Conversations with Critters

Walk with the animals. Talk with the animals. And the highly anticipated release of Chapter 8 of The Case of the Jumping Gene!

Jul 29, 2025

Today Critters, we are pleased to bring you the highly anticipated release of Chapter 8 of The Case of the Jumping Gene! We are dashing through the snow with the J Kitten, Sleuth & Purveyor of Bright Shiny Objects Detective Agency!

Previously! Our intrepid characters called for backup to escape from the Bio Lab. Cuz. Sometimes we need a little help from our friends. Cue the barking.

Now! In the penultimate and proverbial race against time, it is one big— and we do mean Ginormous— group effort to go go go!

Please! Join our Core Community Critters, Jasper Kitten, Chris and Jojo in excellent must dash critter commentary and conversation!

Jasper: Welcome Critters, I have only one word to share with you for today’s exciting, incredible and compelling episode.

Chris: Why, what is it, Jasper?

Jojo: Ditto, we’re all ears.

Jasper: Mush!

THE CASE OF THE JUMPING GENE
BOOK 3 FROM THE J KITTEN, SLEUTH & PURVEYOR OF BRIGHT SHINY OBJECTS DETECTIVE AGENCY
BY JASPER KITTEN, CHRIS, JOJO AND STAR IN HEAVEN FUREVER AND EVER
DEDICATED IN LUVLUVLUVING MEMORY OF STAR
CHAPTER 8
CLAW BACK

Moonlight broke through the remaining clouds, the mountainous terrain clear and inviting to the Critters as they navigated through the powdered snow of the backcountry. Star and Jojo howled from the front of the pack next to Sir Skipper, traversing the landscape, guarded by the forest, and the dogsled team made record time toward the Lava Caves.

Huddled and cuddled in the heated cabins, the Rufus Subsets settled into the rhythm of the ride and their great escape. The notorious Bio Lab Pacific Northwest By Northwest, sterile and traumatic, was left far far behind them now, a fragment of memory, a remnant of their former experimental selves like the tracks in the snow, fading fast.

The pristine air filled the lungs of each and every one of them, cats and dogs alike, and it drove them forward, onward, their journey unfolding in the night, an expansive freedom felt with their very breath.

Jasper Kitten stood in the musher position, bringing up the rear, with Chris in front of him, braced yet balanced on his toebeans on the kibble supply sled. One sled forward of the kibble, Clementine and Petal maintained command of the gear that Chris had removed from the trunk of the car with his organizational foresight and quick emergency urgency preparedness. They were ready. They were set. And they were on the go go go.

And so they sped ahead, the J Kitten, Sleuth & Purveyor of Bright Shiny Objects Detective Agency and their Ginormous Group Rescue of the Rufus Subsets, restored to their natural state of being in all their wide array of coat patterns.

The award winning Champion Dogsled Search and Rescue Group, commanded by Sir Skipper, the descendant of an illustrious Husky lineage, led them higher and higher in elevation, his blue eyes set on the horizon as Mt. Bachelor loomed large on their northbound route.

“Roger that!” called Jasper Kitten in response to a message relayed from Jojo up ahead. “Chris! Clementine! Petal! We are within close range of the Lava Caves! We. Are. Almost. There.”

“Copy!” responded Clementine and Petal.

“Why, it’s almost time for our next meal! The sun will come up soon! Breakfast will be served!” growled Chris, loud and proud.

The trail made a sharp bend in the snow and the lead sleds turned out of sight from those at the rear. Jasper Kitten observed the distinctive Serval horizontal stripes on the ears of Clementine and Petal, right in front of him, rise to their highest position of auditory sensory alert.

“What is it?” he called, alarm rising in his voice.

But then, Jasper Kitten heard it too, distinct, unmistakable, the unimaginable.

“No!” he cried. “No! No! No!”

The engine revved and then roared in the woods and a spray of snow shot out at them from behind a tree, a split second before they passed it. The single glaring headlight made a path straight at Jasper Kitten’s side. He leapt forward and pressed himself into Chris who growled louder and prouder than he ever had before.

Their sleds knocked and rocked from the impact, but it was only a glancing blow. In a seamless transition, the sleds coasted back onto the track and accelerated as the sled dogs sensed the lurch and ran harder and faster from the impact.

The supply and gear sleds, carrying Jasper Kitten, Chris, Clementine and Petal, curved around the bend in the trail and then leveled out behind the lead train.

“What. Was. That?” bark bark barked Jojo, looking back.

“Snowmobile!” cried Jasper Kitten. “Run!”

The sleds jolted and bolted forward, faster and faster and set on a course for which there was and would never be an award in this race, the race against time.

Chris felt the tarp come loose and the carefully, very carefully stacked bags of kibble shifted under his toebeans. He glanced down at the tiedown, flapping in the wind, and felt another shift and slip of the load.

“Hold on, Jasper Kitten!”

Together, Chris and Jasper Kitten braced against the shifting load with all of their strength and every fiber of their toebeans. Clementine and Petal whipped around and leaned into the stack, a ballast brought to bear on the bags about to fling and fly off the sled.

Thinking on his feet, Chris watched the tiedown flail in the wind and with one decisive calculated move, swiped a toebean and hooked it with his claw. He reeled it in and clamped it back down, tightening the knot.

“You stabilized it, Chris! Good work!” cried Jasper Kitten and swatted the rarefied air with a white gloved paw.

“Why, I’m gonna give that snowmobile a piece of my mind!” growled Chris, low and slow, checking the kibble bags beneath his toebeans.

A motor revved again, only this time from behind them, and a rumble and tumble gained ground with ferocious speed.

“Looks like your chance is now, Chris!” wailed Jasper Kitten.

The sled dogs again sensed the adversarial approach and kicked their speed into even higher gear. The Canine Unit, Star and Jojo, leaned into the momentum. They pulled ahead. An inch. A fraction of a whisker here and a fraction of a whisker there. And it was enough.

The snowmobile screamed at them, winding itself out until it sputtered and lugged and burned oil. Jasper Kitten looked back while glass shattered and metal clattered and the single headlight splintered and dissolved into the natural and nocturnal shine of the moon as the Critters rode on.

“Another close call!” cried Chris.

“Correct, Chris. My patience for this menace is as thin as the rarefied air we breathe. We will not be deterred. We. Will. Not. Be. Thwarted,” declared Jasper Kitten.

The steep upslope dipped down into a valley and the sled dogs slowed to a steady trot. The dense woods opened and an alpine lake shimmered to the east, the mountains in silhouette before the dawn.

Sir Skipper navigated down a narrow track that forked off the main trail and the pace continued to slow until the team came to a gradual stop. The temperature remained especially low, the vapor of every exhale condensed in the cold, but a hint of heat drifted from the hillside.

Star and Jojo hopped off the lead sled and tread through the packed snow to reunite with their companion Critter Detectives.

“We have arrived at our destination. At. The. Lava. Caves,” bark bark barked Jojo.

“Quickly, Critters,” instructed Jasper Kitten. “We must disembark and unload.”

Chris, Clementine and Petal hopped down from their respective sleds, steady and ready on their toebeans next to the Canine Unit. They set to work, removing the tarps from the gear and kibble supply sleds while the Rufus Subsets rested in the heated cabins, grooming and purring.

“Star and Jojo, you have done an outstanding job of escape and evacuation and, furthermore, of evasion against our adversary across such rugged mountainous terrain,” praised Jasper Kitten.

“Thank you, Jasper Kitten,” they barked. “We must credit Sir Skipper and his championship team for their skill and guidance.”

“Of course, of course,” nodded Jasper Kitten in the affirmative. He raised a white gloved paw to Sir Skipper, still at the head of the pack, who nodded in return and made his way to the Critter Detectives.

“Jasper Kitten,” barked Sir Skipper, “it is my honor to be at your service. I realize that we have not had time to speak prior to the arrival at our destination.”

“The honor and the thanks are all mine, Sir Skipper,” replied Jasper Kitten. “Time certainly has and continues to be of the essence, but please. There are no words that can compare to this wild ride which has brought us to the safety of the Lava Caves for the Rufus Subsets. We owe their freedom from the Bio Lab to you and your championship team.”

“This is networking at its finest, Jasper Kitten. From the moment I received the phone call from our esteemed colleague, Ret. Sgt. Det. Jojo, until this moment before you in which we now have time to speak, however briefly, I am and remain your faithful friend.” Sir Skipper bowed his head and Jasper Kitten returned the gesture.

“Furthermore,” continued Sir Skipper, “if I may be so bold, my team and I will remain here on duty to protect and serve the world renowned J Kitten, Sleuth & Purveyor of Bright Shiny Objects Detective Agency and the Rufus Subsets as it is my understanding that this is a critical phase in cracking the case.”

“Thank you for your continued professional assistance, Sir Skipper. On behalf of my Critter Detectives and Critter Clients, I accept your incredible offer,” replied Jasper Kitten with a furrow of his Orange striped brow.

“You’re welcome, Jasper Kitten. Once you are all settled in the Lava Caves, my team needs to get some rest. We’ll bunk down in the snow at the entrance to the Caves and if anything else threatens your safety, we’ll be sure to sound the alarm,” confirmed Sir Skipper.

“Thank you, Sir Skipper. The Lava Caves are so well hidden, is this the entrance?” queried Jasper Kitten.

Sir Skipper took three steps forward, sniffed the air, and took two steps back.

“Yes, it’s right here, Jasper Kitten,” he confirmed. “It blends in well with the surrounding environment.”

Jasper Kitten adjusted his headlamp and stared into the narrow passageway in the ground. He heard a trickle of running water and a wisp of steam rose past the beam.

“If my instincts serve me correctly, the Lava Caves have geothermal energy,” apprised Jasper Kitten.

“Indeed, Jasper Kitten. You will have a fresh source of clean water and heat for the time that you need to seek shelter and safety here,” replied Sir Skipper.

“Thank you for the confirmation, Sir Skipper,” mewed Jasper Kitten. He strode back to the sleds and gave the paws up signal.

“Critters,” he called. “We are A-okay here. We will transfer the gear and kibble first. Then we will proceed in an orderly fashion to escort the Rufus Subsets into the shelter and protection of the Lava Caves.”

“Why, I’m all over it, Jasper Kitten,” growled Chris, low and slow, and carted a load to the entrance.

“And Rufus Subsets,” continued Jasper Kitten, “please allow me to reassure you that this is the first but not the last stop on your journey to freedom. Once adequate time has been given to you for your rest and recuperation, we will continue on toward finding Furever Homes for each and every one of you to live a true domestic life. Please. Proceed.”

He signaled to Star and Jojo. The Canine Unit took their cue to open open open the cabins and the Rufus Subsets hopped out one by one. Clementine and Petal walked with them to the entrance to the Lava Caves and they made their safe passage, warmed by the geothermal heat, radiant against their toebeans.

“Why, how do you like my new portable lantern that I added to my emergency urgency car kit?” asked Chris.

“Your preparedness for this case is truly remarkable, Chris. You have the right tool for the job,” observed Jasper Kitten, switching off his headlamp in the warm glow that filled the cavernous space.

Rufus Sub One padded over to Jasper Kitten, hesitated and then spoke.

“Thank you, Jasper Kitten, for bringing us this far, so far. I have one comment of the utmost importance to share with you before joining my Ginormous Group here in the safety and protection of the Lava Caves,” she said.

“You are welcome and I give you my word. I will continue to endeavor to completely crack this case, Rufus Sub One. I’m all ears. What is on your mind here in the safety and protection of the Lava Caves?” he asked.

“Jasper Kitten, you gave me the advice when we were still at the Bio Lab to consider having a name and not a number,” she replied, her paws held wide from her Tuxedo.

“That is correct, Rufus Sub One,” confirmed Jasper Kitten.

“Well, I had a lot of time to think about it on the sled ride. I would like to be called Fiona,” she purred.

“Fiona. What a lovely name,” mewed Jasper Kitten.

Chris greeted them, dishing up a kibble breakfast.

“Why, did I hear a name and not a number?” he growled, loud and proud.

“Correct, Chris,” laughed Fiona and clasped and grasped a travel bowl and spoon. She padded away from him and joined her group of friends and they all chowed down.

The Critter Detectives sat off to the side with their bowls of kibble. In the commission of polishing off their breakfast, Jasper Kitten glanced at the pile of gear that Chris had stored near the entrance.

“Gosh, Jasper Kitten, why is your spoon suspended over your bowl?” observed Star, the light flashing in her eyes.

“Yes, I see, Star,” he mewed, his voice trailing off as he spied his Attache Case.

“Gosh and oh my goodness, this can mean one thing and one thing only,” she apprised of the suspended spoon situation. “What thought has occurred to you, Jasper Kitten?”

The spoon dropped in his bowl, amplified and echoing in the cave, while Jasper Kitten strode over to his Attache Case. The Critter Detectives tracked his movements while they increased the rate at which they chowed down and polished off the kibble in their own bowls. They hopped to it and hurried after him.

Out of an abundance of instinctive investigative caution combined with a further sneaking suspicion, Jasper Kitten made a rapid and quick security check of the Attache Case latches. His Orange striped brow furrowed.

“Someone has tampered with the security of the latches. It is subtle but distinct,” he observed. “If my instincts serve me correctly, I have a good idea as to whodunnit.”

“Gosh, do you mean…,” barked Star under her breath.

“Are you saying…,” gasped Clementine and Petal.

“Yes. Exactly. The same adversary who stole our car battery and rendered our vehicle inoperable, the same adversary who attempted to run us down and run us over multiple times, has tampered with my Attache Case when it was in the trunk of the car.”

“The same adversary who is none too pleased with having to part with their precious Rufus Subsets,” barked Jojo under his breath.

“The. Experimental. Experimenter,” growled Chris, lower and slower.

“Correct,” confirmed Jasper Kitten.

He proceeded to pat the latches back into place with his white gloved paws and reset the security code. He popped the lid up. With a deep deep sigh of relief, he noted that all was in order, the magnifying glasses most of all, ever so critical to the ongoing work of the J Kitten, Sleuth & Purveyor of Bright Shiny Objects Detective Agency.

The Critters conferred and concurred in a collective and silent nod in the affirmative, a moment of solace and reprieve, nestled for now in the Lava Caves. They ambled back to their bowls and Chris scooped out a second helping all around.

Jasper Kitten was about to take a bite when a vibration rose through the ground and caused his kibble to shake in his spoon. He considered the seismic activity of the volcanic area and the likelihood of an earthquake until barking erupted from the sled dogs and the rumble and the tumble of a motor resounded in the cave.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Poetry with Pets

Rumble and tumble

Geothermal energy

Expansive freedom

By Jasper Kitten, Chris and Jojo