Rocket

Rocket (BH)

In late 2018, two little orange boys came into our care, trapped in North Richmond by faithful cat-trapper Stephanie Ross, who sadly passed earlier this year. Stephanie was responsible for bringing many cats to us – often from the Steveston area, where she lived, but she was also responsible for trapping the Cow Cats from an East Richmond composting facility, and for other colonies.

At a safe distance, in the back pen  (MW)

We still need to keep an eye open in North Richmond, where there is a green belt that results in many rodents that make for good hunting for cats who have strayed, or survived a feral upbringing. In the summer of 2019 there was a sudden population boom when a well-meaning cat-lover fed the local strays without alerting us to the need for some population control; only when kittens started having kittens did someone call us, and around 60 cats of all ages were brought in.  The two little orange boys of the year before were definitely from the same genetic pool; Sprocket, the long-haired one, is visually a twin (though probably an uncle) of orange Mercury; Rocket, the short-haired one, is an orange version of black Atlas.

There was a lot of hiding at first (KN)

Both boys were feral, and have largely remained so for years – but over seven years, they have become more comfortable with humans being around them. As we always do, the first thing to happen is a vet visit for blood-tests and neutering; the blood-test showed that Rocket carried the FIV retrovirus, and he was relocated to the New Aids pen. There, as for many ferals, his cage-time was largely hidden behind a drape; he wanted nothing to do with us, and when released, he got as far away as possible.  For most of the New Aids cats, that consists of either hiding on the cage-tops in the main cabin, or in going right to the back of the smaller cabins.

Being groomed by Cypress  (LBF)

Best buddies  (LBF)

When I sent the text of my blog to Sanctuary Manager Valerie for proofing, she reminded me of something I’d missed – I guess this happened when we were COVID-hit, and I might not have been around. She says:
Someone vandalised the fence, cutting it in the Prince of Wales section. Drake and Rocket got out. Drake came back right away - he was almost scared of being out there. But Rocket went on a murder spree! We had trail cameras set up and we were watching him climb in and under the Moore House (which is now gone, because it was in bad condition). And then we would find giant dead rats. Like the size of my shoe. My friend was rooting for him because he was living his best life. Then it started to rain a bunch in the fall and that's when he allowed himself to be trapped again.

A favourite place to look for petting  (KN)

Happy elevator bum!  (KN)

Rocket was initially antisocial with us – but NOT with other cats; he was a boy who liked feline company, and could often be found cuddled up with someone else. Though his early years with us were mostly at a distance, he obviously decided that humans who brought food, and offered treats and toys were worth taking a chance with; all his first contact with us was when he was up on a table or a kennel, and having us looming over him was still too scary. But when we were sitting by a table, it began to be a signal that he could come up and accept petting and treats, and he often approaches in the back pens by climbing on the waist-high side awning, looking for attention.

Blissful when he trusts  (KC)

His brother Sprocket hangs out in the back courtyard; like Rocket, he has remained wary, though he is ready to accept a little touch, and treats. His other-generation family in Pen 1 – Mercury, Juno, Nyx and Atlas – remain touch-me-not semi-ferals. And Mercury, too, is a hunter of any rats stupid enough to get through the fence.

Kuma & Rocket  (KN)

Other cats are still Rocket’s favourite thing. While Cypress was still an angry feral, he and Rocket would cuddle happily;  Cypress is now an attention-mooch and a lap-cat, and that’s a bit too much for Rocket to take. He likes to be with the smaller black boys – Kuma and Smalls – neither of whom are really ready for much human attention. (Kuma, incidentally, is from the same area as Rocket, and they may share genetics). Rocket takes himself out of the way when visitors arrive at the weekends - but he just loves it when the people he trusts come looking for him on a quiet day, and he revels in their care.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Katy Cobb, Brielle Hutchison,

 Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Mr Binx

Mr Binx  (KC)

Any visitor to the New Aids pen is bound to be greeted by the welcoming committee, usually led by chunky Mr Binx. Binx and Domino consider themselves to be the primary New Aids hosts, and both will happily take any opportunity to slide past a carelessly open door and into the between-gates area.  Luckily, they are both easily scoopable for return to their own space.

A position of power - overseeing everyone else  (KC)

Mr Binx came to us about four years ago with his buddy Panda, who passed a year later. He was from Broken Promises on Vancouver Island - one of many other cats who have come from that rescue - and like most of the other New Aids boys, had lived feral for a while. He’s not forgotten his feral skills; he is one of the keen hunters when a stupid young rat tries to enter cat-territory. Like some of the others, Binx is not the most reliable user of litter-boxes, and therefore not a good candidate for adoption.

On the lookout for prey?  (KC)

He does not live up to his role model. The Mr Binx of the 1993 movie Hocus Pocus is an elegant black cat. Our Mr Binx is a chubby mess, with his black fur offset by a splotch of white on the right side of his muzzle;  he tends to look rumpled and needs regular grooming, but does not really enjoy the process.

Serious bed-head...   (KC)

Weekend visitors learn that if they want time with really friendly Sanctuary cats, New Aids is the place to be! Volunteer Marty spends Sunday afternoons with NA cats (and visitors), and knows them well. Food is a strong motivator, and Binx is always in the lead when it comes to mooching. Marty says that Binx will accept few pets, but generally doesn’t have much time for most humans unless bribed. He is front of the line when the red treat cups are full, but will go sit on the sidelines when they are empty. He’s not aggressive or anything – just more solitary, and while he has friends in the pen, he spends most of his time alone by preference. 

Lounging around, waiting for goodies  (BH)

Some of the cats will stay out of the way when there are more than one or two humans around; cats like Vinnie and Rocket prefer the quiet life. Mr Binx doesn’t object to crowds – the more visitors, the more treats will come his way!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Katy Cobb, Brielle Hutchison, Karen Nicholson

Reef

Reef

Reef is one of several cats who has come to us from another shelter that was unable to get him adopted.  Like Bello, he was trapped and neutered, but was so fearful that potential adopters were unwilling to consider him.  He came into our care, caged in the Connor building while we gave him a chance to get used to the people and the smells and the other cats. There, he was very vocal, letting us know very clearly that he wanted out of there!  Volunteers and Kitty Comforters visited him, but some cats just hate cages – no matter that ours are much larger than most commercial ones – and Reef couldn’t wait to get out.

Don't bug me...

Release day came, and Reef didn’t hang around long. He quickly discovered that most of the shyer cats prefer to hang out in the Old Rabbit Area, and that there are lots of places where he can hide behind a drape or in an upper-level basket. And there he would probably have remained, if not for Carol Porteous.

Climbing down onto Carol's lap

Carol is a favourite with many of the front courtyard cats – actually, she’s a favourite everywhere she goes! – but she is usually on shift for feeding in the front, and the cats gather at the gate as she arrives. Like former volunteer Lori (now living in Alberta) she brings both freshly cooked chicken and fish, and some of the tastiest of the commercial catfoods. She has a particular gift with the very shy ones, and it’s thanks to her that I have begun to know little tripod Chutney, and Reef.

Leg-rubs

She calls him Reefie, and his head immediately pops up from the basket where he’s hiding. Within a couple of minutes, he makes his way to her, climbing down from her shoulder to her lap, and then weaving around her legs.  Because he is so confident in her presence, he is also comfortable with me, and before long I have a new lap-sitter.

Under the heat-lamp

Reef is about 5 years old, and a skinny boy; possibly life in the wild has left its mark, and it will be good to see if we can get a little more condition on him.  My guess is that he is actually a stray rather than a feral, and is now remembering what it is like to have humans giving him some love.  It’s heart-warming to see how handsome Bello, in the back courtyard, has blossomed – to the point that he’s now wearing his “adoptable” bandanna at the weekends.  Reef is still a bit too wary for that, but when there are few people around I can call his name and he will emerge and offer leg-rubs, and then lap-time. 

Watching us from above

It doesn’t take much to spook him, and there are other cats like Cuddles and Westin who get a bit jealous (Westin demonstrates his jealousy by sitting on my feet!), but every encounter makes him a little more confident.  He’s not ready yet to go further than the doorway, but he’s made such progress in the last while that I am confident that our patience will eventually be rewarded by a cat who is no longer “too feral to adopt”.

Blog & photos by Brigid Coult

The Sushi Bros

Tobiko  (BC)

We maintain our contacts with shelters around the province – mostly for the sake of occasionally taking in a colony that’s too much for the local rescue, but sometimes for smaller problems.  A few months ago we heard from the shelter in Prince George, who called us about a couple of cats they’d had in care for some time. Nobody – neither cat nor human – enjoys being caged, and when it goes on too long, there are often behavioural problems.  We don’t know why nobody had adopted them, but when cage life began to make them aggressive, their adoption chances took a dive.

Hamachi  (BC)

RAPS Sanctuary Manager Valerie agreed that they would probably do better with us, and Tobiko and Hamachi arrived in June.  The two are obviously related, beautiful flame-points (white with reddish colouring) – flame-point is often thought to indicate siamese in the genes, but may in fact occur in many breeds. Colourpoints are temperature sensitive partial albinos, which means that they only produce color in areas of their body that are cooler, like face, ears, tail, paws. Blue eyes also signal partial albinism (as opposed to the full albino with red eyes). 

Tobiko  (KN)

Tobiko is long-haired (he’s had with a shave-cut to deal with mats) and Hamachi short-haired.  They were caged separately;  Hamachi had an upper respiratory infection and needed treatment, and there were no adjacent cages available. Their cage signs reflected the warning – Hamachi in particular needed careful handling and was liable to bite – but their cages were large enough that they were able to move easily. Tobiko settled quickly, enjoying attention from volunteers.

Tobiko  (BC)

Once released it only took a few days until they became comfortable with new surroundings – the only hitch was that Hamachi looks very like some of the Newton Hoard in Pen 6, and volunteers who had not met the pair kept reporting that a cat must have got out of the pen.  Nope – just Hamachi exploring.

Hamachi (KN)

Their names provoked the title above – tobiko is the flying fish roe often used in Japanese sushi; hamachi is a type of yellowtail used in making nigiri and sashimi.  Unlike the late Neko in the Leukemia pen, who loved it when talked to in Japanese, these guys are quite happy to be addressed only in English.  I am already hearing people calling them Toby and Hammy – but I love their original names!

Tobiko loves to be high on the cat tree  (BC)

Both boys are friendly and playful – Tobiko particularly loves wand toys, and I find I need to be careful putting the barrier ropes away after visiting hours, because any rope on the ground is a fair target for play. Hamachi walks around with his mouth slightly open, which gives his face a “Duh!” expression – I think it’s something physiological in his jaw. They’re still young; about 2 years old.  They may be brothers, but I wouldn’t say they’re bonded, but operate pretty independently.

Let sleeping cats lie...   (BC)

I don’t know whether they will ever be considered for adoption. Since release, we’ve seen no sign of aggression to humans – perhaps a little oneupcatship to other felines, but nothing actively nasty.  There is a question of litter-box use, but that is often tied to the stress a cat is feeling, and may not be an issue when away from other cats. Like so many adoptions from the Sanctuary, it may depend on a potential bonding of cat to human, and on the cat-savviness of a possible adopter.

Till then, Tobiko and Hamachi have a home with us as long as they need it.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Adopt me, please!

RootBeer  (SM)

The Adoption Centre is overflowing with kittens – and as quickly as a fosterer brings a new group in to us, a new pregnant mom arrives, and the foster family is back in action.   We are so grateful to our supporters in adoption – the various pet-stores who give temporary home to our kittens so that more people can see them, and the partners who allow us to exhibit them in unexpected places.  Of course, it’s kitten season, and the weather has been fine, so lots more kittens are coming to us from both safe and unsafe origins – and with the unsafe ones (like the trailer park kittens), being trapped and coming to us may be a matter of life and death.  But the kittens are not the only ones needing homes, and we have a few cats at the Sanctuary who are needy as well.  Two of them have been featured in earlier Neko Blogs.

RootBeer enjoys visitors who will work at his pace  (SM)

RootBeer came to us more than a year ago, a solid golden-tabby boy with a chip on both shoulders. He had come to us from another shelter that was not able to keep him, but they didn’t want to see him euthanized.  He didn’t like humans, he didn’t like other cats, and he just wanted to be left alone. He had some health issues which vet investigation discovered meant that he needed to be on a limited diet, and he turned out to have asthma, which is easily treated with an inhaler. In the course of RAPS Hospital visits he bonded with one of the vet assistants, who fostered him, though she knew that it had to be a short-term commitment.

Watch me grooming...  (SM)

So – time’s up, and RootBeer is back with us. Currently he’s living in isolation at the back of the SingleWide. He’s very happy not to have other cats around him, but he’s grown used to people, and welcomes visitors. He needs to be an only cat, both because of his dislike for other felines, and because he needs specific food. He could continue as a foster, with RAPS taking responsibility for all his medical and feeding needs – what he really wants is someone who will be patient and loving with him, and allow him to take his time adjusting to yet another home. We think he’s about 5 years old.

Frank spent much of his time hiding  (KN)

Sweet Frank  came to us earlier this year, having been surrendered by a family who was moving and couldn’t take him. He struggled with life in the Front Courtyard; he was the new boy in a schoolyard being picked on by the bullies – and like some bullying victims, he turned his anger on smaller cats.  He was moved into the SingleWide, and discovered the joy of door-dashing; he didn’t really want to be back in the Courtyard, but he really wanted to be on the other side of the door!  

He still needs to hide - but there is more choice in the Back Courtyard!  (BC)

When his bullies were adopted (separately!), he was allowed to return – though he would occasionally door-dash the other way, back into the SingleWide!  He still needed to be watched, though, and we were concerned by the way he would hide.  The decision was made to move Frank into the Back Courtyard, and I think it was a good one. He had to put up with a little cage-time in transition, but now he’s out and about and has much more space in which to keep out of other cats way. Cats like Jasper and Gizmo can be avoided, and his favourite humans watch for him and offer cuddle time.  

Frank loves a lap!  (BC)

He really needs a home where he can be The Cat – allowed to have his quiet time when he needs it, but with petting and attention available. Sadly, he tends to vanish at the weekends when visitors arrive – even wearing a bandana, he manages to become invisible until things are quiet again. The vets think he’s about 8-9 years old

Lomi has claimed her bed, and wants to stay there   (BC)

The third Adoptable is a very pretty tabby & white girl who is still reticent about coming forward. Five-year old Lomi was surrendered to us recently by her elderly owner, who was no longer able to care for her. After her Hill House cage time, Lomi vanished into the Old Rabbit Area, the covered courtyard that is the safe area for many shy cats.  She has taken up residence on one of the shelves, and is now happy to hold court for admirers; she’s friendly and happy to accept petting and attention; she’s not really food-motivated, and though she has allowed herself to be held, she is nervous about going beyond the doorway.

She's curious - but not quite ready to come out  (BC)

This is a disadvantage in terms of adoptability; the Old Rabbit Area is an out-of-bounds area during visiting hours, because it’s really important that the shyest cats have a safe area that they know will not be invaded when we have strangers around. Anyone interested in meeting Lomi will need to make an appointment with Shelter Manager Valerie to be introduced during a quiet time. Lomi appears to be quite relaxed around other cats (though not actively social with them) and might do well in a home with another friendly feline.

Such a sweet face...   (BC)

We really hope all the cats & kittens in the Adoption Centre will find loving homes, and most of the people visiting the AC are going there for that purpose.  There are a few other Sanctuary cats (Guacamole, Gwen, perhaps Bello) who, with luck, will eventually find their own places.  RootBeer, Frank and Lomi need to be sought out with purpose; they all need experienced cat-people with much patience for these three whose pre-RAPS life has not been easy, and for whom the Sanctuary is just not enough.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Selena Marchetti, Karen Nicholson

Luka

Luka  (KN)

Usually my Neko-blogs come into existence when I find I have a nice collection of pictures, and decide to write a cat-profile around them.   In Luka’s case, I was asked for a picture for a potential sponsorship certificate, and discovered I didn’t have any!

Posing nicely   (JS)

Luka is one of our many black cats in the front courtyard. I am grateful that I don’t have to know every black cat by name, as the med-staff do – for them, it really matters that the right cat gets the right meds. For me, if I can’t identify a cat, I can call it Black Cat 42b, and not worry too much about it.

You can turn it on now   (KN)

But everyone working in the front courtyard knows Luka – because she’s one of our collared cats; reactive, a little spicy, with her favourites.  She is best known for her habit of hanging out in the sink; she doesn’t want to be wetted down, but she likes to have water available.

If the sink's taken, a drain will do  (CP)

Luka has been with us for two years; her original name was Luna, but we’ve had several Lunas, and one letter change set her apart from the others. She came to us from from a family that was moving, and who were not prepared to take this little diva with them; I believe there was a new baby and Luka was feeling displaced, and acting out with pee, as well as with her claws. With us, she has settled down in her own way – the collar is mostly a warning, but in the right mood, she’s pettable. She’s mostly a loner; she doesn’t interact much with the other cats.

On the prowl  (JS)

So I went in to do a Kitty Comforter shift, and said I’d get a photo of Luka at the same time.  And of course (typical cat) she was nowhere to be found.  Not in or around the sink. Not in the Connor, which was still being cleaned. Not in the adjacent seating area. Nowhere around the SW entrance. Oh, well, I thought, later...    Two hours later I returned to the front courtyard. No Luka – checked everywhere. Nothing can disappear like a cat that doesn’t want to be found.  I touched bases with Carol and Justin, coming on shift as I left, and asked them to look out for her.

No sink - but a box is acceptable   (KN)

Karen, of course, had a photo of Luka on file. Then I got messages from both Carol and Justin, and a regular collection of photos – lots of choice for her sponsor!

Luka and the grass treat  (CP)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson, Carol Porteous, Justin Saint

July rainbows

Neko, from the Leukemia pen  (KN)

One of the hard things about involvement in the Cat Sanctuary – and I think it has to be particularly hard on the med-staff – is the number of cats we lose through the year. The cat population at the Adoption Centre constantly changes, but it changes because Adoption Centre cats are gone to new homes. The majority of our Sanctuary losses are the cats we lose to age and illness, and it hurts to come in and find that a beloved friend has gone.

Denzel always sat with his paws neatly turned out  (BC)

Often this seems to happen in waves. We had a couple of months earlier in the year when we had only a couple of passings – but this past July has been painful: 12 cats gone in 26 days.  And somehow, to have them cross the rainbow bridge in this lovely weather feels all wrong.  

Jerry, from the Val Jones pen  (KN)

The first to go was sweet battered-looking Jerry in the Val Jones;  Jerry was one of the few FIV cats that showed the effects of the virus; he struggled with skin problems and mouth problems.  But he loved his feline buddies and his human friends, and was never happier than when having cuddles. Three days later we lost Neko from the Leukemia pen, and Denzel from the DW deck. Handsome Neko had been a very spooked feral for some time after coming to us, spending most of his time in the overhead walkways, but in the last couple of years his reserve had thawed, and he came down to enjoy petting from staff and volunteers.  Denzel was the last cat trapped at the old 5 Road shelter, before RAPS left it for demolition and rebuilding; he was a good buddy of Luke and Bodhi, and of Hamlet, now gone – the three tuxedos formed the core of what Daphne called the Mafia cats in the Catsino - and Denzel was the honorary consigliere.

from the gremlin Autumn was when she first arrived....

to the flirt who loved everyone   (KN)

The following day, sweet Autumn crossed the bridge. Autumn had been with us since 2012 when she arrived with her kittens; the angry hissy girl of those early days turned into a floofy flirt who enjoyed nothing better than human attention. She’d had mouth problems for at least the last year, and a lot of cage time while the vets tried to sort out what what happening with her.

Chumley, lounging in Pen 1 (MW)

Paula, exploring outside Pen 2   (MW)

A surprise passing was Juliette, one of the cats from what we call the Newton hoard. Most of that colony is doing well, but one of our concerns with them is how inbred they likely are, and it’s probable that Juliet was carrying a genetic timebomb.   Three days later, we lost four cats in a single day.  Two of them were seniors: Chumley (kidney disease) had been with us 14 years, and Paula (cancer) for a bit less; she was one of the Pen 2 cats who came to us in 2016. As we lost the older cats from that colony, Paula stepped up to become quite the bossyboots, changing from a hide-away girl to one who roamed the courtyard.  Lloyd in Pen 4 has gone to be with his beloved buddy Len across the Bridge, and with him was one of the Hotel cats from the past winter's trapping;  we never really got to know Kimpton well, and he was not a happy Sanctuary dweller, unlike his companions Westin and Wyndham.

Higgins, in the DoubleWide  (KN)

The following week, sweet Higgins passed;  he came to us as a battered boy, and he never really recovered his health, constantly struggling with skin conditions – possibly an auto-immune situation. He rarely ventured outside, making his home in the Double Wide, where there were always people around to make much of him;  he was pretty wary of other cats.|

Would there be any chicken for me?  (KN)

Two more shocks – little Nova, from the SingleWide, was gone at the weekend; Nova had arrived with her kittens, and been a very ferocious mama until they went for adoption;  once they were gone she settled into Sanctuary living, becoming a chickaholic and a happy dancer. The SingleWide seems very empty without her determined begging!  And sweet semi-feral Fletcher, who came to us with his buddies Fonzie and Flynn, had been hiding away and losing weight; both of them had cancer.  Fletcher had been learning that humans were not so bad, but the feral instinct is not to show weakness and by the time he was seen, it was too late.

We had all too little time with Fletcher   (BC)

So July was a pretty brutal month – and all that on top of losing Willow, Charlotte, Sylar, Flash, Marble and Adam in June. Four of those were seniors, and anticipated – the loss is never welcome, but the passing of senior cats has to be accompanied by gratitude for their long lives with us, and for all the love that was shared with them. And even for the relative newcomers like Juliette, Fletcher and Kimpton, we take comfort in knowing that their time with us was lived in safety, and with much love and care from staff and volunteers. Rainbows at the Bridge mean there was rain, and tears – but their light was so beautiful... 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright