Tommy vs Holly, part 1

Tommy, aka Mr Tom, is a large all black cat with expressive green eyes.  He must be part Siamese for he can yowl pretty darn good.  Hence other nicknames that shall be omitted from my blog or I'll get a PG-13 rating due to language.  When Holly and I arrived in his home Tommy did not cower.  For the next three months he stomped and hissed, fluffed out his fur and arched his back like a Halloween cat doing his best to intimidate the largest dog he'd ever seen.  Holly ignored him. 

Now Tommy didn't take too well to being ignored.  He went on the offensive.  From on top of or from under furniture he attacked Holly batting her with a paw.  Since Tommy has been declawed Holly continued to ignore him.  Growing braver Tommy stalked her and if she turned and looked at him, he hissed and growled.  Holly didn't know what to make of his attitude but she was good and didn't respond in kind.  Gradually Tommy got up the nerve to get close to this foreign blond monster that had invaded his space.  If she was lying down Tommy would circle her sniffing delicately at an ear or paw. 

Then came the day Tommy had his fill of being ignored.  He marched straight up to Holly and batted her with both front paws.  I held my breath.  Holly is a Boxer.  She's well versed in delivering a one-two whacks.  One good swat from Holly and the cat would be flying.  Much to my surprise Holly, who did not grow up around cats, dropped to her belly and looked Tommy in the eye.  And then she woofed in his face.  That gave Tommy something to think about and while he was thinking - Holly licked him.  I half expected Holly to turn to me and say "he tastes like fish". 

Boxers come in two varieties: wet-mouth and dry-mouth (think drool).  Holly is a dry-mouth which in this instance was sort of a shame.  Still, the expression on Tommy's face when a huge tongue wiped his whole head and most of his upper body in one pass had me doubled over in laughter.  Poor Tommy; he just sat there stunned - so Holly licked him again.

Realization set in; every fiber of that cat's being recoiled in horror.  "I've been kissed by a dog!"  Tommy retreated to the laundry room and sat atop the washer for the next couple of hours scouring dog slobber from his fur.