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Sweet Valley Kids #5
Jessica's Cat Trick
One afternoon identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are playing outside when they find a cat that has no home. Cats aren't allowed inside the Wakefield house because Mr. Wakefield and Steven have allergies. But more than anything the twins want a cat of their own. They even think of a perfect name for her—Misty. Wouldn't it be OK to keep Misty for just a little while?
73 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1990
2 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Francine Pascal
1,139 books1,844 followersFrancine Paula Pascal was an American author best known for her Sweet Valley series of young adult novels. Sweet Valley High, the backbone of the collection, was made into a television series, which led to several spin-offs, including The Unicorn Club and Sweet Valley University. Although most of these books were published in the 1980s and 1990s, they remained so popular that several titles were re-released decades later.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 25, 2020
Awww, this was just super cute.
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November 12, 2023Jessica’s Cat Trick
Liz and Jessica rush home to check on the cat they found in the bushes three days ago. It’s still there. They decide to bring it inside when it starts to rain. Lukily there mom is in the living room looking at design magazines and books. They get the cat up to their room and hide it in their walk in closet. Jessica comes up with the name Misty (because it’s mostly gray). Then she sneaks down the steps to get it some milk. She asks her mom if she can have some milk and Mrs. Wakefield says she doesn’t have to ask. She pours it in a glass but then realizes cats don’t drink out of glasses. So, she pours it in a bowl. Misty laps it up like she hasn’t drank in days. Liz then goes down to bring it some tuna fish. When her mom comes in the room she hides the can and can opener under her shirt. Her mom notices they’ve been quiet but Liz says they’re ok. Then she asks Liz if she’s ok and she says yes before running back up to the room. Liz realizes it’s going to be harder than she thought to keep Misty a secret.
At school Amy, Eva, and Lila agree to keep Misty a secret when they hear the twins brought her inside. But then Lila tells Caroline when she asks what they’re talking about. Then Winston overhears and Caroline tells him. Then Louis hears them. Amy asks can she come over after school and then Lila asks if she can come too. Liz and Jessica say ok, but Liz wonders how they’ll keep Misty a secret now that so many people know.
Lila and amy think Misty is beautiful but notices her stomach is big. The twins think it’s because they feed her so much tuna fish. Amy and Liz go to empty her waste but when she does Mistry runs down th e hallway. Jessica and Lila catch her tho. Lila asks jessic what she’s going to do. She can’t continue to keep her in the closet. I think Steven walks by the door and sneezes. That night, Liz and jessica ask if Eva and Ellen can come by the next day. Alice says they already had company, but the twins say they’d just like different company. Alice says we’ll see. She then notices the tuna is gone. Shethought there were two cans. They milk is almost gone too. The twins look at each other. Steven says maybe there’s an ailen invader there eating up their food. The twins think he doesn’t know how close he is.
Caroline comes by one morning and asks if she can walk to school with the twins, but really she’s come by to see the cat. Liz and Jessica say ok (thinking that if they don’[t she’ll tell). Caroline really likes the cat surprisingly to the twins. Mrs. Wakefield comes to the door and the twins are able to get the cat in the closets Alice notices the room smells like tuna and Caroline says she has a tuna sandwich for luunch and it must be “leaking” (Tuna doesn’t *leak*). Alice buys it tho. Then the cat meows. Again Caroline covers and says it was her. The wins are surprised but Caroline says she wouldn’t tell on them.
At dinner, Mr. Wakefield has a sneezing fit and remarks it’s almost like there’s a cat in the house. The twins know then they’ll have to find Misty a home. Jessica doesn’t want to give Misty up but Liz says they have to because Ned and Steven are getting sick. At the bus stop, they decide to ask Caroline if she wants the cat. She says yes but she’ll have to ask her mother first. When they come home, they find out Misty won’t drink her milk and she won’t play with them. Jessica starts to cry. They think they should take her to the vet, but both decide to ask their mother what to do. Alice discovers that Misty isn’t sick she’s pregnant and she’ll be having the kittens that night. Ned, Alice, Steven, and the twins watch as Misty gives birth to five kittens. At school, Caroline says she gets to keep Misty but not five kittens. But Winston, Eva, and Louis all say they’ll take three of the kittens (when they can be seperated).
My Thoughts: Nice story. Its always good when animals find good homes and caring people to love them. It’s just sad that the twins didn’t get to keep Misty or one of her kittens because of Ned and Steven’s allergies.
Rating: 5
Liz and Jessica rush home to check on the cat they found in the bushes three days ago. It’s still there. They decide to bring it inside when it starts to rain. Lukily there mom is in the living room looking at design magazines and books. They get the cat up to their room and hide it in their walk in closet. Jessica comes up with the name Misty (because it’s mostly gray). Then she sneaks down the steps to get it some milk. She asks her mom if she can have some milk and Mrs. Wakefield says she doesn’t have to ask. She pours it in a glass but then realizes cats don’t drink out of glasses. So, she pours it in a bowl. Misty laps it up like she hasn’t drank in days. Liz then goes down to bring it some tuna fish. When her mom comes in the room she hides the can and can opener under her shirt. Her mom notices they’ve been quiet but Liz says they’re ok. Then she asks Liz if she’s ok and she says yes before running back up to the room. Liz realizes it’s going to be harder than she thought to keep Misty a secret.
At school Amy, Eva, and Lila agree to keep Misty a secret when they hear the twins brought her inside. But then Lila tells Caroline when she asks what they’re talking about. Then Winston overhears and Caroline tells him. Then Louis hears them. Amy asks can she come over after school and then Lila asks if she can come too. Liz and Jessica say ok, but Liz wonders how they’ll keep Misty a secret now that so many people know.
Lila and amy think Misty is beautiful but notices her stomach is big. The twins think it’s because they feed her so much tuna fish. Amy and Liz go to empty her waste but when she does Mistry runs down th e hallway. Jessica and Lila catch her tho. Lila asks jessic what she’s going to do. She can’t continue to keep her in the closet. I think Steven walks by the door and sneezes. That night, Liz and jessica ask if Eva and Ellen can come by the next day. Alice says they already had company, but the twins say they’d just like different company. Alice says we’ll see. She then notices the tuna is gone. Shethought there were two cans. They milk is almost gone too. The twins look at each other. Steven says maybe there’s an ailen invader there eating up their food. The twins think he doesn’t know how close he is.
Caroline comes by one morning and asks if she can walk to school with the twins, but really she’s come by to see the cat. Liz and Jessica say ok (thinking that if they don’[t she’ll tell). Caroline really likes the cat surprisingly to the twins. Mrs. Wakefield comes to the door and the twins are able to get the cat in the closets Alice notices the room smells like tuna and Caroline says she has a tuna sandwich for luunch and it must be “leaking” (Tuna doesn’t *leak*). Alice buys it tho. Then the cat meows. Again Caroline covers and says it was her. The wins are surprised but Caroline says she wouldn’t tell on them.
At dinner, Mr. Wakefield has a sneezing fit and remarks it’s almost like there’s a cat in the house. The twins know then they’ll have to find Misty a home. Jessica doesn’t want to give Misty up but Liz says they have to because Ned and Steven are getting sick. At the bus stop, they decide to ask Caroline if she wants the cat. She says yes but she’ll have to ask her mother first. When they come home, they find out Misty won’t drink her milk and she won’t play with them. Jessica starts to cry. They think they should take her to the vet, but both decide to ask their mother what to do. Alice discovers that Misty isn’t sick she’s pregnant and she’ll be having the kittens that night. Ned, Alice, Steven, and the twins watch as Misty gives birth to five kittens. At school, Caroline says she gets to keep Misty but not five kittens. But Winston, Eva, and Louis all say they’ll take three of the kittens (when they can be seperated).
My Thoughts: Nice story. Its always good when animals find good homes and caring people to love them. It’s just sad that the twins didn’t get to keep Misty or one of her kittens because of Ned and Steven’s allergies.
Rating: 5
April 23, 2019
There are a few inconsistencies in this story that I found frustrating. Overall an easy read for youngsters that a lot of children will likely be able to relate to.
July 2, 2023
This was just too adorable.
March 15, 2024
Just a sweet story with a happy ending.
May 30, 2024
A very simple and sweet story.
The twins support each other in secretly caring for a cat they find hiding in their backyard. They are cautious, caring and brave.
The twins support each other in secretly caring for a cat they find hiding in their backyard. They are cautious, caring and brave.
January 10, 2025
What a sweet story about twins trying to rescue a cat. Loved it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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January 9, 2023When playing in the Wakefields’ back yard in book four, Jessica and Elizabeth discovered a stray cat in the bushes. In this book, the weather changes and the girls decide that the only thing to do is take the cat inside out of the rain, even though Ned and Steven are both allergic to cats.
The girls name the cat Misty, and set up a home for her inside their wardrobe. Surprisingly enough, Misty is quite content to be shut in a cupboard for most of each day, with only a blanket and a box of dirt as her toilet. She somehow remains undetected, despite the twins acting very strangely and asking for glasses of milk and sneaking cans of tuna out of the kitchen.
This is quite an unusual one, in that the twins are not punished at all for doing something that they know they shouldn’t—very rare for a franchise that delights in heaping karma upon Jessica’s head. I like that they put the emphasis on the good intentions of the twins and that Liz and Jess worked out a way to solve the problem themselves, instead of being rescued by adults.
As an aside, I wonder how many small children tried to hide animals in their cupboards after reading this.
The girls name the cat Misty, and set up a home for her inside their wardrobe. Surprisingly enough, Misty is quite content to be shut in a cupboard for most of each day, with only a blanket and a box of dirt as her toilet. She somehow remains undetected, despite the twins acting very strangely and asking for glasses of milk and sneaking cans of tuna out of the kitchen.
This is quite an unusual one, in that the twins are not punished at all for doing something that they know they shouldn’t—very rare for a franchise that delights in heaping karma upon Jessica’s head. I like that they put the emphasis on the good intentions of the twins and that Liz and Jess worked out a way to solve the problem themselves, instead of being rescued by adults.
As an aside, I wonder how many small children tried to hide animals in their cupboards after reading this.
December 5, 2021
As copied from my Instagram account - Sweetvalleyrecaps - Jess and Liz hide a cat in their closet. Not sure why it’s only Jessica’s cat trick? 🤔 Anyway, they hide it because it’s starving and Ned and Steven are allergic. They’re working on getting her a home (with Tattletale Caroline) when Misty the cat gets sick (her tummy is huuuge from too much tinned tuna 😬). So they finally tell Alice who they think will have kittens - but it’s Misty who does instead 😉 My rating - 4/10.
July 26, 2012
The first of the Sweet Valley Kids books that I read. I liked Misty. I was in about 3rd grade when I read this & enjoyed it so much that I recorded it on a cassette tape for my brother to listen to at night.
July 25, 2017
I loved the story because the cat does tricks and has [a surprise at the end]! The twins take care of the cat and they [find a solution] so their dad and brother won't sneeze.
*edited to remove spoilers. :)
*edited to remove spoilers. :)
January 8, 2017
This was always one of my very favourites in the series! I had a smile on my face the entire way through because I can remember being soooo jealous of Jessica and Elizabeth for having a secret cat in their wardrobe!
April 29, 2009
And like, their dad and brother start sneezing withing seconds. So glad neither myself nor my mother was allergic to animals!
August 13, 2010
I would have never been able to pull this off.
June 22, 2013
I remember the cover just not the story.
July 22, 2016
Oklar datum
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews