I Hongi-ed with Mrs Calico

Hongi - sharing the breath of life

Mrs Calico was sitting on the bonnet (hood) of the BMW as we were arriving home. She is usually lurking about somewhere; sprawled on the parking bay floor, tucked behind the pedestrian gate, sitting in the footwell of the 3-wheeler scooter... or doing 'king of the castle' on our neighbours car. 

Diversion: from a position on the neighbours car it is possible to see into the building, monitor the stairs and lift AND be above the other cats who are also monitoring the human inhabitants. The car is a hotly contested place to 'hang out', but Mrs C doesn't always win the top spot. These days Curious Cat, despite his diminuitive size and itchy ears, will claim the car if he is about.

Anyway....Mrs C had the car this day and as we arrived she leapt purposefully to the ground and equally purposefully strode straight up to me sitting on my Donkey waiting for F to unlock the door and thrust her nose at mine. 

F froze. I thrust my nose back at her. We touched. We exchanged the breath breathed into all of us at the beginning of time. F was surprised there was no hissing or howling or swiping or smacking, no recoil or flattened ears, just a hongi, an exchange of understanding and a quiet acknowledgement of the nature of each other.

It has been 3 and a half years since the day I arrived and Mrs C put her paw gently on the outside of the downstairs glass to send me greeting. I was reticent and cautious of her then, but she has been in my house now - we share something.