A pleasant tune erupted from Topsy’s phone and in response the white cat blinked her eyes open and stretched with a yawn. Topsy grabbed the phone from her night stand as she sat up in bed. She looked around her and her partner's shared room to see that she was the only one still there. With a lonely sigh Topsy got out of bed and rummaged through her closet to find a dress for the day, a flashy, but relatively modest, dress from her collection.

She made her way to the kitchen where she found her two partners. Michael was making breakfast while Butch was silently reading the newspaper. Topsy sighed again as she moved past the two, her presence only acknowledged with brief glances.

The alley cats were once a lively bunch. The love they had was on full and constant display as they struggled to get to where they were today. She always thought that, during those hard times, if they could only get the money to live comfortably things would be even better. Now that they’ve gotten that money though, things had gotten noticeably worse. There was no drive and no spark without the pressure to provide, and now that the spark was gone cracks were starting to show in the relationship.

Butch, the black alley cat, was naturally a top and Michael, the reddish orange cat currently busy cooking, was naturally a caregiver. When they were struggling, both needs were met indirectly. Butch got fulfillment by taking charge when they all needed it and fighting for the group, and Michael got fulfillment by taking care of everyone when things were tough. Now that there was no need to take charge, and no tough times to care for each other through, the two were listless. They never had a direct outlet for their needs and the indirect one was gone now. Topsy tried to fill those needs directly herself, bottoming to both Butch and Michael in their unique ways. That was having visibly limited success. Topsy was a switch as well, so constantly being the bottom to satisfy her partners desires was leaving her unfulfilled. They were all missing something and she could tell.

“No breakfast?” Michael asked curtly.

“No, I’m going for brunch with Haruhi remember?” Topsy answered. The response she got was little more than silent grunts from the other two. Topsy sighed again as she silently left out the front door.

Her brunch spot with Haruhi wasn’t far away so Topsy decided to walk, she thought she could use the fresh air and time to herself anyway. After a refreshing walk, Topsy found Haruhi waiting for her at the small café they frequented sitting at an outside table. The woman appeared tall to Topsy, but only because of the natural height difference between cats and humans, really Haruhi could be considered on the short side. She was in a dark thinning dress and a sun hat that almost hid her narrow eyes.

“Topsy!” Haruhi said excitedly looking up from her seat. “I love the dress. Is that from your collection?” Topsy looked down at her dress. A pink and purple one-piece dress with subtle volume in the skirt and plenty of white frilly decorations.

“Still not sure,” Topsy said sitting down. “It’s not really showy enough for my clientele. I don’t know if a subtle day dress would sell.”

“That’s subtle?”

“For a sissy, yeah.”

“Fair enough,” Haruhi nodded in understanding. “So, how’s paradise treating you all?”

“Not great honestly,” Topsy admitted. “I dunno things have gotten … stale I guess.”

“That can happen. Especially in a relationship as long as yours. Now that you guys are more stable, you’re probably noticing it more.”

“I definitely am,” Topsy said with a quick sideways glance. “Anyway!” Topsy shook her head. “Let’s not talk about us because that’s depressing. How are things going with you? I know you’ve got that big conference coming up. That must be exciting.”

“Sadly, it’s doom and gloom on that front as well,” Haruhi admitted. “Well, the conference itself is still fine. I’ve got all my stuff ready and I’m set to give a big presentation, but I’m worried about Rosy. My usual baby sitter is off on her own convention, a big ab/dl thing out of state. It’s looking like Rosie might have to be a big boy by himself.”

“I mean he can, right?” Topsy asked. “That’s what the adult in adult baby means.”

“Yes, he can, but he hasn’t for a while. Even when he was a big boy he wasn’t exactly doing well. I had to rescue him from living on the streets five years ago, and he’s been my baby since then. I don’t know how he’ll behave when he’s given responsibility and is on his own again. Not to mention that I’ll likely have trouble reigning him back in when I come back. Of course, he’s over the moon excited about it.”

“Of course,” Topsy chuckled.

“Part of being a care giver I suppose.”

“What if …” Topsy started speaking before really thinking about it and now her thoughts were catching up to her.

“Yeah?” Haruhi prodded Topsy to finish. There was no escaping the idea now.

“Well,” Topsy committed to the idea. “What if me and the alley cats watched him?”

“Are you sure?” Haruhi asked with a hint of concern.

“Well, I was just thinking that we all needed a challenge to help bring some spark back to things. Maybe this is just the thing we need.”

“Taking care of an adult baby can certainly be a challenge,” Haruhi said thoughtfully. “Of course, I would appreciate it if you could. It would be much better if I could keep Rosy as a baby instead of giving him ideas about being a big boy again. You sure you guys can handle it?”

“Butch is as top as they come trust me,” Topsy said feeling the hint of a sting on her bottom. “And Michael is great at taking care of us. Plus, when I’m not having to bounce between the two of them, I’m no slouch in the top department either.”

“There’s more to it than just being dominant,” Haruhi remarked. “But I guess that can be good enough to keep him in line for a week.” Topsy nodded hopefully with a smile. “All right!” Haruhi exhaled and nodded with a smile. “I’ll leave him with you guys for the week. I’ll drop him off tomorrow before I head off to the airport.”

“You won’t regret it,” Topsy said cheerfully. “We’ve rescued ourselves from the streets, I’m sure we can handle Rosie for a week.”

*****

“What made you think this was a good idea again?” Butch said sighing and pinching his nose.

“Butch,” Topsy said nervously. She was the only one wearing clothes. She was in another of her dresses, this one more distinctly a sissy dress. It was a light blue dress with puffy sleeves and an almost tutu like skirt.

“She told you already,” Michael spoke for Topsy. “She feels like we’ve been missing something and that this might help liven things up. Did I get that right?”

“Yeah,” Topsy confirmed.

“And you agree with that?” Butch ignored Topsy.

“I agree with the principal,” Michael said curtly. “But it would have been nice to discuss it first,” Michael and Butch both looked at Topsy with a glare.

“Look it was spur of the moment I admit,” Topsy said defensively. “But I feel like I had to do something. I don’t want to see us fall apart.”

“I don’t like seeing us drift apart either but this …” Butch struggled to find the right words.

“It’s a lot.” Micheal finished for Butch. “I’m sure between the three of us we can handle a sub for a week, but I don’t know if this is really going to help anything.”

With impeccable timing Haruhi knocked at the door. Topsy was quick to open it, eager to get out of the conversation she found herself in. Predictably Haruhi was on the other side of the door with Rosebud in tow.

Rosebud was a brown and white dog leaving him noticeably taller than the cats but still shorter than his mommy Haruhi. He was in a light blue set of shortalls with snaps at the crotch for easy access to the diaper that was underneath. It was pretty obvious there was a diaper underneath too, because whatever diaper Haruhi put him in was very thick and they might have grown thicker as Rosebud used them. The thing that kept him in literal tow was his baby leash. He had a brown chest harness with an embroidered picture of a bear on the front panel strapped across his chest. A brown leather leash was attached to the front of it. Haruhi was tugging the visibly fussy adult baby along with this leash.

“We’re here, no thanks to grumpy pants,” Haruhi punctuated this by pulling Rosebud into the alley cats house with the leash.

“But I thought I was gonna be by myself mommy,” Rosebud whined.

“Things change. It’s better that you stay as a baby.”

“But …” Rosebud started to whine further but was quickly cut off by Haruhi.

“I already told you Miss Spanks is out so you’re going to stay with the alley cats and you’re going to behave,” Haruhi gave Rosebud a stern look and the baby dog pouted. With her baby currently under control Haruhi turned her attention to Topsy and gave a thankful smile. “Ok I’ve got his diaper bag loaded up.” Haruhi handed over a very heavy light green diaper bag with frog decoration to Topsy. Topsy misjudged its weight and let the thing fall to the floor in her hands before Butch quickly picked it up from her along with a second bag full of clothes. “Obviously you need to keep him in diapers the whole time he’s not allowed to use the potty. I don’t even think he can anymore,” Haruhi immediately went off into her care explanation. “He can have big kid food but make sure he takes his drinks in his baba and three times a day give him a proper bottle feeding. I like to do it after meals. I know you guys don’t have a high chair or a crib so he can skip out on that. If you run out of his diapers, I know a place just outside of town that sells the brand I like. Any questions?”

“Uh …” Topsy blinked a bit at the information overload.

“No potty, drinks in bottle, and bottle feeding three times a day,” Michael repeated the information back accurately.

“Oh and I should add that Rosey is a little … sensitive downstairs.” Haruhi said trying to be discrete but failing.

“Mommy! What the heck!” Rosey whined loudy. Butch and Micheal struggled to not laugh out loud. Haruhi smiled sympathetically to her baby.

“Just don’t be offended if he gets hard on. He does like his diapers you know. Just let him work it out if it keeps you from changing him.”

“Can we move on,” Rosey said blushing.

“What do we do if he acts up?” Butch asked, coughing through a laugh.

“Well don’t be afraid to spank him that’s for sure,” Haruhi answered. “Bare bottom hurts more, but he hates it when you spank him over a messy diaper.”

“Mommy!” Rosebud complained but he was ignored by all the adults in the room.

“I also put in some locking mits to help with time out if you’d rather go that route.”

“I’m sure we’ve got other ways to keep him in a corner,” Butch added quietly.

“Feel free to use them. It sounds like you guys got it,” Haruhi turned to Rosebud and pulled his leash to get him closer. “Rosy baby, I know this isn’t what you wanted but you know it’s for the best.” Rosebud’s pout conveyed that he was not convinced. “Be a good baby while I’m gone ok. If I hear you’ve been bad you’re gonna get a stern talking to from me when I get back. Understand?”

“Yes mommy,” Rosebud said with a barely noticeable teenager-esque sigh. Haruhi gave him a look then turned back to Topsy and handed her the leash.

“I leave him to you,” Haruhi said with some noticeable trepidation. Topsy nervously held the leash below the skirt of her dress as Haruhi left the alley cat’s house. “I’ve got to get to the airport in a hurry,” Haruhi grabbed her bag that she left outside. “If you have any trouble, give me a call.”

“You got it,” Topsy said with a smile. “Have a good trip.” With a final wave goodbye Topsy closed the door to the house.

Up until that moment Rosebud had been fairly compliant on the other end of the leash, but now that his mommy was gone, he started tugging against it. Topsy visibly struggled to keep control of it.

“Rosy!” Topsy said yanking the leash a little. “Stop fussing.”

“No!” Rosebud pouted and stamped his feet. “This isn’t fair. I was supposed to be big this week, and now I don’t even get to stay with Miss Spanks I have to listen to a buncha cats. I don’t wanna and I’m not gonna.” Rosebud turned away from Topsy dramatically. Topsy looked to Butch and Michael and they both rolled their eyes.

“Glad to see we’re off to a great start,” Butch said dripping with sarcasm.

“Is that supposed to be him acting big?” Michael laughed a little. “He really does need a baby sitter.”

“Oh, what do you know dumb cat,” Rosebud responded sticking his tongue out. It was Butch and Michael’s turn to give a look to Topsy, one that said they were already over this arrangement. Topsy looked to the ground and frowned, feeling like she had made a huge mistake and that she was making things worse instead of better. She silently resolved then to handle Rosebud herself. Maybe if Michael and Butch didn’t have to deal with Rosebud then this could be salvaged and at least things wouldn’t get worse. Besides, Topsy hadn’t flexed her top muscles in a while, she could handle it.

“Ok Rosey,” Topsy tried to take charge by yanking the leash, though the dog remained remarkably still. With a stronger yank he finally started moving. “Let’s get you set up in your room.”

AUTHORS NOTE: Got a surprise something new. This is a commission piece a prequel to baby puss another commission piece. This is your reminder that I do commission. Pieces like this are $100 and I can do one page pieces for $20. Hit me up on deviant art or discord if you're interested.