At the far end of the animal shelter, under a flickering light bulb and next to a mop bucket that no one ever emptied, lived a black cat named Freddy. He had very sharp yellow eyes with a fur like midnight, and a face that always seemed to say, “Don’t even try coming close.” And obviously, nobody did.
People came and went, picking pretty puppies with floppy ears or kittens with friendly purrs. But Freddy? He was always passed over.
One child once gasped at the sight of him and said, “Oh no, I think I’m gonna have nightmares just having this cat by my side!” Her mother moved her away like Freddy might start breathing dragon fire.
Eventually, Freddy stopped caring or maybe, he pretended to.
“What’s the point of friendship anyway?”he thought. “They always leave.” So he sat still, stared hard, and made sure no one even thought about opening his cage.
But deep inside, behind the cold looks and angry eyes, Freddy just wanted what every other animal in that place wanted; someone to choose him.
One hot afternoon, the door creaked open and a man walked in who didn’t look interested in soft paws or even wagging tails.
“I need a cat,” he told the shelter worker. “Not a pet. Just a professional hunter. There’s a white mouse in my house that thinks he is smarter than me. I’ve tried traps and poison too. I even tried reasoning with it. But nothing is working.”
The staff exchanged looks.
“You’ll want Freddy,” someone muttered. “He’s….very intense.”
The man spotted Freddy and smiled. “So perfect. Looks like he can easily do the job.”
And just like that, Freddy finally got a home. Maybe not a home, after all.
Mr. Bernard barely acknowledged him. He tossed down food once in a while, didn’t even bother with a bed, and never used the word “pet.” Freddy was just a tool, not meant to be a companion.
Freddy, who was already used to loneliness, didn’t complain. But his eyes lost its shine.
Someone, however, noticed.
Whitney, the very white mouse Mr. Bernard was desperate to get rid of, had been watching from the shadows. Whitney was very clever, fast, and could dodge a trap blindfolded. But he wasn’t heartless.
He saw the way Freddy curled up in the corner, barely moving. He noticed the food bowls left empty, the cold looks and the silence.
One night, as the house grew quiet, Whitney made a strange and risky decision.
He crept into the kitchen, making sure to scavenge what crumbs he could find. And with more courage than most mice ever dared to use, he dropped the food gently beside the sleeping cat and off he bolted.
Freddy’s nose twitched. He blinked at the little pile of food. Confused, but too hungry to question it, he ate every bit before the kind person became suddenly unkind.
The next night, it happened again and again. Each time, Freddy tried to stay awake to catch his mystery benefactor, but Whitney was too quick.
Until one night, with his pounding heart, Whitney, decided it was time.
He tiptoed out, carrying a small slice of cookie like it was a crown, and gently placed it beside Freddy. But this time, he didn’t run.
Freddy opened one eye and then the other.
They both stared at each other with Whitney nearly dropping dead from fear.
“I, uh, I’ve been bringing you food,” he squeaked. “I just thought; you looked hungry…and sad.”
Freddy blinked slowly.
“You’re the mouse,” he said finally, his voice so low and rumbling.
Whitney trembled. “Yes. Yes, I am. My name is Whitney.”
There a very long pause. A very long one.
Then Freddy did something Whitney didn’t expect. He extended a paw.
“Freddy,” he said. “Nice to meet you.”
Whitney, still shaking, reached out a tiny hand. They shook.
From then on, the house became their playground.
While Bernard would be away, Freddy and Whitney explored the kitchen together, foraging for snacks, sharing crumbs, and having quiet conversations about how Bernard was too stingy to buy cheese amongst other things.
They became the most unlikely of friends. A black cat who was feared by all, and a white mouse who was clever enough to make enemies without blinking.
But the peace didn’t last long because of course, the home owner saw no results, rather things grew worse.
One day, Bernard muttered to himself, “This cat is useless. I think it’s time to get rid of him.”
He went further to tell his over a phone conversation.
“Did You ever try treating that cat well?” the friend replied. “Cats aren’t robots, you know. Feed him and care for him. Then see what happens.”
Bernard grumbled, but the words stuck.
That night, he brought home a soft bed, a pretty new bowl, real food; not crumbs. He even offered Freddy a head scratch.
Freddy didn’t purr, but he didn’t bite either.
But before long, things began to change.
Freddy became much healthier. His eyes shined again. Now he played more. But he never forgot Whitney.
Every night, the two still met in the kitchen, now with more food and less fear. They ran along countertops like two furry little pirates on a grand adventure.
One morning, Bernard walked in to find the cat and mouse curled up together, fast asleep on the same bed.
He stared in awe.
“Well, I guess they were meant for each other.”
And he decided he was going to keep them both.
He still didn’t quite understand how it worked. Like how a fierce black cat and a bold white mouse could become best of friends, but he didn’t dare question it.
In that little house lived two creatures who had every reason to fear each other, yet found something better than survival.
They found friendship.
And they lived happily ever after.