"Come on, kits! Get up!" Caramel's yowl rang through the entire house. Sunrise slowly got to her feet, stretching slowly.
"Good morning, darling," Caramel said, licking Sunrise's head.
"Why do we have to get up so early?" Sunrise complained.
"Because it's a very special day," Caramel said.
Sunrise shrugged, sitting down next to her mother. Tiger got up moments later, carefully stepping over his sisters. Holly and Polly quickly got up, running to their mother's side. Hazelnut slowly stretched, sitting near her mother.
"Snowflake, it's time to get up," she told the she-cat.
Snowflake opened her blue eyes and yawned, slowly getting up. She was the smallest, and Sunrise's favorite sister. Unlike Holly, Polly, and Hazelnut, she was kind and sweet. Her other sisters were just annoying. Tiger spent all his time with his father, leaving her and Snowflake to bond.
"What is it, Mommy?" Polly asked.
"Yeah," Holly chimed in.
"You remember how I told you that soon you'd be leaving the house to go with your new families," Caramel spoke.
Sunrise shrunk down. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay with her mother here in the house.
"But, Mommy, I like it here!" Hazelnut complained.
"I know, darling, but imagine the joy when your new owners take care of you. They'll be arriving today, so some of you will be on your way to a brand new home," Caramel told them.
"Do we have to go?" Sunrise asked.
"I'm sorry, Sunrise, but I have no choice. I'd love to keep all you beautiful kittens, but it is the humans' choices, not mine," Caramel sighed.
"What about those forest cats? Can't we live out there with them?" Tiger asked.
"Who told you about the forest?!" Caramel demanded.
Sunrise had seen the tall trees from the backyard, but she had been in the woods before. She didn't know there were any cats living in there. Why would they? Wouldn't they rather like to sleep inside and be fed well?
"Daddy told me once," Tiger whimpered.
"I'll have to have a talk with your father," Caramel said. "We will not be going into the woods. No such thing will ever be discussed again. Understood?"
Slowly, all the kits nodded.
"Good," Caramel said. Sunrise pricked her ears as she heard the familiar sound of the doorbell. "Here they are," Caramel said.
Sunrise shrunk down near the bed, watching as humans began to make their way into the room to see the kits. She quickly ran to Snowflake's side.
"I've never seen so many humans," Snowflake admitted.
"Me either," Sunrise said, watching as they made their way towards the kits. Hazelnut and Tiger played around with a ball while Holly and Polly wrestled with each other.
"Kits, go play!" Caramel instructed, pushing them forward. Her force was strong, and she ended up pushing Sunrise right into a child.
Sunrise quickly stood up, only to feel the child grab her. She yowled, trying to get free from the child's grip. The child laughed though and pet the kit, and she groaned, knowing she couldn't claw at the kid.
"This one, Mommy! This one!" the child yelled.
"That one seems rather shy, don't you think?" the human spoke, taking Sunrise out of the child's hands. She laid her back down, and Sunrise immediately rushed back to Snowflake.
"Sunrise, what are you doing?" Caramel demanded.
"I don't want to be around all these people," she whimpered. "They're scary."
"You'll never get a new home if you act like this," Caramel told her. "Play with a ball. Be cute."
Sunrise groaned, beginning to claw at a feather a different child was playing with. The child laughed, and Sunrise smiled a little, glad someone appreciated her.
Sunrise looked up, watching two humans talking with her owners. Were they going to adopt one of her siblings? She was unsure.
She continued playing with the feather, and she laughed, striking it quickly. She felt a rush in her veins, and she leapt in the air, catching it between her teeth. It was ripped out of the child's grip, and she smiled, dropping it. She had never felt so free before.
"Sunrise, where did you learn those moves?" Snowflake asked her.
Sunrise shrugged. "In my blood, I guess."
"We're house cats," Snowflake told her. "I can't leap like that."
"You're not trying hard enough," Sunrise told her.
Snowflake opened her mouth to speak when suddenly she backed up. Sunrise felt two hands grabbed her, and she called out, squirming.
She looked, seeing Holly and Polly in the arms of the child who had swayed the feather.
"Three cats? That's quite a lot," she heard her owner say.
"It's hard to choose between all three. We have three children, and I know they all want a cat," she heard the human say. "What are their names?"
"Those two are Holly and Polly. The one you are holding is Sunrise."
"No! I don't want to go with them! I don't want to live with Holly and Polly! Mommy!" Sunrise wailed.
"I'm sorry, Sunrise. There's nothing I can do. You're going to a great home," she told her.
"Snowflake," Sunrise whimpered.
"I'm sorry," Snowflake said, looking up at her.
Without warning, Sunrise was tossed into a bag with Holly and Polly.
"Ouch! My tail!" Polly complained.
"Well there doesn't seem to be enough room in here," Sunrise spat.
"So you're coming with us," Holly said. "Didn't think they'd want you."
"Oh, hush up," Sunrise said, sitting down. Through the tiny holes, she watched as she saw her mother, her siblings, her life, vanish from her, and she was led into a car.
"Mom, can I hold the cat?" she heard the child say. He was older than the young girl who had picked her up before, and he seemed to know how to handle a cat better.
Sunrise expected him to grab Holly or Polly, but instead, he grabbed Sunrise. She sat on his lap, looking up at her new owner. He had brown hair and green eyes, and she smiled as he pet the she-cat.
"What? Why aren't we being pet?" Polly complained.
Sunrise laughed a little. Maybe she would get the better end of the bargain.
The drive was short, and soon enough, Sunrise was introduced to a large house. There was a large lawn, perfect for playing, and a lovely tree she could climb. She expected the boy to let her play, but he took her straight inside.
She sniffed the air. Everything smelled different than back home. He slowly set her down, and she immediately raced to the sliding door. She was caught in surprise when she spotted no cat door. How would she go outside into the backyard? She was able to do that back home.
"Mom, are the cats here?!" she heard a girl scream.
Sunrise turned, watching as two girls who were older than the boy raced out. One spotted Sunrise and began to run to her. Sunrise squealed, hiding behind the chair.
"Girls, your cats are here," she heard her new owner say. She watched as the girls squealed as they grabbed their new kittens.
"Pampered as always," Sunrise laughed. She heard the chair moved, and she mewed, watching as the boy picked her up. He was gentle, and she squirmed a little, though he knew how to properly hold a kit. She watched as he walked into a room. Inside was a tiny cat bed and some food and water. He slowly set her down, and she moved towards the cat bed, sitting inside. It was nice and cozy. Maybe she could get used to this place.
There was a tiny litterbox too and some cat toys. It was a tiny room, more like a closet, though she didn't mind. She watched, seeing the boy leave. Curious, she followed him until she came into a large room. She had never seen such a room before. There was a comfy bed and a window.
"Sunrise, you weren't supposed to follow me in here," the boy said, grabbing the cat. He set her down on the bed, and she mewed.
"That's a good girl," he said, stroking the she-cat.
Sunrise purred, laying down on the bed. The sun shined perfectly on her fur, and she smiled, warm. She closed her eyes, thinking about her mother and siblings. Would they all miss her? She knew Snowflake would.
Maybe this place isn't so bad at all, she thought, drifting off to sleep.