Bright Lights, Big Kitty! Read online

  “About Polite Puppies?” asked Coco.

  “No,” I said. “Not about puppies. They were talking about the big dog and his pack of wild dogs, who live in a world where dogs eat dogs!”

  “You’re not making any sense, silly,” said Coco.

  “I’m just telling you what I heard,” I said. “And then Dad said we’re all going to the city next Saturday. Why would we be going to the city?”

  “Take a deep breath,” Dash said to me.

  “And maybe have a snack,” said Coco, patting my head.

  “We’ll come find you after Furry Pages,” said Dash.

  I hurried back to the Welcome Area and looked around. Everything seemed normal. Leopold was once again preening his feathers, and my little brother Whiskers was snug on the sofa.

  I put my ear to the office door and listened carefully. Were the gerbils finished yet?

  Ping-ping!

  Ping-ping!

  “Look at this!” I heard Fuzzy squeak.

  “Wow!” added Furry.

  “This is big!” said Fuzzy.

  “This is wild!” added Furry.

  Then I heard a whir, a tear, a double thump, and a skitter.

  What had those two rodents discovered?

  CHAPTER

  7

  Yip! Yip! Yap! Yap! Yap!

  The dismissal of Furry Pages and Polite Puppies was chaotic as usual. Owners were chasing after puppies. Tail-wagging puppies were chasing after one another.

  Jake, Ethan, and Cassie did their best to hand out bookmarks to the children, but everyone was more interested in Whiskers. The puppies, their owners, the children, and their parents all wanted a souvenir photo.

  Dash, Leopold, Coco, and I could only stare. It was pretty amazing how in only a few hours, Whiskers had gone from a regular house cat to Super Cat.

  Finally, Mom and Dad waved good-bye to the last puppy.

  “Time for lunch,” said Mom.

  “I vote for mac-and-cheese,” said Jake.

  “Me too!” cheered Cassie. “My favorite!”

  Coco wagged her tail in excitement.

  The Tylers headed upstairs. Coco started to follow.

  “Psst,” I whispered. “We need all paws on deck.”

  “But there’s mac-and-cheese,” said Coco.

  “We need to make a plan,” I insisted.

  “Why do we need a plan?”  Whiskers asked from the sofa.

  “It’s nothing to worry about, Little Brother,” I said.

  “Why would I be worried?” said Whiskers. “I’m Super Cat. Everyone loves me.”

  Just then, Fuzzy and Furry poked their heads out of the heating vent. They dragged a piece of computer paper behind them.

  “Thank goodness you’re finally here,” I said. “What did you find out?”

  “It’s wild,” said Fuzzy.

  “And it’s big,” added Furry.

  “I already know all about the big dog and his pack of wild dogs who live in a world where dogs eat dogs!” I blurted out.

  “Eat what?” asked Whiskers.

  “Cool it, cats,” said Fuzzy. “Big Dog is not a dog.”

  “Not even part of the same species,” added Furry.

  “He’s not?” I asked.

  “Big Dog is a human,” said Fuzzy.

  “He’s a TV guy,” added Furry.

  “TV?” said Coco.

  “He has a show—Big Dog in the Morning,” said Fuzzy.

  “On channel seven,” added Furry.

  “It’s very informative,” said Fuzzy.

  “We watched a clip about easy recipes for the busy family,” added Furry.

  “Are you saying that Big Dog wants Super Cat to be on a television show?” asked Leopold.

  “Affirmative,” said Fuzzy. “Big Dog in the Morning has a segment called Power Pets.”

  “And next week’s Power Pet is . . . Super Cat!” added Furry.

  Fuzzy and Furry pointed to the paper on the floor. Dash padded over to take a closer look.

  “It says here that a private limousine will arrive bright and early Saturday morning for Super Cat and his entourage,” Dash read out loud.

  “A limousine for me?” asked Whiskers.

  “This is a surprise,” I said.

  “Because Whiskers is going to be on TV?” asked Coco.

  “No,” I said, pointing to the gerbils. “Because these two actually found some useful information.”

  “I do hope there’s fresh water in the limo,” said Whiskers, licking his paw and smoothing down his fur. “Preferably natural spring water. My throat gets so dry under the bright lights. And I assume there will be an ample supply of Kitty Krisps.”

  “I think your head might be starting to swell, Little Brother,” I said. “What do you know about bright lights anyway?”

  Suddenly we heard Jake holler from upstairs. “Where could they be?”

  “I don’t know,” shouted Ethan. “They were in the gerbiltorium this morning.”

  “Let’s keep looking,” called Jake.

  “I am looking,” said Ethan. “And I don’t see Fuzzy and Furry anywhere.”

  “Uh-oh, time for us to go,” said Fuzzy.

  “Up, up, and away!” added Furry.

  They scurried into the heating vent and disappeared.

  CHAPTER

  8

  Things were suddenly looking up. I had stowed away in cars, trucks, and buses. But I’d never been inside a limousine. This was going to be exciting.

  Ding-dong!

  “I’ll get it,” called Mom, making her way downstairs.

  Surprisingly, Whiskers didn’t even flinch at the sound of the doorbell. Instead, he sat up a little straighter and groomed his fur.

  “Could be a fan,” he whispered.

  Mom opened the front door. It was Martha, the Animal Inn groomer.

  “Hi, Martha,” said Mom.

  “Can you believe it?” said Martha, stepping inside. “Our Whiskers is a superstar!”

  Whiskers purred proudly.

  “Yes, it’s been quite a whirlwind,” said Mom. “And next week Super Cat is going to be on TV.”

  “TV?” said Martha. “Then he’ll need a stylist.”

  “Can you do it?” asked Mom.

  “I can always squeeze in a VIP,” said Martha. “This is going to be so much fun.”

  Martha gently picked Whiskers up and carried him back to the grooming room.

  Ding-dong!

  Mom opened the front door again. It was Monsieur Petit.

  Monsieur Petit is a miniature French poodle. He has been coming to Animal Inn for his grooming appointment every Saturday since we opened.

  “Bonjour,” said Monsieur Petit’s owner, Madame Gigi.

  “Good afternoon, Madame and Monsieur,” said Mom. “Martha will be with you in a minute. Monsieur can wait here, if you like.”

  “Très bon,” said Madame Gigi. “I’ll be back soon.” She waved good-bye.

  Ping-ping!

  Mom sighed. “I bet that’s more fan mail for Super Cat,” she said. She hurried into the office.

  “Bonjour, mes amis,” Monsieur Petit said to us with a bow. “Who is this Super Cat that Madame Tyler speaks of?”

  “You don’t know?” asked Dash.

  “Non,” said Monsieur.

  “Well, here he comes now,” said Leopold.

  Whiskers strutted out from the grooming room, looking fancy, fluffy, and proud as a peacock.

  “Wait,” said Monsieur Petit. “Whiskers is le Super Cat?”

  “Hello, Monsieur,” called Whiskers, prancing over to the sofa. “I suppose you’ve already heard that I’ll be on TV next week. They’re sending a limo for me and my entourage. We film in the city.”

  “Ooh la la,” said Monsieur Petit.

  “I’m looking forward to it,” said Dash. “Leopold and I haven’t been back to the city since we moved here.”

  “And maybe I’ll see Curtis,” said Coco. “He lives in the city too
.”

  “Coco,” I said. “Do you know how many squirrels there are in the city? You are not going to just bump into Curtis.”

  “I might,” said Coco hopefully.

  “I do miss the city sometimes,” said Leopold. “There was a specialty grocer near our old apartment building with the most scrumptious dried fruits.”

  “Was there cheese?” asked Coco.

  “Lots of cheese,” said Leopold.

  “There was also a lovely cheese shop in my home city of Paris,” said Monsieur Petit. “Blocks of cheese, wheels of cheese, tubs of cheese. In fact, I once saw a famous movie star shopping for cheese in my little shop. She even shook my paw. ‘Enchanté,’ she whispered to me. It was super-fantastique.”

  “Yes, yes,” said Whiskers, admiring his own paws. “We celebrities must always remember our adoring fans.”

  I looked at Monsieur Petit. All we could do was shrug. Super Cat, it seemed, was getting super-full of himself by the super-second.

  CHAPTER

  9

  Over the next week Whiskers’s Internet popularity continued to grow. Along with his ego.

  Usually, Whiskers and I slept on the big rocking chair in Mom and Dad’s room at night. But Whiskers had kicked me off because he needed his beauty rest.

  I’d been sleeping at the foot of Cassie’s bed with Coco, who for the record, talks in her sleep. Mostly about cheese.

  So, on the morning of the big TV debut, I could hardly keep my eyes open.

  Mom, Dad, and the kids were upstairs finishing breakfast, but we pets were already in the Welcome Area. I spotted Leopold’s travel cage and Whiskers’s cat carrier set out by the front door.

  “That carrier looks just like my old carrier,” scoffed Whiskers.

  “It is your old carrier,” I said sleepily. “What were you expecting?”

  “Something larger,” said Whiskers. “With plush carpeting and perhaps a sunroof.”

  “Oh brother,” I said with a sigh.

  “Yes?” asked Whiskers.

  “Never mind,” I said. I was starting to miss the old Whiskers.

  The Tylers soon came downstairs, everyone excitedly talking a mile a minute.

  Cassie clipped on Coco’s leash.

  Jake clipped on Dash’s leash.

  Mom clipped on my leash. (Yes, I have a special cat leash.)

  Ethan carefully put Leopold into his travel cage.

  Then Dad got ready for the real test—getting Whiskers into his cat carrier. This was not a quick or easy job. Whiskers usually went in kicking, hissing, and scratching.

  But today he proudly pranced in without a peep.

  “Wow,” said Dad, securing the latch. “That was easier than I expected.”

  Ding-dong!

  “That must be the limo driver,” said Mom, opening the front door.

  But it wasn’t. It was Sierra, here to look after the Animal Inn guests for the day.

  “Good morning,” said Sierra, hanging up her bike helmet. “Looks like everybody’s ready for the big city. Any special instructions before you go?”

  “We’ve got two ferrets and an iguana staying on the third floor,” Mom told her.

  “Plus four sheep in the barn and three dogs in the kennel,” added Dad.

  “And please check on Fuzzy and Furry,” said Jake.

  “They’ve been a little escape-y lately,” said Ethan.

  “No worries,” said Sierra. “What could possibly go wrong?”

  Ding-dong!

  “That must be the limo driver,” said Mom, opening the door again.

  But it wasn’t. It was Monsieur Petit and Madame Gigi.

  “We brought you fresh croissants for your trip,” said Madame Gigi, handing Mom a bag from the bakery.

  “Merci, Madame,” said Mom.

  “The whole town is talking about the show,” said Madame Gigi. “Now we must hurry home so we can watch Super Cat on the television.”

  Beep-beep!

  “Whoa,” said Ethan, looking out the window. “Is that for us?”

  Mom opened the front door yet again. In the driveway was the longest car I had ever seen.  And was it shiny! A driver wearing a fancy cap stepped out.

  “I’m here for Super Cat and his guests,” he called.

  “That’s us,” said Ethan.

  The limousine had two sections—one up front for the Tylers and one in the back for the pets. We all piled inside. Then Dad unclipped our leashes and shut the door.

  Wow!

  The limousine had plush carpeting, cozy seats, an awesome sunroof, and plenty of natural spring water.

  Once we were on our way, Leopold undid the latch on his travel cage. Then he fluttered over and opened the door to Whiskers’s carrier. Whiskers strode out and settled on one of the dreamy seats.

  “Now this is more like it,” he said.

  I had to agree. These seats were even comfier than the sofa in the Welcome Area.

  “I could get used to this,” said Dash.

  “It is very pleasant,” said Leopold.

  “But where are the snacks?” said Coco, sniffing around.

  Just then, out of Whiskers’s carrier popped Fuzzy and Furry.

  “Fancy meeting you guys here,” said Fuzzy.

  “Small world,” added Furry.

  “What are you two doing here?” I asked.

  “We’ve never been to the city before,” said Fuzzy.

  “Plus, we wouldn’t miss Super Cat!” added Furry. The gerbils clapped their paws in excitement.

  “Thank you,” said Whiskers, taking a bow. “Thank you.”

  I leaned back and closed my eyes. I didn’t mean to fall asleep, but the past week was catching up with me. Plus, riding in that limousine was like riding on a cloud.

  CHAPTER

  10

  “It’s Curtis!” shouted Coco.

  I woke up with a start.

  “Look!” said Coco, pointing out the limousine window. Her snout was covered in croissant crumbs. “It really is Curtis!”

  I looked out the window as we drove. The landscape had changed while I was asleep. Instead of rolling hills and leafy treetops, I now saw crowded sidewalks and shiny skyscrapers. Horns honked. Buses beeped. We were definitely in the city.

  “That is not Curtis,” I said sleepily.

  “I have to agree,” said Dash.

  “You’ll discover the city is a very big place, Coco,” added Leopold. “The chance of bumping into an old friend is quite small.”

  The limousine came to a stop. Were we there already? Was I the only one getting nervous? I suddenly felt like I had a million butterflies in my tummy.

  “Places, everyone,” announced Whiskers. “Places.”

  Fuzzy and Furry quickly scurried back into Whiskers’s carrier. Whiskers followed. Leopold resettled in his travel cage.

  The limousine door opened.

  “We’re here!” said Dad. He carefully picked up Whiskers’s carrier. “Huh. How did this come undone?” He relatched the carrier door.

  “Lights, camera, action,” said Jake, clipping on Dash’s leash.

  “You mean, lights, camera, Whiskers!” said Ethan, picking up Leopold’s travel cage.

  A crowd had gathered on the sidewalk outside the TV studio. They were holding signs and cheering.

  “Super Cat! Super Cat! Super Cat!”

  “Whiskers is famous,” said Cassie, clipping on Coco’s leash.

  Mom attached my leash. Then she thought for a moment and picked me up in her arms. “We don’t want you sneaking away today, Shadow,” she said.

  A man ushered us through the door and into a small room backstage.

  “Hey look, they’ve got cheese,” whispered Coco. She wandered over to a table piled high with snacks and drinks.

  “This must be the greenroom,” whispered Leopold.

  “Why do they call it a greenroom when it’s yellow?” I asked.

  At that moment, a busy-looking woman rushed in. She wore black clothes
and a fancy headset with a microphone attached.

  “Morning, all. I’m Zoe, the producer,” she said. “Glad you got here okay. Welcome to Big Dog in the Morning. So here’s what we’re going to do.”

  I wondered if everyone in the city talked so fast.

  “You’re on at ten twenty-three,” Zoe continued. “We have a quick commercial to clean up from Baking Buddies. Then Big Dog introduces Power Pets. Talks to the kids. We have Super Cat do his thing. Up, up, and away, and all that. Then you have to clear the stage pronto so we can set up for our next segment—Garden Gab.  Any questions?”

  “Uh, I don’t think so,” said Dad.

  “Is that the cat?” Zoe asked, pointing to me in Mom’s arms.

  “No,” said Mom. “This is Shadow, Super Cat’s sister.”

  “So where’s Super Cat?” asked Zoe. “You did bring Super Cat, didn’t you?”

  “He’s in here,” said Dad, holding up the carrier.

  “Excellent,” said Zoe. “I’ll come get you in a bit.”

  She muttered something into her headset and quickly left the room.

  “Stay close, Shadow,” said Mom, setting me down on the floor.

  “This is so cool,” said Jake.

  “I just can’t believe it!” squealed Cassie.

  Dad put Whiskers’s carrier down and opened the door. Whiskers strutted out and shook his fur. Luckily, the greenroom had a comfy sofa. Whiskers hopped right up and started preening.

  “A star is born,” I whispered to Coco.

  “The real star is this cheese,” Coco whispered back. “Yum.”

  CHAPTER

  11

  A few minutes later a voice came over the intercom. “Power Pets, please report to the set. Power Pets, please report to the set.”

  Zoe popped her head in the doorway. “Follow me,” she said.

  “This is going to be exciting,” said Dad.

  “Even better than a web video,” said Ethan.

  We all followed Zoe down a narrow hallway.

  “Super Cat goes in here,” she said, pointing to a door labeled Makeup. “The stylist wants to do a touch-up.” Dad carried Whiskers into the room.