Morning Snuggles

Apparently the cats missed us while we were gone over the Thanksgiving holiday. (Don’t worry; they were not left utterly alone. A dear friend and fellow cat lady checked in on them on Thursday and Friday and gave them an abundance of affection.) I was slightly worried that the boys would be skittish when we returned home but, thankfully, they were relaxed. All three cats sought us out for scritches and Boudicca was insistent to return to her regularly scheduled lap time as soon as possible.

This morning Boudicca woke Aaron up by walking across his face and pillow in order to curl up between us and our pillows. (For those who do not know, face- and pillow-walking is a common occurrence with cats. Some cats are more polite about it than others.) Commence snuggles, pets, and happy purring cat time! She was quite content to use my hand and arm as a chin rest and seemed quite pleased with herself when Aaron babbled at her, telling her that she was a sweet and pretty girl. (Boudicca seems to enjoy and expect compliments at regular intervals.)

Whenever the Downton Tabbies realize we’re awake, they usually come into the bedroom to investigate and receive rubs too. Garrus hung out on the floor, despite our repeated attempts to invite him up. (When we got out of bed, he received plenty of attention in the living room.) Charlie, however, did not need much coaxing to jump onto the bed. This morning he wanted all the affection he could get from Aaron and purred enthusiastically away, so loud that it drowned out Boudicca’s purrs.

Aaron: Good morning, little man.

Charlie: Hi Dad! Hi Mama! It’s lovey time, yes?

Aaron: Yes. Would you like to visit? *gives scritches and pets*

Charlie: Oh yes! This is my favorite thing! (NB: Charlie has many favorite things.)

Aaron: Now can I pick you up?

Charlie: Maybe. But you’ll have to convince me to get unstuck from the comforter.

Aaron: *disengages Charlie’s claw snags and places cat in his lap* Now what do you think about lap time? *gives back strokes, scritches, and rubs accordingly*

Charlie: This is lap time?! This is awesome! It’s so snuggly and comfy! This is my favorite thing! *BIG PURR*

Cat Parent Achievement Unlocked: We have successfully introduced Charlie to the practice of lap time. He stayed in Aaron’s lap for about 10 minutes and didn’t wiggle all over the place! Success!

Unfortunately, Charlie decided to move out of Aaron’s lap just before I was able to snap a photo.

All in all, this was an excellent way to start off a Saturday morning!