A Day for Chance

Chance in 2009  (BD)

Chance (formally Last Chance) - was an early acquaintance for me when I discovered RAPS. He was in many ways the archetypal scruffy stray, and not a cat that would easily find a home. The Sanctuary was Chance’s home, and he was loved by staff and volunteers alike until his death in 2013. Our annual summer party (cancelled for two years now, thanks to COVID-19) developed a tradition of taking a moment to remember Chance and all the cats like him who had passed through our hands. We would read the story of The Rainbow Bridge, and the names of the cats who had passed since the last Day of Chance, there were tears and happy memories – and many cats around who wanted our attention RIGHT NOW, if you please!

Sweet Sammy - newly come, and sadly, newly gone (KN)

In this blog, I always write about the beloved cats who have gone on at year-end -  and sometimes (as little as possible) when an iconic cat passes. This year we had a particularly brutal few weeks in early spring when in short order, we lost Puffin, Chateaux, Fable, Janine, Spooky, Ninja, Minnow, Skittles, Zimmer, Darwin and Shadrack – and they were memorialized in a March blog

sweet front-courtyard Fable  (MW)

On the last Saturday in August this year we are having a quiet virtual Rainbow Bridge Day for staff and volunteers, an opportunity to remember Chance and other raggedy strays, and especially the cats who have passed since last year. Here are some of our furry loves not already mentioned above. I have linked to some of their early blog entries, but you will find more by following the name listing to the right of the page.

Princess & Spike (KN)

Spike and Princess were a long-term and loving partnership – sometimes with an added buddy, though mostly just the two of them. Spike passed last November, and Princess was left on her own. We lost her just at the beginning of this month.

Elegant senior gentleman: ZeeZee  (KN)

ZeeZee was one of many senior cats who came to us when a senior owner could no longer care for them. As with a lot of the older cats, there were already health concerns, and our focus was on making sure that he felt comfortable and at home with us. ZeeZee wasn’t so keen on other felines, but he loved human attention.

Jack Sparrow & Pops  (KN)

Jack Sparrow and his father Pops came to us from a bad situation - both with considerable physical problems.  Though these two boys were adopted out last year to a home that loved them, they remained ours in our hearts. Feisty little Jack passed last spring, and Pops just this week. We are glad they are united again.

Little Mama on her shelf over the dryer  (MW)

The SingleWide is missing some big personalities in small bodies – all had been with us for most of their lives, coming in as ferals, and gradually acclimatizing to human attention. All three were part of the Dryer Gang.

Belinda & Jenny  (KN)

Belinda and Jenny became true lap-cats, loving being petted by “their” people. Little Mama was always a bit more cautious, preferring the shelf above the dryer to the cuddle-puddle on it, and then her cat-cave, where she could hide out.

Zimmer   (PH)

“Homely” is probably the best description of this sweet boy who had obviously lived a hard life as a feral, and who was terrified of us for some years. Gentle determination and good experiences finally brought him around, and in his last year with us he enjoyed being petted and loved.

Lovely Lincoln (MW)

One of two Lincolns in the back courtyard, this boy was always known as “beautiful Lincoln”. Sweet-tempered and affectionate, he is much missed.

Two sweet old ladies - Renee & Calista (KN)

These two little sisters lived here most of their lives. Calista was the shyer of the two and preferred to hang out with her buddy Jamie;  chatty Renee preferred human company, though she did not appreciate our constant efforts to keep her unmatted! Calista passed before Christmas; Renee just this past week.

You have chicken? GIVE ME!   (KN)

A loud voice was silenced when we lost Dexter. With the leukemia cats, it’s only a matter of time, but Dexter had been with us longer than most of them. We think he was deaf, and he was very vocal in getting our attention at dinner-time.

Chateaux (Ashes) and Shadow (MW)

These two boys came in together – possibly litter-brothers. At some time in the transfer there was a mix-up in names (Marianne Moore told the story) and it took a while to sort out which one was which. Shadow lived in New Aids; Chateaux proved to be FeLV+ and made his home with the other leukemia cats. The two of them passed within months of each other.

Leland  (HC)

For a grumpy guy, front-courtyard Leland was much loved. He didn’t much like other cats, but humans (especially his beloved Debbie) who would sit and cuddle him – that made him very happy.

Samantha  (MW)

In her glory days, this pretty girl was the most photogenic of the cats – the camera loved her! She was still very shy when I first met her, but social with other cats – especially her series of feline boyfriends – VanDyck, Eclipse and Chimo – all loving snuggle partners.

Staff and volunteers love working with the cats – but with so many seniors, it can be hard to come in and find that a particularly well-loved cat has passed. We constantly have to remind ourselves that if it were not for our work, many of them would have lived short stressful lives, or been euthanized as ferals. In our care they have had much love, and many of them have returned it.
 
See you on the other side of the Bridge, kitties!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Henley Chiu,  Barbara Doduk, Phaedra Hardman,

 Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

I want to take the opportunity to thank former volunteer Claire Fossey, who wrote the initial blogs (linked above) about many of these cats, and through whom I first got to know them.

Pen 2 Pals

Calvin on "his" doorstep  (MW)

 Some cats are strongly territorial – not in the sense that they will defend their territory, but that they establish their space and stay there. In some areas in the Sanctuary that is enforced, of course – SingleWide cats stay in their building, as do the Aids and Leukemia cats.  But in both front and back courtyard there is the potential for a lot of movement between areas, and it’s interesting to note the cats who like to visit and those who stay in their own space.

The newly-painted pen 2  (MW)

Pen 2 is very much that sort of area. The cats who live there came to us in 2016 from the Shelter, and were all cats who for one reason or another had not been adopted or were deemed unadoptable. I blogged about them in the following year with an intro and a look at the blacks/tuxedos, a feature on the tabbies and one on the coloured cats.

Cadbury (KN)

Four years later and most of the same cats are still living in the same cabin.  We’ve lost Tubby and Minnow, Sophie migrated to the TeaRoom and Celeste to the DoubleWide, Zivko has set up his Boys’ Club next door in Pen 1, and Kevin is often with him – but everyone else is usually there. They have been joined by Skittles’ beautiful brother Cadbury, who occasionally craves petting, but is usually shy – and by Hillie’s sister/cousin Yma, who still does NOT want to be touched, but is curious.

Yma - watching from a safe distance  (KN)

My Friday morning is spent out in the back pens.  There’s a routine – a quick circuit closer to the TeaRoom to pick up plates from the night before, and put them in to soak. Then, gather scoop and bucket and start at the back to pick up the remaining plates and do the clean-up simultaneously. Pen 4, where I usually start, used to be very quick and easy, but needs more work these days, with more cats living there. Across to Pen 3 where I always used to spend cuddle-time with Dell – these days pen 3 is full of teenagers, and quiet cuddling isn’t yet on the menu.

Paula, Chase, Calvin (KN)

As I enter Pen 2, Yma scurries from the door to one of the kennels. If Cadbury is outside, he usually takes himself out of the way – if he’s indoors, he will stay on his shelf till he knows who it is. As I open the door, there is a rustle of activity. I don’t know if they recognize my voice or if the reaction is common to all volunteers – once they realize it’s me, they are active and interested.  On Fridays I bring a baggie with some of my own cat’s diet food, and some dental kibble. You wouldn’t think that stuff that’s “good for you” would be so popular, but it’s different from their regular kibble, and therefore “special”. Cats don’t do deferred gratification very well, so there’s a certain amount of edginess as I scoop their boxes and sweep out the cabins; a quick check to see that all the bedding is clean, and the excitement builds. 

Salina (MW)

Calvin, as always, is the ringleader, and comes down the ramp to take over the window-ledge and demand his share. He’s actually not good at sharing, and Chase will often get stuck on the ramp, unable to access his brother’s goodies or to go backwards to the shelves. Salina paces anxiously till she gets her portion.  Barbie usually remains in her bed; she likes the odd treat, but often she feels it’s not worth the effort; Booty is often the same.  Palma and Paula are still shy and hover on the top shelf or in the corner – they want their treats, but without direct human contact, please!

Chase and Calvin (KN)

On a cleaning shift there’s often not time to spend the sort of quality let-me-touch-you time with cats that we would like.  I don’t know about other people, but I tend to focus on getting the job done, and then I’ll go back afterwards for more time with favourites.  Sometimes that involves treats, or grooming; sometimes it just means contact.  Most of the Pen 2 cats will remain in their cabin for the greater part of the day – as it cools and dinnertime comes, Calvin, in particular, will wander round and make a few visits in the vicinity. Shy Paula is sometimes an honorary member of the Boys’ Club.  But it’s rare that you’ll find the Pen 2 cabin empty – it’s a much-loved homebase for the cats who live there

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson & Michele Wright

November 2024:  Sad to report the passing of Calvin - loved and loving - gone to be with his brother Chase

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The Great Escape

Well, strictly speaking, it wasn’t an escape (or it was one carefully planned by the staff.)  But the cats think it was an escape.

Mitzi musing on the outdoor experience  (KN)

Visitors to the Double-Wide will find there are several barriers to access. The main door is quite heavy – but there’s a cat-door carefully situated there for the times when there’s no human to be butler.  The door between the laundry room and the main room is very light, and there’s a cutout in the frame at the bottom. Many cats have learned how to open the door from either side, and the cutout prevents any tails from getting caught. And then between the main room and the deck, there’s another door – and once again, a cat-flap allows access.

Loki learning to manage the door  (KN)

For years the cats who have gravitated to the back deck have been the shyest ones, the ones who are wary of humans, even when out of reach. In this safe space, some of them have learned that we’re not so bad – but they are still wary about moving out of their space and braving what must look like an obstacle course. And to be honest, that’s what it is – the laundry room door in particular is a real barrier to a very shy or feral cat, and often that’s a good thing, since the cat spends more time where we can keep an eye on it.

Ringo hovering by the deck door   (BC)

Ringo is typical of this sort of cat.  He spent most of his first year tucked into a Back Deck corner as high up and out of the way as he could manage. He froze around humans, and floor level was not comfortable for him.  Then gradually we found he was making his way into the main room, mostly at times when there were very few people around. He was learning that not only humans, but also other cats meant him no harm.  Eventually he made his way through the building, probably managing the laundry room door when another cat went through. He established himself outside the DoubleWide door, making little forays to explore.  These days he spends most of his time out in the back pens, either sleeping in the gardens or following his buddy Zivko around. 

Ringo relaxed in the garden (MW)

However, very few of the other Deck cats seemed to want to follow him. Finally this summer it was decided that we needed another cat-door, and one was cut into the emergency exit that opens onto the passageway by Pen 1.  It didn’t take much to have a general exodus. There were a couple of early panics when someone made their way into Pen 1 and then couldn’t find the gate to return – but once that was solved, there was quite a lot of visiting.

Hickory returning from an exploration (KN)

Hickory was the most ready to explore beyond the immediate vicinity.  But he also appreciated a comfy bed at the top of the stairs.

Hickory just outside the cat-door  (KN)

Bubbles prefers to stay fairly close to the door for now – but he enjoys being a sun-worshipper.

Bubbles  (KN)

Denzel too is not venturing far yet – but you can see from his happy tail that he’s good with the change.

Denzel  (KN)

Ziggy took her time – but a nice comfy chair was too good to pass up!

Ziggy  (KN)

Ursula is remembering her outside life as a feral kitten – and we hope she's preferring what she has now.

Ursula (KN)

And, astonishingly, Kin, who prefers to hide, (see the blog of two weeks ago) also braved the cat-door and found a little patch of green where he could sit and think.

Kin, out in the big wide world  (KN)

There are still a few who’ve not poked their heads through the door – but we all know about curiosity and cats – and there’s lots in the back courtyard for them to be curious about!  Watch for updates...

Blog by Brigid Coult
Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson & Michele Wright

Creston and Banff

From Kitty Comforter Pauline Chin:

Creston & Banff

This pair journeyed all the way from Alberta where they lived in a hoarder’s house with many other animals.  Being leukemia kitties, they had no place to go, so it’s off to the Sanctuary to join the FeLV+ cats and their playground.

Creston

Cats from hoarder homes are mystery packages.  We don’t know what sort of handling, or socialization they’ve had, surprising triggers, or what their of opinion of humans is.  The least we can hope for is a clean bill of health or fast recovery.  Personality quirks are bonus discoveries.

Zanda

Walleyed Creston looks a tad rough around the edges, like the late Zanda.  Despite that, this boy has an unusually cuddly personality.  During the first 2 weeks, he spent his time camping in his tent.  He could be seen randomly gobbling down wet food or treats.  Sometimes, he greeted humans with hisses.  He acts cautious initially because he doesn’t know if your hands are going to poke and prod him or pet him.  Once he’s sure of the latter, he’ll push his head into your hand and insist on head scratches.  

Creston’s quirk is to go roly-poly and nearly tumble off the shelf while being petted.  I can’t tell if he’s looking for the most comfortable spot or if he gets enjoyment out of rolling around, making funny poses.  When he purrs, his front half vibrates.  If he doesn’t want you touching his soft belly, he’ll politely nudge your hand away with his back feet.  No claws involved.

I spent a couple minutes removing a mat from his tail.  Not once did he protest, nor whip his head around like other cats and hiss, “what are you doing, human?!”  Of course, I let him sniff test the mat to see if he was familiar with it.

Every new item in Creston’s cage warrants a sniff, but there’s a lack of engagement in toys.  Perhaps he’s not familiar with playtime?  The other cats will gladly demonstrate the joy of toys for him once he’s out of the cage. 

Banff

Across the way is Banff.  He has a very clean and bright appearance.  Most orange cats have a white muzzle.  Banff’s muzzle is orange and he reminds me of Baby, late Queen of the Moore House.  He still retains his curious kitten looks. Whip out a new toy and watch his eyes grow into saucers.

Banff and his toys

You can often hear toy balls rattling and little feet bouncing around.  He’ll hurry to the front to check out toys and then shy away when your hand starts moving.  He’s touchable, but you have to be sneaky with the petting - using a wand in one hand and petting with the other.  The challenge now is to get him used to touch before his release day.  It would be a tragedy for a youngster like him to spend his time hiding in a corner of the playground.  Quite the opposite of Creston!

Daphne (now adopted)

I predict he’ll be another Daphne - shy in the first month and an attention hog thereafter.  He’s also fond of treats.  It wouldn't be surprising if he started asking for them regularly.  

Anything for me?

Banff has an odd habit of vocalizing when we’re interacting with other cats - they're a mixture of wind-up chirps, coos, meeps, and rolling meows.  Yet, when we turn towards him, he goes silent.  

Banff exploring

The med staff have decided that it's time to let these two face the wider world of the Leukemia kitties, and perhaps make some new friends. 

happy together

Those of us who devoted time to socializing this pint-sized panther and tiny tiger are eager to have them roam their new kingdom.  They’re far from feral and enjoy interactions.  Two quirky new kitties are more than welcome here.

Blog and all photos by Pauline Chin