DANTE: POWER OF THE PAW

Dante had very large paws.  Of course they were just in proportion to the rest of him, but were very substantial indeed.

 Not only were they large, but also very expressive.

He often used them to make a point.

Or for digging.

However, the best use of his paws was to show how much he loved me.  Dante wasn't a lap cat, but he liked to lie close beside me.  His favourite resting spot was on the back of the couch immediately behind me.

He LOVED having his paw held, and would often place it in my hand, himself.  If you removed, it he just lifted up his paw asking me to hold it once again.

I felt such love for Dante, that during each paw-holding session I would squeeze it gently -- off and on, off and on.  To my surprise one day a few years back he recriprocated!

I have tried to describe Dante's hand-squeezing to my friends, as I was often asked "How did he do that?"

Well, with his paw in my hand he would extend his claws and then retract them mimicking the same off-and-on motion that I had just done with him.  From then on, it was a daily ritual.  And now I equate the 'Power of the Paw' with unconditional love.  This is another legacy that Dante has left because, truly, I will never forget it as long as I live.