Hobbes

Kitty Comforter Coordinator Anne Marchetti introduces us this week to this boy who has "the luck of the Irish"...

Hobbes (AM)

Hobbes is a sleek 9-year-old fellow who arrived at the Sanctuary in September. He has Irish ancestry as he was originally picked up as a stray kitten on the streets of Dublin, Ireland in 2016. He later relocated to Canada with a new family and settled in Toronto where he was cherished for the happy, sweet guy he is. 

Curling up can be tricky when you have long legs!  (AM)

Unfortunately, he's had persistent litterbox issues since he was a kitten. He just loves peeing! His human tried all the methods you'd expect to help him with this over the years but with vet visits confirming there was no underlying medical cause, the problem was clearly behavioural. His human accommodated his needs over the past eight years as she was worried he'd be impossible to re-home or be euthanized if surrendered.

Come pet me!  (BC)

With the recent addition of family members in her home, Hobbes became increasingly stressed to the point where he was peeing on a piece of furniture every single day. They tried so many behavioural interventions without improvement. His family had him on a rotation of waterproof blankets protecting the couch, and they bought door closers for the bedrooms to keep him out. Their laundry bill was massive! 

Claiming the courtyard  (KN)

Seeing him so unhappy with no relief in sight, his family made the gut-wrenching decision to surrender him to a place where he would no longer feel so stressed - but where? They reached out to local shelters in Toronto yet they only hit dead-ends, either due to there being no room or the unwillingness to take on a cat with his issues. They put his name on several re-homing websites but there was zero interest. They were quickly losing all hope, but then recalled that a family member living on the West Coast volunteered at RAPS Cat Sanctuary. They reached out to see if we had room for Hobbes; thankfully, we were able to accept him into our fold - must be the “luck of the Irish”!

Hobbes knows who loves him! (AM)

His family describes Hobbes as having a hard time dealing with change, needing time to warm up to people, NOT liking other animals and generally acting like a grumpy old man. But despite their warnings, sweet Hobbes settled in quite seamlessly, ready to make friends with any human that visited him. He was such a dear boy that he quickly won the hearts of many of the volunteers. After a brief cage stay, he was released into the Front Courtyard and mingled quite comfortably amongst the other felines. If another cat wanted to make friends, he either ignored them or gave a soft hiss as he galloped off to a less-inhabited area. Lucky for him, there are lots of different spaces to have privacy if he so desires. 

Exploring the Connor House rafters  (KR)

His favourite bed occupies the top shelf on the deck of Connor House, where he was originally caged. It is a cozy nook with opaque walls that lets through the warm rays of sunshine. It's also a prime location for Sunday visitors to give him treats and lots of petting (we're open year-round to the public on Sundays 1-4pm). He likes to explore the courtyard and can be found rolling around gleefully in a sunbeam. He's also quite a climber - he's frequently spotted up in the rafters getting a birds-eye view. Med Staff tell us he's extra playful at night. He makes his own fun and finds his joy.

Enjoying the freedom  (CP)

His family should be very proud of their boy and how he's so quickly and happily adapted to his new life with us at the Sanctuary. They love him and miss him dearly, but they made the right choice bringing him to us where he is living stress-free with all the comforts of home, freedom to explore safely outdoors if he chooses and be looked after with much love. It's never an easy decision to surrender but we hope they are comforted knowing Hobbes is so happy now in his forever home with us.

Blissful catnip moments  (KR)

Blog by Anne Marchetti

Photos by Brigid Coult, Anne Marchetti, 

Karen Nicholson, Carol Porteous, Karrie Radford

Four Sweet Oranges

Mandarin - now happy and confident  (SF)

It seems that there is no longer any such thing as “kitten season” – the kittens keep coming throughout the year, often born to feral mamas who are little more than kittens themselves! All over the province, rescues are working to reduce the number of feral cats by spay-neuter programs – but it only takes one careless owner letting a cat out without due care, and another litter is on the way.  Kittens are, of course, inherently cute, and once trapped, raised and ready, they can usually be adopted. But if they stop being kittens before being socialized, the socialization process can take a whole lot longer.

early days cage-top time for Mandarin  (KN)

In January 2025 we were joined in the DoubleWide by a quartet of young cats from Vancouver Island.  They had been living feral, and were probably around 9 months old; like many “teenage” kittens, they had no intention of taming easily. There were three females and one male.  We don’t know if they were litter-mates or just all from the same colony, but they looked amazingly alike. Three of them had had their SNAP tests (identifying the presence or lack of FIV and FeLV) and neutering done before they came to us; the fourth may have been trapped later than the others because she had neither and had to be caged separately until that was done.

Tangerine, on the DW deck  (KN)

As usual, when they’d had their initial cage-time, all their vaccines and necessary treatments, the cages were opened, and the four of them vanished into hiding.  When we did see them it was almost impossible to tell who it was we were seeing; the four of them are orange tabbies with classic whorl markings, and nearly identical. It’s really difficult to do a blog when you can’t tell who you’re looking at (if you’re lucky enough to be able to see them at all) and my plans for writing them up were put on hold until I was better at identifying them.  As orange as they are, the med staff named them Mandarin (m), and Tangerine, Valencia and Tangelo (f)

Mandarin bunting with Walker  (BC)

Almost a year later, we are starting to see progress from most of them, and watching as they develop. Mandarin is now a little larger than his sisters. He is the bravest of the quartet, and ranges freely around the Back Courtyard. He is cat-social, especially with his buddy Walker, and is quick to react when treats are offered.  Not only does he accept food from the hand, but he now enjoys a little careful petting – though still very much on his terms.

Tangerine & Mandarin mooching  (BC)

At first sight he can easily be confused with his sister Tangerine, who now bases herself in Waldi’s Hut, but can often be found hanging out around her brother. She’s now a little paler than his colouring, with a slightly more rounded face. It’s in behaviour we see the clearest difference; Mandarin will approach to accept food and attention; Tangerine is interested, but not yet brave enough – she hovers hopefully a few lengths away and is quick to react to food tossed in her direction.

Tangelo  (BC)

The other two are residents of the DW Deck. Tangelo is the most immediately identifiable, with a narrower face, and slightly crossed eyes. She is very food-motivated, and can be coaxed out of hiding with chicken tidbits, but would rather smack the food out of a hand than risk the possibility of touch.

Want to see Valencia? Look up!  (BC)

Her sister Valencia is the shyest of the four, preferring to remain totally out of reach on the cage-tops, and refusing to venture closer, even for the best bribery.  The DoubleWide renovations are almost done, and we’re looking forward to having the Deck cages removed, and more space available to the cats – it will be interesting to see whether Tangelo and Valencia will remain in “their” space, or whether they’ll move indoors to more light and action.

Two of four  (KN)

It’s generally accepted that the critical socialization window for kittens is the first 2-3 months; beyond that, they are often labelled as feral, and it is very hard for small, fostering-based rescues to do anything other than trap-neuter-release. Effectively, these four oranges were TNR'd, but released into our safe Sanctuary, where they can take their time getting used to the idea that humans really aren’t so scary after all.  Mandarin has already taken that big step; his sisters have as much time as they need to become comfortable with us.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Sarah Faith, Karen Nicholson

Abby

Thanks to Anne Marchetti - Kitty Comforter Coordinator - for this week's blog!

Abby (AM)

As a Kitty Comforter, I love spending time with all the cats I meet no matter what their circumstances, but I feel a special heart-tug for the surrendered cats who have once known the love of a family but now find themselves alone at the Sanctuary. These little orphans can be scared and confused, shrinking from our offers of comfort and friendship but in desperate need of solace. 

The wide stare of a scared cat  (AM)

Allow me to introduce you to one of these cats. Her name is Abby, or as I like to call her “Lady Abigail”. This petite, young girl arrived at the Sanctuary from a rescue in Kamloops just under a year ago. She had been surrendered due to “inappropriate urination”, which is a polite way of saying she refused to use a litterbox. She came with a care package and a heartfelt 4-page letter from her foster mom who loved her dearly but could no longer manage Abby's unfortunate bathroom issues. 

If I stay still, will you go away?  (AM)

When Abby arrived, she was temporarily caged in Connor House in the Front Courtyard. She was a very scared, very sensitive young girl who would easily startle at the slightest noise. We would visit her regularly, trying to provide comfort and companionship in order to help her more easily adapt to her new life situation, but little progress was made due to her extremely nervous nature. 

still shy...   (AM)

When her cage door was eventually opened and she was allowed to roam, her fear kept her frozen in place. When she tried to venture out, she'd be easily spooked by any little sound and she'd quickly jump back into her cage to cower behind her drape. 

Most comfortable with a nearby place to hide (AM)

It was evident to all that her anxiety and delicate nature was preventing her from living a full life in the Front Courtyard so it was decided she should move into the Single-wide trailer. The Single-wide has a warm and homey vibe where cats can relax in relative quiet, with lots of warm beds and frequent human visitors on hand for extra cuddling. This location is usually reserved for elderly cats and those with chronic health issues where Med Staff can more easily tend to their needs. 

Cautious, but braver now  (MW)

It is also the perfect living arrangement for such Nervous Nellies as our little Abby, and the relocation turned out to be a good decision. I could see her stress level dial down noticeably after her move here. With less jarring ambient noise to trigger her stress and panic, our visits together became more relaxed and I was able to more easily establish a trusting relationship with her. 

Playing with wand toys (SM)

She still has a skittish personality (her default expression being “deer in the headlights”) but she has also lowered her defenses to the point where she will play with us with wand toys and occasionally come out to see the general public on Sundays where she allows the more gentle visitors to pet her and offer yummy RAPS-approved treats. I consider these significant achievements for this timid little girl. She may never be brave enough to be a lapcat but I'm sure with time she'll grow more confident, content and at peace in her life with us. 

Blog by Anne Marchetti

Photos by Anne & Selena Marchetti & Michele Wright
Video by Selena Marchetti