In Memory of Ozzie 1/12/2016 – 2/17/2024
Ozzie was a street cat before he was ever a Shadow Cat, wandering the rough and tumble kitty streets of Kerrville, TX. He clearly got in a scrape or two as he tested positive for both feline leukemia and FIV in the care of Freeman-Fritts Vet Clinic & Shelter. This limited our Ozzie’s options, but thankfully for him (and mostly for us) we simply couldn’t resist his tomcat cheeks and sweet disposition when we were asked to intake him in December of 2021.
Our sweet Ozzie’s fight did not end on the streets though, as he later contracted FIP. Ozzie fought and overcame it, going on to have several happy years at Shadow Cats despite all the odds working against him. He often confused and amused us with his silly personality, which was surprising given his looks! It seems his time as a street cat made him far more approachable than we could’ve anticipated. He had less of the standard regal catitude—he was far more dorky, clumsy, and downright loveable. With Ozzie, you’d find yourself fixed with a quirked brow and a smile as you analyzed his silly antics. He’d go into these euphoric fits after getting a good tummy rub, wandering off to headbutt and rub against the nearest inanimate object. We assumed this was just a purely blissful display, a strange token of gratitude not even the other cats seemed to understand. Ozzie was a strange, special boy, and we loved him for it.
He seemed to hit things head first, for some reason, including your hand when he wanted to remind you of what your priority should be—petting him! And then when you’d give him what he wanted, ample chin scritches and love, he’d flop and roll in the most dramatically sweet display! What a personality our boy had, even if he did turn medicating him into a Scooby-Doo style hallway chase. We cherished our time with Ozzie, happy to have given him safety, shelter, a warm and sunny catio to bask on, plenty of food (of which he was happy to eat most anything), and all of the love in our hearts. We wish that were enough to keep Ozzie going forever, but in the end, he had one more hurdle to cross—a cancer diagnosis. We guided Ozzie over the rainbow bridge, wrapped in the warmest of blankets, and surrounded by loving hands giving him plenty of pets and many forehead kisses.
We will feel Ozzie’s absence in many corners of the sanctuary, but we can continue with our hearts feeling fuller having known him at all. Ozzie had a chance at Shadow Cats that he never had on the streets, and he reveled in that chance, living life to the fullest and touching many hearts as he did despite all odds against him.
Thank you to his sponsors, Amy J, Stuart M, and Kathy M. Thank you to his amazing volunteers, the incredible veterinary care he was given, and our caring loving staff that nursed him to the very end. And a huge thank you to his rescuers, we have been blessed to have this boy at the sanctuary. We will miss you, our beloved Ozzie boy.
Ozzie had 3 Sponsors
Amy Juried
Stuart McKnight
Kathy McElroy