Cataclysmic

Was the cat mean because he lived with the Melton kids or were the Melton kids mean because they lived with the cat?

Hard to say. The good news is there was only one cat. The bad news was there were three Meltons. 

Said something. 

About the cat.

The Melton kids were rotten. Mrs. Melton worked a second shift because the factory was more peaceful than home. Teachers had been known to choose early retirement when they saw the name on their September roster. The cops drew straws when they were called to the Meltons' street.

Joey Melton had a way with snakes, and he thought teachers' desk drawers were a great place to keep them. Stevie Melton was a thief and an accomplished pickpocket. Marvin Melton liked blowing things up. All three liked tormenting the neighborhood kids, especially the littler ones, because the Meltons were lazy, too.

The cat's name was Smokey, but no one called him that. No one ever called him anyway, but after one of Marvin Melton's duct tape bombs lit his tail on fire with flying, flaming adhesive the name didn't seem like the best choice. Even to the Meltons.

to be continued


Catastrophic
The Trappings of Christmas