I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and sat back up, rubbing my temples in confusion. How on earth did a cat get inside my house? I didn’t own one, and as far as I knew, none of my immediate neighbors had a feline pal prone to wandering.

Murphy, sensing that the immediate danger had passed, relaxed slightly, trotting over to nuzzle my hand. I gave him a reassuring scratch behind the ears before turning my attention back to the situation at hand.

The cat, noticing it had been discovered, cautiously crawled out from under the bed. It was a beautiful tabby, with a coat of swirling grays and browns, and a white patch on its chest that gave it a slightly distinguished look. As it stretched, arching its back and yawning as if it owned the place, I couldn’t help but smile.

Clearly, this was no feral creature. It looked well-fed and healthy, its fur neat and clean. I wondered if it had slipped in through the back door the evening before, perhaps while I was bringing in groceries, and simply decided to stay.

“Hey there, little one,” I murmured softly, extending a hand in a cautious gesture of goodwill. The cat regarded me with a wary gaze before taking a hesitant step forward, sniffing my fingers curiously.