Changes

Beautiful Plateau  (BC)

As we all know, cats do NOT like change!  Especially for feral and fearful cats, coming to the Sanctuary can be a difficult experience – more contact with humans than they find comfortable, handling by medical staff, unfamiliar food, cage-stays – it’s not surprising that when we release them from their cages at the end of their initial stay, many of them vanish into hiding in the courtyard, or high up on cage tops.

Still fearful   (KN)

Beautiful Plateau was mentioned only in passing when I introduced Westin and Wyndham, who came from the Commuter Colony in the early months of 2025. They were two of the tamer group of refugees – likely strays rather than ferals – and both have made themselves at home with us, and are favourites with weekend visitors; we hope that both will find homes eventually. Plateau went first to the Adoption Centre; we couldn’t believe that such a gorgeous boy wasn’t a stray, and hoped that he would tame up. But Plateau was terrified; he flattened himself on the floor of his cage and reacted aggressively out of fear; when he was moved to the Sanctuary, his behaviour didn’t change, and when he was finally released he vanished so completely that we feared he’d escaped altogether.

You can't see me...  (BC)

Very slowly, we began to see this lovely boy ghosting around in the early morning and late evening hours. Initially he based himself somewhere in the back of Pen 5 – we think he hid under a pallet – occasionally he would emerge into the breezeway, and climb into the shrubbery to hide. Gradually he relocated closer to the main courtyard, usually at the back of Pen 8, where a number of other ferals went, and where there are number of boxes and kennels in which to hide.

Much more calm  (BC)

Then another set of changes – we were sent a group of cats from a hoarding situation on the Island, with Pen 6 already full of our Newton Hoard, we had to empty Pen 8 to accommodate them. Initially there was confusion, but gradually the cats who had established themselves in Pen 8 relocated nearby – mostly around the back of Waldie’s Hut, or in the shelving in front of the SingleWide deck. Plateau remained mostly a loner; there was mutual tolerance with the others, but he didn’t seem to interact with them much.

Still prefers to be alone   (BC)

Another month, and more changes: the DoubleWide, which has been the centre of activity for more than 20 years is really showing its age. In an ideal world, a devoted donor would step up and replace it; in practice, it’s Ken that steps up with a plan to refurbish it, and deal with some of the problems of wiring, insulation and rot – not to mention years of cat-pee! The main rooms are stripped; cages are relocated anywhere space can be made for them; the Med-Cage is relocated to the SingleWide – and every cat who has based themselves there (mostly on the cage-tops) has to relocate too. There are a lot more cats wandering around the back courtyard – some of them adjusting well, others obviously not really happy. The courtyard reminds me of when I first came to the Sanctuary and our cat-total was around 700!

The spectator at the edge...

Interestingly enough, Plateau seems to be taking this in his stride and adjusting well. Increasingly he is emerging earlier in the day, as long as things are fairly quiet and there are few people. He makes eye-contact and listens when I talk to him; he’s not ready to accept actual touch yet, but will accept chicken tidbits as long as nobody else gets pushy about it. He’s not ready to stand up to Mandarin or Walker or Motley when they make first claim, but he’s ready to lie in the sun and bask while others move around him. He reminds me of the early days of Bello, who was brought to us as “too feral to tame” and who has gone last week to his own loving home.

Sitting near Motley - a budding friendship?  (BC)

I think our initial assessment was probably correct – this beautiful boy is a stray rather than a born-feral – but his experience of living in a colony with other ferals, in a situation that was full of fear and danger, swung him back to the feral instincts that underlay many cats’ behaviours. Long-term RAPS people will remember our beloved Dell – so terrifying in his initial time with us, and then so loving when he realised he was safe with us. Plateau may not know it yet, but the best is yet to come.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson