We had a warm, sunny day recently and took advantage of it by spending some time outside.

Ting chose a little ottoman to perch on and soak up some sun.

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Myka decided to stick close to me. She's very eager to trade kisses for treats and belly rubs. By keeping a close eye on me, she doesn't miss out on any of the goodies.

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Bebe got very brave and joined us. She kept her distance, but she is obviously getting more comfortable with all of us.

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McCoy ducked back inside for a snack. He's always on the move, so this was a chance to get him standing relatively still.

So, after the great basement escape incident, the boys - McCoy and Ting - are staying upstairs. They have to wear their belly-bands to stop them from marking/peeing on the walls and furniture. It works well for the most part, but if the pads get saturated, not so much. All in all, it saves a lot of messes being made and keeps them minimal, if they do leak.

The girls - Myka and BeBe - get tucked into the basement together for the night and get to be upstairs during the day. This gives them a break from McCoy, who is constantly annoying them, wanting to play. They have plenty of furniture to cuddle up together on, plus food and water bowls. They use potty pads for their bathroom needs. They're much more neat than the boys - rarely missing the pads.

Our visits follow a loose routine.

Clean up first. Upstairs, then the basement. If it's nice out, they get to go out in the backyard while I mop up. Half the time, though, they're 'helping' me replace used pads and picking up poo. The boys get their belly bands refreshed after they get done outside.

After washing my hands thoroughly, it's on to re-filling food and water bowls. McCoy helps me by pointing out which ones are empty by either tapping them with his paw, picking it up and dropping it, or if that doesn't work (aka 'move faster!'), he'll bring me the empty bowl and toss it at my feet. Cracks me up!

Then, to wrap things up, it's on to cuddle / playtime, depending the time of day. More cuddles before bedtime for obvious reasons. Playtime can be a number of things. Kisses contests are always fun - especially when I'm outnumbered. Myka is the champion at these. She starts out sitting on my lap, facing me. Next thing I know, she's got her paws on my shoulders, is standing up and 'towering' over me to kiss my nose or whatever else she can reach. It's like being mauled by a hummingbird. LOL!

In the meantime, Ting is trying to find an angle to get in on the fun. He usually ends up on the back of the sofa or chair, getting his kisses in using a flanking maneuver over my shoulder. McCoy just bulldozes his way in, if he wants kisses, but he usually opts for trying to snag treats from my pocket while the others are distracted.

Bebe has been staying in her corner on the sofa during this craziness. That's progress, because she used to run and hide. I've been sneaking in some fanny scratchies sometimes. She's tolerating that, too! It's funny when she flat out growls and grumbles at McCoy when he gets too overbearing during our contests. (He's twice everyone else's size, so that can happen fast.) He actually backs off!

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Myka has been very good about keeping McCoy occupied by playing with him. She's the littlest, but she beats the stuffing out of him! She'll get up on the chair or sofa to be taller, then taunts him to 'get' her. He's very gentle with her, even when she's trying to drag him around by his ears. (I've tried to get video, but they think I have treats and stop when I get the camera out. I'll keep trying.)

The really sweet thing that's happened over the week, is that Ting has appointed himself Bebe's protector. When Myka and McCoy are wrestling on the sofa, Ting stands guard over her and blocks them when they get too rambunctious. I don't know if that's what gave Bebe some self-confidence, but she came to join a little treat party last night that happens when Ting and Myka get their bedtime medicine. That's the first time she's approached us on her own! I was so proud of her, I could've burst!

I'd say, in spite of our occasional hiccups, that it's been a successful week so far.

Four visits to go...

Upvote, ReSteem,

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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