Betty likes giving paw touches.  These range from light cotton-ball
touches with her paw fur, to paw pad pats, to full grabs.

A favorite target of Betty's paw touches is the face, mostly on the
cheek or nose, and the usual time when they occur is when we're in
bed.  Face touches often come in multiples.  Last week, I actually
counted them, and found that Betty gave me 18 paw touches in the span
of a few minutes.  She was resting her head and paws on my upper arm,
and we were gazing into each other's eyes.  Every few seconds, she'd
extend a paw, lightly stroke my cheek, and fold her paw under her.

Face touches only happen when I'm looking directly at Betty.  Paw
touches to the face are reserved for acknowledging attention, not
getting attention.  She won't paw touch if my eyes are closed, or if
I'm looking away.

When I was waking up yesterday, I found Betty in my arms as usual.  I
looked into her eyes, and she reached out and touched my nose.  I was
sleepy and closed my eyes.  When I opened them, she touched my face
again.  I shut my eyes and drifted off for a few moments.

But when I opened my eyes again, it was to an odd sight.  Her paw was
extended towards me facing sideways with all the fingers splayed out
at me in a hip-looking gesture.  At the same time, her head was tilted
with her face close to mine, and her mouth was open with her tongue
partway out.

Betty looked just like a hip-hop star mugging for the camera for a
music video or public service message!  Was this her new and
progressive style of addressing her audience??

Then she started washing her paw.  Oh.  Probably she was about to give
a paw touch when she noticed that my eyes were closed, so just decided
hey, as long as it's out there she should clean it.