Roe

Walking across the front courtyard, a distinctive white tail-tip crosses the vision – Roe is on the prowl!

This striking-looking torby girl came to us about a year ago, a victim of her own reluctance to use the litter-box.  Like many litter-box-failures, Roe has a strong personality, and when things don’t go the way she wants, she will express her feelings in pee.

When a new cat comes to the Sanctuary, the med staff take some time to consider in which area it will be placed – they try to keep numbers balanced, and take into account its background. We were told Roe had been an indoor cat, so she was placed in the Single-Wide trailer. It quickly became obvious that that she was not a fan of other cats – from her initial cage home she was quick to let the curious ones know that they should stay well away from her territory. 

Once the cage was opened, she didn’t so much defend her territory as carry it with her;  she quickly established that she liked to be near the main door, and even more, that she liked to be on the other side.

KN

Volunteers and staff alike got used to the cry of “Roe is out!” She wasn’t nasty about being picked up and returned to the trailer; she just bided her time and waited for the next opportunity. Any door was a challenge – including the one to the dryer.

Finally Roe got her way; it was decided that she would be allowed out into the front courtyard, and we would see if she was really looking to escape, or just wanted to be in the open air. 

She can occasionally be found near the front gates, but she’s not a gate-buster like Jasper or Cole; now that she has a measure of freedom she seems to be happy – though she’s still not a fan of other cats.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson & Michele Wright