Chapter 3

Crying for J-O-Y

I think Grandma Kit could see I was about to say something mean. She took my arm and led me toward Tabby Towers.

“I think you’d be surprised, Alfreeda,” she said in a cheerful voice. “Cats can be quite loving too. Now, let’s all get Darcy settled, shall we?”

I took a bunch of deep breaths and tried to calm down. I wanted to talk with Grandma Kit about Alfreeda — alone. But Alfreeda followed us right into the cat hotel, like an annoying puppy that wouldn’t stop bugging me.

I set Darcy in the middle of the indoor kitty playground. “Look at all the fun things,” I said. “Cat trees and ladders to climb… a kitty highway that you can zoom around on by the ceiling… a kitty swing and seesaw… lots of scratching posts too. Time will fly by. You’ll be together with J-O-Y again before you know it!”

I knew better than to say Joy’s name out loud. But Darcy seemed to be a very smart cat. The second I said “J-O-Y,” he started to cry. Not quiet, little meows either. They were loud, high-pitched cries, one after another.

And Darcy didn’t want to play with any toys. He started to walk around the room really fast. He looked behind the cat trees, behind the seesaw, behind a plant, behind Grandpa Tom’s rocking chair…

“Oh dear,” Grandma Kit said. “He’s searching for his lost friend.”

“J-O-Y?” I mouthed.

She nodded. “Some cats get very upset when their person leaves,” she said. “How on Earth are we going to cheer him up and keep him happy while he’s here?”

I watched Darcy search for Joy. I listened to his super-sad meowing. I felt worse for him by the second.

Then I got an idea.

“I know what might cheer him up,” I said, snapping my fingers. “Come here, Darcy. I have something to show you.”