Cinco de Meow
Today marks a year from the day we found Ogree the kitten on the side of the tollway. Narrowing to one lane, with more than 3/4 mile before an entrance/exit ramp in either direction, cars averaging 85 mph, we were driving along when my mother spotted the tiny, very gray, kitten. She was stretching up on her hind legs trying to sense her way up the concrete wall, as far away from the stream of cars as she could get.
With no where to go, and somehow steering clear of the cars racing by only a few feet from her, she was drawn to a metal grate in the shoulder of the tollway. This is where we wedged the car (to slow traffic) and I got out to scoop her up. With a hiss so mighty I hesitated about grabbing the tiny kitten, she was torn between distrust and need.
I draped a towel over the kitten and got back in the car. She cried and cried until her voice was only a squeaky rasp. After having her checked out at the local emergency animal clinic we found her mostly unharmed though covered in layers of petro-chemical sludge. (see the scabs alongside her nose. these are symptoms of road rash and pollution. These took a few weeks to heal, with the deeper scabs taking months to fall off, poor creature.)
As it turned out, Ogree was not a gray kitten, but pure white… with a gray patch on her head –or so we thought until 10 months later when that too finally grew/washed out all the way. As pathetic as kitty bath time is, we gave her 3 thorough baths (one a day), as each one brought her that much closer to her natural fluffy white coat.
Here’s Ogree still healing but feisty and explorative as all get out. A wise old soul, Ogree likes to hang out with her people when she’s not tearing around fuckin stuff up! –er excuse me, i meant exploring things. She enjoys many games and is constantly challenging herself and the boundaries she encounters.
..one of her favorite games is ‘I challenge you’ which has been played non-stop since she was a few months old. how this works: Point at Ogree, saying “I challenge you”, and she plots and darts behind obstacles weaving her way toward you for a vicious play attack on the offending pointer.
Ready to pitch in and play hard, Ogree loves to run alongside us, dodging and tearing around lunging back and forth chasing each other. She’s quite loyal and protective, in many ways she seems more like a dog. That said, she’s certainly a survivor, and doesn’t take shit from ANYbody.
I remember a day about 5 months ago when she wouldn’t stop trying to mess with the ONE THING she wasn’t supposed to mess with (because she wasn’t allowed of course). Losing my temper as she tore off, scattering pieces to my ‘important project’ all in her wake, I yelled, “fuck you, Ogre”.
to which she replied by turning straight around and leaping into full attack right into my face. She didn’t hurt me, but was making it clear she had no intention of tolerating insulting bursts from me or anyone else. She batted and swerve attacked until it seemed to her I’d gotten the message.
SO many things to fuck up, there isn’t enough time in a day to investigate all the mysteries and small spaces available to her… is how this first year has gone.. for the most part.
In February she somehow got out unnoticed and we went out for the entire night. There were signs she’d tried to scratch her way back into the balcony door. We didn’t notice her missing until well into the next day.
We walked and called and called, but no Ogree. We made LOST posters and taped them up all around the neighborhood. And finally, 8 days later (great birthday present, her reappearance was!) we got a call from neighbors living on the other side of this block. She cried and took some convincing to get her to come to us, but she started mewing as soon as she recognized our voices.
So glad she came back to us. We were all quite upset about having let her slip out and not being able to get back in. Here’s how she looks now, a year to the day of her tollway liberation.
I’m so grateful that my mom spotted her that day as we were speeding along the highway –that we were at the right place and right time when she so desperately needed help. k, now Ch says this sounds like Kitten Singles Ad so I guess I’ve successfully celebrated Ogree Day. Sweet (cantankerous) Ogree, you are loved.
