Ray Charles

Ray Charles was looking for a new foster placement at the same time that I was seeking a foster companion for Blu.  Ray was paired with another singleton, Stevie Wonder.  But Stevie's fosters discovered he had more serious neurological issues and he was medically fragile.  Ray loved Stevie, but didn't understand that Stevie couldn't play as hard as he wanted to play, so they were being separated for most of the day unless they could be supervised. 

Blu was getting ready to head to Petsmart, but was scheduled to go there without any of her foster playmates.  Blu is a social kitten with a history of trauma.  She does really well and seems confident most of the time, but she cannot handle being alone.  She becomes very distressed.   

It was a match made in heaven.  Even their names matched: Blu-Ray! 

I picked him up on Wednesday evening with a scheduled trip to petsmart Saturday (today!)  I crossed all my fingers and toes that he'd get along with Blu.  Ray traveled really well and was cautiously interested in meeting everyone right away.  Curious Nimbus waddled over in a friendly way to say hello and they became instant friends.  Nimbus is a little slow moving, very floppy, and seems a little... dim.  Very non-threatening.

Ray and Blu were both interested in each other, but these two sleeker models are built for speed and agility.  They took turns stalking each other, wanting to play but also a little wary of the other.  Their tiny kitten brains would be distracted by the feather wand, which they would pounce upon in abandon, which frequently led to mid-air collisions or an unintentional landing on the other's head.  (Nimbus played too...but with less leaps and a lot more lazy swats at a place the feather used to be.. he's not very fast)

But both kittens have a sweet nature and seek out human comfort.  When they met in the middle while calm, the friendship began to bloom.  

By the end of the first 24 hours, they were both delighted to have a wrestling buddy that actually knew how to play rough and tumble.  But Ray is very cuddly and loves to curl into my back or under my chin for naps.  He's such an even-tempered, gentle kitten with a high play drive.  He adjusted extremely well into my home, even venturing out to meet the housecats, all within just a few short days.  He'll be a great addition to any home!