Operation Snugglepuss

My Dear Princess and Dear Fellows,

Punky does not cuddle. He likes affection, but it has to be on his terms. You can hold out your hand and he'll nudge it. Sometimes he likes to be stroked but he has to invite it by rolling around. But he never gets on anyone's lap.

Jasper LOVES to cuddle. Me. Only me. No-one else. 

He'll let you stroke him and he'll roll around and invite you to rub his tum, but I'm the only one he voluntarily climbs onto. And honestly, it can be a right pain because he's very demanding. 

If you've ever come on here and wondered why I've posted a picture but the text only arrives about 20 minutes to an hour later, he's the reason. I'll be typing it in when HE will arrive and start patting me with his paw meaning, "Move the laptop, I'M coming in."

But not Caro. Never on Caro. We think this is because of the territorial tendencies of cats. We think Punky and Jasper divvied us up between them and I got Jasper. And Caro got the non-cuddle cat.

She bemoans this fact. "I just want a cat who cuddles me," she says. I felt bad for her, but really, what could I do?

About a month ago, we started "Operation Snugglepuss". This was to gently encourage Jasper to cuddle Caro. She has her couch blanket* and she makes it into a lovely Kitty Bed next to her. Then I place Jasper on the blanket and he settles down on it for a nice cuddle.

Sometimes it works. Sometimes he's all, "What the actual F***?" when I attempt to put him there because he's a contrary wee sh1te. But sometimes it works. 

And we were working our way up to me putting Jasper onto the blanket ON CARO. If you see what I mean. 

Today, I'd just given him a big cuddle myself and then he took himself off to curl up next to my feet. Which is what he normally does when he's done being cuddled. 

But then SUDDENLY, he got an idea in his fuzzy head. He stomped off to the other end of the couch and just PLOPPED himself on Caro. Unbidden! And we hadn't even got to Stage 2 of Operation Snugglepuss yet!

I can't tell you how happy this made her. Also Jasper. He settled down into a big sleep and they stayed like this for over an hour. 

And who knows, maybe from here on I'll get to complete typing in my blip uninterrup-

Excuse us.

S.

* Doesn't everyone have a couch blanket?