Left Astray

 Left Astray, Nathan Ewbank, 2023

Dahlia, the cat, leads a pampered life. Travelling around the Mediterranean on a sailboat with her owners, she eats fresh fish every day (no canned food for this feline). When they want to explore a port town, Dahlia rides in the bicycle basket, and gets to see all sorts of interesting things. There is plenty of snuggling and cuddling whenever Dahlia is interested. Life is good. That is, until the day that Dahlia is eating fresh fish at the dock, while her owners sail away on their sailboat. Dahlia has been abandoned.

The fact that Dahlia is pregnant, and will give birth in a few days, probably has something to do with it. She runs into other cats, including Calix and Nyke, who are part of feline society, watching out for each other, and getting whatever food they can get from the humans.

A very safe place has to be found for Dahlia to have her kittens. When it comes to animal smells, a cat giving birth is like a beacon to Ajax and Elemax. They are two big dogs who live nearby, and have no problem with killing any cat who is unlucky enough to be cornered by them. The fact that a big storm is coming is no help. 

Does Dahlia successfully have her kittens? Do the other cats find a way to distract the killer dogs, or otherwise point them in a different direction? Does Dahlia become an actual member of this feline society?

This is a really good teen/young adult story; I am not as sure if this will work for younger readers. The author does a first-rate job throughout. It's easy to read and understand, and is very much worth the time.