Goodbye protests

Hold on...are talking about Aya or Maia?!
When I first brought Maia home at 6 weeks old I was her mommy and there everyday, every hour for the first 5 months of her life. When I started working again, she was meowing at the apartment door as I entered the building, loudly! When she was a year and a half old I went to Kansas for Christmas, my friend across the street (who loves animals) came by every morning and every night to feed/water, and clean her litter. I was gone for 8 days and Barbara said that she never even saw Maia. Every time she came over Maia hid, but her bowl was empty and her litter was used. The day I came home, I heard her crying as I entered the building, I was calling her and when I entered the apartment no Maia at the door like usual but I could hear her crying and crying! I was in a panic, looking every where! Closets, rooms, outside, where was she?! Finally I look under the bed and there was Maia, desperately crying, almost like she wasn't sure it was me, or that I came home! I felt so bad, I was in tears as I scooped her up from under the bed and huddled over her crying telling her I would never leave her again!
That was a couple years ago and Maia has not only adjusted to my work schedule but has learned how to use it to her advantage. She chases me into the bathroom to make sure I feed her first thing after! She is by my side while I get ready to leave, including on the sink as I put on makeup! And every day when I come home she is meowing at the door! I know she is ok when I'm not there because she knows I am coming back, sometimes when I come home early, she is all squinty eyed and surprised because she was still sleeping!

Kasey, my rescue tortie, has basically has claimed me as her's.

She will sit on my lap for hours.

She has some issues when I leave for work.

1.) If I have taken some vacation days, she gets used to having me here. The first day back to work, my wife says she sometimes gets cranky and attacks the dog.

2.) I had about 10 minutes before I had to leave for work, one morning last week. I settled in my recliner to watch the news and finish my tea; she got up on my lap.

When I left, I set her in my chair. I turned to look at her and she was staring at me with an obvious worried expression as I headed for the door.


She is my "greeting committee" at the back door when I come home from work, don't know how she tells time to jugge when I will return.

Oh no, this is what I'm afraid will happen to George should I leave him for a few days. He can get so stressed out when I leave for a few hours!! Yesterday, Thanksgiving, before I left the house, I did some running in and out - but always returned shortly after I walked out the door. Obviously the last time I left, I wasn't planning on coming back for a few hours. I came home to him still sitting at the front door, and he had thrown up (not a hairball). He's done that a few times...

When I first adopted him, I wasn't working. After a few months, I went back to work, but started out only a few hours a day. That seemed to work well with George. For the past couple of months, I've not worked. It stresses me out to think of what will happen when I go back to work full time - or take a very much needed vacation!! Ellie could care less about my coming and going - she's just so happy to have a nice warm loving home! I feel so bad for him!