Jerry - PH |
Henrik - MW |
And the side-effect of that is that he can’t groom himself effectively, so that a complete haircut is occasionally necessary.
Chip - CF |
Chip is the brother of Dale, in the Double-wide. He’s the nearest thing Jerry has to competition, and tends to be very wary of him; mostly you’ll find Jerry in the left-hand cabin (VJ 1), and Chip in the smaller right-hand one (VJ 2). Chip is a chicken-lover, and always emerges when there are offerings. He's a friendly boy, and likes human company.
Foxy - MW |
This little boy came from the Newcomers area when blood-tests showed that what was obviously latent FeLV had become full-blown. He’s another chick-aholic, and we worry about his health when he’s not ready to chow down on chicken tidbits. Still very shy, you’ll usually find Foxy hiding on one of the lower shelves. He’s not ready to be petted, but humans bearing gifts are tolerated.
Mocha - MW |
Cross-eyed Mocha is the last of a family of three cats who came in together. We recently lost her sister Cappuccino – a little torbie who looked nothing like her littermate. Her brother Pekoe (Orange Pekoe, of course) was one of my favourites when I first came to the Sanctuary, and other than colouring, looked very like Mocha – including the stubby tail. His sister is a little wary about being petted, but is very food-motivated.
Suga - PH |
Sweet Suga came into the Val Jones about 18 months ago, and immediately settled down with her friends. She’s a snuggler – there’s often a cuddle-puddle in the Val Jones house, and Suga is inevitably part of it.
GusGus - MW |
This sweet boy has been part of the VJ family for some time. He’s the brother of pretty grey Hope in the front courtyard, and Domino (now passed), and we cared for both his mother Joanie, and the cat we think was his father, Hudson. GusGus is one of my own sponsor cats, and I try to spend a little time with him whenever I visit. FeLV leaves him very susceptible to feline colds, and I’m always anxious when he’s off his food – it’s usually that he’s become congested and food loses its tastiness for him. This is always an anxious time for us – with Feline Leukemia, the compromised immune system has a harder time throwing off any infection.
The VJ cuddle-puddle - GusGus, Mocha & Suga - BC |
I know I’m not the only volunteer who loves to spend time with these lovely cats. The usual protocols apply – we are careful to wash before and after visits, not because FeLV is infectious, but because we need to protect them from the germs more easily tolerated by other cats.
Come and visit them on a Sunday afternoon, and get to know them better!
Blog by Brigid Coult
Photos by Brigid Coult, Claire Fossey, Phaedra Hardman, Michele Wright
oh I love all the cats in there...Jerry such a stunning beauty, and Henny as I call him...like a beach ball ...just love them all
ReplyDeleteDianne