The grey kitten watched as the lady gently lifted another creamy white kitten out of the basket next to her, put him in a carrier and handed it over to another morning customer, a man and his young son.

"There you go, sir," she smiled as the little boy jumped up and down at his father's side in excitement. "That'll be £15. That includes all medical checks and shots from the vet."

He smiled and pulled the payment out of his wallet, "Thank you very very much once again, Mrs Partridge. Keep the change."

"Oh no, dear," the elderly woman went behind the desk to the till "Use it to buy little George there an ice cream or something."

He laughed softly to himself as he and George headed towards the door, "If you insist... take care!"

"Cheerio!" Mrs Patridge smiled and waved at them both as they left her shop.

Neglected again, the kitten thought as she watched the door close, the little bell tingling as it slammed shut. Not five minutes before she was waiting hopefully and anxiously as that man and his little boy came over to her and look at her with the eyes that every human gave their wanted kitten when they'd walked into the shop the past week, or, in cat years, for as long as she could remember. However, she didn't know what it was like see those eyes stare back at her, even when Mrs Partridge intervened and tried to sell her.

"What about this lovely little kitty here? A classic... she's loving and affectionate..."

"Have a look at this precious kitten... a man brought her in a cardboard box a few days ago... said he found her in an alleyway... not a nice scene she was found at either apparently..."

"Please have a look at this tabby. She is in desperate need of a home."

It was nice of Mrs Patridge to try and help, but unfortunately her kind words weren't good enough. The kitten knew why though. Because she one of the few kittens in the shop that was all on her own in a metal cage filled with hay. She didn't have a warm cushioned basket next to the heater like the other cats did in the shop, with and her brothers and sisters curled up with her mum, people bending down now and then to pick them up and give them a cuddle.

All that she vaguely remembered having, but one day they were all pulled away from their mother's warm body and bundled up into a box by a big man. And everything went dark. Everything moved and shook, causing her and her brothers and sisters to meow loudly in fright and distress. Then everything stopped moving, and a moment later the kitten and her bothers felt themselves get flung and hit something hard, a wall. Before she new it she flew out of the box and landed hard on the cold wet ground. Everything went quiet. She weakly stood up and looked around at her dark environment. She couldn't hear her brothers and sisters meowing. She walked over to them and tried to wake them up by meowing or nudging them, but they wouldn't meow back. They didn't meow back. They just lay there, still, not playful like they always were. She meowed and meowed in desperation and despair for hours until a kindly figure approached her. He gave her warmth and food until he took her to the pet shop the next day.

Therefore there was no variety for kittens for customers who walked into the shop to pick from. Just her. A stray kitten. Nothing. Nobody in London would ever want her.

The cream white mother cat in the basket next to her began meowing loudly for her baby now, something the kitten could just about remember her own mother doing.

"Oh now, Priscilla," Mrs Partridge approached her gently. "He is going to a good home. I promise you..."

The kitten mewed as a friendly gesture to grab her attention, causing Mrs Partridge to smile and bend down to pick her up, "And how are you, little one? I still haven't thought of a name for you yet..."

The tabby kitten purred in her arms as she kissed her little wet nose before setting her back down again. If only that feeling of warmth with Mrs Partridge was to last longer, but unfortunately she was far too busy. After a while she set her back down and went back behind the desk to reorganise the new deliveries of dog collars. The kitten resumed to looking at her environment. The exotic fishes swimming in their tanks on the shelves mouthing, "bob... bob... bob..." every five seconds, the parrots resting on their stands copying the songs playing on the radio, the canaries and budgies' chirping offered up as backing vocals. There was always something fascinating to see every second of every day.

The kitten was watching the rabbit family across the room from her behind the glass, the babies hopping back and forth, intrigued by their big long ears and the way they'd move. Then suddenly the bell sounded and the door swung open. Another customer! She thought as she looked over, but she looked over in alarm because the next customer was also a very noisy one too.

The tall dark haired man swaggered in, a lighter haired man following him inside, his shouting filling the shop and silencing all the animals, "Bloody hell David would you just f...ing let me look here and I'll meet you back at the flat!"

Mrs Partridge sprung up from her seat, "Excuse me, sir. But I don't tolerate that kind of noise level in my shop, thank you very much."

"...UGHHH!! Alright then! But you have to bloody-well find your own way home, Freddie..." the lighter haired man rolled his eyes and headed towards the door, ignoring Mrs Partridge's protests.

The kitten backed away a little in fear as he slammed the door shut, leaving a frustrated Freddie standing in the middle of the shop, Mrs Partridge's hands on her hips.

Mrs Partridge critically eyed him. Those white platforms, satin pants, almost effeminate haircut and oversized fur coat spelt trouble to her. Another one of those rocker types, she thought, and his shouting the moment he walked in didn't help. What sort of year was 1976 turning in to?

"Can I help you, sir?" She asked him patiently, but coldly. "Anything in particular that you'd like?"

"Oh, uhm, no thank you dear. I just want to have a look around, thank you very much... I apologise for all that." He turned to her politely, blushing a little.

"Well, please do..." she nodded and sat back down, thinking she'd judged him too soon, and soon enough the song of the whole pet shop was back in full chorus.

The kitten watched him. She was entranced by that fur coat. It reminded her so much of her mother, but his shouting frightened her quite a lot so she shuffled over the the back of the cage as far away as him as possible. Freddie looked at the shelves with cat treats, shifting through the bin of 50p cat and dog toys thoroughly as Mrs Partridge resumed to her knitting. Gradually, arms filled with boxes of catnip drops and cat teasers he reached the kittens at the back of the shop. As soon as he caught sight of them he jumped and dropped everything onto the hard tiled floor, cooing in delight.

"Are-Are you alright sir?" Mrs Partridge stood up and made her way over. "Do you need a hand?"

"Oh no thank you, dear," he gushed in excitement as she bent down to pick everything up. "I just love cats!"

"Well, that's wonderful!" She smiled and got him a basket in case he wanted to carry his purchases. "Have you got any at home?"

"Oh yes I have a tortoiseshell named Jerry. I wanted to pop in and buy him some more treats, but...but that man who followed me in, David, insists that I spoil the cat too much already." He said cautiously, for he had to be careful as David was his boyfriend.

Mrs Partridge giggled lightly, slightly confused by what she heard, "Oh yes... are you thinking of getting more?"

"Well, I'd love to. They're just irresistible creatures, but I'm afraid that if I do it might make Jerry jealous..." Freddie replied with gleaming eyes, looking down at the kittens one by one. "But recently I've been craving another and darling I tell you I do not care what anybody thinks."

"Well, I'll leave you to it then... each one has been checked and vaccinated so do feel free to pick any up, and if they're in a cage you have my permission to open them." She smiled and went back up to the desk.

The kitten watched curiously as he stroked each kitten one by one, he smiling contently each time they'd purr just the same as every other customer looking that other kittens, except her, did. She was fascinated by his fur coat; it evoked distant memories of her mother. Then she had a slightly discomforting feeling in her paw. She looked down only to find a piece of hay stuck on one of her claws, and it was beginning to get irritating. She shook her paw around in an attempt to remove it until eventually she was jumping and scampering around in her small space. Little did she know that this caught Freddie's attention...

She waved her paw fidgety and ferociously once again until the felt a large shadow cast over her. She stopped immediately and looked up...

Freddie looked down at her, with her beautiful silver fur and and markings, as she looked back up at him with her pale, turquoise eyes filled with fear and anticipation. He was paralysed, because he was falling in love.

Those eyes, the kitten thought. He's giving me those eyes I've seen other humans give!

"Hello, darling..." he murmured as he continued gazing at her. Then he chuckled quietly and opened the cage. If anything, he found her rapid movements and crazy, scrabbled dancing to be the most adorable thing. She backed away cautiously as his big hands reached in to pick her up, and they caught her gently and lifted her out.

"I see you're having a little trouble with your paw..." he smiled, gently pulling the hay piece off and flinging it away. "Aren't you a pretty little thing?"

He stroked and cuddled her gently, and in return she licked his hand gently and purred against the familiar warmth of his fur coat. The smell was different too but it was the first time ever that a customer had shown her so much affection. Before she knew it she'd felt contentment and longing.

"Can I help at all?" Mrs Partridge reappeared behind him, interrupting their little moment.

"Yes..." Freddie said hesitantly as he continued to stroke her. "Can I-Can I take this one?"

"Oh at last! Of course you may take her!" She went to fetch a woven carrier.

"So it's a she?" He asked as he handed the kitten over to her.

"Oh yes... I'm thankful someone is taking her." Mrs Partridge replied as she put her gently into the basket. "Not one single customer even wanted to pick her up... they're only interested in the fancier looking breeds."

"Well, this one... she's just... she's something else." Freddie mused as he followed her to the desk.

When he got there Freddie rummaged though his basket of purchases only to pick up one of several collars. It was meant to be for Jerry but he didn't plan on giving it to him. It wouldn't suit him anyway, but it would suit this kitten. He looked down at it, the print of the skin of an animal he was trying to remember. Orange with black stripes slashed across it...

"Tiger." He muttered to himself.

"Sorry, dear?" Mrs Partridge spoke up as she closed the door over the kitten's basket.

He looked up startled, "Oh, uhm, Tiger. I'm calling her Tiger."

Mrs Partridge nodded in approval. She couldn't help but smile to herself.