Lost and Found

Miller (KN)

After the celebrations of Christmas, we start anticipating the prospect of a New Year – and inevitably that includes some retrospection as we remember what we’ve been through in the past twelve months, and, particularly at the Cat Sanctuary, who we’ve lost in that time.

HoneyBear  (KN)

In fact, 2022 has been a year in which fewer cats have crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but there have been some notable personalities among them. The list has to be led by HoneyBear, our blue-eyed charmer, whose neurological quirks caused both his incontinence and his “Ministry of Funny Walks” gait. Once visitors encountered our boy, we could be sure they would always ask after him again.

Marty, our love-bug  (LBF)

Lovers of the Single-Wide cats were particularly hard-hit in the summer, when we lost seven cats in less than three months. First was Bluebell, the Dowager who was transferred when the Moore House was closed; a week later we lost Siamese Presley. Little Marty put up a brave fight with a tumour, and was a central figure for some loving from both cats and humans; less than a month later we lost Mr Pink, another especially loving boy.  All too often cats hide their illness until it’s too late for any treatment.

Mr Pink (JS)

Cats with feline leukemia are almost always more prone to having something that seems small become fatal; their systems don’t have the resiliency needed to combat an infection. Since August we have said farewell to Nandor, Catalano, Banff, Brian and sweet Jane (who features in the 2023 Calendar which went to press just before her sudden passing).

Jane (LBF)

Rudolph & Salish (KN)

Bonded pair Rudolph and Salish in pen 5 have both gone. Rudolph had an anaesthetic reaction to dental surgery in January; Salish passed in June – she missed him so much.  Most of the Old Boys club in Newcomers has also gone; Albi and Woody passed on the same day, and Moxie less than a month later.

Ruff (KN)

We remember sweet Ruff with fondness – his extreme shyness when he arrived, his amazing floof, the way he bonded with Karen – and I still find myself looking for OJ when I enter Pen 4:  he was another feral boy who finally decided that humans were not so bad after all.  Onyx was one of our dowagers, at least 20 years old. Having been largely an indoor cat for years, she moved out to Pen 5 this summer, and then wouldn’t move back in when the weather turned. Med-staff Catherine took her home to fosterage for her last few weeks of comfort and loving.

Puck (BC)

And two other front-courtyard senior tuxedos have passed in the last month: little Puck was our beloved Marianne Moore's cat, and she has crossed the Bridge to be with Marianne again, and sweet Miller (at top) was beginning to age early in the fall, and became very frail and tottery in his last few weeks.

Oscar (LBF) and Gypsy (DW) - gone to new homes!

So we grieve their passing, even as we give thanks that the lives they lived were made possible by the love and care they received at the Sanctuary.  There are never enough homes for all the cats we take in – especially in a year like this one with a prolonged kitten season.  We are grateful to the people who have taken in Sanctuary cats like Oscar and Gypsy and given them hope for a new life, and also to all the supporters whose help allows us to give lifelong home-space to otherwise unadoptable cats like incontinent Jasmine or moody Jade or JJ, to the cats who come with Feline Leukemia, or the shy ferals who want nothing to do with us. Every life is precious, and RAPS will continue to offer Sanctuary to cats who have no other options.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, 

Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint, Debbie Wolanski

All They Want for Christmas

Have you bought a gift for your cat(s)?

Picasso's a Manitoba boy - 
all he wants is a white Christmas!  (LBF)

In the middle of dealing with a long-as-your-arm Christmas list, there’s probably no cat-lover who’s not taken time to find something for the cat.
It might be something tasty – a can of quality cat-food (which they will probably refuse), a packet of treats, a tube of Churu...

Percival & Sweetpea love their treats!  (LBF)

Gizmo says "All mine!"   (ML)

It might be something to play with – a wand toy, a ball - or, you can seldom go wrong with catnip...

Tyson having fun  (KN)

Munch practices his hunting skills on a ball  (KN)

Cuddles is minimally cuddlier with a little 'nip  (KN)

It’s likely that what will appeal most is your left-overs – the empty box, the shredded Christmas paper...

Nova unwrapped  (BC)

Bossanova says "I feel so overdressed..."  (BC)

But, as the Sanctuary cats will tell you, the greatest gift is not found in a store – it’s in the heart of true friends.

Jenkins & Baker  (LBF)

Kelvin & Cheddar  (LBF)

Cornelius, Lucius, Jason & William Shakespurr  (LBF)

Tugboat and Plum  (KN)

A sweet birthday kiss for Tuggy  (KN)

Meowy Christmas from the cats!

and from Brigid, Lisa, Karen, Moira and all the staff and volunteers at RAPS Cat Sanctuary...

Elvis Is In The Sanctuary

Elvis (KN)

We have a new heartthrob at the RAPS Cat Sanctuary – a big chunky tabby boy who takes “Love Me Tender” very seriously as his motto!

Elvis still a little worried - "who are you,
and what am I doing here...?"   (BC)

Elvis came to us from Bella Bella, in the Central Coast region of BC – he was discovered on the street, possibly having been hit by a car.  Luckily, the local rescue didn’t dismiss him as un-helpable, and he was shipped to Port Hardy for treatment. They in turn decided that he needed more than they could do, and he was relayed down-island by their staff and ours, and came into our care. He needed some TLC, being pretty stressed from his journey, but once he realised he was in a safe place he calmed down a lot. 

Elvis  (KN)

The hospital found he had several wounds from fighting – not surprising because he was an unneutered male. Following surgery (and a fair bit of dental work) he was moved to the Sanctuary. They think he’s between 3 and 4 years old. He has one slightly droopy eye and one slightly droopy ear that leave you with the impression that he's looking sideways and saying, "Seriously...?"

Very comfortable...   (LBF)

Now that Elvis is fully recovered, we can see that he’s a big sturdy boy who has calmly taken the line of least resistance and settled down in his new surroundings.  He was not happy with cage-living at the Adoption Centre, and anything involving a carrier means a battle, and bloodshed. He was wary of us at first, but quickly discovered that humans came with pettings and tasty treats. In good weather, he can be found wandering in the back courtyard, but he has discovered that his new Richmond home is cosy-warm in the winter and he has happily taken to snoozing on the Double-Wide couch – and when that’s too crowded with other cats, he will drape himself anywhere nearby.

No room on the couch, so I'll 
sleep on the steps....   (KN)

Some tomcats find it hard to break the habits of being dominating and aggressive even when neutered, but with testosterone out of the picture, Elvis is getting on well with the other cats, and not creating any problems. Last week I was visiting with the Alberta cats in Pen 3, and getting to know Puddin’ (mentioned last week as Strike’s former housemate);  Puddin’ has decided that he likes these guys, and has largely moved in with them. 

Puddin' making himself at home  (BC)

Elvis came to visit while I was there, and there was a lot of nose-bumping and comfortable socializing until he decided that he wanted to come up on my lap. Before I knew where I was, he had his paws up and round my neck, and I was getting the sort of hug I used to get from our late beloved Emery!  With Emery there was always the edge of desperation about his hugs; Elvis does hugs (and kisses) with total assurance that this is what you want as well! He adores attention, and his rumble of pleasure can be felt.

Such a love-bug!  (BC)

Right now, the Adoption Centre is very much taken over by the younger generation! - late-season kittens are melting everyone’s hearts, and until they’re adopted, the older cats need to live in the Sanctuary where they have room, rather than in the confined cage-space of the Adoption Centre. But some of our newer ones are certainly adoptable, and we hope that cats like Elvis will eventually have a chance at finding a new home of their own. Till then “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With Him”

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

We Are Siamese, If You Please...

Jasmine & Strike  (BC)

We have two newcomers to the DoubleWide trailer.
Strike was the first to arrive – very scared at first, spending all his time hiding behind a drape.  But he quickly discovered that food might arrive at certain times, and became vocal as only a Siamese can.  Strike is bob-tailed – what is sometimes called a “stumpy” manx. This is a reminder to us all that Manx is a breed name, with certain physical characteristics in addition to the lack of tail, but it is also a generic (and not entirely accurate) term for any tailless cat. Sometimes the genes that produce taillessness breed true (several of Percival Snugglebutt’s offspring are tailless, like dad), and sometimes it’s just a random mutation.  We don’t know Strike’s history, but his lack of tail doesn’t seem to bother him in any way.

Strike  (LBF)

What we do know is that he was one of a number of cats who lived in a home. Their caregiver passed and they were kicked out, but were lucky enough to be accepted into a colony that was being fed and monitored.  Strike, with his buddies Butternut and Puddin’ (introductions to come) were brought into our care. They may well be adoptable, but with so many kittens taking space in the adoption centre, they are better off with us for now. 

Jasmine  (KN)

Jasmine arrived a few weeks after Strike from the same Manitoba rescue that sent frostbitten Picasso to us.  Rather more blonde than her fellow-Siamese, she is totally tailless, but not for the same reason as Picasso; Jasmine has the characteristic Manx syndrome that often appears in tailless cats. Plum, Lil and many other beloved Sanctuary cats like PeeWee and SweetPea have also suffered from Manx syndrome, and need regular baths to deal with the aftermath of incontinence.  Jasmine loves people and attention, but it’s a really good idea to have a towel or other padding on your lap – she’s pretty leaky.

Jasmine exploring outside  (LBF)

When I met Strike, and later, Jasmine, I wondered whether they would have any affinity for each other – would we have a pair, like the Siamese cats who appear in the original version of Disney’s Lady and the Tramp? And then I checked the song from that movie, and realised what I’d not known as a kid – it’s pretty racist – probably accurate enough for the early 1900s, when the film is set, and even smile-provoking when it was produced in 1955, but no longer acceptable.  So in the 2019 remake, Si and Am are replaced with a pair called Devon and Rex, singing the blues.

Strike  (KN)

Strike and Jasmine don’t seem to be particularly drawn to each other – they’re both pretty easy-going with other cats, and live their separate lives. Strike is more of a loner than Jasmine, who really loves to be petted.  He prefers to hang out on the back deck of the Double-Wide where he can chose to mingle or find his own space; he’s no longer as scared as when he first came in, and is willing to approach for touch and treats.  Food is very important;  I was late to feed this week, and was met at the door by a very vocal complaint in fluent Siamese.

Jasmine asking for attention  (BC)

Jasmine is more adventurous, and can often be found exploring in the back courtyard; she will leap up on the table to be fussed and told she’s a lovely girl. Like Lil and Plum, you just need to be a bit wary of her rear end.  We are a permanent home for her; sweet as she is, there are not many people who will deliberately take on the adoption of an incontinent cat.  Here at the Sanctuary, Jasmine’s not the only messy one, and doesn’t add significantly to the laundry load.

Welcome to the Sanctuary, sweet ones – it’s good to see you settling in!

Blog by Brigid Coult

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