"Well," she says patiently, scooping up the absconding tabby, "as we've gotten closer I've started having romantic feelings - of the normal human type, I should say - towards you, and I'd certainly like to try dating you and seeing how it goes, darling. On the other hand, you have so much stress in your life that I feel very protective of you. I want to keep you safe and help you to be happy. Does that make sense?"