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  Jack could tell that this cat was no threat. "I'm Jack, and my friend is Jennifer. Who’s your friend?"

  "My friend is Tammy, the Frederick’s daughter,” replied Chelsea. “She's eight years old. I like her parents, but Tammy is special. We live next door."

  "What about Tiger?" Jack was curious.

  "Tammy loves both of us, but my brother likes to spend more time prowling. I prefer to spend as much time as possible with Tammy. Right now she's with her mom shopping. They'll be back soon."

  While the cats were getting better acquainted, Jennifer came back outside and knelt down beside them.

  Jacks started the introductions. "Meow: This is Chelsea. She lives next door."

  Jennifer leaned over and scratched Chelsea behind the ears. "You sure are a pretty cat."

  Chelsea looked at Jack and purred. "Meow: I like her already. She definitely has a cat person's touch."

  "Meow: You should try her belly-rubs,” replied Jack. ”Satisfaction guaranteed every time!"

  Jack was still thinking about his brief encounter with Tiger. "Is your brother always like that?"

  Chelsea was enjoying the scratch behind the ears. "Meow: Yeah he’s always acting tough."

  The cats continued meowing while Jennifer returned to her garden.

  "How old is Tiger?" asked Jack.

  "We’re both three," replied Chelsea.

  Jack’s new friend was curious. "Tiger thinks you’re a city cat. Is that true?"

  "Yes," replied Jack, "Is there anything wrong with that?"

  "No," continued Chelsea, "it's just that life will be very different when you're living in a small town, especially if you’re outside, meeting other cats. You’re going to have to defend your territory, so cats like my brother will know you're not going to be pushed around."

  Jack considered the possibilities. "Do you mean that I'm going to have to fight to defend my territory?"

  "Not always," replied Chelsea, "sometimes all you have to do is hiss and show your claws. That is, if you still have your claws."

  In response, Jack held up his right paw and showed his claws. "They're still here

  and in perfect working order."

  Chelsea winked at him. "Don't worry, just trust your instincts, they won't let you down."

  Chelsea turned to walk back to her own yard. "You can pass through our yard with no trouble from me, but Tiger won't like it. By the way, just to make things perfectly clear, when I'm passing through your yard, I'm not challenging your territory."

  At that, Chelsea waved her tail good-bye, and slipped through the slats in the

  fence, disappearing into the yard next door.

  Jack was happy to have a friend living so close by. He had no idea what would happen the next time he met Tiger. One thing was certain; he wasn't going to let another cat give him a hard time, on his own territory.

  Jennifer stood up and walked towards the house. "Come on Jack, that's enough gardening for today."

  Jack followed Jennifer into the house. It was turning out to be an excellent day. Jennifer was home, the sun was shining, he had just made a new friend, and John was nowhere to be seen.

  ***

  As with all cats, Jack had good days and bad days. One Monday started off really

  bad. It was early in the morning and Jennifer was leaving for work at about the same time that John arrived home from a night shift. Jack followed Jennifer outside and watched in disgust as she kissed John in the driveway. As the cat watched Jennifer's car drive

  away, he heard the kitchen door close behind him. He spun around, but it was too late. John had locked him outside. Alone.

  Jack went to the kitchen door and meowed as loudly as he could. "Meow: I demand that you open this door immediately. If Jennifer comes home and I'm still locked outside, you’ll be in big trouble!"

  John didn't answer. He had already gone upstairs, and would soon be sound

  asleep.

  Jennifer's friend sat on the porch and swished his tail in disgust. After a few minutes he decided to take a walk around the backyard, but as soon as his paws touched the ground....

  "Hey Cat! Didn't I warn you about walking on my grass?”

  It was Tiger.

  Jack felt the fur on his tail poof. "What’s your problem?"

  "My problem," replied Tiger "is that some city cat is walking on my grass. If you ask me nicely, perhaps I’ll give you permission."

  Jack glared at the other cat. "I will not ask permission to walk on my own territory."

  “I know all about city cats,” hissed Tiger.

  Jack hissed back. “You don’t know Jack.”

  Tiger circled Jack. "I can see that we have a situation here. Let me

  clarify my position." Tiger took a swipe at Jack with the claws of his right paw.

  "Ouch!" Jack couldn’t believe it. Tiger had just scratched him.

  Jack let out a menacing hiss, as his claws came into view. "No one messes up my fur!"

  Tiger had no idea what he was getting himself into. Jack was fed up with being pushed around. He had been forced to sleep in the kitchen. His litter box used to be in a warm bathroom, and now is was in a dark, cold basement. And now, some cat was

  threatening him, just for walking on the grass! Enough was enough....

  Jack pounced on Tiger. Claws and fur flew. The fight was over in a few

  seconds. Jack circled the clearly shaken orange tabby. Tiger felt like he had walked into

  a tornado. He hadn't expected an apartment cat to still have his claws, or his fighting instincts. He had obviously made a mistake.

  Jack meowed confidently, because he knew he had the upper paw. "I will not ask permission to walk on the grass, and my name is Jack. Do we understand each other?"

  A dejected Tiger sat in silence for a moment, and then finally replied. "Yes, Jack."

  Jack stepped close, until their noses were almost touching. "Get your fur off my territory."

  Tiger slipped through the slats in the fence and disappeared around the corner of

  the house next door.

  As Jack began to lick his scratches, Chelsea came walking through the backyard toward him. "Do I have to fight to cross your territory too?"

  Jack looked up at the pretty grey and white cat. "Of course not, but Tiger scratched my fur coat. It’ll take a lot of grooming to fix that spot. I always keep my fur coat looking good for Jennifer. That’s why she can’t resist picking me up.”

  Chelsea sat down next to Jack. "You really love Jennifer."

  “Yes,” Jack answered, “but now everything has changed. I used to keep Jennifer warm at night, but now I have to sleep in the kitchen. And today, John locked me outside! He’s probably hoping I’ll get lost."

  "I never thought it could happen,” Jack continued, “but I think John is going to take Jennifer away from me. That dog person is ruining everything. I'm losing my best friend, and I don't know what to do about it."

  Chelsea swished her tail with confidence. "You need to speak with someone who knows how to deal with humans, and I know just the cat. Follow me."

  Jack’s eyes widened with surprise. "I can't leave home!"

  "Is Jennifer at home?" asked Chelsea.

  “No.”

  Chelsea winked at Jack. “Well, in that case, I guess it’s just you and your best friend John.”

  Jack grinned. "I see your point. I won’t miss John and John won’t miss me. Lead the way."

  The two cats slipped through the fence and entered the yard next door. Tiger was coming out of the pet door in the garage. Chelsea looked at her brother, and then at Jack. The two male cats hissed at each other and their claws came into view.

  "Are you two going to fight every time you see each other?" Chelsea asked the two male cats. "If you don’t stop it, you'll have more scratches than fur."

  "He embarrassed me, and you're a traitor for allowing him to walk through my territory," Tiger meowed.

  Chelsea didn't back down. "You made him
fight, and you know it. Every cat has a right to defend his or her territory. When you moved into this house, you made it clear to

  every cat that it was your territory. Jack is doing exactly what you would do."

  Tiger knew that he was losing the argument. "All right, he can pass through our

  territory with you." Just before Tiger left the two other cats, he asked Jack a question. "Do you have a sister?"

  "Not here," replied Jack.

  “You don't know how lucky you are," Tiger said, and disappeared back into the garage to lick his scratches.

  "By the way," Jack asked Chelsea, "where are we going?"

  "We're going to talk to Bethany," replied Chelsea, "She knows all about humans."

  Jack picked up the pace to keep up with Chelsea. This was going to be a very interesting experience.

  ***

  Meanwhile ...a dark green van was slowly driving down a nearby street as two thieves looked for homes to break into. Freda, who was driving the van, laughed. "This is too easy. Split River has a small police department, they’ll never catch a couple of pros like us from Coastal City."

  "That's right," replied Harry, who was sitting in the passenger seat. "These small town cops don't know how to deal with pro's like us. I bet that no one has even noticed us."

  He was wrong.

  A large cat with thick brown and grey fur was watching them from a nearby tree.

  Sergeant was very interested in the van that was driving through his town. He didn't recognize the two humans in the van, and his instincts told him that they were up to no good. As the van drove further down the street, he climbed down from the tree and followed it.

  When the van stopped at the corner, Harry saw a cat in the side mirror. He leaned out the window. “Here kitty, kitty.”

  The cat wasn’t impressed, he hissed as his back arched, and his claws came into view.

  Freda jabbed Harry in the ribs with her elbow. "We don't have time to play with some stupid cat. We have work to do."

  ***

  Jack had to hurry to keep up with Chelsea. He wasn't used to climbing fences and squeezing through hedges. Traveling through backyards was more difficult than hopping onto the china cabinet. It would also require more grooming.

  A couple of minutes later the two cats walked onto a gravel driveway next to a large front porch. An older cat was curled up on the porch enjoying a nap, but her eyes

  opened as she sensed movement nearby. She stood up and walked to the edge of the porch to investigate.

  Chelsea spoke first. "Sorry about disturbing your nap Bethany, but my friend here has a problem and he needs some advice."

  Bethany swished her tail in delight. "It's always a pleasure when you visit

  Chelsea. Who is your friend?"

  "This is Jack," replied Chelsea. "He just moved into the house next to ours."

  Bethany noticed a scratch mark in Jack’s fur coat. "No doubt you have met Chelsea's brother Tiger. Is he your problem? He can be quite aggressive."

  "No," answered Jack, "we've reached an agreement."

  Jack was impressed with Bethany. He had never met an older cat before, and

  she had an air of dignity that commanded respect. "Chelsea told me that you know a lot

  about humans."

  Bethany shook her head in agreement. "It's true. I live with Professor Vivian Johnson, who teaches English Literature at Coastal City University. I have been listening to her practice her lectures in front of the mirror for ten years now."

  "Come up here on the porch and relax,” the older cat continued. “Please, tell me all about this problem of yours. Are you having trouble with your friend? It’s very upsetting when you can't get along with someone you love."

  "Oh no,” Jack replied, “Jennifer is never a problem. I know that she loves

  me. John, that dog person she married, he’s the problem. He's trying to take Jennifer away from me!"

  Bethany lifted an eyebrow. "I sense a high level of frustration."

  "You bet," replied Jack, "I’d like to scratch what fur he has, right off the top of his head."

  Bethany considered the information. "Perhaps that is the problem. In some ways

  humans are like cats. If one cat confronts another cat with a hiss and shows his claws, it often develops into some kind of showdown. Humans act the same way."

  Jack had never considered that possibility. ""Are you saying that we’re having a fight over territory?"

  "That my young friend," replied Bethany, "is exactly my point. You have to convince him that you are willing to co-exist in the house, on a peaceful basis."

  "Do you mean," asked Jack, "that I have to treat him like he’s Jennifer's equal?"

  "Never!" meowed Bethany. "I could never give the same affection to any other

  human that I give to Professor Johnson."

  Chelsea agreed. "I could never love anyone as much as I love Tammy."

  Jack felt he could trust Bethany; she seemed to really understand people. "What should I do?" he asked.

  Bethany put her tail around Jack’s shoulders. "When you go home, just try and be friendly."

  "That won't be easy," replied Jack.

  "I didn't say that it would be easy," continued Bethany, "but all you can do is try."

  As the three cats sat discussing Jack’s problem, a voice called from the other end of the street. "Chelsea! Chelsea!”

  Chelsea looked over her shoulder. "That's Tammy. I should go home right away, she gets nervous if I don't come when she calls."

  "I should go home too," added Jack. "I want to be waiting when Jennifer arrives

  home from the university."

  Bethany's eyes lit up at the mention of the university. "Your friend works at Coastal City University too? Professor Johnson probably knows her.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  When Jack arrived home, John had left the back door open to take out the garbage and recycling. Jack slipped inside unnoticed.

  A few minutes later Jack could hear the television in the living room. John was watching a baseball game, so he was happy. This was probably the best time to follow Bethany’s advice and try to be friends with John.

  The very thought of being John's buddy made Jack feel sick, but he loved Jennifer too much to let his pride stand in the way. He would try. What was he supposed to do? Jennifer always liked it when he rubbed his whiskers against her face. Maybe it would work with John too.

  The cat stood up, mustering every ounce of willpower. John had interfered in his life. He had been Jennifer's friend long before John arrived on the scene. They had been perfectly happy before John had rudely butted his way into their lives.

  Jack slipped through the living room doorway and hopped onto the sofa next to John. John was wearing his police uniform, because he would be leaving for work soon.

  Jack walked up to John and rubbed his fur coat against John's dark blue pants.

  "Meow: How are you doing old pal?" Jack couldn't believe what he was doing.

  John couldn’t believe what Jack was doing either. "Hey, you're getting your fur all over my uniform!" John yelled, as he shoved Jack off the sofa. Jack did not like being pushed by anyone, especially John. He tried to keep his cool. He was, after all, doing this for Jennifer.

  "Meow: You know, pushing me like that is not very polite.”

  Jack hopped onto the back of the sofa and walked over to John again. John had turned his attention back to the baseball game. Jack rubbed his whiskers against John's face. Jack had just eaten some sardines.

  "Cat, your breath stinks! Get away from me. I'm trying to watch the game." John pushed Jack again.

  "Meow: That's the second time you pushed me. If that's the way you want to settle this, that's just fine with me." The claws came out.

  Just then, Jack heard the familiar sound of running water. Jennifer must have come home when he was outside, and was running a bath. Nothing was as much fun as playing with bubbles when Jennifer was taking a bath. Jac
k turned his tail up at John and hopped down from the sofa. "Meow: I'll deal with you later."

  Leaving John behind, the happy cat scurried up the stairs to the bathroom. Sure

  enough, his friend was covered in a layer of bubbles. Just like the good old days before John. Jack hopped onto the edge of the tub. Jennifer, as always, was glad to see her furry friend.

  "How's my favorite kitty-cat?" she asked. Jennifer took some bubbles in her hands and touched them against Jack’s nose. She laughed as he wiped them away with one of his paws.

  "Meow: Hey! That tickles!"

  Jennifer smiled at Jack, as she enjoyed the warm bath, and he swatted at the bubbles with his paws. He was so busy playing with Jennifer that he didn't hear John

  walking up the stairs.

  John felt guilty. He shouldn't have pushed Jack away like that. After all, the cat usually kept his distance. It was the first time that he had shown any real affection towards him. Was he actually trying to be friendly? Perhaps he could play with Jack for a couple of minutes before leaving for work.

  Jack was leaning as far forward as could to swipe at some bubbles that Jennifer was holding in her hands. The edge of the tub was wet, so it was a delicate balancing act.

  John walked up behind Jack and reached out to pet his fur coat. When he touched Jack, it was just enough pressure for the cat to lose his balance. There was no place to go but down.

  "Meow!" In an instant Jack was in the warm soapy water. No one had to tell him what was happening; John was trying to drown him.

  The terrified cat flailed his legs in desperation, trying to claw his way out of the tub. "Meow: Jennifer! Save me!" Jack felt Jennifer's' soft hands lift him out of the tub

  and place him on the tile floor. As she lifted him up, he noticed blood on her arm. He had scratched his best friend.

  Through his stinging eyes he could just make out a face looking down at him. It was John. "Meow: You made me scratch Jennifer!"

  John reached down to wipe Jackoff with a towel, but the cat was already on the move.

  "Meow: Now he's trying to smother me!" Jack flew down the stairs without looking back.

  As Jacks ran through the kitchen, he saw a familiar face looking through the screen door. It was Chelsea. "What happened to you?"