OH HY OH and HIS CAT, KAZ As the cool breeze of the early morning gently lifed his silky mane, Oh Hy Oh gazed with luminous eyes at the world around him, outside his stall window. The unique blaze in the shape of the number 1 prophesied the racing career he would enjoy. Not much was happening on the farm and the verdant, green grass of the paddock beckoned him. One of our young tabby cats, Kamikaze (Kaz for short), sauntered around the corner of the barn with his tail held straight up in the air. He, too, was bored with waiting on the humans to begin the day’s activities. In search of some distraction, perhaps an inattentive mouse or other prey, he passed directly under Oh Hy Oh’s window and stopped. The sleek, bay stretched his neck down to nuzzle the cat, who froze when the horse’s velvety muzzle touched his back. The horse ruffled his fur with his top lip, then ever-so-gently, the young stallion took the cat in his teeth holding him by the skin of his back and lifting him in the air.
Kim with Little Girl and Kaz in the tackroom door ca. 1982.
When I got closer, I saw that Kaz showed no sign of distress, and then I heard very loud prrrr, prrrrr, prrrring emanating from the dangling feline. After a few minutes of displaying his cat trick, Oh Hy Oh opened his mouth and let Kaz drop to the ground, and the two resumed their wait for breakfast.
Kaz, so named because he once rode the wheelbarrow wheel all the way around, held perfectly stiff, like a fireplace poker. Oh Hy Oh raised his lovely head and stared straight ahead as if waiting to be noticed. To the casual observer, the cat’s back was sure to be broken. I noticed the pair, and quietly and slowly eased closer while telling Oh Hy Oh to, “Drop the cat. Drop. The. Cat.” I didn’t want to startle him and cause him to hurt Kaz if the rigid tabby was even still alive.
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