Though I had never seen anything like it before, I pulled myself together and jumped into it—my paws landing on the soft cushion of a seat. Carefully, I made my way into the cage, which had been thoughtfully prepared with a snack and a soft pillow to lie down on. The cage was secured in the right back seat with a seatbelt, holding it tightly against the backrest.
They got into the car as well, and soon we were moving. The little girl sat next to me, poking snacks through the bars of my cage to get my attention—which worked quite well, I must admit. I don't say no to snacks.
After a while, the little girl turned her attention to the window, watching the scenery go by, and I snuggled into my pillow. The quiet music coming from the radio made it easy to drift off, and soon I was fast asleep.
I woke up to small strokes on my head. I quickly opened my eyes to find the little girl's face right in front of me. She was poking her finger through the small holes in the cage door, trying to reach me. I got up and moved to the back of the cage.
A few minutes later, we stopped. The little girl got out of the car with her backpack, and her mother unbuckled the seatbelt around my cage. She picked it up and began walking toward what would become my new home.
It was a cold and snowy afternoon, but as soon as we stepped inside, the warmth hit me. It was cozy. I could smell recently burned wood from the fireplace, the sweet scent of oranges in the kitchen, and cat food freshly squished out of its package into a small bowl on the kitchen floor.
The little girl bounced up and down excitedly as her mother placed the cage on the living room floor. As they took off their coats and shoes, I peered out through the small gaps in the plastic walls of my cage. The room was full of decorations I had never seen before.
A big tree stood in the corner with a shining star on top and glowing lights wrapped all around it. The fireplace had socks hanging from it, and the floor was covered in colorful presents.
After a few minutes, they all sat down around my cage, letting the little girl open the door. They were patient, waiting quietly as I stepped out slowly, one cautious paw at a time. Even the little girl took a few steps back, tossing a few treats onto the carpet to encourage me.
As I moved toward the treats, drawn in by their delicious smell, I took a long look around the room. Then, one by one, I started eating them.
The little girl slowly reached her hand toward me, so I gave it a curious sniff. Her mother said her name for the first time since I arrived, warning gently, "Monica, be careful not to get scratched."
I began to let Monica stroke me, her small hand moving gently through my soft black fur. I started to move closer to her.