One-Eyed Love

At the Sanctuary, we’ve had our share of one-eyed cats, many of whom hold fond memories for us.

Val, Harry Potter, Fred, Simba - we loved you!

Sometimes the cat has come to us with only one eye; sometimes an infection necessitates the eye’s removal. It’s never a decision taken lightly, but is always one made for the better health of the cat in question.

At the moment we have three one-eyed cats in residence.

Fiona - CP

Fiona is the sister of tuxedo Miller, and of the late Schatzie who once preferred to live in the parking lot. Fiona was the shyest of the three, and still prefers to be out of the way when visitors arrive, emerging from her hiding place at 4:15pm when everyone has been ushered out of the gate.

Fiona with two eyes - MW

As well as her lovely torbie colouring, Fiona was notable for having eyes of two colours, one yellow and the other dark brown.  Last year, showing signs of discomfort, she was taken to the vet, where it was determined that the dark brown eye had a tumour, and immediate enucleation surgery was called for.

Fiona - MW

Fiona sailed through the surgery, and has learned to compensate for the monocular vision loss, managing to negotiate jumps without falling.

Barn-cats enjoying a fishy treat - MW

Pen 7 in the back is known as the barn-cat pen. Browsing through the Neko Blog, I was surprised to note that none of these cats have previously been featured in the blog. They have lived there for almost ten years and are still pretty feral, though some of them will allow touch, and they love their share of chicken or tuna treats used by the med staff to encourage trust. They came to us as a farm-cat colony, and they are obviously related – a number of them are gingers, there are a few stumpy tails, and several of them have a tendency to eye problems.  Med staff take particular care with orange Vera, whose eyes frequently flare up with an infection.

Rodan - MW

My own favourite in the pen is one-eyed Rodan, whose cage stays for eye-treatment, and for occasional colds have left him very comfortable with human contact. Rodan is frequently found at the front of the pen waiting for a volunteer to come and pet him, and he’s the only cat in the enclosure that will lap-sit.

Popeye - BC

Popeye is a newcomer to New Aids, but he has been quick to make himself at home with us.  He is one of the Island cats, coming to us from a shelter in Courtenay. Few shelters are able to give dedicated space to FIV cats (much less FeLV), and we have established a relationship with several of them that allow us to give these cats a home.  AIDS cats, unlike leukemia cats, can live long lives and do not transmit the virus to other cats unless they fight. Several of our AIDS cats are quite adoptable, with the one restriction (common to all RAPS adoptions) that they should remain indoor cats.

Popeye poses for attention - MW

This sweet boy arrived with us bearing the name Sambuca, but with another black Sambuca already in the population, his name was changed. Popeye is a quiet affectionate boy who enjoys petting, and appears to get on fairly well with the other cats.

"I'm so lovable" - VL

All three are delightful cats who would welcome your sponsorship in the RAPS program!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Vicki Lo, Chris Peters, Michele Wright