Smokey

KN

The Moore House is a favourite space for staff and volunteers to sit and chill at the end of a long shift. The majority of the cats there have come to us for peace and quiet in their advancing years, and many of them enjoy the chance to sit and cuddle with a human whenever possible. Even scared Jimmy, who came to us as a refugee from the fires of 2017, now can be found sharing space on the deck.

KN

Just one cat has staked her claim to a bit of real-estate, and is unwilling to move out of her space.  Smokey came to us early in 2019 at about 9 years of age.  We are told that she had an elderly owner who passed away. After her owner's death the family had problems dealing with her because she became very aggressive. Obviously she was not considered adoptable, and when she came to us, it was decided that she would be best off in very quiet surroundings with the oldies, despite the fact that she’s not a senior.

KN

I think people sometimes choose to adopt a cat because they think it will be a low-maintenance pet – and on the surface, that’s true. You don’t have to take your cat for walks, like a dog; you feed & water, scoop its box, that’s all... 
Well, actually, no, it isn’t – as anyone who has had the pleasure of being owned by a cat will tell you. A cat is not as obviously needy as a dog, and will often appear aloof – but most cats develop a strong relationship with someone in the household, and when that person is gone, the cat will grieve too.  And as we know, one of the facets of grieving is anger – and I think Smokey is still stuck in that stage right now.

LBJ

As you can see, she’s a very beautiful cat – almost Russian blue in colouring, with gorgeous eyes. Unfortunately, her behaviour doesn’t match her beautiful appearance. When she first came to us and had her initial cage time, you took your life in your hands to enter her cage. Her “turf” is now the area on top of the cages in the west room, and volunteers needing to clean it have to develop strategies to avoid what are known as Smokey’s “murder mittens” - distract her with treats on one side while you lift down the litter box to clean it; distract her with a toy so you can change her bedding.  If you don’t exercise caution, those claws are sharp!

Smokey - with Jimmy dozing above  -  DJ

Much of the clue for Smokey’s behaviour can probably be found in the way she was treated before she came to us, and we hope that quiet patience will, over time, help to offset it.  Smokey has her champion in volunteer Daphne, who insists that Smokey is actually a very sensitive soul, and needs quiet conversation and coaxing. Daphne reminds us that “Behaviour usually has a deep rooted reason so Smokey gets a pass for that. Her expressive face alludes to that. There are days when her beautiful golden eyes sparkle and she seems happy to see me. It’s her mystery that makes her lovable as is.”  Smokey’s sensitivity, however,  doesn’t extend to the other cats.  Jimmy used to claim the other side of the cage-tops, but has given up and decided that humans on the deck are less scary than his angry housemate. Bangles, who is gradually overcoming her anger issues with humans, often occupies the cat-tree that is Smokey’s way up and down, and the language, when they come face to face, is not fit for pretty Chanel’s ears.

What hasss it got in its pocketsssss....? -  KN

Smokey will make her way down from the cage-tops, if there’s something worth coming down for. We discourage the use of treats from visitors, but often a few Temptations can be enough incentive for a cat to reconsider her views on humans.  Now, if she can just learn to accept them nicely, with no blood shed...    Daphne is giving her love, time and patience, and we are beginning to see a little softening in Smokey’s behaviour.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Daphne Jorgensen, Karen Nicholson