Breakthroug

Yesterday Marley began figuring out that laps (at least for now, while he's small) are good places.  I've gotten down on the floor so he could crawl across my legs and be "with" me.  The first time didn't last long because of his puppy biting.  We've been working on it (mainly yipe and make hands or other bitables unavailable for a while) but it's been slow getting through to him.

Last night I stayed on the floor as long as I could take it (the butt & hip can only take so much).  He was much, much gentler with his mouth.  Yay!  I do have to remind myself he's just now the age that puppies are normally adopted.

The morning, I pulled him up on my lap on the couch and he settled in, almost took a nap, and was mostly gentle with his mouth.  Every time he was almost asleep something (small) would get his attention and we'd start over. 

It has been fun watching Charlotte come to grips with having Marley in the household and learning to play with him.  At this point, I think she initiates play more often than he does.  She'll run in the room, then race away.  She'll sneak up on him, touch him and run.  She'll go all "Halloween cat" and run away or even reach out and touch him, as if to say "you're it!"  Their favorite time to play tag is, of course, around 6am.

Charlotte has also learned to ask for special one-on-one time with me.  She'll meow and rub on my legs.  If I ask her if she wants to play she makes an affirmative sound and we go into the bedroom so she can play with her feather boa toy up on the bed, out of Marley's reach.  He's taken over so many of her toys, we keep this one special for her.  I'm going to have to buy more of them; they just don't last long.