📦 Two Cats, One Box

A big cardboard box arrived at the Jansen house. When the new toaster was taken out, the box was left on the floor. And two cats spotted it at exactly the same moment.

Smudge, the grey cat, ran in from the kitchen. Ziggy, the stripy cat, ran in from the hallway. They both jumped into the box at the same time. Bump!

"I saw it first," said Smudge. "No, I did," said Ziggy. They both sat down, squished together, each trying to take up the most space. Smudge's tail was in Ziggy's face. Ziggy's paw was on Smudge's ear.

"Move over," grumbled Smudge. "You move over," grumbled Ziggy. Neither of them moved. The box creaked.

After a while, something funny happened. The box was warm. Very warm. Because two cats together make twice as much warmth. Smudge's grumpy face began to relax. Ziggy's eyes began to close.

Outside, the rain began to fall, tapping on the window. But inside the box, it was the coziest place in the world. Smudge noticed that Ziggy's fur was soft, like a pillow. Ziggy noticed that Smudge's purr was very soothing.

Slowly, without saying anything, Smudge moved his tail. Ziggy moved his paw. They shuffled around until they fit together perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle, curled into a stripy-grey circle.

When the family looked in later, they found two cats fast asleep, snuggled together in one box. "I thought they didn't like each other," said Mrs. Jansen. Smudge opened one eye, then yawned and closed it again. Some things are just better shared.