The Social Therapy Cat

Max belongs to Kellen and Kellen belongs to Max.

Max has lived with us since the day he was born to our other cat, Whiskers. He had the sweetest personality of the four kittens, so when they were old enough, we gave the other three to co-workers and kept Max for Kellen. Kellen nicknamed him "Mackey Ferna". We have a pretty good idea where the "Mackey" came from, but no idea where Kellen came up with "Ferna".

We once had a friend ask us if Max had special needs. You see, he is generally so relaxed that he is positively floppy. Like Kellen, he appears to have low muscle tone. He is very calm and tolerant. Kellen can sling him over his shoulder and carry him like Tarzan would. We are constantly saying, "Kellen put your hand under his bottom" so that his lower half won't be dangling as Kellen carries him around the house.

During the years when Kellen started to have a lot of problems with not wanting to go the places that we wanted him to go (to bed, to school, to speech therapy) Max became Kellen's transitional object. If he didn't want to go to the speech therapist, I'd ask him if he wanted to take Mackey. He would pick up his cat and get into the car. If he didn't want to go out to the school bus, I'd tell him that he could bring Mackey. He would clumsily board the bus with the gangly cat in his arms, give him to one of the other students to hold, then sit down and buckle his seat belt. I would then board the bus, take Max from the student, have Max "kiss" all the students good-bye, get off the bus with Max and help him wave his paw as the bus pulled away. Thank goodness for patient school bus drivers! There were even times that I drove Kellen and Max to school and Kellen became an instant "celebrity" when the kids rushed over to him to pet Max.

Another important role that Max has played in Kellen's life is that of best friend. Once when Kellen had been in the hospital for an angioplasty, he came home very groggy from the anesthesia. Max must have slept on his lap for four hours as Kellen gently stroked him until he felt better. Max always seems to know when Kellen needs him, isn't that what best friends are for?