All morning, Zacq, the Uttridge’s big gray cat, chased mice in the barn, leaves and chipmunks on the front lawn. He visited the horses out in the field, patrolled the barns for mice, and chased a few butterflies.

After that, he played tag with the younger Uttridge kids, Brett, who was ten, and Bree, nine. He played hide and seek with them and their friends.

“You’re a smart cat, Zacq!” declared Keira Thomson, kneeling down to pet Zacq and give him a hug. “You’re a lot of fun to play with!”

“He found me every time!” said Timmy, who was Kerri’s older brother. He flopped down onto the grass and sprawled out. “What shall we play next?”

Zacq let all the children pet him, and then he stretched his long body and headed for the house.

“Well,” said Brett who was ten years-old. “Looks like Zacq is all done playing with us.”

“Yeah,” Nine-year old Bree declared. “He’s going to go find a place to nap now. I guess we tired him out!”

Brett and Bree were right. Zacq had had enough chasing the kids around the yard and searching them out of their hiding places. All he wanted now was a comfy spot to snooze in.

Kittona, his little white sister, meowed at him from the BBQ grill.

Silly Kittona! What an odd place to nap! He didn’t want to sleep there. He wanted someplace cozier to go. Someplace as comfy as a pillow in Bree’s bedroom or the new sofa and chair in the living room. Or maybe—

A cozy lap!

And look! There was Mom sitting on the porch swing. Purrrfect!

Mom liked to sit in the swing with cats or puppies on her lap. Every animal knows that laps are the coziest places in the world! Zacq hurried to go hop upon Mom''s lap, purring all the while.

But as he made himself comfy for his nap, Mom said, “Oh, Zacq! Why didn’t you come sooner? I have to get back to laundry and things!”

Still she sat there petting him for a few minutes, reluctant to disturb him right away.

Finally, with a regretful, “Sorry, Zacq!” she carefully moved him beside her and stood up. Zacq protested and eyed her with a resentful gold gaze.

Mom bent to scratch him between his ears, laughing at him. “Don’t you give me that look! My break is over. Later, okay!” And picking up the laundry basket full of clean clothes, for Mom liked to hang clothes on the clothesline outdoors, she started to head inside.

Well, if Mom wasn’t going let him enjoy her company and her lap, Zacq wasn’t staying outside either. Moreover, he was going to let Mom know how he felt about this situation! Hopping off the swing, he bolted after her. Leaping up, he swatted her legs with his big paws. One! Two! Three times!

With the basket balanced under one arm, Mom pushed the door open. Looking down at him, she told him, “I shouldn’t even let you come in for that, brat cat! You stay off my new couch and chair, hear me? Go downstairs and sleep on the old one!”

Zacq paid no attention to Mom. He headed straight for the living room.

“No, Zacq! Not in here! No animals in here!” Mom shut the French doors to the living room before Zacq could squeeze by.

Well, okay. An old comfy couch was just as good as a new one. Zacq went downstairs to the family room in the basement.

But, look! Nikka and Nesleigh, The Rat terrier pups, had already claimed that couch! They woke up and watched him watching them.

Even though they never seemed to mind him sharing their space, today, he minded them sharing his. Today, he didn’t want to share space with puppies, even friendly ones.

Looking around the room, he saw his brother snoozing on the old wooden rocking chair. While he hadn’t wanted to snooze on the couch with the puppies, Zacq decided he wouldn’t mind sharing the chair with Daine. So up he jumped and made himself comfy cozy there.

Purrfect!

Daine woke up after a while. He wiggled out from under Zacq and stood up. Zacq opened his eyes, and put a paw out to him, as if asking him to come back.

But Daine had other ideas—like food and a drink. But the bowls downstairs were empty since the pups had munched all the food and lapped up all the water. So he went upstairs to see if the bowls in the kitchen might still hold a snack.

Zacq followed. Napping alone on the rocking chair wasn’t comfy to him today! Hmmmm. There must be someplace he could curl up and take a longer nap!

He washed his face, his left ear and one paw. Blinked a couple of times, and then washed his right paw and his other ear.

He joined Daine at the food and water bowls and had a nice snack. At least the puppies hadn’t cleaned everything in the house yet!

Finished with his snack, Zacq, turned and looked around the kitchen. His eyes suddenly narrowed as he noticed a wonderful napping spot in the kitchen. The refrigerator—the highest perch of all. Up and away from everyone! That was it!

Trotting over to it, Zacq coiled his muscles for a mighty leap.

But Daine leaped faster than Zacq. The big black cat draped himself across the top of the refrigerator, his tail hanging down the side of it. He blinked his green eyes at Zacq and flicked his tail. He was not going to share this perch this time!

Zacq was annoyed. But then a delicious aroma tapped his nose. Zacq sniffed the air.

Oooo, who could resist the smell of fresh bread? Not Zacq, even though he was a cat! He twirled around to face the counter, hunched up and jumped. Yes, this would be a great place! High enough up and smelling grand!

But—once again, there was someone up there before him.

His father, Elijah, a majestic half Himalayan, opened his silver blue eyes to see who had invaded his space. He was all comfy upon the white breadbox from which that delicious smell came. After seeing that it was Zacq there on the counter, Elijah simply shut his eyes and dreamed of sharing Mom’s tasty tuna sandwiches with Brett and Bree.

For a moment, Zacq just stood sniffing his father’s furry head and the breadbox. He pawed at the breadbox hoping he could open it. But Mom had made sure it was securely shut.

Zacq stopped trying to raid the breadbox, and decided to sleep on it with his father.

Elijah often snoozed with the puppies, and had babysat Zacq and all his brothers and sisters when they were young kittens. That let their mom, Halley, take a break from caring for her five babies. Elijah was probably the best dad cat in the world!

Zacq climbed upon the bread box, half draping himself upon his dad, while his hind legs hung off to one side. Elijah flicked an ear and moved a little so Zacq could settle in better, and so he could wash Zacq’s face. Zacq washed his father’s ears in return. Then they snuggled up for a good long snooze.

Purrrfect.

Suddenly—

“ZACQ! ELIJAH! Get OFF of there!” hollered Garrett, the oldest Uttridge boy. He had just put shoes on three horses who hadn’t wanted new shoes, so he wasn’t in a good mood. Plus, he did not at all think cats belonged on the breadbox. “Get off there now!”

His thundering voice startled all three cats awake. Zacq scrambled up so fast he fell off the breadbox onto the counter and plopped to the floor. He shook himself, feeling a little foolish and a good deal resentful.

Elijah got off with lordly grace—as if it’d been his own idea to leave his perch just then. He dropped to the floor beside Zacq and scratched behind his ear. Groomed the fur at his ribs. Then he went over to the food bowl and ate as if that was what he''d intended to do all the while.

Daine just closed his eyes again. Garrett never noticed him up top of the refrigerator. Or if he had, he must have felt that was all right for a cat to be there!

Well!

Zacq shot his brother up a narrow glance, then stalking out of the kitchen, he trotted upstairs to Mom''s bedroom. There on Mom’s bed awaited the basket of clean laundry she''d just brought in.

Zacq hopped up.

Purrrrrrr! Purrrrrrr! Zacq kneaded his paws on a soft towel, his eyes half closed. Curling up on the top of the mountain, he closed his eyes . . . started dreaming his own dream of tasty tuna treats.

"Oh, no, Zacq! Not my clean clothes! Come on! Outta here!” Mom hurried over to the bed, scooped him up and dumped him out into the hallway and closed the door.

Well, now where could he go?

Down the hallway, music played in another bedroom. Glenna, who was twelve, didn''t mind cats or pups sleeping on her bed! Nor did she mind cats snoozing on her computer tower or upon her dresser either. They could sleep anywhere they liked—except upon her favorite black jeans . . . and her notebooks and keyboard!

So, down to Glenna’s room trotted Zacq.

Glenna was deep into Chapter Six of Casey Spars Goes To Mars when Zacq wandered in. Glenna liked to write stories sometimes more than she liked to do anything else—even ride her Quarter horse, Squeaky! Good ideas couldn’t be put off. Plus, she''d promised Brett and Bree she''d have a new chapter to read to them at bedtime. They''d never let her forget it if she broke her promise to them!

Zacq hopped upon the desk and walked across her keyboard, making odd characters flicker onto the computer screen. Then he flopped across her open notebook. Purrrrrrr! Such a wonderfully thick notebook!

“Zacq! Look what you did!” Glenna deleted the long string of random letters he’d added to her story. “Oh, well, at least you didn''t delete everything like the last time!” She pulled her notebook out from under him. “Here! I''m sorry—I need this today!”

Zacq didn’t care about that. He just stood and padding back to the keyboard laid right across it.

“Oh!” huffed Glenna impatiently. “Zacq!”

Zacq butted her hand with his head. Then, he got up to slip down upon her lap. Or, at least that’s what he intended to do. But Sir Harvey Alistair, Glenna’s favorite cat had already claimed that spot for himself. He wasn’t about to give it up for Zacq!

But favorite though he might be, Glenna wasn’t about to put up with a quarrel upon her knees. Especially since cats’ claws are sharp, and she was wearing shorts. Without a word, she dumped both felines onto the floor and scooted her chair deeper under her desk.

Sir Harvey, after trying without success to climb back onto her lap, finally gave up and hopped upon her bed, and made himself comfortable at the foot of it. Zacq scratched his ear with his left rear paw. Should he take over the pillows or try the dresser?

Deciding he might like the dresser top, he poised to leap. But a sharp voice just like Mom’s hollered, “Don’t you even think it! Brat cat!”

Zacq cringed, looking around to see where Mom was. Glenna laughed. “Gotcha again, didn’t he, Zacq!”

From the tall birdcage in one corner of the room, Cedric, Glenna’s green and yellow parakeet, taunted him some more. “Good kitty, kitty!” he said in Glenna’s voice. Then, “Here, kitty!’ in Bree’s voice. “Come Zacq! Come to Bree!” Yes, Cedric could sound like all of the children, and like Mom and Dad too. “Get out of my chair, Zacq! Go outside!”

Zacq knew he wasn’t supposed to eat Cedric, but it was fun to think about it sometimes.

And then Zacq saw his perfect spot to nap. Maybe he couldn’t eat Cedric, but he could nap upon the tall, flat top bird cage.

Just as he started to trot over to the cage, a striped streak leaped from the bed right over his head and landed upon that flat topped bird cage.

WELL!

How rude!

Cedric chattered his disapproval at this intrusion.

Zacq stared up at Sir Harvey who purred smugly. Washing his paws and the fluffy fur of his chest, Sir Harvey got ready for a good long rest in his new napping spot.

“Crazy cats!” chuckled Glenna, shaking her head at them. “What was wrong with the bed, Harvey? I think you’re all brat cats!”

"Brat cats! Crazy cats!" echoed Cedric. "Crazy puppy! Crazy kids! Pretty bird! Pretty girl! Get back to work!"

Sir Harvey batted the side of the cage, but didn’t really try to hurt Cedric. Cedric was skillful at pecking toes if left to dangle within his reach, which didn’t feel very good at all!

Sir Harvey peered down at Zacq with a challenge in his yellow eyes. Zacq glared back. For a second he thought about knocking the cage over. Sir Harvey wouldn’t have a tall place from which to stare disdainfully down upon the world then! He’d be sorry he didn’t stay on the bed! Who did he think he was anyway!

Cedric, sensing the mood between the cats, imitated a ferocious cat fight until Glenna tossed a crumpled wad of paper at his cage.

“Knock it off, chatterbox! Can’t concentrate with all this racket! Stop it now!”

The silly bird laughed tauntingly at her the way her brothers would, and then made whining sounds like puppies begging for a treat. Finally, he settled down, softly chirping a lullaby. Sir Harvey purred and closed his eyes. In a second, he was dreaming of fat sausages that Brett dangled before his hungry eyes . . . Purrrfect! But, for Zacq, well . . . it looked as though Glenna’s room wasn’t the best place after all.

All this hunting for a perfect spot made Zacq crave another snack. He hurried back downstairs and out to the kitchen. Luckily, there were some tasty morsels left for him to snack on.

After that, he was really thirsty, so he drank some water from the big white bowl all of the Uttridge’s pets drank from. He drank and drank until it was empty. Now Zacq was even more ready for a nap than before!

Well . . . hmmmm.

Zacq sniffed the bowl. He sniffed all around its outsides. Then he sniffed all around its insides.

Then—

He climbed right into the bowl!

Wrapping his whole body around the inside of that bowl, he snuggled down into it, tucking his nose under his tail.

Pretty soon, he was enjoying sweet dreams of chasing squirrels in the yard, nibbling tuna sandwiches and drinking fresh milk with Brett and Bree, and lazing in the porch swing on Mom’s lap.

Purrrfect!

Absolutely, PURRRFECT!

Purrrrrr, purrrrr, purrrrrr . . .

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This story is going to be permafree as soon as I can get
Amazon to get it back to free. It''s available there now for .99, and at all other online retailers for free.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GPD2EP4