Titan and Dixie

KN

Litter-mates Titan and Dixie came to us from one of the shelters with which we work elsewhere in the province. Masset Animal Helpline serves Haida Gwaii, and sent us this pair who had been adopted and then abandoned when the owners moved. Because they had been living most of their lives outside the home, they were unsocialised and not considered adoptable. Pacific Coastal Airlines generously flew them down for free and we were able to pick them up at the South Terminal.

LBF

A very shy pair in their early days with us, they huddled in their cage in the Connor and didn’t want to respond to overtures from the Kitty Comforters.  Once the cage was opened, Titan, the braver of the two, went exploring, and for a while the two were separated when he seemed to be unable to find his way back to his sister.  Titan has always been the venturesome one – when you see an unfamiliar orange front courtyard cat, it’s probably him – Little Orange has those distinctive haematoma ears, and Tigger has quite defined white markings.

The other orange boys: Tigger & Little Orange - MW

Dixie - BC

For a while we had Dixie caged for medical care, and once released she zeroed in on the feral area as a place to feel safe.  In the very early days of the Sanctuary, there were rabbits as well as cats, and a covered courtyard space is known as the Old Rabbit Area. It is noted particularly for its draped shelves, well suited for scared ferals to feel they have a hiding place. Dixie has chosen “her” shelf, hoping to avoid contact with more than the occasional human visitor.  Not having weekend visitors during this COVID-19 time has actually been something of a blessing for the ferals.  We try to keep the Old Rabbit Area off-limits to visitors, but the cats are aware of new people around, and a bit on edge.  With no visitors, they seem much more relaxed.

Titan - KN

Titan has made himself at home, without settling in one place. He’s a cat that walks by himself, mostly – he tolerates other cats, but doesn’t interact with them much.  However, he does go and visit with his sister from time to time. He is starting to allow contact with humans; he will usually shy away unless he knows you, but his favourite people are allowed to offer gentle petting and treats. We hope that he can persuade Dixie that she should try it too.  Dixie accepts contact reluctantly, being cornered in her bed. The med staff have been bringing her tasty plates, so she is being more enthusiastic about what the appearance of a human might mean.

a happily-fed Dixie - BC

The two are very similar in appearance, but it’s on the rare occasions that Dixie ventures out that we see the big difference – she’s a “longy” - a cat with a stumpy tail, like Spooky in the back courtyard. This doesn’t necessarily make her a manx – manxes are about much more than the length of their tails. But it does make her more easy to identify!

Safe together - MS

Fourteen years ago RAPS founder Carol Reichart brought two orange siblings into the Sanctuary. Daniel and Henrik were a much loved pair – we lost Daniel last year and Henrik very recently.  It’s good to have a pair of orange siblings with us again in the front courtyard! Welcome to RAPS, Titan and Dixie!

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

Molly Sjerdal & Michele Wright