Last, but certainly not least, on this reporter’s quest for CHS’ fascinating felines is Kiwi, a calico who found a mutual attraction with senior Colin O’Grady more than 13 years ago.
“I got her when I was in kindergarten,” O’Grady explains. “I was drawn to her because she was purring really loud and rubbing up against the cage. When I took her out, she circled my leg and kept rubbing her head against me. I knew I wanted to adopt her right then.”
Named after her piercing green eyes, Kiwi has proven to be an exceptional cat with dog-like qualities, including greeting guests at the door and begging for food at the table.
Kiwi has established herself as the head of the O’Grady household, after an incident with O’Grady’s bird Lovey, which let the rest of the family know that she reigns queen.
“Kiwi is usually fine with the bird. She just ignores him,” O’Grady explains. “But once, when we put the bird on the coffee table to walk around, Kiwi was walking by with her tail sticking up, and the bird saw it and bit it. Kiwi got really mad, got on her hind legs, and just kind of whacked the bird with her paws a few times. The bird has never bugged her again.”
Despite this passionate outburst, Kiwi remains a source of love and a staple in the O’Grady family.
“She always knows when something is wrong and will sit with me,” O’Grady notes. “She will sometimes even extend her paws across my leg. She’s basically like another human in the family.”
-EMILY WOLFSON
