Another Ray Charles Gain!

Um ... hi everybody!

I'm Ray Charles, and Selina let me do today's blog entry to tell you all about another gain that I've made in my continuing quest to become more ... relaxed and social.

See, MomKatt's been giving me these "calming treats" this week.  I get one per day at "Treat Time" that Rachel and I have every morning, and it's the first treat that I get.  So far, Rachel's not nosed in on it and wanted to know what I'm getting that she is not so SHHHH!  Don't tell her.

Anyway ...

The treats are a bit big, and fish-shaped, so MomKatt breaks it in half and it's like I'm getting TWO treats to start, not one.  MomKatt says it's "my appetizer".


She started me on the treats Sunday morning, waiting to see what results they would produce once I got some of this medicine that's in the treats in my system.  (Medicine?   They don't taste like medicine!  Even MomKatt says they smell really good and all I know is that, the second she breaks one in half and puts them on the chair, I WOLF them down very quickly!)

Well, over the last couple of days ... *looks bashful and not comfortable bragging about himself* ... well, I've let her ... um ... PET ME ... a little more ... like when I'm about to get my gooshy food in the morning and at night?  MomKatt's reached out, after first showing me her hand so that I'm not startled by her touch, and lightly stroked my back and ... I'VE LET HER DO IT!  In fact, I've let her do it several times and then she gives me my bowl of gooshy food and lets me eat.  She doesn't push me at all.

And?  Last night?  Well ... after we ate, MomKatt came up and washed out our bowls as usual, then she came in for some playtime.  DadKatt was very late getting home so we had a lot of time ... and I was feeling all good and everything, greeted her by getting on the desk next to the office door like I usually do while Rachel BUTTS her big ole head in between us, soliciting petting.  (Let me tell you right now:  SHE IS GREEDY.)

So MomKatt reached out, showed me her hand and then laid her hand on my back, not petting but like she does when she is going to pick me up?  I LET HER PICK ME UP ... and she got me all nestled against her chest and her fingers were under my chin ... and ... um ... I couldn't help what happened next ... my whole body felt REALLY relaxed to her as she held me in her arms and ... um ... I started PURRING .... and had my chin resting on her right arm ....

Ya'll have to understand:  this is only the second time she's ever heard me purr, or that I've purred at all, and this is BIG BIG BIG.  And the other big thing is me (a) being so physically relaxed-feeling in her arms (usually I feel "stiff" and I "freeze" when she's picked me up before) and (b) resting my chin on her right arm like I just didn't want to go anywhere!  I've NEVER done that before!!

Of course, DadKatt was NOWHERE to be found with the camera so I promise - REALLY! - that we will take more pictures this weekend for you all to see but MomKatt wishes he could have taken a picture of me right then because, though she could not see my eyes, she had a feeling they were closed and that I looked happy and content.

My purr isn't LOUD like Rachel's (they hear HER in the next county over) but it was there.

I allowed MomKatt about 5 minutes like this, then I decided I wanted to get down, so she gently put me down in the purple chair that I like and all three of us played some more.

I like messing with MomKatt's fingers, and I can "hook" my front paws and lift them and it's like I'm high 5-ing her when I do that!  She holds up one finger and I hook my paw and bat gently at it and it's like I'm either high 5-ing her, or we are playing "patty cake".  It's kinda fun and I did that OF MY OWN VOLITION for some time before she had to go downstairs and fix her own supper.

Don't you like my news?  MomKatt can't wait to play with me again tonight.

SO ... that's all I have to say today.  I hope you enjoyed it.

Shy purrs,
Ray Charles

PS - This is me, where I eat my treats every morning and every evening after I've had my gooshy food.  See how much I enjoy "Treat Time"?  I sure hope my new Furever Purrson lets us have "Treat Time" at my new home.  It's what we are used to!