Baxter is a cat. Nobody has told him, though, so he thinks he is a dog.
About this story
Baxter is a small orange cat who lives with three golden retrievers, Duke, Buster and Daisy, and he is pretty sure he’s one of the pack. He wags his tail at the mailman, tries to bark (“Meow-ruff!”) and enters the stick-fetching race.
Ages: 3–7 · Reading time: about 3 minutes
Moral: You don’t need to be like everyone else to belong.
Baxter was a small, fluffy orange cat. He had sharp claws, a pink nose, and a very confused identity.
You see, Baxter lived with three big Golden Retrievers named Duke, Buster, and Daisy. Because Baxter spent all day with them, he began to think he was one of the pack.
Every morning, when the humans opened the door, the three dogs would run outside to wag their tails and bark. Baxter would run right behind them, wagging his tail so hard he often fell over. “Meow-ruff!” Baxter would try to scream at the mailman.
The mailman would stop and stare. “Is that cat trying to bark at me?” he would ask, laughing. Baxter would just puff out his chest and stand like a very small, orange guard dog.
The Great Stick Incident
One afternoon, the dad threw a large stick for the dogs. Duke ran fast. Buster ran faster. But Baxter ran the fastest! He jumped over a flower pot and grabbed the stick with his teeth. It was three times bigger than him.
The situation became hilarious when Baxter tried to bring the stick back. He couldn’t walk! He was tripping over the wood, his little legs moving like a turtle on ice. The dogs just sat there, tilted their heads, and wondered why their “strange orange brother” was acting so weird.
Baxter didn’t care. He sat down next to the stick and waited for a belly rub. When the dad finally rubbed his tummy, Baxter started to purr—but then he remembered he was a “dog” and tried to growl happily instead. It sounded like a broken tiny motor.
Eventually, Baxter realized that he didn’t need to be a dog to be part of the pack. He could be a cat who fetches, and that made him the most unique member of the family. He was the only “dog” who could also climb trees!
He fell asleep on Duke’s back, dreaming of giant tennis balls. He knew that being a little bit different is what makes the best adventures.
