with the hotel guests He plays all sorts of predator-prey games with them He makes them feel like they’re hunting or fishing in the wild I flew down the steps hurried through the living room and leaped into the big farmhouse kitchen Our neighbor Winifred Wolfe stood at the sink She runs a dog hotel next door to us She’s a good friend of Grandma Kit’s She’s also Alfreeda’s mother Yes that Alfreeda the girl who won’t be quiet about how great dogs are and how great cats aren’t Mrs Wolfe was busy washing Grandma Kit’s hair Good morning I said Hi Tabitha Grandma Kit said her head in the sink Her voice sounded like it came from the
bottom of a well Good morning Tabby Cat Mrs Wolfe said in her usual cheerful voice We thought we’d get your grandma’s hair cut early before our busy day begins Alfreeda’s mom is the top dog groomer in the county She’s won lots of awards She’s great at cutting people’s hair too Grandma Kit is Frankie here I asked Can I play with him Is it safe to open the hotel door Grandma Kit laughed Yes yes and yes she said The kitties are all safe in their condos Go ahead I hurried through a door beside the
refrigerator It led to the back of the house That’s whereTabby Towers was Grandpa Tom and Grandma Kit had turned their big family room into the cat hotel I rushed past the kitty playground to the row of kitty condos Each condo was a small three level apartment with a screen door Hi you cute things I said to kittens Fifi and Furbaby They were a brother and sister who shared a condo I peeked inside the second condo and said good morning to another guest a Persian cat named Child Then I saw Frankie in his condo and gasped Frankie was paws down the most handsome
cat I had ever seen He had beautiful orange fur His back and sides were covered with brown leopardlike spots He had brown tigerlike stripes everywhere else I started to talk to him in a soft quiet voice It’s important that first meetings with cats go
