Maple was lying down, her eyes were closed. A calico she-kit and her littermate, a mostly white tom with one big orange splotch on his back and a smaller splotch on one ear and on one of his eyes, were both playing, chasing each other around and tumbling around. Maple lifted her head wearily and sighed, she shook her head "How am I ever going to sleep when all my kits ever do is play." 

I'm the calico, I don't quite have a name yet, in fact, my mom, Maple, claims that it's going to be a two-legs job to name me. I suppose the same goes for my brother, yet I'm not sure when exactly this 'naming ceremony' will happen. Supposedly my mom hasn't always lived here, she used to be wild, roaming the noisy streets on her own, I admired her for this. I wasn't sure I'd ever be brave enough to venture out on my own like that. I've gone outside a few times, and as fun as it was. Anything past the safety of the fence felt like immediate danger. My mama told me about my dad, a fierce guardian of the alleys. He fought for his food from dangers like other cats and dogs, he always had a rumbling belly, and his hunger was never satisfied. Hearing these stories made her feel grateful for her own sheltered life where food came in neverending waves. Of course, her mom was sure to tell these stories whenever I and my brother complained about anything at all, she pressured us to feel grateful, after all, her mom knew that kind of life herself.

I've often heard my mom mumbling things in her life, fierce things and hisses and she's even stretched out as if to claw something. I've spotted many of the scars that covered her pelt. Yet it seems my mom still stares longingly at the world outside the fence, how could any cat want or miss a life like that when here you get all the protection, love, and food you need right here?

Her brother swiped at her ears with his claws tucked in. She gasped and shook out her fur then ran after him to get a swipe back at him. Just then the door opened and a tall two-leg came in following the two-leg were two other tall ones and a smaller one, a two-leg kit. The two-leg kit made a squeaky sound and headed over to me and Drip. I stopped and turned quickly to look my eyes widened, I was startled so I ran over to Maple with my ears flattened and my tail tucked. The two-leg kit picked up my brother and gave a huge smile, my brother let out a mrrow and his eyes widened too but he loosened up and purred and started trying to gently bat the two-leg in a playful way. The two-leg made a giggly sound. 

She looked up to see her mom watching, in her eyes seemed to be some kind of sorrow or fierce need of protection, she tightened up and sunk her claws in and out. I looked at her "They're visiting him again" Her mom didn't respond she seemed to notice that this time the twolegs had brought a crate-looking thing. One of them held a collar in one paw. My mom had always said collars were a two-legs way of claiming you as their own. I shivered noticing the collar " W..what do you think they're going to do with that?"

Then she felt pure coldness as her mom muttered the words "They're claiming him as their own" My heart dropped a million oceans down I was speechless, I didn't realize that two-legs fought over things as well. Those heartless things were going to take her brother away then she heard "I want to name him Drip!" squeaked the tiny two-leg. She looked up with her eyes widened and her ears flattened as she saw one of the taller two-legs put the claiming collar around his neck. She felt herself start to tremble as she watched them take him away. She felt wetness soak her cheeks and her chest fur, she didn't even bother to see her mom's reaction, it was most likely a thousand times worse than hers. She knew it would only hurt worse if she saw her mom's own reaction.