Well, happiness is a warm kitty in the mood to be cuddled with.
Yuri has very soft grey fur, which I love to rub, scratch, and pet. He's also really warm so he's perfect to cuddle with. One of my favorite things to do is pick him up and carry him like a baby. When he's in the right mood, I can pull this off for a whole 2 or 3 minutes, giving him little kisses (he always licks his chops after I plant one, which just makes me want to plant another one), and cooing at my "baby kitty". Sometimes I even wish there was a Baby Bjorn for kitties, and that my kitty were the kind of cat I could latch into this sling-like contraption, so I could walk around to, oh, the store or the carwash. Just me and kitty. Kitty and me.
I know, I know! This is all quite disturbing - usually (90% of the time) Yuri is NOT in the mood to be cuddled like this and clambers out of my grasp anyway. Maybe it's just my biological clock ticking and I just need to get myself a REAL baby and quit annoying my poor cat to death. But I know we've all seen Those People. Those People Who Treat Their Pets Like Human Beings. And after spending so much time with my cat throughout my unemployed days, I have begin to catch a glimpse of the other side.
Once you've slept in on a Sunday morning with a cat snuggled up to you, and everytime you shift your position he re-shifts his so that he can stay in maximum contact with your body - you get a little endeared toward the furball! And after you've been lounging on the sofa reading a book and your cat jumps up into your lap, mews every so slightly, and puts himself between your face and the book in a plea for some quality time - you kinda start to think the animal actually LIKES you and appreciates your existence... dare I say, even your company. And when you go on vacation with your husband, and at some point of everyday (sometimes even twice a day), you both wonder aloud what Kitty's doing right that second - you realize that darn pet has already usurped a corner of your heart.
So although Yuri definitely has his moments (scratching, biting, leaving "presents" on the carpet, climbing on and clawing at things he shouldn't, etc.), he sure has his moments (purring, pawing at my belly, rubbing his face on my leg while I wash dishes, jumping into bed with me & my husband and snuggling in between us, etc.) too.
