CC was laying down and I thought I'd be brave. Take the chance to try and pet him. And then he ran away. Except he ran away to a countertop in the bathroom where I could easily pet him. Then he started purring very loudly. So I decided to pick him up. And he went for it. It's very hard to pick up a CC. But he let me do it!
CC originally arrived as a feral cat that could not be tamed. Our goal was to let him know that he had a home base he could get food at and maybe partner him up with another feral orange boy that was also problematic.
A year ago he was living in a kennel in my bedroom too angry to accept pettings. And here he is purring loudly in my arms.
Congratulations. There's something about convincing a cat you're a source of enjoyment that is ridiculously rewarding. You earned those purrs.
I hope he remembers that he enjoyed this experience so you can both keep enjoying future purring!