Jon and Zip

I think I’m as surprised at how attached Jon and Zip are to one another as Jon is.

If Jon is in the yard, Zip is right there next to him, wrapping himself around Jon’s legs or hopping up on his lap.  Today they had a little chat. I don’t know that they’re saying to each other, but I do like seeing Jon turn to mush when Zip shows up.

Jon’s keeps trying to figure it out too.  He’s been writing about it on his blog.

For me it’s fun to watch and sweet to see.  And I’m getting some good pictures of Jon and Zip together.

How could I not.  What is between them is palpable.  And as Jon says, it’s opening up a part of him that had been shut down long ago.

I’ve seen this before with Jon and other animals.  The way he was with Lenore, the Red and now Zinnia.

But with each animal it’s a little different.  Like they each touch another off limits part of Jon. It’s a beautiful thing to witness, this softening between man and cat.

Jon was always drawn to independent dogs, who show their affection “by being close, rather than by being demonstrative.“  Propinquity dogs he called them.

Zinnia had reached beyond that, she loves giving licks.  And now Zip is doing it in his own way.  Recently by curling up around Jon’s neck and falling asleep when Jon sits outside under the apple tree.

I’ve never trusted a cat to get that close to me.  Their claws are too sharp and their reflexes too quick. Maybe Zip knows that about me and wants something more.

Something that he and Jon share.