Cadbury Revisited

Cadbury (KN)

Cadbury came to us in the summer of 2017 as one of a group we came to know as “The Candy Cats” – a colony of six that came from Coquitlam, and were so scared that they excavated their way under the cabin in Pen 6 in order to hide.  Nine years on, and Cadbury is still scared and wary – at least until he knows you.

Cat-nap  (KN)

His big brother Skittles constituted himself as my lap-cat; it began with cupboard love (he was a chicken addict) and turned into a love for cuddles. We lost him in 2021 during a brutal couple of weeks when we lost 11 beloved cats to a variety of conditions. Little sister SweetTart showed a preference for the cats in neighboring pen 7, and though the originals she loved have crossed the bridge, she still lives there.  The other three – Hershey and Butterscotch (F) and Purdy (M) have all remained resolutely feral.

With his Pen 3 buddy, Cornelius  (LBF)

Cadbury was initally very close with Skittles, but while the other Candy Cats made their home around Pen 8 and Waldi’s hut, Cadbury took himself off to the other end of the Back Courtyard, and settled himself in Pen 3. There, he shares space with the colony of “teens” who arrived from a Calgary hoarding situation in 2021. He beds down with them in the cabin when it’s cold, but spends quite a bit of time outside on his own. Interestingly enough, he doesn’t seem to interact at all with the colony of College cats, who are also very shy, but very bonded.

Cadbury the loner  (MW)

For a shy cat, Cadbury does very well with visitors at the weekend. He will initially sit a little distance away, but when approached gently and with the right bribery, he will allow contact and some gentle petting, He has his favourite people – both visitors and volunteers – and he is one of the few cats that prefers dry treats to chicken tidbits.

A big "down cat" stretch  (KN)

There has been some discussion around possible adoption, but a recent stay in a DoubleWide cage for treatment of an upper respiratory infection (those bugs are going around!) has confirmed that anything outside his usual surroundings is too scary for him to think about; he spent most of the cage-time pancaked to the floor, as invisible as he could manage.  Once recovered, he was so be so glad to be returning to his friends in Pen 3.

Perched outside Pen 3 cabin (KN)

I’ve said elsewhere that I have a weakness for tabby boys, but I think that Cadbury is one of the most beautiful tabbies we have – so today this is less a blog, and more the opportunity to share from a gallery of lovely Cadbury pics!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Who Am I, and Why am I Here?

Max-Theodore  (MK)

Last summer we had a big orange cat come to the Adoption Centre through a connection from a past staff member – his owner had died, and the cat, who had been an indoor/outdoor pet, needed somewhere safe to go.  He came to us with the name of Max.  We’ve had four previous feline Maxes, and now we have a human Max on staff, and a volunteer Max as well, so the big boy was renamed Theodore (though sometimes referred to as Maxodore).

(MK)

When he arrived he was badly matted, and needed a serious lion-cut shave-job;  for the first part of his stay at the AC the big naked boy was often seen lounging around in the windows. We hoped that someone would adopt him from there, but he was not a happy camper – he was stressed by all the changes in his life, and by all the other cats around the Adoption Centre in the summer, and sadly, he decided to express his feelings in urine and was relocated to the Sanctuary.

(KN)

This move necessitated another cage-stay, much to his disgust – it was at least one of the big cages in the Connor building, and Kitty Comforters and volunteers could sit with Max/Theodore, and give him some company. He’s a cat who doesn’t take to just anyone; he’s happier with people than with other cats, but he tends to be aloof, and we work on his agenda, not ours. He is now out and about; we will sometimes find him around the SingleWide porch, or sitting in the sun, but he seems to base himself on the Connor cage-tops when he wants to get away.

(BC)

His naming is still iffy; having been released into the front Courtyard, he is now encountering another Theodore – one who is part of a feral trio who hang out around the Old Rabbit Area.  Some of the Kitty Comforters continue to call him Max – it’s the name he’s familiar with, after all, and he’s obviously unhappy enough with his surroundings that making him answer to an unfamiliar sound would seem to compound his sense of being out of focus.

(BC)

He reminds me very much of fellow-orange Sam, who came to us in similar circumstances, tolerated humans, hated cats, and was then adopted by someone who wanted a cat who wanted to live alone. Like Sam, Max/Theodore can be reactive around other cats, but very sweet with humans; a couple of visitors told me last week that they’d had a lovely quiet time sitting with him. 

Enjoying the evening sun from his bed near the Single-Wide (BC)

I suspect that his peeing is less a bad habit and more a need to cancel other cat-smells; he might do very well in a home where the only smell is his own, and where he has time to establish his own territory without urine coming into it. Some of the cats that come to us with a "pee-er" label just like to pee (like Ollie), but others have become so because of environmental or family stresses, and the effect of quietness, no other cats, and perhaps a pheromone diffuser, can ease those stresses.

"I don't share!"  (BC)

Max-Theodore is a quiet boy with a sense of dignity, and a clear personal boundary that does not welcome other cats, but enjoys gentle human attention that does not require him to perform. He’s not likely to be a lap-cat initially, but I could see him as a gentle companion. If you know anyone who might welcome the company of this handsome gentleman, please contact the Adoption Centre and request an introductory date!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Mike Kossey, Karen Nicholson

Stevie

Stevie (BC)

For a while in February there was a draped cage in the Connor House with a warning notice that the cat inside was aggressive and reactive. Staff and experienced volunteers have learned to work around cats like this; a warning like that means that newer volunteers can miss the cage if they’re nervous and ask a staff person to do it.

Fur growing back round his injury  (BC)

Stevie had come to us in January. He had been hanging out in a Steveston back yard for some time, and was reported with a tail injury. He was a big unneutered tomcat with a chunky build and chubby cheeks, and on the basis of feral behaviour, he was trapped and scooped up by RAPS rather than the SPCA. We don’t know how he got himself into trouble – whether a bite or something else – but once safely trapped, the hospital took care of both his neuter surgery and the amputation of most of his tail before he came to us.

Slightly wary...  (CM)

Cats are always caged for the first part of their time with us;  it gives them time to recover from any surgery and to get used to the presence of other cats in the vicinity – though via smell and sound, rather than direct contact. The cage is initially draped so that visuals are limited; when the outer drape is removed, the inner drape still gives the caged cat a place to hide. Sometimes ferals will hide for the entire time of their cage-stay, and on release they quickly find another place where they can be out of sight.  Stevie began on the upper shelf, out of reach, but wanting to see what was going on rather than hiding from possible danger. Gradually he began using the main space;  he was actually easy enough to tend since he would retreat to the shelf when someone came to scoop his box and clean his cage. He was wary, but didn’t have the look of a feral cat – more the “I’m not sure I can trust you, but let’s see...” look.

Conversations with Celine   (CM)

He began to allow contact from the Kitty Comforters and we discovered that much of his “aggression” was actually about withdrawal – he liked petting, and the danger point was when the caressing hand was withdrawn – Stevie would lash out to say “How dare you stop!”  Once his cage was opened he remained in place – he could be coaxed into coming down, but was quick to return to his safe space. 

Loves wand-play!  (CM)

He seems to be cat-friendly; Celine regularly shares his cage, and he exchanges nose-bumps with Vesper, who lives on the adjacent shelf and loves everyone. His amputated tail distinguishes him from all the other tabbies – though he particularly reminds me of Spud, who is another large-headed boy with cattitude.

Lap-sitting with Courtney  (BC)

He will allow himself to be scooped up for some lap-time, and is quite relaxed about the whole process; when he’s had enough he calmly gets down, and scrambles back into his cage. He already has a fan-club – Courtney, who does the Connor on Monday evenings, has constituted herself its president, and adores him. He is obviously most comfortable in his own space and has not done more than explore the Connor building a little – I would guess that when he ventures outside he will become very popular, and may well make it onto the Adoptable list.  It’s pretty obvious that this sweet boy must have had a home at some time and was allowed out, unneutered, which increases the chance of a cat becoming a wanderer. Now he has security and people who love him, and just possibly, the potential of a forever home of his own. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Courtney Milburn