A Phenomenal Cat Pet

July 5, 2022

Note: This is very long, I got carried away! I hope it's a good read regardless

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

"I don't understand why I've got to come along," Cath whined. "I could be off with Franklin and Bree right now-- we had plans for the weekend, you know!"
"Such as setting off illegal firecrackers underneath a bridge?" Gem asked innocently.
Her older sister went bright red, and clapped a hand over her mouth. Fortunately, their mother was out of earshot.
"Shh! Do you want me to get murdered?"
"That seems like your own problem," Gem giggled. She smirked and pulled Cath's hand from her face. "But all right, I'll be quiet! Mum would be furious if she found out what happened to her handbag last week."

"What about my Louis Vuitton handbag?" Maggie Sable paused as she waited for her daughters to catch up.
Gem coughed and glanced over at Cath."Nothing, Mum! We were just talking about how pretty it is." Maggie's suspicious immediately shifted into a blinding smile.

"How right you are! You know, I got that bag from my first shoot in New York, back when it was a hot new accessory--I blame the release of Mean Girls in part, of course..." She continued to trot ahead of them, still going on and on.
Cath puffed a lock of violet hair out of her face. "You better not tell her what happened."
Gem smiled brightly and patted the older girl on the shoulder. "Don't worry! I read that Vanished stuff can reappear even when the other end is broken. It'll turn up eventually."
"Ah, here we are, girls!" Their mother was now gesturing happily at a vaguely familiar storefront. "Surprise, Puddle-duck!"

Cath raised an unimpressed brow. "That's just--"
"The Magical Menagerie!" gasped Gem. "Mum, you can't possibly--!"
"Oh, but I can possibly!" Maggie chirped, booping her youngest on the nose. She spun around and pulled open the door. "Let's not stand around, now! You've got a pet to pick out."
Gem bounced after a grumbling Cath as they entered the store. Hoots, cackles, and squawks were already gracing her ears. The Menagerie! She knew of the place because they'd gotten two owls in years past: Cath's great horned friend, Courtney, and the family owl, Specs.

They were greeted by a charming elderly man sitting at the counter. He was joined soon after by his equally charming wife. With a wave of her wand, she produced a plate of homemade sugar cookies. Cath's mood noticeably improved at the sight of the biscuits.
Gem wandered around the space. Eventually, she found the cat area, and was instantly bombarded by thousands of meows from the creatures.
Perhaps this is going to be more of a challenge than I thought...

She waved nervously at the paws reaching towards her, and anxiously looked around. There were just so many of them! There was a grey tabby, a Scottish fold, a Bengal variety, even a kneazle; which Gem was pretty sure you had to have a license to own. She sighed, and turned to a sleeping Chartreux, her brow creasing with the stress.

Suddenly, a huff sounded from behind her. Gem froze, and turned to see a cat the color of the night sky staring back at her. Unlike the others, it was completely silent. It stood, stretched, and yawned widely before settling into a loaf shape.
Gem slowly walked over. The cat's left ear twitched, and it blinked at her with huge green eyes.
"Ah, the bewitched midnight stalker! A fine choice, miss."

Gem squeaked in surprise as the old man-- Mr. Whittaker-- bent down next to her.
"Really?" she whispered, swiveling to look at the cat.
Mr Whittaker nodded, and moved to unlock the latch with his wand. "Really. They're quite intelligent, acrobatic, and extremely curious. All in all, a fantastic companion." He took the black cat out of its confinements and gently placed it in Gem's waiting arms. Loud purring echoed throughout the room.
"Ah, look! He likes you already."

Gem ran up to the counter, cat still cradled in her arms. "Mum! I want this one."
Maggie looked up from her chat with Mrs. Whittaker. "Oh, how darling!" she exclaimed. She scratched the cat's neck, squealing in delight when he leaned into her palm.
"What're you going to name him, Gem?" Cath asked, her mouth full of cookies.

Gem buried her nose in the cat's warm fur. Their meeting had been nothing but magical, and this was coming from a witch. He deserved a special name. Her mind drifted to the old Broadway musicals that her dad was so fond of. One show in particular stood out in her memory.
She rested her chin on the cat's head and smiled.

"I'm going to call him Mistoffelees."

【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】

Word count | 778/400
What animal do you wish to purchase? | Bewitched Midnight Stalker
What do you want to name it? | Mr. Mistoffelees
What is your pet's date of birth? | November 21, 2020
Is this a boy or a girl? | Boy