In a drippy wet sea cave,
the darkest you’ve seen,
lived an upside-down kitten
who felt in-between…
She only had two legs,
and longed to have more.
She’d seen other real cats
walk nicely before.
The kitten climbed
UP
to the moon’s
velvet glow.
“Meow, meow, hello?
Anyone out there
like me down below?”
Her whiskers felt hopeful.
Her heart felt so big.
But not a thing answered.
Not even a twig.
The tree stood in silence.
The night felt so wide.
Then dawn broke its spell,
and something strange
washed up with the tide.
A big giant noodle splashed in on a wave.
It looked kind of snorkelly and wouldn’t behave!
Then a funny-looking face mask
came bobbing by.
It bounced on the beach…
“Go on… give me a try!”
She sniffed it and squished it.
She chewed it and poked.
“What is this?”
she wondered.
And then she was soaked.
Into the water
the surf spun her round…
“Hold your breath, Kitten, you’re going
down… down… down…”
Kitteneer spluttered,
“Where’s my left paw?
Oh… there it is!”
“This swimming is weird.
I’m hopeless at this!”
Then her tail started moving.
No idea why.
Then SWHOOSH she shot upward
into the sky!
She started to ZOOM as her little tail spun.
And she POPPED like a cork
right up to the sun!
“Whoa! Look at YOU!
Higher than I’ve ever been.
You’re a fluffy wet parrot…
a zooming machine!”
She splashed in the ocean.
She looked down with delight.
Her funny paws
suddenly felt just right.
Not cat-like or neat,
but fluffy and wide.
Like paddly feet, they
swished through the tide!
For the very first time,
she belonged here.
And the sea,
with a whisper,
named her…
Kitteneer
Kitteneer felt she was dreaming
when on the seabed,
a weird squishy creature!
A round alien head!
“Hello, I’m an Octo-PUSS,”
the red creature said.
“Hey! I’m a PUSS too
…but furry instead!”
He wore funny odd socks.
None were the same.
One STRIPY,
one SPOTTY,
and one
WALKED AWAY.
The octopus quickly swam
back to his cave.
Kitteneer followed,
her heart feeling brave.
One arm played guitar
and one opened a book.
His puzzle was solved
without even a look.
Kitteneer gasped,
“You’re cleverer than clever!
The cleverest creature
that ever was ever!”
“But I don’t feel that clever,”
he said with a sigh.
“My socks don’t match up.
That makes me feel shy.”
“Everyone laughs
at my stripes and my spots.
It makes me feel like such
a big PLOP!”
Kitteneer smiled.
“You’re not a BIG PLOP!
Odd socks are IN.
Why should they match?
That’s just boooring!
Your kind of different
feels clever and new.
Your kind of different looks
octolicious
on you!”
The octopus smiled
and hid his odd socks.
“Well, thanks, little kitten.
But normal they’re not.”
Then something went
tap, tap, tap
on the cave’s floor.
The walk-away sock
tiptoed out the door.
The octopus hid.
“It’s too scary right here.”
“I’m scared of it too,”
said small Kitteneer.
“Let’s be brave together.
Let’s go find your sock.”
But the little sock froze
beside a dark rock.
From behind the dark rock
came a horrible
“HISSSSS!”
And a monstrous eel
with teeth you can’t miss!
The octopus
BLURPED!
Out blasted black ink.
The cave gulped
the sunshine as
quick as a blink.
Kitteneer trembled.
Her big paws went jelly.
Then brave little bubbles
blooped up in her belly.
She swam underneath him,
upside down and low,
and wrapped that
grumpy eel in one giant
bow!
“You saved me, brave kitten!
You stuck by my side.
Now my walk-away sock
needs not to hide.”
“I’m Otis—I’m proud
to call you my new friend.
My socks and I can’t wait
to see you again!”
That night
Kitteneer slept in
a moon-tide of blue.
Small whiskers
were dreaming…
BRAVE THINGS
she could do.
The waves hummed
her name
and her cave
hugged her tight,
soft paws tucked
like cat clouds
in the silence of night.
You’re stripy and spotty.
I’m upside down me.
We’re different together,
under the same sea.
My upside-down oddness
helped save the day
I found my superpower
with me all the way!
Being YOU-nique
is the best way to be.
I’m happy you’re you
and
I’m happy I’m me!
Otis is full of octolicious surprises!
No BonesSquish. Squeeze. Slip through tiny spaces.
Blue BloodAn octopus has blue blood. Blue like the sea!
Colour ChangerOctopuses can change colour fast to help them hide.
Nine Brains!?One big brain. And a helper brain in each arm!
Three Hearts!Not one. Not two. Three!
Poof! Ink!If frightened, an octopus can puff out ink and zoom away.
© 2026 Kitteneer LLC. All rights reserved. Written and illustrated by Analisa Corr.
Shared in confidence for review and consideration. No rights are granted or implied by access to this material.