Thimble: The Velcro Cat

A few Sundays ago I had a meltdown. The good side is that I had it at home, not out in public where people could stare and be astonished at a grown woman huddled in a heap, rocking and crying with her eyes squeezed shut and tears leaking out anyway.

It's not important why I had the meltdown. Basically everything I'm dealing with just became too much for a moment.

What's important (to me, anyway) is the cats' reactions to this. I haven't had a meltdown around them,  any of them. Which means it's been over a year since I had one--and that's good news.

So, I reached the point where crying was too exhausting to continue, and looked up.

Thimble was inches away from me, sitting and watching with a very concerned look on his face. I was in the bedroom with my back against the bed, on the floor. I could see out the bedroom door and there were Colby and Apricot in the hallway, waiting anxiously.

Poor Thimble. I believe he got deputized to go in and brave the scary noises mommy was making and find out what was going on and if I was okay. I reassured him, and praised him, and asked if I could have a hug, because I needed one. He was amenable. He loves to be hugged.

One of the reasons I love the Maine Coon breed is that they are big enough to be hugged, and most of them tolerate it and some of them enjoy it. Smaller cats feel too overwhelmed by big old you hugging them and dislike it.

Thimble is definitely a Maine Coon velcro cat. More than Colby, he has to be near me at (almost) all times. If he's not in the room with me, it's odd.

I have been spending more time in the bedroom because I'm allergic to the books in the living room and the tv room has no good lighting. I was there playing games on my phone one day and Colby was curled up against my legs.

I noticed, finally, because he'd done that cat thing where they sneak in and curl up and after a while you're all, "how long have you been there?" And when I noticed Colby's presence, I also noticed Thimble's absence.

"Colby," I said, "I love that you're right there, and you're making my foot nice and warm," (I had my feet to one side so he was only on one of them), "and not to be greedy or anything, but where is Thimble?"

At that very moment, a huge paw planted itself on the back of my head. I was on the floor, and I have a tall bed. Sitting like that, the top of the mattress is about an inch above the top of my head. Thimble had been up there the whole time, literally watching over me.

And that paw is huge! It's bad enough when he goes padding around on his paws, but when he spreads his "fingers" out to grasp something or feel something, his paw looks like and certainly felt like it was as big as the palm of my hand. Granted I have small hands, but that's huge for a cat paw!

Every so often, though, I will find myself alone with Colby or Apricot, and no Thimble anywhere. I will find him at the other end of the house at these points in time. I think, although I can't be sure, that some kind of negotiation takes place whereby Thimble gives the other cat (usually Colby) some "alone time" with me.

Which is really sweet of him.

I have made having a velcro cat sound wonderful, but sometimes it's a bit much (like when I'm on the toilet and not having a good time of it, and he wants me to explain that I'm okay and at that moment, I'm really a bit occupied for explanations!).

But I'm very rarely ever alone, and if I am and I don't want to be, all I have to do is call out kitty names and someone (usually Thimble) will come running in. And it helps.