Read The Christmas Cat for Free Online

dietary needs was Harry.
    “God bless Harry,” Garrison said as he laid the instruction sheet on the counter. Then he looked around at the cats clamoring around his feet. “Which one of you is Harry?”
    The big raccoon-like cat seemed to look up expectantly, rubbing himself against Garrison’s legs as if to confirm that he indeed was Harry. “Well, that’s easy for you to say,” Garrison told the friendly cat. “But I need more evidence.” Now he remembered the “dossier” that Mr. Miller had described. Hadn’t he mentioned photos?
    He opened the envelope and dug through it until he found the section that described the cats. Seeing that it was rather lengthy, he decided to take it up to his room where he could read it without wearing his mask and gloves. “I’ll be back soon,” he promised the cats as he hurried away.
    The top page was for Viola, but since she had already found a home, he barely skimmed it. However, he did discover that, besides being a Russian Blue, Viola was twelve years old and slightly moody. She was very attached to Gram and considered herself to be the top cat. “Viola will not do well in a house with children and noise or other pets,” Gram had written. “She would prefer being re-homed with a mature single woman who is affectionate and can bestow on Viola the special attention that she craves.”
    Garrison chuckled. Well, Ruby should be just about perfect. Really, this wasn’t so difficult. He sat down on his bed and flipped to the next page. A photo of a big orange short-haired cat grinned back at him. Rusty. Apparently this cat was ten years old, fairly easygoing, and got along with children. “Rustyis the clown cat,” Gram had written. “He is playful and loving and would enjoy a home with a big family and lots of attention and even other cats. Rusty gets along well with others.”
    “Good old Rusty,” Garrison said as he set that page aside.
    Spooky, he soon discovered, was the calico, a seven-year-old female that Gram had taken in two years ago. She was also the least social of the cats and very moody. “Spooky is independent, but she still likes attention. She would probably do best in a home without other pets.” Since he had three cats to go and he knew they were hungry, he didn’t bother to read all the details about Spooky.
    He saw the photo of the black-and-white cat. Naturally, that was Oreo. That was easy to remember. He was nine years old and had come to Gram as a kitten. He sounded easygoing enough.
    The loud Siamese cat was Muzzy. She was eight years old and according to Gram, “somewhat demanding and talkative.” Garrison set her page aside.
    Finally he saw the page for Harry—and, as it turned out, he was the friendly cat that resembled a raccoon. Harry was a Maine Coon cat that had found his way into Gram’s home and heart just a year ago. “Harry is a very special cat,” she had written. “I don’t like to say he’s my favorite, but if I could only keep one cat—God forbid—I would choose Harry. He is five years old and the smartest one of the bunch.”
    Armed with this new information, Garrison put on his particle mask again and went down to the kitchen to feed the cats. Naturally, it wasn’t as easy as he thought it should be, but eventually he got the cats figured out and situated and fed. By the time he finished up it was nearly five—and he felt exhausted.
    Not only that, but his nose was starting to run and his eyes were watering and by the time he made it to his room, he was starting to sneeze again. How could caring for five felines be this difficult? And, seriously, if he couldn’t manage a few silly old cats, how did he ever think he could run a halfway house for recovering addicts?

4

    I think what you’re saying is that Lilly created some kind of endowment fund for her beloved kitties,” Ruby said as she gave him a second helping of chicken pot pie.
    “I said nothing of the sort.” He kept his eyes fixed on his