Meet Penelope.

Penelope was rescued from living rough in a McDonald’s parking lot by a daily patron who couldn’t bear to see such a little cat suffer through a Michigan winter without a home. Said patron connected with me through Facebook, and made a late-ish night Penelope drop around this time of the year in 2023. I have been Penelope’s Special Human ever since. She likes the other humans in the house well enough, but everyone jokes that I’m her emotional support human.

The thing about having a deeply neurotic cat when you’re physically disabled is if you spend a lot of time in one place - like me in my bed - her whole world crumbles if anything is out of place… including me, say, getting out of bed to make dinner, or do the laundry. I’m definitely not allowed in the backyard. Bath time is sus. Toilet time is together time. She seems to understand that I may leave the house for a few hours sometimes, and I am very patiently led back to my bedroom the minute I am back in the house.

So. What are we supposed to do to impart to her that Special Mama is going away for a few nights, but she’s coming back and will be spending lots of time in bed thereafter? Feliway infusers? A pet psychic?