I was tossed outside, carelessly. My housefolk shouted at me. I shrank back. One of them muttered something to another.

They snatched me up and stuffed me into a small cage. A "Cat Carrier." That's what they called it. I called it The Den Or Horror. It was terrible in there, all stuffy and hot, with barely any space to stretch or even move around! I absolutely hated it!

I felt the Den Of Horror swing, and I scrambled around, trying to find stable footing. There was none. Then the Den Of Horror stopped moving, although it was at a tilt. After that, I heard a slamming noise and realized I was in what they called a "car." I called it a Glowing-Eye.

Through the cold, gray barriers, I watched as one of my housefolk got in front, stuck something in the Glowing-Eye, and twisted it. The Den Of Horror began to shake slightly.

I was suddenly forced into the back of my Den Of Horror. I lay in there for a while. Then, suddenly, the Glowing-Eye stopped moving. My housefolk grabbed the Den Of Horror, and I was dangling again. Then they opened the entrance, grabbed me, and roughly tossed me out.

I yelped in surprise as my paws touched the foul, black surface of what they called a "road." I thought of it as a Foulpath.

My housefolk growled at me, then turned and entered their Glowing-Eye again. It rumbled. Were they going to leave me?

"Wait!" I called frantically. But it was too late. They were gone.

Later in the day

My stomach growled as I sniffed the air. Squirrel! The small, red creature lying on the Foulpath looked gross, and unappetizing, but it was better than nothing. I looked both ways to make sure no Glowing-Eyes were coming. I saw nothing. So I quickly seized the squirrel and dragged it to the other side of the Foulpath.

I stared at it in disgust. If I hadn't been so hungry, I think I might've just left it there right then. Reluctantly, I bent my head and took a bite of the furry creature.

I blinked in surprise. It was quite good. There was a nasty scent on it though, but it was just the Foulpath smell.

I took another bite. And another. And another, until it was all gone. I licked my belly. Then I turned and looked out of the "Stonation Town," as my housefolk called it. I named Jutting Rocks Place.

My housefolk called themselves "Humans." I labeled them TallLegs.

A TallLeg walked toward me. After the experience with my housefolk, I drew back, glancing at the wild, wondering if I should go there. As the TallLeg approached me, I made up my mind. I darted away, into the wild, away from Jutting Rocks Place.

Days later

I stumbled through the forest, my belly rumbling. Glancing up through the trees, I spotted what I believed was a starling. I leaped up at it, but it cawed and flapped away.

"Tough luck," a voice meowed.

I spun around to see a white and ginger tom sitting in the branches.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"I'm Snowysun," the tom replied. "You?"

I hesitated. Should I say Jangle? No. The TallLegs who gave me that name threw me out. They left me to die. Jangle won't be my name anymore.

I considered other names. Starling? Mouse? Rock? Stonation? I pushed aside all of them. Then, I thought of something else. Squirrel. If that squirrel hadn't died on the Foulpath, then I wouldn't be alive now. I would be known as Squirrel to honor the creature that saved my life.

"Hello?" Snowysun meowed. "What's your name?"

"Squirrel," I finally answered. "My name is Squirrel."

"Squirrel," Snowysun mused. "Fits you. You look skinny," he noticed. "Do you know how to hunt?"

I shook my head. "No," I admitted.

"I can teach you," Snowysun offered.

I considered this. If he did, then I could survive on my own without many worries. "Ok," I accepted.

Snowysun blinked, like he hadn't expected me to agree. Then he purred. "Just copy me."

Narrater

Snowysun taught Squirrel everything he knew. Over the seasons, Squirrel became the most known and popular cat in the area.

Squirrel was known for his compassion, patience, fighting skills, and hunting skills. But mostly, he was known for his past. None of the cats who supported him had ever heard of a cat who had once been a kittypet and had risen to the biggest cat around. They claimed that Squirrel was the best cat anywhere.

Squirrel never had a mate, or kits. He lived to a long age, and died peacefully.

You're probably wondering why Snowysun's name is Snowysun. Well, his parents used to be clan cats, so they named him a clan cat name.