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Learning the Ropes

"... Daddy said Cammie supervised when I cleaned the litter box," DJ told his mother with a grin. He'd taken his turn at the chore and beamed when his father told him he did it exactly right. "She was watching out for Pumpkin, like she does with me and Angie."

"And she watches out for Daddy and me, too." Catherine ruffled Cammie's fur, kissed her head and whispered, "You're always gonna be my first baby, right, pretty girl?"

The dog chuffed happily and leaned into the gentle hand against her cheek.

"That's 'cause you had Cammie before you had Angie and me, right, Mommy?" DJ smiled and hugged the dog.

"That's right. And she's such a good girl, aren't you?" She smiled at how the two animals were contentedly lying close together. "Look at you with the kitty, I bet you're teaching her the ropes." She stood and smiled at Steve. "I'm going to get lunch started, who wants to help?"

"I will," DJ hopped up and raised his hand. "Angie's all set to read to Cammie and Pumpkin," he nodded to his sister, who had a book on her lap next to the kitten while Cammie's head rested on her knee.

"Sounds like a plan," Steve agreed. "You two make lunch and Angie and I will clean up afterwards."

Cammie raised her head to watch Catherine and DJ exit the playroom before settling back on her littlest human's legs. When she did, the newest member of her pack reached out a tiny paw and touched her nose. Cammie licked at it gently and sighed. Pumpkin was fitting in perfectly.

As soon as the humans arrived home with the tiny ball of orange fluff, Cammie had made sure to greet her gently. She remembered the kitten from the night of walking to all the houses with her family, and she had immediately sensed how much her little humans wanted the small creature to come home with them.

Pumpkin, as they'd named the new addition, was very young like Angie and had a similar level of energy. She'd watched as the kitten made Catherine laugh whenever it climbed right up Steve's leg and clung to the waistband of his cargoes. He would chuckle as he gently plucked the furry baby from his hip and place her on the ground. Pumpkin, undaunted, looked around then darted to hop towards Cammie, rolling on her back to entice play, causing more laughter. Cammie loved when her humans laughed.

In the days since, she'd taught Pumpkin that when playing, she needed to be careful and not use her teeth or claws on humans. They didn't have thick fur like Cammie and she didn't want them hurt.

When the family went to work and school that Monday - which was a visit day for Esther, not a full day, DJ had explained, "Pumpkin is little and she's not used to our house yet so she's gonna stay in Grace's room 'til we get home." Cammie had immediately elected to nap outside the closed door until she sensed the kitten had fallen asleep. As always, having a new member of the pack meant she'd keep a watchful eye and make sure all was well with her new friend.

Cammie liked cats. Gizmo was a great addition to the family and Smokey loved his feline brother. She enjoyed seeing CK when she visited Linda and Grandma Josie's house, too. CK and Sarge often shared the same bed and she decided it was a cat thing, because on her first day home Pumpkin, after a wild free-for-all run around the master bedroom, had plopped down on her dog bed and promptly fallen asleep. When Angie giggled at the juxtaposition of the tiny creature in the huge dog bed and announced, "Pun'kin, dat's Cammie's bed, is so big fo' you," she'd let the family know she didn't mind by snuggling the dozing kitten and turning to lick Angie's cheek. At DJ's, "Good sharing, Cammie!" she'd wriggled in delight and was rewarded with a hug.

Cammie had learned lots of things about Pumpkin that the humans didn't necessarily know. She'd communicated to the kitten that while every human wasn't necessarily nice, theirs were the most loving ever.

Pumpkin had smelled lightly of the place where animals live if they have no homes, but the kitten had only been there for a little bit of time. She was born in a house where nice people took care of her, her mommy and siblings and she always had plenty to eat. When Angie had picked her up from her snuggly spot and gently hugged her, Pumpkin loved her right away. She could feel how much she and the kind boy with the soft smile wanted to be with her and she was very happy when they came to see her again and took her home.

She hadn't been afraid of Cammie at all, either. The dog smelled like she was nice and was gentle, and the big humans gave her yummy food and a soft place to sleep. She had decided right away that she liked her new home and her name. Being the only orange kitty in her family, Pumpkin often heard people visiting her foster home commenting on her pretty fur. She was happy Angie had picked her and she walked about to explore her home first thing. After a burst of energy had her running around the playroom and making everyone laugh first.

Hearing, "Da end!" from Angie, Cammie stood to stretch. Her nose said it was lunchtime; good food smells were wafting in, and she nosed Pumpkin, who'd already learned that when the humans ate they often shared a taste of something yummy.

Angie closed the book and stood up, saying, "We go have lunch now. C'mon Cammie, C'mon Pumpkin."

Steve chuckled and ran a hand over Cammie's head. "I'll carry Pumpkin, and you walk with Cammie." He held out a hand and took the kitten. As the foursome made their way into the kitchen, the two animals shared a conversation.

The tiny kitten purred; Pumpkin loved her new home.

Cammie chuffed her approval. She knew she would.

#End. Thanks for reading!

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