Oz and Merlin were the first to join the sanctuary in June 2015. He is a CCAS ambassador, greeting new cats whether they like it or not.
Oz came from a small shelter in Michigan where he was found as a stray. He had a fecal obstruction (which can be deadly) due to Manx Syndrome. They were having a hard time with placement and had decided to let him live as an outdoor cat at a sanctuary in Utah before finding us - which could literally kill him. One of the shelter staff drove Oz to the Iowa border to meet LuAnn when she left Wisconsin with Merlin. He and Merlin came to Colorado together and the rest is history. Oz is the top cat at the sanctuary. He is very passive and entertaining. Oz also talks a lot and has a big vocabulary. He's a runner with those long legs. Ozzie can get out of almost any enclosure and sneaks out when we open the door. We keep a close eye on him as he has been AWOL a few times. Thankfully, he comes back when he's had a nice run but it is dangerous in the mountains. We have spent a lot of time calling and waiting for Oz to return which is terrifying! Oz is very doglike, comfortable greeting humans and animals alike. He loves to be outside, which unfortunately is not safe in the mountains. When we lived in Denver, he got to hang out by the door on a leash and talk to passersby which he enjoyed more than anything! Ozzie has very poor boundaries. When new kitties arrive and need some time to adapt, Oz can't stand it! He becomes obsessed with getting in to see the new kid. Inevitably, he sneaks in their room when someone opens the door and climbs on top of the crate where he begins to chatter incessantly. The new kitties are usually pretty freaked out by this, but he puts them at ease quickly. By the time they get to gen pop, Oz has taken them under his wing so all the other kitties treat them well. As the top cat of the sanctuary, earning Oz's approval is important - and easy to do. He seems to like everyone but also keeps them in line with one gentle (huge) paw on the head when needed. Oz is a CCAS hero:-) Oz also has OCD. He is very compulsive about cleaning, both his environment and his roommates. He can be seen neurotically gathering every speck of spilled food or cat litter, cleaning the litter box (which he can’t actually use due to Manx Syndrome), aggressively grooming all the boy cats, etc. It can be exhausting to watch him, but he does rests when there is nothing out of order to obsess about and when in his crate where he sleeps at night. Oz has an autoimmune disorder that flares up periodically and requires medical attention. As a cat with Manx Syndrome, he is also susceptible to urinary tract infections. If you are interested in knowing more about Oz, email us! |