beautifully.
“She’s so friendly,” Annie murmured as Willow purred.
“Is this her?” Julie Shannon asked Heidi, who’d greeted them from behind the desk. Julie was in her late twenties, with short fair hair and dressed in smart trousers and a grey jacket. Her husband, Jake, stayed in the background, as if to let people know that having the kitten was mainly his wife’s idea.
Reluctantly, Annie handed Willow to Julie Shannon.
For Julie, it was love at first sight. “Oh, she’s so pretty! I’ve never seen anything so cute and adorable!”
Once more, Willow accepted the cuddles. She peeped out from Julie’s arms, her blue eyes gleaming, ears pricked.
“Isn’t she lovely, Jake? Just like she was in the photo.” Julie showed the kitten to her husband, who nodded and seemed happy if she was happy.
“Good, I’m glad you like her,” Heidi said. “She’s about two months old and she’s had a hard time lately. She was abandoned, so she needs lots of TLC to make up for it.”
“I find that so hard to believe,” Julie gasped, taking a tissue from her pocket to blow her nose. “How could anyone be so cruel?”
“At Animal Magic we identity-chip and vaccinate all our animals.” Heidi went through the formal routine while Eva and Annie stood by. “Willow is perfectly healthy despite her ordeal and I’m sure she’ll make a lovely pet.”
“Are there a lot of people who want to adopt her?” Jake asked.
“We’ve certainly had plenty of interest,” Heidi admitted.
But you’re our first choice! Eva wanted to say. Instead she showed Annie her crossed fingers. “They seem really nice!” she whispered.
“So we do have to join the queue?” Jake frowned.
“Not necessarily,” Heidi reassured him. “I’ll ask you a few questions, and if the situation seems satisfactory, we can make our decision on the spot.”
Julie smiled and held Willow tight.
“So you live at number 22 Swallow Court?” Heidi checked.
Julie nodded. “Well away from Main Street, with open fields at the back of us.”
“And have either of you owned pets before?”
“I haven’t, but Jake has, haven’t you?” Julie turned to her husband. “You had three cats at home when you lived with your parents.”
“Yes, so I know the routines.” Jake took over from Julie. “Apart from needing feeding, cats come and go pretty much as they please. And I guess I’ll be the one who gets rid of the dead birds and mice.”
“Willow won’t chase birds,” Julie protested. “Look at her!”
Snuggled in Julie’s arms, Willow looked as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
“Oh yes she will, believe me,” Heidi smiled. “Dealing with dead offerings is part of the cat-owning deal, I’m afraid.”
In the background Eva grimaced. Julie Shannon had just shown she didn’t know much about having a cat as a pet. Would this worry her mum?
“Anyway, if there are any problems, come back to Animal Magic – we’re only round the corner and we’re always ready to help,” Heidi told the Shannons.
Good! Eva liked the sound of this. It seemed as if her mum hadn’t been put off. And the more Eva saw of Julie and Jake, the more sure she was that they were Willow’s perfect owners – young, lively and loving.
Heidi smiled. “Do you have any questions?” she asked them.
“No, I don’t think so. Does this mean we can have her?” Julie blew her nose again and waited for Heidi’s answer.
Please! Please! Eva begged silently.
Nestled in Julie’s arms, Willow seemed perfectly content.
“Yes,” Heidi confirmed with a smile. “We can provide you with kitten food and a pet basket, and you can take her with you now if you like. And let me say we’re very grateful to you for offering Willow a home.”
Chapter Five
It was the start of a very good week for Animal Magic.
On Tuesday the new sweatshirts arrived before Eva left for school, so she set them out in a rack in Reception next to the leaflets on animal care. Then she ran next door to deliver Annie’s.
“They’re very bright,” Annie’s mum, Linda, said doubtfully as she hobbled into the hall. She was still on crutches from an accident earlier in the month.
“And really warm,” Eva told her. “You should have one for when you’re better and mucking out Gwinnie and Merlin.”
Linda nodded. “There’s a thought. Yes, Eva, you’re right – I’ll need a medium size. Can you ask Heidi to put one aside for me?”
Eva skipped back home with the order.
“We make a profit of six pounds twenty pence every time we sell one.” Karl had done the arithmetic. “At this rate, we’ll raise loads of money.”
Then on Tuesday evening, Jen managed to rehome Suzi, the worried black cat. “She’s calmed down a lot since she came here,” she told the middle-aged man who came to collect her. “Stress is what led to her over-grooming in her last home, so she needs peace and quiet – no children and no other pets.”
“She’ll suit me very well,” Mr Howard told Jen. “I lead a quiet life now that I’m retired. And Suzi will be good company, I’m sure.”
Eva was pleased to see Mr Howard go off with Suzi. She headed quickly for the computer to take her off the website. “Oops!” she said to Jen as she browsed the pages. “We left Becks on here by mistake. Shall I take her off as well?”
Jen nodded. “And take Piper off while you’re at it, please.”
Eva hesitated. “Didn’t I just see Piper in the kennels?”
“Yes. But a couple came in to see him this morning and decided they’d like to have him. They’ve already given homes to two other greyhounds. They plan to pay us a series of visits with their other dogs so that Piper can get to know them gradually before they take him home.”
“Good idea,” Eva agreed. She took the picture of Piper off the site, then shut down the computer and went to help Heidi in the small animals unit.
“Come and see Bowie and Star,” her mum invited. “They’re a lovely pair of harlequins. Your dad brought them in this afternoon.”
“Aah!” Eva smiled at the soft, cuddly rabbits hopping around their cage. “Where did Dad find them?”
“A girl at the supermarket checkout told him about them. Her neighbour wanted to sell them but couldn’t find a buyer, so he was planning to set them free in the park. Better to bring them here than leave them in the park, so Mark got there just in time.”
“My dad’s a hero!” Eva grinned. “I want to tell him. Where is he now?”
“In the house cooking dinner.”
Eva scooted off to praise her dad, but as she ran out of Reception she bumped straight into Julie Shannon. “Hi!” she said brightly. “How’s Willow getting on?”
“Fine.”
Julie’s answer seemed abrupt and Eva noticed that her eyes seemed a bit red and swollen, as if she’d been crying. “Mum’s in the small animals unit. Do you want to speak to her?”
“Maybe you can help,” Julie said with a frown. “I hadn’t realized that Willow isn’t house-trained yet. I was out at work today and when I came home I found she’d ignored the litter tray and left wet patches all over our new carpet.”
“She’s only young,” Eva pointed out as she led Julie into Reception. “It’ll take her a while for her to learn to use the tray.”
“I thought you might have some leaflets,” Julie explained.
“We’ve got loads of fact sheets and advice,” Eva said. She took four leaflets from the rack. “They tell you about the best type of cat litter, and keeping the tray clean – all that sort of stuff.”
Julie nodded. “Thanks. I’ll read them and follow their advice. Hopefully, tomorrow the carpets will stay dry.”
As Eva showed Julie out and said goodbye, she had an uneasy feeling. “Otherwise, is everything OK?” she called after the visitor.
“Oh yes, absolutely fine,” Julie said again, hurrying away.
Chapter Six
“Still no new home for you, Rocky,” Eva said, as Karl brought the gentle giant back from his walk. It was late on Saturday afternoon – five days since Willow had been adopted by the Shannons – and everyone at Animal Magic was enjoying another busy weekend.