abandonment anxiety complex

My big black and white kitty named MgGinnus has developed what I call "abandonment anxiety complex." Ever since we have been home from our week vacation at the beach house, he has been following someone around non-stop. He won't leave any one alone, and this is very unlike him. He will sit in your lap, he will sit on your bed, he will sit in your chair, he will sit on your back when you are reading your book on your tummy. He is very affectionate, which only happens on a regular basis when he is hungry. He is affectionate 24/7 now. When he can't find anyone in the house, he will sit in the hallway and meow the saddest little cry for love you will ever hear until someone calls his name or goes to get him and bring him back to their room. When he sees us getting our bags and keys to leave for the day, he gets anxious. He sits at the top of the stairs with wide eyes until we are on our way out the door and then tries to get out with us. We have to gently push him back to shut the front door and walk away from the little kitty face peaking out the window, watching us leave.

Abandonment Anxiety Complex. It probably isn't a real term, but my kitty is suffering from it. 

And while he was mewing in the middle of the hall today, I thought to myself. We all suffer from AAC sometimes. At least I do. I have watched a lot of people who I love and trust and have let into my heart leave me and it has deepened my fear that the people who are still in my life will leave me too. Sometimes, I get clingy, like Gin is now.  Sometimes, I get upset, like Gin gets when we leave. Sometimes, I get over affectionate, so that people will remember that they love me and they won't want to leave.

But I realized today that the thing to remember is that no matter where I am or who has left me, I am never alone. 

God is always with me, and will come find me in the hallway when I can't find anyone else and pick me up and bring me to a place where I feel safe and comforted.

And I think that is truly beautiful.

As for MgGin, he will eventually realize that the house will always have someone home every night until next beach week, in the summer of '10 and he will revert back to his affectionate ways of only being nice when he is hungry. What a character.