Rascal was not only the largest cat I'd ever seen, he was also the handsomest. As he entered the room, his bright orange and white coat glistened in the sunlight. His magnificent white ruff and extremely long, white whiskers gave him an air of distinction. He looked directly at me and his huge golden eyes sparkled with curiosity. When he was about two feet away, he sat down and looked at me intently. He seemed to be examining me, as if he wondered what I was doing there.

Again, he raised his paw, extending it toward me. I wasn't sure what that meant, but it seemed to be his way of telling me not to be afraid. I raised my head and looked directly into his friendly eyes. Rascal began to purr, softly at first, then louder and louder. Suddenly, and without thinking about what might happen, I ran toward him and threw myself against his soft, white chest. Tenderly, he began to lick my ears, just like my mother used to do.

I heard Pat say, "George, come here a minute. It looks like Rascal wants to adopt this kitten." George came to the door and watched for a minute. He said. "The little scrap probably reminds him of Midnight. Remember what a pitiful little kitten he was and how Rascal befriended him?"

Pat replied, "Yes, I remember. Even though Midnight is grown, he's still Rascal's baby. Do you think Midnight will be jealous of an intruder?"

George laughed and said, "I guess we better find out . . . if you're thinking about giving the kitten a home." Pat smiled, but she didn't reply. She left the sun porch and returned in a couple of minutes, carrying a couple of metal bowls. When she put them on the floor she said, "Okay, Rascal. The kitten is clean enough. Take a break and have a little snack." Rascal's turned his attention from me to the food. He stretched his body, then walked across the room, and began eating from one of the bowls. I followed him and began eating from the other one. The food was dry and crunchy. It was tasty, but I couldn't chew it very fast. Rascal finished eating, walked toward the marble topped cabinet and leaped on top of it. He sat in the sunshine and began grooming himself.

I was thirsty when I finished eating the dry food. There was a big bowl of water nearby and I took a nice, long drink. I looked up at Rascal and thought he looked so comfortable. I wanted to join him, but I didn't think I could get on the cabinet. Coming down the step stool was easy, but going up was a problem. I sat beside the cabinet, wondering what to do. In a minute, George picked me up and placed me next to Rascal. By then, Rascal was taking a cat nap and I curled up next to him. It was warm and pleasant in the sunshine. I lay there thinking about what a nice home this would be. I wondered who Midnight was and if he would like me. Pat had called me an "intruder" and I didn't know what that meant. Before I closed my eyes and fell asleep, I thought about the questions I'd ask Rascal later.

I don't think I'd been sleeping very long when I was awakened by an unpleasant, scraping sound. I was coming from the direction of the window. Rascal was sitting up and he completely blocked my view. Quietly, I edged closer and looked around him. There was a long haired black cat sitting on the railing. I was pretty sure that it was Midnight. He was scratching on the window screen and his claws looked like long, sharp needles. I didn't think he looked very friendly and I hoped that he couldn't see me.

Rascal stared at the other cat and then he raised his right paw and extended it toward the window. Almost immediately, the black cat stopped scratching the screen. He sat quietly, looking into Rascal's eyes. After a few minutes, he jumped off the railing. I couldn't see where he went and I didn't really care. I was just glad that he was gone.