His tail had come to rest over his paws, hiding them from view. He was slightly shocked when Kate picked him up and cradled him being unused to such affections. He squirmed a little, feeling the wounds on his back brush against the material. When his paws made contact with the velvet pillow he shifted uncomfortably at both the feeling and the attention. He heard what Kate said about him walking and flicked his ear. He would never admit that every time he applied pressure to the pads they stung, he could endure a little pain and fake it  no matter how hard it made things. He eyed the booties she pulled from the drawer but allowed her to put them on his paws, trying his hardest not to pull away or whimper when either her hands or the material would brush the pads.<br/><br/>When Kate said he was relieved of his duties his eyes quickly found hers and he stood, trying to show that he could work. He willed the trembling to stop, and ignored the pain in his paws. He wasn't weak, he could still perform his duties. He knew that slaves that couldn't work weren't kept, or were punished for their behavior -- even if they physically couldn't work. He was tense, even when the catnip toy was pulled out. He ignored it, or at least did his best to, fighting the reaction as the scent hit his nose but he knew the effect catnip had on cats, himself included.