SOLVED. at the end the kids find out their cat is very rare/valuable [s]

[Jen]

I only remember that their mother was always at work, so discovering this at the end made a big change in their lives. I also remember at some point the kids went to the grocery store to ask the grocer for some "stew meat"? that he was going to throw away so they could take it to the creek and catch turtles? seems like maybe the mother met a man and that's how they discovered about the cat, but i could be confusing that with half magic (which also had a single mom and a cat). The cat was rare because he was a male tortishell with no white spots.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Jen, about what age was this written for and about how long ago? And was it a book or a short story?

[Jen]

It was for...probably elementary school? maybe middle school age? I would guess the 80's, since that would have been when I read it, so it's possible that is would be before that. It was a book.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

the reason I asked is, that there is a section of the story in this book that covers a similar angle (only the cat is Manx, instead of a male Callie) Murder at the Cat Show

[Kate]

This is one of the Mrs. Coverlet books -- I'm not sure which one, since they all ended up with the kids fending for themselves. I think it might be the first one: While Mrs. Coverlet Was Away by Mary Nash. I loved these books as a kid. It was first written in the late 1950s, but it held up well -- at least until we reached the age of cell phones and instant communication!

There is no mother, just a father and the housekeeper. The father travels and Mrs. Coverlet is called away for a family emergency. The kids are supposed to be farmed out to various family friends, but, through a crisis of conscience, they end up staying on their own. Charming tale.

[Jen]

Oh my gosh! Kate! That's it! I remember The Toad! And the cover on amazon is definitely it! How exciting! Thank you! How funny, I do think my memory of half magic and this book were intertwined..