Aggression? or Fear?

Junji - named for Junji Ito, manga horror artist! - (KN)

We’ve recently had a few cats come into the Sanctuary with a reputation for being somewhat spicy. 

The latest has been striking-looking Junji, who was transferred from the Adoption Centre when it became obvious that he was not going to make a good impression on potential adopters.  I was in the DoubleWide when he was brought across to the Sanctuary, and put in one of the large cages there. There was a great deal of feline bad language from him, and inevitably all the local big boys had to come and inspect the exterior of his cage, which probably raised his blood-pressure! 

Junji still caged and a little edgy    (BC)

The following day I visited, and with a certain amount of trepidation, went in to introduce myself to Junji. He was much calmer than I’d anticipated, allowed petting, hopped down to the floor via my knee and returned to his shelf without either bad language or bad behaviour. He was obviously happier now he had space to move, and less sense of confinement.  As the days passed, it was apparent that he was quite accepting of his surroundings, and once his vaccines had taken effect, Junji was released.

Junji the explorer  (KN)

Initially he roamed the building quite happily, avoiding the alpha cats, but exploring every inch he could reach. Within a day or two he was out in the courtyard and investigating with enthusiasm – although we put a collar on him, he has shown no aggression to humans, and only when challenged, to other felines.

Lounging happily (with a suspicious Celeste)   (KN)

Junji shows us an example of cage aggression, which is no big deal in RAPS, but which can spell a death sentence to a cat in a kill shelter. 

Bill the junkyard cat was not a happy (caged) camper 
in his early days with us    (BH)

We try to use cages sparingly. In the Sanctuary they are used when new cats arrive, to allow time for vaccines to take hold, for the cat to accept a new place, for them to get used to humans being around – and then we open the cage and let them make the decisions about living indoors or outdoors, openly or in hiding. Cages are also used when a cat needs medical treatment or restricted movement, or when it is one of several feral black cats who won’t easily be accessible for medication.   Most of our cages are large ones, allowing a scared cat to retreat right to the back. Several are 6-foot high, allowing visiting humans to sit with that scared cat. 

Honey, fresh out of her cage   (KN)

In the Adoption Centre the cages are smaller, but most of the cats are already people-social and adoption-ready. The stressor there seems to be that though the cats can have their time at large in the main room, they keep having to be returned to their cage. This was very much Junji’s problem. Another cat now in the Front Courtyard has a similar background – Honey was very reactive in the cage, and inclined to slap her visitors, but since being released and able to explore the area, she has proved to be a sweetheart, and has earned her “adoptable” bandana with her affectionate behaviour with visitors.

Honey flirting with all the weekend visitors   (KN)

Scared cats seem to have two main ways of dealing with their fear – they shrink into the smallest possible space and try not to be seen, or they decide that attack is the best defence, and make themselves as fearsome as possible. In a shelter where they may not have any option other than a cage, cats like this will be passed over for adoption in favour of a “nicer” cat, and if space is at a premium, they may not be given time to adapt. We are so fortunate that the Adoption Centre and the Sanctuary can work together in this way, and that cats like Junji and Honey have space and time to find themselves without feeling constantly fearful.

Lunette was sometimes known as "lunatic" in her early days with us.
She's a sweet girl now  (JS)

Thinking back, a lot of our cats have suffered from this cage aggression. I’m not talking about straight aggression – cats like Sophie and Parker and Gizmo have always been reactive and angry, regardless of whether they’re in a cage or not. But sweet cats like Lindor are remembered for their former cage attacks on unsuspecting staff and volunteers (several of them had warning signs on their cages) and now he looks for pets (and food) from just about everyone. 

Lindor the former cage slasher is now a love-bug   (KN)

Looking back at other blogs: Tyson, BB, Lunette, Bill, our beloved Leonardo diCatprio (RIP), and as yet unblogged cats like TicTac and Eddie – they are all cats who, in standard shelter conditions would probably be passed over and/or avoided altogether. Fear and anger came together – as they do with humans shut into cages! - and few shelters have the time and space to remedy the situation. Coming to the Sanctuary gave them time to adjust to more space, to quiet humans who were ready to allow them to work at their own pace, and finally, to explore a safe version of an uncaged world.

Eddie regularly attacked visitors to his cage
 - and then he walked out, and relaxed with everybody!  (KN)

It was routine, with Kitty Comforter visits to Eddie, that you would shed some blood – but when the door opened, it was a new, calmer Eddie that walked out into the Front Courtyard and made himself at home with us. 

It’s lovely to see it happening again with Junji and Honey. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Brielle Hutchison, Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint

Black Cat Trio

Orson  (KN)

In the fall of 2022 I was spending quite a lot of time on the DoubleWide deck with the semi-ferals, and I got to know Fargo and Della – though our acquaintance never progressed past the wary acceptance of treats. I learned that they had come to us from Salmon Arm in 2021, and that they’d been part of a larger clowder, transferred to us through Sammy’s Forgotten Felines in Kamloops. The other three cats that came with them had two handicaps – they were black cats, and they based themselves in the back courtyard behind Waldie’s Hut – an area that is almost impossible to monitor, because there are so many hiding places.

Arwen (KN)

More recently, in the course of Kitty Comforting shifts, I encountered Arwen – a small shy black cat who was caged for dental care and an upper respiratory infection. Arwen is very wary, but the KCs know all about dealing with wary cats – lots of patience required, and the knowledge that when the cat finally emerges from treatment, it may want to forget all about the humans who reached out to it.  

Arwen  (KN)

Arwen spent some time in the Newcomers area – which meant, for her, an upper-level cage. For the agile and bendy among the KCs, this is not a problem – they simply fold themselves up and climb into the cage with her. For those of us who are less agile, it means a lot of arms-length reaching – not comfortable for cat or human.  Arwen has now been moved to the DoubleWide, which means she has a large cage in which there is a chair!  There, we can sit and make contact with her just by voice, or by touch. The touch is not initially welcomed, but a back-scratcher or a brush makes a good start, and Arwen appreciates a bit of back-end petting – her bum comes up happily as long as she can’t see your hand at first. Arwen’s still wearing a cone as her mouth heals from dental surgery, so we’ve got another week or so at least, to coax her into accepting that humans mean her nothing but good.

Orson  (KN)

Having got to know Arwen, I decided I needed to make the acquaintance of the rest of her clowder.  Black cats, of course, are often very hard to identify, and I rely heavily on Karen’s knowledge to get to know where some of them may be situated, and how to distinguish them.  Big Orson was surprisingly easy to find. I had initially met him sitting next to Waldie’s hut and been struck by his similarity to my beloved Midnight, who we lost earlier this summer. Orson is a big boy, though less chonky than Midnight, and he has similar white whiskers – plus one white eyebrow whisker. 

Orson, relaxed in the sunshine  (BC)

He is not ready yet to make any approaches, and is not notably food-motivated, so closer friendship may be a long process. He and his family have been with us for three years now, so he’s probably around 9 years old. Karen tells me that when he was first released, we couldn't find him and we had to set up trail cameras inside the BCY to check on him because we didn't know where he was hiding or when he emerged to eat and socialize. Nowadays he's much braver than he used to be and is prepared to sit quietly while I talk to him, though he does not want to be touched.

Orson  (KN)

He’s probably around 16lbs in weight; all the others from his colony are tiny, so we don't know where he got it from!  

Keno-in-a-box - note the ear-tip identifier!  (BC)

His most common companion is Keno, probably the shyest of the group. She lurks in Orson’s shadow, and can sometimes be found tucked in an adjacent bed.  The giveaway identifier is a light-coloured tip to the right ear – otherwise Keno joins the ranks of “black cat 42B”

Keno  (KN)

Of the whole clowder, Orson likes to be around pen 8 & Waldie’s Hut, Keno likes Waldie’s Hut and Newcomers, Arwen likes Newcomers and the Back Courtyard, tabby Della likes the Back Courtyard and the DW Deck, grey Fargo likes the DW Deck and the little bit of the courtyard next to it – so they all overlap a little bit.  But it’s the three black cats that can most frequently be seen together.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Floof or not floof...?

Winston's new look  (KH)

When Oscar and Winston came to the Sanctuary late last year, they had been surrendered to us for peeing problems – which our vets diagnosed as idiopathic cystitis. A period in a cage on a special diet was followed by release in the SingleWide, and no signs of stress that might provoke another flare-up.

Oscar & Winston out and about together (KH)

We hoped that they might settle down to an adoptable extent, but it appears that one or both of them still love to leave their signature as soon as a determined volunteer or staff member has scrubbed crucial corners down – those places cannot be left pee-free, and our boys are right on the spot to deliver!  We have had several cats who have been surrendered for bad bathroom habits that have probably been stress-related (think: a new baby, a noisy dog next door, family violence) and have shown no sign of it when with us, but when the habit continues, it’s more habit than stress. 

Looking alike, after their early shave cuts   (KH)

So Oscar and Winston have become permanent residents of the SingleWide.  When they first arrived they had had a pretty major shave in order to deal with an infestation of fleas, and they were both obviously embarrassed by their nakedness. But a nice warm cage in the office, and a procession of visitors to make a fuss of them did much to make them feel better about things, and eventually they were released to have the run of the building.

Oscar  (KN)

We tend to speak of them as brothers, but in fact Oscar is a British Shorthair, and Winston is a British Longhair. From his admission pic, we had an idea of how his fur would grow, but it felt like it had a mind of its own – over the past six months it grew and grew... Oscar recovered his fuzz and looked very teddy-bear-ish, but Winston seemed to get larger...    

(KH)

and larger...

(KH)

Cats with Persian genes – and there’s certainly Persian in a British Longhair – need regular grooming, and as the Sanctuary Salon blog illustrated, we don’t have enough groomers to stay on top of all the matting that goes on.  Winston looked wonderful, but under all the floof there were some nasty mats, and he was not happy about having them dealt with – so he was one of the cats who went to the hospital to have a complete lion-cut.

Posing...  (KH)

It’s obvious that he really approves!  From a cat who preferred lying around like a large dust-bunny, Winston has become active and enthusiastic about exploring – he can be found climbing on top of the cages more than being tucked in his favourite cat-retreat.  As the weather cools, he’s not affected – he can stay in the warmth, or venture out on the deck for a little fresh air, as he pleases.

Pre-cut, and still well-furred  (KH)

Unlike his initial get-rid-of-those-fleas cut, when everything came off, he has the classic lion-cut, so his wonderful head floof is still in place, and his legs sport home-grown Uggs – not quite the same length, but I don’t think he’s too concerned about fashion.  What does concern him is that he feels light and mobile again, and obviously enjoys the attention the new look has brought him.

Winston at optimal fur-length   (KN)

We're going to have to keep a close eye on him and give him a trim more frequently - perhaps find someplace between the extremes he's lived with this year.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Kim Howe & Karen Nicholson

Back Courtyard Adoptables

Peaches is pretty in pink - and selective about choosing petters  (KN)

Many of our weekend visitors walk into the Sanctuary with the expectation that they will be petting cats, and are surprised by how many cats don’t want to be petted.  For cat-savvy people, of course, that’s no surprise – cats operate on their own agendas, and even the friendliest cat will have its “I need to be alone” moments. But between the true ferals, the semi-ferals who are still very wary, and the cats with anger management issues, that’s a lot of our inhabitants that do not want to be touched, and the cats wearing collars are only the leading edge of that group.

Handsome Kramer sometimes wears a bandana,
but prefers to be aloof around strangers  (KN)

So visitors are always pleased to find a bandana-wearing cat – a sign that this is a potentially adoptable cat.  There are way more adoptable cats in the Adoption Centre, of course – many of them glad to leave the confines of a cage and make friends with a human.  But right now, Kitten Season has the Adoption Centre full of little ones, and we don’t want to stress a regular Sanctuary inhabitant by moving it into the middle of Kitten Life. There are a few cats around that might be adoptable if they could go with another familiar cat, but the ones presented today are definitely singletons!

Lindor is usually the first bandana-wearing cat
that visitors see  (KN)

At the moment we have just three cats in the Back Courtyard wearing bandanas – all three with very distinct personalities, and none of them cats for newbies; these three need cat-savvy humans.  Black Lindor came to us six years ago, surrendered to the City Shelter when his family moved. He hated cage life and reacted angrily to other cats and to the humans who cared for him; he was moved to the Sanctuary when it became obvious that he would not present himself well for adoption.  Once released from his cage, Lindor showed himself to be largely uninterested in the company of other cats; what he really liked was human attention, especially when food was in the offing - especially human food.

Lindor lying on top of grooming tools - is this a hint?  (KN)

He doesn’t like being groomed, which is unfortunate, because he has the sort of fluffy coat that mats. The shave job he received earlier in the spring was a little embarrassing for him, but it was obvious that he felt much more comfortable. He’s not really a lap-cat, but likes to be close enough for petting (on his terms).  He is a lick-lick-lick-nip boy – the nip is not nastiness, but more of a love-bite, but he’s probably not a good option for a home with the very old or the very young.  His favourite thing is lounging around and being fed!

Peaches in her earlier collar-wearing days with us  (KN)

Peaches also had anger management issues when she came to us and for her first summer she wore a warning collar. Her calico coat reminds us that some torties and calicos can be pretty spicy, and she’s quick to say “no more!” when she’s had enough. Like many cats, she found the proximity of others at the Adoption Centre hard to deal with, and being at the Sanctuary gives her space to be apart when she needs.  She’s about ten years old.

When she's had enough of visitors,
she tucks herself away in the tea-room  (KN)

Where she trusts, Peaches is definitely a lap-cat. When volunteers take a morning coffee-break, Peaches is usually there, going from person to person; and occasionally finding a lap that she will claim long enough for the volunteer in question to sing the song about “I can’t go to work – I’ve a cat on my lap!” She’s not so happy about socializing with visitors – too many people and too much stimulation – and generally goes and hides somewhere after the first hour or so of weekend visiting time.

Cassidy's table-top presentation  (KN)

Cat #3 is handsome Cassidy. We think that Cassidy and his brother Munch were probably dumped; they were found on the Sanctuary perimeter and trapped three years ago. After Munch passed, the staff felt that Cassidy would probably be a good adoption prospect – he’s social with both cats and humans, and on visiting days, settles himself on one of the tables and holds court with visitors. 

I know my favourite treat's in there somewhere....!   (KN)

He would probably do well in a home that has another cat, or with older children; the thing to be aware of with Cassidy is that he has been used to the outdoor life. Because RAPS has a policy of requiring adopters to promise to keep cats indoors, he would probably need a home with a catio, or a totally enclosed garden. Toys, perches where he could see out, and lots of attention should compensate for the indoor life – between coyotes, traffic, poisons and other human-caused perils, it’s a risky life for a cat that goes outside.

Despite the serious expression, Cassidy's a lovely cat  (KN)

All three of these cats would probably not do well in the confines of the Adoption Centre, but are happy and flourishing at the Sanctuary, and would probably also flourish in the right home if they can find their own people.

Blog by Brigid Coult

All photos by Karen Nicholson