Book excerpt: What do bouncing, biting, unemployable sheep dogs, sniping spiders, irritated ants, and getting-under-everyone’s-skin, Cousin Fred (addicted to catnip and trouble), plus Billy-Bom-Tom-Cat all have in common? They’re the ones Patty-Cat and Kittle, two adventurous little kittens, meet and deal with, and sometimes it’s not easy! Patty-Cat and Kittle came to live with Angel at 112 Liver Lane, and life is far from dull. Two sheep dogs, Hal and Sam, come snarling down the street, snapping at each other and when Kittle tries to stop them, they turn on her. She suggests they could be nicer to each other, but alas, peacemakers are never appreciated. Off they go, snarling and biting, hoping to fight Hector the goat. Cousin Fred comes for a visit and disrupts the whole household. Nothing he does turns out right. He spills gingerbread batter all over the kitchen, breaks things, disappears and refuses to do chores. Fred meets a disreputable ruffian called Billy-Bom-Tom-Cat who leads him to a catnip café. Before he is totally beat up, Kittle comes to the rescue and escorts him home. But Fred finds music, banging on the piano, and finally is sent to music school.