All the Colours of Love

beautiful calico Timber   (KN)

For many years, the tradition at the Cat Sanctuary was for a summer social event for staff, volunteers and cats – a pot-luck supper in the back courtyard, with the inevitable fending-off of feline assistance. A core feature of these occasions was to mark the Day of Chance.  Chance was a battered feral who was introduced by blogger Claire Fossey as “a bit of a furry disaster” – not a beautiful boy, but rather like Jerry who was blogged last week, friendly and approachable, a cat who had a second chance (maybe considerably more than that) when he came to the Sanctuary.

the always-photogenic Samantha  (MW)

At our summer socials we listed the names of the cats who had passed in the last year, and read the legend of the Rainbow Bridge, and shared memories and tears and laughter.  And then COVID hit and RAPS social events were cancelled.  Along with the rest of the world, we moved online, and our memories transferred to Facebook and Instagram and to the RAPS webpages. And inevitably, it was not just the cats we’d recently lost that we’d remember, as the blog archives reminded us of cats who were memorable for many different reasons.

Feral Ruff became a real pussy-cat  (KN)

So this year, rather than sharing just the cats who’ve passed in the last year - Lincoln, Tugboat and Bossanova have all been featured already in the blog, and Karen and Mike have offered a wonderful photo-montage on the RAPS website -  I want to memorialize some of the cats from further back – cats who were loved by staff and volunteers, and who are still remembered in passing comments.  If you didn’t know them, please take a moment to investigate the archives and make their acquaintance. Many of these cats came to us as local ferals, in the days when we rarely adopted semi-ferals out; some came to us in family groups, and others as singles; most lived their days out with us, surrounded by much love.

shy Merilee, with her amputated tail  (MW)

In the Front Courtyard my strongest memories are around one-eyed Val and her family. Val was a tubby little tabby, trapped with the assistance of Port Authority VP Val Jones, whose bequest funded the Val Jones corner. Feline Val came to us with five offspring: Silverfox (known as Foxy), Savannah, Paulo, Latte and Fury. All five were wonderful personalities, cat-social and mostly people-social (though Paolo was very shy and Latte was a diva!).  I had a particularly soft spot for our orange boys: pick-me-up Tigger, shy Gilbert, and our furry Sedins - beautiful Henrik and Daniel.

SW Garfield and Diamond were devoted to each other  (DW)

In the SingleWide, nobody who knew them can forget the Dryer Gang. Led by Simone, Bantam and Chickadee, who all came to us from a local egg-farm, they took up residence on lid of the dryer by the door, and enjoyed its warmth and vibrations. They were joined by various other cats – Little Mama, Jenny and several others – and were always glad to claim greetings from visitors to the building.

Another devoted SW pair - Creamsicle & Babylon  (TV)

It’s hard, with the leukemia cats, because their life-spans tend to be much shorter than those of the other cats. Their primary visitors are the med staff and the volunteers who work there, and if you’re not one of those, you may not know them so well. But those who were known and loved were VERY well loved: orange Harry, shy Kojak, Jasper and Panther, sweet Bubba and his girlfriend Brady, and many others...

Princess Diva considered herself royalty in the back courtyard (MW)

In the Back Courtyard there are two groups that I still subconsciously look for. Based in the Newcomers was the Old Boys Club – Albi, Woody and Moxie, and a junior version based in Pen 1 which used to be led by tabby Zivko - poor Ringo is lost without his best buddy.  And Pen 5 feels very empty with only Adam and May in residence;  I miss sweet Rudolph and Salish, the love-birds, and the menage-a-trois of Capilano, Chinook and Walker – the latter spends more time hanging out with Pumpkin these days, and pen 5 is being taken over by the Kamloops cats.

Mario and his feral friends  (MW)

We still have visitors who ask after blue-eyed Honey Bear, and disabled Terry, sweet Daisy with her genetic quirk, and messy Manx-syndrome SweetPea, incontinent Fido, and majestic Dell.  And who can forget our cat-charmers? - Mario, the orange-and-white Romeo, and sweet Salty, surrounded by his friends.  We grieve their passing, but if we loved them, they remain in our hearts, and the love we gave them multiplies to be shared with the current cats, and those who are yet to come into our hands.  Love is what the RAPS Cat Sanctuary is all about – our cats may not have conventional homes of their own, but as long as they are in our care, they will have much love from staff, volunteers and visitors – love on both sides of the Rainbow Bridge.

we all loved sweet Marty  (LBF)

Blog by Brigid Coult (with thanks to Claire Fossey for many of the early links)

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Karen Nicholson, 

Tanisha Vincent, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright 

VJ Jerry

Jerry (KN)

Sweet Jerry, in the Val Jones area, is one of our FIV+ cats – and he couldn’t be less like the Jerry that preceded him. Jerry I was small, fluffy, beautiful – and extremely erratic in aggressiveness, both to cats and humans.  Jerry II is a solid grey, not-very-beautiful boy, about 8 years old, who is very loving and anxious for attention. There’s not an ounce of nastiness in him;  he gets on well with the other cats, and he’s often one of the first greeters at the gate.

Jerry  (MW)

Jerry came to us in 2018 as one of a group of cats arriving from midway up Vancouver Island thanks to Catspan Ferals. As with Woody, in last week’s blog, when a rescue like this discovers they have FIV+ feral cats on their hands, it is often to RAPS that they turn; FIV+ cats should not be released into the general population of ferals. Healthy cats can be colony-supervised; kittens can be tamed and adopted out, but cats carrying the FIV or FeLV (feline leukemia) virus need more care.

Jerry (MW)

The three cats that arrived five years ago were all feral males, and two of them quickly disappeared into whatever hiding places they could find. Beautiful Francis and his buddy, black Drake, stayed out of our sight as much as they could manage. Jerry decided he’d landed on his feet, and acclimated himself to the New Aids pen very quickly. He is cat-social, non-aggressive, and when the friendliest cats were being selected for the new FIV pen in the Val Jones corner, Jerry was high on the list!

VJ snuggle buddies: Jerry, Magnus & Jim  (DW)

Many FIV+ cats show no sign of the virus they carry and may appear asymptomatic throughout their lives. Most problems are not in fact from the virus itself, but from secondary infections, or weakness of the immune system. Respiratory issues, skin problems, and dental diseases like stomatitis are common, and are a large reason why staff and volunteers are careful to sanitize when we move from one area to another.  Jerry has all the common secondaries.  He’s had mouth problems which have resulted in extractions, so the tip of his tongue often sticks out a bit; he’s not a good candidate for surgery so most of his dental issues are being treated with medication.

Jerry  (BC)

Once cleaning or feeding in the Val Jones is done, Jerry is anxious for lap-time. Most of the VJ cats are affectionate, but currently Jerry’s the pushiest in seeking cuddles. If he’s really drooly, a paper towel can sometimes be useful – but mostly I just make a point of having a good wash when we’re done. Jerry’s love is sometimes a little damp – but very heart-felt.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

New Aids Woody

This gentle boy is the second to bear the name – our other Woody lived in the back courtyard as part of the Old Boys club, and passed a year ago.

Woody  (MW)

We think this Woody is around ten years old, and he’s been with us for six of those years. He came to us in 2017 from another rescue – this one in the Comox Valley where there are several organizations doing good work to reduce a feral cat population. Kitty Cat P.A.L.S (Prevent A Litter Society) addresses local needs with TNR (Trap/Neuter/Return), with a Barn-Cat program for ferals, and with adoption where possible for kittens. But like many rescues, when presented with cats carrying FeLV or FIV, they will often turn to RAPS for support.  Cats carrying either virus can be spayed/neutered, but they can’t be released to a feral colony without putting other cats at risk.

Heidi (now adopted)

Woody arrived in company with Heidi, a handsome chonk of a calico girl, and both were moved into the New Aids colony. Heidi was lucky enough that someone saw past the FIV label and was willing to adopt her. Cats with FIV are often quite adoptable, and can live lives as long as non-FIV cats.

Woody (MD)

Woody had also had his chance at a home – at least, he was fostered for a while – but his fosterers found that he was determined to get out, and it was a constant battle to keep him in. We ask adopters to keep cats indoors, or to restrict outings to a catio – and with FIV cats, we really don’t want to risk a fight with a non-FIV cat. So Woody’s fosterers gave him over to us, and at the Sanctuary he was allowed to have all the outdoor time he craved.

Sitting on his favourite doghouse  (KC)

He is most likely to be found at the entrance from the back courtyard, right by the gate, where he acts as sentinel, either on the shelf or, in rainy weather, in the adjacent dog-house. He quite likes humans, and will come for petting and attention – until the other cats realise that you’re there, and come seeking attention as well. At this point, Woody rolls his eyes and retires to where nobody will bug him. He had a love-hate relationship with Boomer for a while until black Randy’s appearance gave them both someone new to hate. There are several cats in this pen that occasionally need a little time-out to calm down!

Woody (KN)

The other thing to be wary of with Woody is that he is a pee-er – most of the regular volunteers know that when you arrive, you hang any belongings up or put them away in a cupboard. A recent photographer in New Aids discovered the hard way that you never put anything down if you don’t want it to be claimed by a good shower of pee. Boomer will just lie on your things; Woody wants to make it quite clear that anything put down is marked as his!

Woody  (KC)

The ideal time to visit with Woody is when there are another couple of people in the pen to attract the attention of Boomer, Domino, Biggie and the rest of the attention hogs.  Then you can sneak away and have some quiet time to pet him and tell him how handsome he is – even if his matted fur has necessitated a not-so-handsome haircut. He’s not into competing for attention – but he likes it when he can get it!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Katy Cobb, Melanie Draper, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Farewell, Bossanova

Having been away for five weeks, I was looking forward to resuming my Sanctuary cat blogging. But the planned one is on hold – usually I prefer not to write about cats when we lose them, but some of them are just too iconic not to memorialize.

Bossanova (KN)

In January 2012 a couple of adult cats were trapped on Mitchell Island – an area that is sometimes a dumping ground for unwanted pets. We didn’t know if the two came as a pair, and it became evident that though they enjoyed each other’s company, one was a stray who liked human attention, and the other we thought was more likely a feral.  The latter was given the unlikely name of Bossanova – a chonky unneutered male, about four years old at the time, this boy was no graceful dancer. He came to us with a crumpled ear, probably the result of a burst haematoma, sometimes seen in cats who scratch at their own ears because of mites or some similar problem. And he was one of those cats who was pretty unnerving for inexperienced volunteers, hissing and lunging when anyone approached the door of his cage.

(MW)

But it takes more than that to put off our cat-whisperers, and Bossanova progressed from accepting scritches with a back-scratcher, through cautious petting to full-on belly-rubs. It’s possible that he had had human contact, and what we had been seeing was extreme fear-aggression rather than feral behaviour. Whatever his background, there is nothing as magic as having an initially angry cat accept your caresses.  Once reunited with his buddy Meepos, he relaxed happily into mutual grooming sessions.

Bossanova & Meepos  (CF)

It was decided to relocate the two of them to the Single-Wide. Both took the usual scared-cat route, and got themselves high up and out of the way. The SW deck has an upper shelf that runs all the way around, and Bossanova took over one corner and refused to come down. With an adjacent litter-box and obliging volunteers who brought him breakfast in bed, he decided he was set, and for most of the following year, he remained in his corner. He didn’t object to human attention – but on his terms. Early on, we established that his treat of choice was chicken, and he learned that I usually carried a baggie of tidbits when I visited. It got so that he would hear my voice, and I would find him perched hopefully on the edge of his shelf waiting for handouts.

(KH)

Gradually the lure extended itself; he would venture down the ramp to chest-height, then all the way to the floor. He felt less secure there; he interacted better when at eye-level, and the back of the couch became his favourite place. In time, he would venture to the couch seat, to a paw on the lap, and finally to lap-sitting – though the focus was always the food. Weekend visitors were always amused when I called and Bossanova would come down the ramp for attention. He enjoyed being petted and fussed; when scratched at the base of his tail, he had a lick-reaction on his front paws or on the ramp in front of them.

(JS)

All of us who have spent any time in the Single Wide will miss this gentle boy – the pleading eyes, asking for treats, the progress from fearful to friendly, the way he would perch on the back of the chair in the main room, so as not to miss anything being handed out. For Kim, Bev, Justin, Joanne, Margaret, Michele, Martyn, Debbie and many others – the room is a little emptier and our hearts are a little heavier. Bev tells me that she carried him around the other day for a while and he enjoyed that – we’d never have guessed, when he came to us, that he would be such a cuddle-bug. 

Rest well, sweetest boy – you were well loved in our care. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Claire Fossey, Kim Howe, 

Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint, Michele Wright, 

Not My Home!

I’ve just returned from a 5-week summer trip, for which one of the biggest queries was what to do with Scout. My Scout is a former feral, who came to me from RAPS when I was looking for a companion for Madame Hooch early in 2019. He’s always been a shy boy – comfortable enough with me, but let anyone else come in the house, and he’s gone to hide. Once a feral, always a feral...

Scout at RAPS shelter in 2019  (BC)

Debbie has always been my reliable cat-sitter, ready to visit and feed and interact when I have to be away for short periods. But this was going to be a much longer trip, and we decided that the best thing was to move him to her place – she and Kevin have been cat-less for awhile, and this would give Scout the ongoing presence of other people around. So we packed up all Scout’s things – including his cat-tree (he has more luggage than I do!) and moved him over a couple of days prior to my departure. I knew this would not be easy for him – vet-visits are stressful even before we get to the vet’s. All the body-language spoke of his discomfort – big poofy tail, slinking close to the ground, not wanting to interact with either Debbie or me. Finally, he made his way to her bedroom and hid under the bed.

Hiding in a box - big pupils and body language all say "scared"  (DW)

And hid, and hid...  all through the next day. We decided that I should not go and visit, because I’d be abandoning him all over again when I left. It was an enormous relief to get a message on departure day to say that he’d slept in one of the hidey-boxes Kev had made for him, that he’d scarfed down his breakfast and allowed himself to be cuddled. 

Comfortable with petting  (DW)

The trip was wonderful – as was the steady stream of reports from Debbie:  Scout was eating and drinking well, no litterbox problems, loved sitting by Kev’s feet when he was at the computer, coming to ask for pets and loving. 

"Do you love me too?"  (DW)

I arrived back with a horrendous traveller’s cold – did all the errands I had energy for and then went over to Debbie’s to get Scout. And he would have nothing to do with me! - treated me like a total stranger, and hid from me. As any cat person knows, the approach has to come from the cat – so I sat on the floor and waited... and waited...  Even bribery wouldn’t do the trick.   
More than anything else, I needed to deal with the cold – so I left him where I knew he was safe, and took myself back to my own hidey-hole to dose my germs into submission. 

Favourite relaxed pose  (DW)

So this is an unfinished story blog – I need to be with him as he comes to term with a return home, and since I have other commitments this afternoon, we’re going to leave the transfer till tomorrow morning. And Debbie and Kev will get him into his carrier and deliver him home – and then I can deal with moving all his stuff. We’ll see how the whole thing goes – I suspect it’ll be similar to the initial move, and he’ll spend time hiding, before he decides that he can come out and be with me again.

Scout (BC)

What’s your experience with leaving a beloved pet?  Do they greet you or snub you? And if the latter, how long is it before you are forgiven?

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Debbie Wolanski

Late report:  Scout was delivered home several days later. He went and hid for about six hours, and then emerged and interacted as if nothing had happened! All is forgotten/forgiven....