Luka

Luka  (KN)

Usually my Neko-blogs come into existence when I find I have a nice collection of pictures, and decide to write a cat-profile around them.   In Luka’s case, I was asked for a picture for a potential sponsorship certificate, and discovered I didn’t have any!

Posing nicely   (JS)

Luka is one of our many black cats in the front courtyard. I am grateful that I don’t have to know every black cat by name, as the med-staff do – for them, it really matters that the right cat gets the right meds. For me, if I can’t identify a cat, I can call it Black Cat 42b, and not worry too much about it.

You can turn it on now   (KN)

But everyone working in the front courtyard knows Luka – because she’s one of our collared cats; reactive, a little spicy, with her favourites.  She is best known for her habit of hanging out in the sink; she doesn’t want to be wetted down, but she likes to have water available.

If the sink's taken, a drain will do  (CP)

Luka has been with us for two years; her original name was Luna, but we’ve had several Lunas, and one letter change set her apart from the others. She came to us from from a family that was moving, and who were not prepared to take this little diva with them; I believe there was a new baby and Luka was feeling displaced, and acting out with pee, as well as with her claws. With us, she has settled down in her own way – the collar is mostly a warning, but in the right mood, she’s pettable. She’s mostly a loner; she doesn’t interact much with the other cats.

On the prowl  (JS)

So I went in to do a Kitty Comforter shift, and said I’d get a photo of Luka at the same time.  And of course (typical cat) she was nowhere to be found.  Not in or around the sink. Not in the Connor, which was still being cleaned. Not in the adjacent seating area. Nowhere around the SW entrance. Oh, well, I thought, later...    Two hours later I returned to the front courtyard. No Luka – checked everywhere. Nothing can disappear like a cat that doesn’t want to be found.  I touched bases with Carol and Justin, coming on shift as I left, and asked them to look out for her.

No sink - but a box is acceptable   (KN)

Karen, of course, had a photo of Luka on file. Then I got messages from both Carol and Justin, and a regular collection of photos – lots of choice for her sponsor!

Luka and the grass treat  (CP)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson, Carol Porteous, Justin Saint

July rainbows

Neko, from the Leukemia pen  (KN)

One of the hard things about involvement in the Cat Sanctuary – and I think it has to be particularly hard on the med-staff – is the number of cats we lose through the year. The cat population at the Adoption Centre constantly changes, but it changes because Adoption Centre cats are gone to new homes. The majority of our Sanctuary losses are the cats we lose to age and illness, and it hurts to come in and find that a beloved friend has gone.

Denzel always sat with his paws neatly turned out  (BC)

Often this seems to happen in waves. We had a couple of months earlier in the year when we had only a couple of passings – but this past July has been painful: 12 cats gone in 26 days.  And somehow, to have them cross the rainbow bridge in this lovely weather feels all wrong.  

Jerry, from the Val Jones pen  (KN)

The first to go was sweet battered-looking Jerry in the Val Jones;  Jerry was one of the few FIV cats that showed the effects of the virus; he struggled with skin problems and mouth problems.  But he loved his feline buddies and his human friends, and was never happier than when having cuddles. Three days later we lost Neko from the Leukemia pen, and Denzel from the DW deck. Handsome Neko had been a very spooked feral for some time after coming to us, spending most of his time in the overhead walkways, but in the last couple of years his reserve had thawed, and he came down to enjoy petting from staff and volunteers.  Denzel was the last cat trapped at the old 5 Road shelter, before RAPS left it for demolition and rebuilding; he was a good buddy of Luke and Bodhi, and of Hamlet, now gone – the three tuxedos formed the core of what Daphne called the Mafia cats in the Catsino - and Denzel was the honorary consigliere.

from the gremlin Autumn was when she first arrived....

to the flirt who loved everyone   (KN)

The following day, sweet Autumn crossed the bridge. Autumn had been with us since 2012 when she arrived with her kittens; the angry hissy girl of those early days turned into a floofy flirt who enjoyed nothing better than human attention. She’d had mouth problems for at least the last year, and a lot of cage time while the vets tried to sort out what what happening with her.

Chumley, lounging in Pen 1 (MW)

Paula, exploring outside Pen 2   (MW)

A surprise passing was Juliette, one of the cats from what we call the Newton hoard. Most of that colony is doing well, but one of our concerns with them is how inbred they likely are, and it’s probable that Juliet was carrying a genetic timebomb.   Three days later, we lost four cats in a single day.  Two of them were seniors: Chumley (kidney disease) had been with us 14 years, and Paula (cancer) for a bit less; she was one of the Pen 2 cats who came to us in 2016. As we lost the older cats from that colony, Paula stepped up to become quite the bossyboots, changing from a hide-away girl to one who roamed the courtyard.  Lloyd in Pen 4 has gone to be with his beloved buddy Len across the Bridge, and with him was one of the Hotel cats from the past winter's trapping;  we never really got to know Kimpton well, and he was not a happy Sanctuary dweller, unlike his companions Westin and Wyndham.

Higgins, in the DoubleWide  (KN)

The following week, sweet Higgins passed;  he came to us as a battered boy, and he never really recovered his health, constantly struggling with skin conditions – possibly an auto-immune situation. He rarely ventured outside, making his home in the Double Wide, where there were always people around to make much of him;  he was pretty wary of other cats.|

Would there be any chicken for me?  (KN)

Two more shocks – little Nova, from the SingleWide, was gone at the weekend; Nova had arrived with her kittens, and been a very ferocious mama until they went for adoption;  once they were gone she settled into Sanctuary living, becoming a chickaholic and a happy dancer. The SingleWide seems very empty without her determined begging!  And sweet semi-feral Fletcher, who came to us with his buddies Fonzie and Flynn, had been hiding away and losing weight; both of them had cancer.  Fletcher had been learning that humans were not so bad, but the feral instinct is not to show weakness and by the time he was seen, it was too late.

We had all too little time with Fletcher   (BC)

So July was a pretty brutal month – and all that on top of losing Willow, Charlotte, Sylar, Flash, Marble and Adam in June. Four of those were seniors, and anticipated – the loss is never welcome, but the passing of senior cats has to be accompanied by gratitude for their long lives with us, and for all the love that was shared with them. And even for the relative newcomers like Juliette, Fletcher and Kimpton, we take comfort in knowing that their time with us was lived in safety, and with much love and care from staff and volunteers. Rainbows at the Bridge mean there was rain, and tears – but their light was so beautiful... 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Handsome Bello

Bello - the handsome one  (KN)

I don’t remember when Bello came to the Sanctuary – usually I will meet a new cat in my Kitty Comforter shift during their initial cage-stay with us. But in late spring I started to notice a pale ghost in the back courtyard, generally around Waldie’s Hut, or on the shelves backing onto the SingleWide. Any move towards him resulted in his doing a disappearing trick, and I went to the med staff to find out more.

You can't see me, I'm not there....   (BC)

We have good relationships with a number of BC shelters, and will sometimes accept cats from them that are too feral for adoption;  they know that in our care, these felines can remain feral but safe as long as is needful.  Bello is one of those cats – in his case, he came from the Lower Mainland Humane Society in February. He had been trapped as a feral, and was consistently fearful with them, and not considered a good adoption prospect. RAPS was to be his sanctuary. We think he's around three years old.

Bello's portrait from FVHS;
crouched down with ears pinned back in fear

Because we had all his medical records, his cage-stay was brief - a short while in the Adoption Centre, a stay in Newcomers, where he remained behind his drape. And like a lot of ferals on release, his first instinct was to go and hide – generally emerging in the early morning or late evening. I tend to be an early morning volunteer (when I’m not feeding in the evening!) and found Bello was more open to contact when fewer people were around. He could often be found comfortably settled on a cat-tree where he could slide away behind the shelves if he got nervous.

Starting to be patient with an approaching human  (BC)

Bello is the masculine form of the word bella, meaning beautiful.  His name suits him – he’s really handsome, in a striking way. We suspect there’s some Siamese in him, evidenced in his lynx-tip coloring and blue eyes, but his chonky body shape is much more British Shorthair.

Coming for pets....  (KN)

Patience began to pay off; he would allow a little contact, and accept tidbits from my hand. I heard from other volunteers that they were starting to get somewhere with him.  Occasionally he would approach for a leg-rub; he started interacting with other cats, and could be found enjoying the sun with the others. He stayed well out of the way on visiting days, but would appear when things were quieter.

Lounging comfortably for visitors  (BC)

I left in mid-June for a 3-week (cat-less) vacation, and came home to the Sanctuary to discover that Bello had blossomed; he was out more, looking for attention from people, and even being around to accept petting during visiting hours – though he tends to settle himself in a chair just out of reach of the rope that marks the cats-only boundary!  

Happy smile   (KN)

It seems to me that Bello is one of those cats that is likely a stray rather than a true feral; he may well have had a home, and been so traumatized by its loss that he reverted to the terrified feral behaviour. We do have ferals that tame up in time, but both Bello and his buddy Guacamole have made the switch relatively quickly, and we hope that both may be candidates to find their own homes in due course.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Pobre gatita Kia

Kia - the regal glare  (KN)

 Five-year old Kia came to us in May 2024, and was caged in the front courtyard Hill House for her introduction to the Sanctuary. The Hill House is usually a good place to start for a cat; the two big cages are quiet and private when draped, and most of the cats who use the building as their base are not aggressive – many of them spend time in the feral area next door.

Defending her space  (BC)

Kia was not a happy camper when she arrived. All newcomer cats get their cages set up with places to hide, and she made full use of every bit of cover. Volunteers arriving to do a morning clean, or to deliver supper, were greeted by angry hissing from behind a drape, and we placed a warning sign on her door so that people would disturb her as little as possible.  She was, of course, on the Kitty Comforters’ list, but was adamant that she did not want interaction with people, so most of us could do little more than sit and talk with her, while she told us to go away!

Very spicy in her early days  (KN)

Having a cat surrendered to us because of aggression is not a new thing, of course – we have our share of cats (most of them collared) who are pretty reactive. What I think many of us had not realised was that her background probably ensured her reactivity. You see, Kia is from Mexico! As a former street cat, she was adopted by a Mexican couple, who then moved to BC. I don’t think she was a particularly nice cat with them, but it got to the point where she was aggressive to anyone arriving, and they feared that she might harm someone. So now she’s in a strange country, away from the only people she knew, and not hearing a language sound she might recognize. And we know what a difference it made to the late sweet Neko in Leukemia to hear someone speak Japanese, or for tortie Princess to hear voices in Farsi.

The look says "No closer!"  AG

Still – it is what it is, and Kia was going to have to settle.  With cage-time over – it’s usually 4-6 weeks, depending on various factors – the door was opened. Kia glowered – this cage was her space, and she did not appreciate visits from investigating felines. She remained where she was for some time, making it quite clear that nothing had changed; she didn’t want company, she hated other cats, like Greta Garbo, she “vanted to be alone”.

Do not disturb me   (BC)

Gradually she started to emerge, and initially came to claim the cat-tree or the counter-top just outside her cage. This was slightly more dangerous for volunteers – that countertop is the source of evening feeds, and we had to keep an eye on our dragon-cat, and not allow her to slash at working hands. Signs went up – obviously fueled by painful encounters – warning the unsuspecting to be very careful.

Sometimes the look is tentative rather than aggressive  (DW)

Her range began to increase; she could be found at floor level at meal-times – not competing with anyone for food, but keeping a wary eye on the activity around. The other cats have learned to give her a wide berth.  Carol Porteous, who brings special goodies for the cats she feeds, was very patient with her, and Kia became more willing to explore beyond the boundary of the window.  Her long self-imposed cage stay had meant very little exercise, and it’s hard to see the former street cat in this tubby girl with the baleful stare.

Finally venturing through the window  (CP)

When we have weekend visitors, Kia returns to her safe place, but at quieter times, she has begun to investigate the rest of the courtyard.  She has been spotted sitting beside the sink, or at the top of the steps to the Single-Wide, and occasionally even on the bench by the entry. She is still wary of contact; when I stop to speak with her she turns away and ignores me – but that’s an improvement on the hiss-and-claws encounters. She is one of the cats who just takes a long time to accept that life has changed, and that nobody is going to harm her.  

A gentler look  (KN)

If your Spanish is better than my minimal skill, go hunt her out and try talking to her – but stay out of reach of those murder mittens!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Akira Graham, Karen Nicholson, 

Carol Porteous, Debbie Wolanski

Kamloops Catz 4: No Oranges Here

Barley (KN)

With the oodles of orange cats from Kamloops, the ones who aren’t orange stand out a bit more than most tabbies usually do!  

She may not look it, but Matcha is the bravest! (KN)

Genetics, of course, with cats, are a little difficult to discern. A queen cat may accept the advances of a number of males, and have a litter of kittens that look quite different from each other. We don’t know if this is the case with the tabbies who arrived with all the orange ones, or whether there was a tabby mama responsible for producing them.

Juniper  (LBF)

Like their orange siblings, they are liable to move around together – where you find one, it’s likely that the others are not far away. Barley is the most easily distinguished – she is a pretty grey tabby, and if you look at her head you’ll sees he has a little cows-lick of hair sticking up – not quite enough to call a Mohawk!   

Shy Violet (KN)

Juniper is the darkest tabby, and the largest of them (well, almost); Matcha is the most likely to be venturing further afield, occasionally followed by his smaller buddy Violet, though Violet and Barley really prefer to cosy up out of the way of people.  

Thorne  (KN)

When small Daffodil (featured in last week's blog) came to live at the Sanctuary, she came with one more member of the colony – the biggest one! Big Thorne is like Persimmon in majesty – but there’s even more of him. He has a wonderful thick multicoloured coat; his face shows clear tabby patterns, though this coat is so abundant that it’s hard to make out just exactly what the markings are. His mane can be quite lion-like. Unfortunately, like most of the Kamloops cats, he doesn’t welcome human touch – he will tolerate it briefly, but not enough to allow anyone to groom him – so he has to have the mats trimmed out, and he may probably be another customer for a summer haircut.

Thorne (KN)

Unlike Daffodil, who has found her own "family", Thorne had no hesitation in claiming his Kamloops buddies, and now that they've moved to their summer home in Pen 5, Thorne maintains a regal presence there,

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen & Karen Nicholson

Kamloops Catz 3: Blondes Have More Fun

Goldie  (KN)

There used to be a fallacy that most orange cats were male. We now know that that percentage is considerably less – usually cited as 80% - and I would venture to say that at the Sanctuary it’s even less than that.  The gene for orange coloration is linked to the X chromosome, and males only need one copy of the gene to be orange, while females need two. Having said that, it’s clear that in some colonies, the genetic odds for orange females are much higher, and that’s certainly the case with the Kamloops colony.  

Rapunzel & Buffy  (BC)

It may not be immediately obvious, through, because some of our orange females are so pale in colour that “orange” is not the word that leaps to mind.

Buffy  (LBF)

Buffy is the darkest of these – the same sort of colour as the late Pumpkin and Walker, who I tend to describe as “champagne”.  Goldie and Rapunzel are paler still.  These three little girls prefer to base themselves out of Pen 5; when the others migrate back to the TeaRoom for winter warmth, the blondes prefer to add their body warmth to the cosy Pen 5 cabin, sharing with Adam, May and Walker, as well as with some of their non-orange family.

Rapunzel  (KN)

Buffy and Goldie are both still very shy; they will allow themselves to be watched, and are sometimes interested in wand toy play, but they would prefer to be left alone. You can sometimes pat Buffy, if you can do so without letting her see the hand; once the petting has started, she will allow herself to enjoy it for a bit, and then scoot away. Goldie is a don’t-touch-me girl. She and Rapunzel look very similar, but one step towards them will tell you which is which - Goldie backs away quickly but her buddy is a little braver. Rapunzel sports a white bib with her blond fur, and she is the only one of the three who will approach humans to solicit attention.  When she’s in the mood, she’s a total flirt – with weekend visitors as well as with volunteers.

Daffodil   (KN)

A fourth light orange cat called Daffodil is technically part of this group; she came from the original colony and was fostered in Kamloops, but it was decided that she might do better with access to her family. In fact, she has never merged back with them; she prefers to remain in the Newcomers area, and sometimes wanders over to the DoubleWide, but she never seemed to recognize the others at all, and has made her own “family” with her Newcomers buddies. That family has been hit by the passing of Pumpkin, who Daffodil loved – we’ll see who she might bond with when her mourning is over.

Daffodil  (KN)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson

Next week: Not orange!

Kamloops Catz 2: Lots of Orange

Persimmon  (JS)

In last week’s blog, the bonded cats from the Kamloops colony were introduced.  That's not to say that the other cats don't show bonds with each other;  there's a lot of crossing of groups, and assorted cuddle-puddles, but those five cats are the most consistent in their choice of company.

Persimmon  (VW)

Of the other darker orange cats, the dominant personality has to be Persimmon.  Right from the beginning, she was the brave one; though not tame, she was ready to approach us and allow contact. She’s probably the most identifiable of the long-haired oranges – the largest of them in both size and build. She exudes a matriarchal presence, though as far as we know, they’re all similar ages. She is probably also the most comfortable with being on her own.

I'm big, and I'm cute!  (KN)

Persimmon is ready to interact gently with visitors at the weekends, either from the cuddle-puddle in the Tea Room, or from a favourite perch on the cat-tree outside. She enjoys petting, and is not wary of strangers if they’re clearly cat-people.  Every now and then she will join the other cats in a wander down to Pen 5 for a little visit there, and then she’ll make her way back to her cosy bed.

Billy  (KN)

Short-haired Billy is her orange opposite.  He is something of a fraidy-cat. He prefers to avoid contact with humans, and manages by staying mainly in Pen 5, which especially in the summer becomes a playground for many of the Kamloops cats. 

Billy in his own home  (KN)

The shelves in the cabin are well-occupied, and Billy tends to be outside, sleeping in one of the straw-filled dog-kennels nearby. He is an observer rather than a participant, but can occasionally be drawn into play with a wand toy.

Cheeto looking judgemental  (KN)

The other two long-haired orange boys are Cheeto and Kumquat. Cheeto has the same sort of pointy face as dark brown Chaga – possibly they’re brothers. He’s all orange with a white tail-tip, and he has a tiny dot on his nose.  For me, Kumquat, who’s a little smaller, is “the other orange cat” – if I can’t positively ID him as one of the others, it has to be Kumquat. 

Kumquat (MW)

He’s a part-of-the-group boy, usually found in company with the other cats and often looks anxious, like Mercury (another orange boy but from a quite different colony, living in Pen 1).

There was one other orange girl – Ginger – but sadly, she passed suddenly last September.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint, Valerie Wilson, Michele Wright

Most of the other orange cats are much paler in colour, so I’ve grouped them together in next week’s blog, which I’ve called Blondes have More Fun.