Along Came Zoey

Ozzie was approaching his one year birthday as a solitary cat, happy in his winter home with four pairs of arms to reach out and hold him. He learned to roam outdoors on a long leash, tracking the doves that landed by the pool and watching the ducks swim by in the lake. He perched on the rocks and sometimes fell into the pool. He would emerge wet but undaunted.

Yes, life was warm and comfortable for Ozzie far from the windy city and then...

...along came Zoey. She rocked his world and turned it upside down.

Nick and Lizzy brought Zoey home on January 30 - a pretty little eight month old kitten barely weighing in at five pounds. We barely saw her the first few days. She hid under the bed or in stayed in her kitty condo recovering from an upper respiratory infection. Little by little, she emerged and began playing with Nick's shoelace. As her coughs and sneezes disappeared, she appeared ready to become part of her new home.

But solitary Ozzie, older and wiser, wasn't too happy about this little intruder. Ozzie hissed and growled. Zoey hissed and growled in return. He attacked and got in trouble for picking on the little one. It seemed like a constant battle so we kept them separated. Suddenly, the hissing and growling stopped and curiosity took over. They raced around the house up and down the stairs from the living room to the family room chasing each other, bells ringing and fur flying. Ozzie would get Zoey in a neck hold, then she would struggle free and run away. Off they'd go again up and down the stairs from the living room to the family room.They still have their fur flying moments, but in the quiet of the day, when no one is watching, they seem content with each other...

...until the next wave of feline frenzy begins.