Shortly after the death of my little man, Tino, I read a study by a Very Prominent Facility (I don’t remember who, exactly) that said that animals are incapable of expressing sympathy and empathy. I always found this study odd, as Tino was amazingly in tune with my emotions and was always there for me. Even Dolly, who is definitely not the brightest bulb in the marquee, knows when something major is going on, and is always there for me.
I have had a very difficult 14 months. The last two have been especially difficult, as my physical issues have taken an emotional toll. As a result, I have neglected things that I have to do, as well as things I enjoy — like visiting Tabby’s Place. I’ll be honest: Max has not always been happy to see me, especially since the new year. It made me sad, but made it easier to stay away. As the deadline for special needs updates drew close, I knew I had to bite the bullet and visit Max — whether he liked it or not.
When I visited, I first stopped at the FIV suite, since I am also a correspondent for Leo. Although I think Leo is a delightful love bug, it was Thomas who stole my heart. He hopped up on the cubbie on which I was leaning and rested his head on my shoulder. He would, occasionally, give me kisses on my cheek. I petted him as he purred loudly, and he tried to sit on my shoulder. He loved on me for quite a long time, stopping only when he thought dinner was coming.
I next stopped in at the Special Needs suite to see my girl, Beatrice. Like Max, however, Beatrice has been very distant toward me for the last couple of months. Her roommate, Nellie, absolutely adores me, and she has quickly become one of my favorites at Tabby’s Place. Once she saw me enter the room, she came out of hiding, hopped up onto the cubbie, and tried to climb up my shirt. I sat down next to her, and for the next half an hour, Nellie head-butted and kissed my face and hands as I petted her. It was as if she was letting me know that everything would be okay.
Feeling better, I decided it was finally time to see Max. I walked into Adoption Room #2, and Max was walking around, seemingly agitated. He hopped on the cat climber next to Trey, who immediately hissed and swatted at him. Max jumped down and was more agitated, but, thankfully, he did not do anything to himself or to any of the other cats in the room. This is even more amazing because the veterinarian has been weaning Max off of his medications. Instead of getting violent, he simply hopped onto the settee, groomed himself, and laid down.
I went over and sat at an arm’s length away from him. I tentatively petted him, and much to my delight, he did not pull away or fire a warning meow. I kept petting him, leaning forward after several minutes to hear him purring softly. As I leaned forward, he rested the top of his head against my forehead. It was as if all was right in the world again.
I stroked his soft fur, and his purring grew louder and louder. Eventually, he walked over and rested his front legs and head on my thigh. It was as if we were back in the apartment, just the two of us, again. We stayed in this moment for several minutes — until he thought he heard his dinner coming.
Look, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that Thomas, Nellie, and Max used their keen cat sense to see that I was in need of some serious feline therapy, but I am also not going to say that it was not. Regardless of the reason, these three cats proved to me that the fancy-schmancy study out of Very Prominent Facility is a load of malarkey. In fact, I would argue that there is nothing better than feline therapy. These three cats gave to me on that day more than I could ever possibly give them, and for that I am grateful.
I am grateful for your generosity, too, as it would not have been possible for me to receive this outpouring of love without it. I am so thankful that you help Max and others support Thomas and Nellie so I can have these wonderful beings in my life. We often give to those we deem to be the less fortunate. This month, they gave back to me. I am in awe of the love I received.