A Chat With My Cat
One my boys, Scooter, has been kneading on my bare arms and back when it is bed time, him snuggling into me, lying between me and J.
Scooter's claws are sharp and long so his kneading has been very painful.
Tonight he did his usual. I decided to listen to him and have a chat with him instead; he must be feeling a lot of thoughts that he is trying to communicate through the nightly kneading.
As soon as we started chatting, he stopped his kneading. I told him I would always love him and always be his Mommy - kneading is what kittens do to mothers, and Scooter has only started this of late, all grown up. I told Scooter that I won't die just because I'm sick, am not going to abandon him, and even if I'm not around, Daddy will be. I told him I won't get better so soon and all he needed to do was be a good boy, eat and drink, and purr and snuggle with me.
Scooter is becoming like Slinky - in sync with my health and emotions. I worry he falls sick when I do and I worry that he worries about me. Because Slinky is like that - a barometer of my emotional health. She is happy when I'm less sick, unhappy when I was much sicker than I am now.
I told Scooter, God takes care of all animals.
He finally calmed his insecurity and decided to stop accidentally hurting me through his kneading, and promptly went under the blanket to snuggle between me and J.