Cats Needing Comfort

Celine  (KN)

Any cat-lover will tell you that despite the popular image of cats as being aloof and independent, they also love, as we do, and grieve when they lose someone – cat or human – close to them. The Connor building has seen loss recently. I blogged about our beloved Hope, who was such a presence in that room, and then just last week we lost Hope’s little black friend Layla, who has been with us around eight years.  We are concerned about big torbie Celine, who was bonded with Hope, and the Kitty Comforters are now rallying around to comfort another little grieving cat. 

Spooky (BC)

We have so many black cats, and it’s easy to get them confused – especially in the Connor, where you can also encounter Nyla, Chicharron, Luka, Alvin, Bellatrix and many others.  Anne, who coordinates the Kitty Comforters, has asked us to look out particularly for Spooky (and for her lookalike, Emily).

Spooky with her buddy Layla, now gone  (BC)

Spooky came to us with Layla, so they have been companions for a long time. They were part of a group that came from a hoarding situation in the Kootenays which was more than the local rescue was able to manage. They were not in good condition – in fact, some of the larger group died – and the med staff had to get used to climbing up to the Connor cage-tops, where the three of them hid themselves, in order to medicate them.  Spooky is a special favourite of volunteer Laura, who says that she doesn’t put herself forward for attention unless chicken is on offer. She’s also one of our snuffly cats with permanent congestion, and has occasionally been caged for treatment.  Layla would make sure Spooky had company while caged, even trying to get into the cage with her when Laura was visiting.  

Spooky has beautiful eyes   (KN)

She may be shy, but once Spooky realises that you’re offering gentle petting, she drools with happiness. Now that the weather’s warmer, she can often be found on the porch of the Connor, and is less concerned about staying out of reach, though she’s an active climber on the ladder, the cat-tree, up the sides of the cages – she’s happier communicating with us at our head-height.  

Emily is reactive  (BC)

The other little black cat – who was less close to Layla I think – is Emily. She’s easily mistaken for Spooky until you pet once too often and then she swats; I don’t think it’s nastiness so much as getting easily overstimulated. The danger is that black cats like that may get avoided, and then they’re lonely. Emily likes attention, but you just have to read her body language very carefully, and leave her wanting more rather than saying “that’s too much!”  She used to have a stocky little body with a little round head on it – she’s lost some weight recently, and now looks more in proportion (and more like Spooky!).  Look at the eyes to differentiate them – Emily’s eyes are quite round, and yellow, they pop against her dark fur. Spooky’s eyes are gentler and an almost translucent green.

Sad Celine  (BC)

And sweet Celine – for so long a cage-top cat, holding aloof from us, until Hope offered her company and the two began to share the table-top bed.  Now she seems a bit lost – not close to any of the other cats. She sits on the cat-tree for a bit, and then wanders outside; she doesn’t interact with the other cats except for hissing when Cricket gets too bouncy.  She accepts gentle petting, but doesn’t lean into it.  Treats are ignored. When dinner is offered she has a few mouthfuls and then moves to the top of the cages.  Grieving takes whatever time it takes – all we can do is to keep an eye on how she’s doing, and let her know with touch that the humans around her are there for her. 

Ringo is learning to trust other cats again   (KN)

I am heartened by watching shy Ringo in the back pens; we lost his good buddy Zivko more than a year ago, and Ringo retreated to his hidey-place, unwilling to venture out without Zivko to be his protector. But time heals, and Ringo is starting to hang around with the current Boys’ Club – Thorn and Percival and Chaga are making him feel more confident, and he head-butts with Midnight, who is also shy.  Time – and having good friends around – it works for cats as it does for humans.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Four Little Ferals

Bugle

The weather may affect the experience of our weekend visitors to the Sanctuary. On a rainy day like the past Sunday, only the most enthusiastic and social cats will come out, and the others go find a cosy corner and curl up! I find I need to remind people that we have way more cats than they may see, because the ferals are reluctant to appear when strangers are around. And part of my usual “spiel” is that we have a lot of ferals, and still more semi-ferals – and the latter are on a wide spectrum from “you can look at me but not touch” all the way to “pet me, pet me!”  It’s important to us that we are able to allow the ferals to BE feral, if that’s what they need. But it’s always exciting when we see movement on that spectrum, as has been the case recently with a group of cats who are living in the DoubleWide.

Ryan (or perhaps Ryanne?)

The four of them arrived together from Cats Cradle Rescue on Vancouver Island – too feral for the rescue to be able to foster them out. The two youngest are obviously siblings, about 18 months old, and almost identical in everything except colour. We were told they were male and female, but it turns out that grey Ryan should probably be Ryanne!

Velma

Because the quartet was familiar with each other, we caged them in pairs, and in adjacent cages, so that they knew where the others were. Grey Ryan and black Velma were in the first cage on the left; both are slim, sleek elegant cats, and were very keen to escape – so much so that their cage was kept to med staff access only for longer than usual. When Ryan finally moves into the back courtyard, we’re going to have a hard time distinguishing her from Wylee, who is also slim and sleek and grey. 

Velma & Veruca 

Velma was caged a little longer because of an eye infection; there are lots of black cats in the back courtyard area, but I don’t think we have anyone quite like her – she reminds me of a former inhabitant called Skouch – black and leggy. We’re told that she survived FIP as a kitten – often a fatal disease, so she’s obviously a fighter! She can quite often be found sharing her cage with the shyest of the four.

Veruca Salt

In the adjacent cage were two very different cats. Veruca Salt is a stocky little torbie, named for a character in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”. I’m not sure it’s a good name for her; she is NOT like the greedy, demanding, spoiled brat in the story, but instead is a shy “don’t even look at me” girl, who prefers to hide behind a drape. Perhaps med-staff Louise was thinking of the rock band by the same name! 

Bugle

Her room-mate was Bugle, named by Molly for the newspaper in Spider-Man!  She’s about 3 years old, and has almost certainly produced her share of kittens in that time.  Initially we thought she would make an understudy for hissy Smithy in the back courtyard; the Kitty Comforters were encouraged to visit with these two before we had access to Ryan and Velma and were greeted with typical angry-feral hissing from Bugle.  However, it wasn’t long before we discovered that it was all a facade – and all we needed was a little chicken!

Bugle is living up to her name, and announcing her feelings to anyone who will listen. If chicken tidbits are on offer, she will sing the song of her people until someone pays attention to her – and her song is often a long drawn-out cry that leaves us in no doubt about what she wants.  Interestingly, she accepts the tidbits very gently – often, ferals will snatch food from the hand without much care for where the teeth land. She is still not keen on touch – she will allow it briefly, but her body language says clearly that she is not yet comfortable. She may well be one of the cats that needs a shave to get through the summer, because her fur has mats, but she really doesn’t care for being groomed.

Competition for space and chicken!
- Delilah and Gwen

Typically, feral cats in the DoubleWide make their way out onto the deck, and vanish into the crowd of ferals there. These four are breaking that stereotype – they’re still based in “their” open cages. Both Ryan and Velma have discovered the cage tops, and are happy to climb, but usually end up back in their home base. Veruca Salt is not a wanderer, and prefers her own shelf and her drape – with occasional excursions to Ryan and Velma’s cage (especially when someone like Delilah moves in on her turf).

Under the cat-tree - Bugle looking for opportunities

Bugle is a floor-level girl, and has taken to the bottom of the cat-tree in the middle of the room. There, she can keep an eye open for sassy Gwen, who is also on the lookout for chicken handouts, and is not happy with other cats in her space. Both little bundles of fur know who will offer treats, and avoid each other, while remaining within reach of tasty mouthfuls.  Finding the right bribery is so often the right way to a feral’s heart!

Open adjacent cages are still the favourite spot for
Bugle, Ryan and Veruca Salt

So all the staff and the Kitty Comforters will be working on this little quartet in the next while, hoping to habituate them to attention and gentle touch, and to teach them that they’ve landed in a place where they’re safe from the scary world of feral living outside the boundaries of the Sanctuary.

Blog and photos by Brigid Coult

Raisin

Raisin  (KN)

Pen 4 is the largest closed feral-cat area in the Sanctuary.  There are many ferals in the main courtyard who find their hiding places around the perimeter, behind draped shelves or buildings, but the Pen 4 ferals have their whole pen to themselves, with no other cats invading their territory, and few human visitors. There they have established their own colony, mutually tolerant if not affectionate.  Watching the College cats emerging around the back of Pen 2 in the evenings, weaving and bunting, it’s obvious that they love each other’s company – that sort of interdependence is less obvious in Pen 4 where the cats have come from different origins.  Now that all the Merritt cats have passed, Len and Lloyd are the most obviously bonded pair, and the others vary in who is interacting with whom at any given time.

So often hiding...   (BC)

Raisin came to us in the summer of 2022, trapped in a Vancouver parking lot as a single cat rather than part of a group, and she has maintained that sense of separateness in Pen 4. She bases herself in a tree at the edge of the pen where someone thoughtfully wedged a box to act as a shelter. She can sometimes be seen from the courtyard path, glaring down from her perch, and she retreats there whenever she feels uneasy.  Just beneath her favourite hiding place is one of the “igloo” kennels, and on sunny days she can be found on top of it, enjoying the warmth, but knowing that she has a quick retreat at hand if needed. 

Basking in the sun  (BC)

She will make her way across to the cabin for something to eat, but rarely opts for the company of other cats. As many of the others do, when a volunteer enters the pen to do some cleaning or offer food, she will disappear, but recently she has been remaining on her igloo seat and watching warily; if you approach and you’re not the right person, she will retreat.  Her “right person”, as with many of the Pen 4 cats, is Lisa Brill-Friesen; in addition to her staff work, Lisa is trapper, and foster-mom, and cat-whisperer for ferals. 

Venturing the front shelf for Lisa's tidbits   (LBF)

Fortunately, Raisin is treat-motivated, and Lisa has infinite patience.  From offering creamy Churu treats at the end of a long stick, to advancing to accept chicken tidbits from the hand, all the way to accepting firm petting, Raisin has made enormous progress.  She is still wary of everyone except Lisa, but she no longer scuttles into hiding when anyone appears.  She reluctantly accepted treats from me, but was quick to slash with a razor claw when she felt my hand was too close.  Like many of the long-haired ferals, she has some large mats that will probably mean she needs to be netted and at least partially shaved for her summer comfort – not a process she will enjoy, though it is a necessary one.

Her favourite perch - when feeling more secure  (KN)

All the signs say that she is feral – but the vets think she’s around 13-14 years old, and it’s unusual for a feral to live so long. A cat that is a stray rather than a feral may have a distant memory of human contact, and may re-socialize – but equally, may never overcome the fear that came with being lost. Most ferals live in colonies, but Raisin was alone;  who knows what her past holds?  All we can do is give her the care that ensures that her future holds security, food, and loving voices that encourage her to trust once again.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Big Dave

So lovable....   (KH)

As many of the blog readers will know, my love affair with sweet tabby Elvis came to the best possible end last year when he was adopted to a loving family who adore him. There’s never any shortage of cats to love at the Sanctuary, and I’ve got lots to give – so my hands and my lap have been well occupied.  But it’s lovely to have an armful of chonky tabby again!

Will you play with me?  (KH)

Since joining the team of Kitty Comforters last fall, I’ve been spending one afternoon each week visiting shut-ins in their cages, having time with shy cats, offering bribes of food and grooming and petting (whatever works!) - all guilt-free; usually there is cleaning or feeding or scooping that has to take priority, and I love the afternoon shift when all I have to do is care for the cats emotional well-being. Anne, who heads up the team, keeps us well posted on who needs visits, and also reminds us that there are cats in the Adoption Centre that can use our love, as well.  Most of the Adoption Centre inhabitants are youngsters, but occasionally there’s a cat that for some reason needs isolation before being released to adoption potential or to a life at the Sanctuary.  Anne asked us to visit Big Dave before beginning our regular KC shifts. 

Such a chatty boy!  (KH)

Big Dave came to us from north Vancouver Island. He’s not that old – perhaps 3 or so – but he tested positive for the Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) and was going to be euthanized. The vet sent him to us as one of the few rescues where a leukemia cat can live. He’s obviously had a home – he’s very friendly and loves attention – but I suspect that his family allowed him outdoors and that he came in contact with another leukemia-positive cat and acquired the virus.  He could still live in a home (two of our younger leukemia cats, Adria and Creston, are soon going to their own new home), but it would need to be an indoors-only life, and alone or with another leukemia cat, and his former family might not have been able to supply that.   

First big out-of-the-cage stretch  (KH)

The SNAP test that shows the presence of FeLV is a very routine test, and one that is a regular part of preparing a cat for Sanctuary life – or for the potential of life with other cats. Unfortunately, it will sometimes throw what’s called a false positive – especially among young cats whose immune systems are not fully developed. In the normal way, a Sanctuary cat showing the FeLV virus will be caged with an indication that only the med staff will attend to their needs – so they don’t have multiple volunteers popping in and out of the isolation cage. If there is any possibility that the cat in question might be adopted, there is an isolation room in the Adoption Centre, where they stay until a second SNAP test can be done a month later. Until recently the room housed a couple of youngsters who have now passed their second SNAP with flying colours and have just been adopted.

Surveying his territory from above (BC)

Sadly, Big Dave’s second SNAP proved positive, and he was moved to the Leukemia area of the Sanctuary. There he was caged, though with the promise that he could come out if there was someone around to supervise. In fact, I think Dave has had enough people visiting him that he’s actually had quite a bit of out-of-cage time. He’s wary of the other cats, but not really aggressive; black Neptune and little Adria were both pretty hissy, but there was a lot of walking around each other. Dave is a climber – he took very little time to discover the cat-trees and take himself up to the cage-tops, from which he surveyed his new territory. He likes to be by the window and to watch what’s going on outside; when he has the confidence to brave the cat-door, I suspect he will enjoy the space of the outside area.

Enjoying window time  (BC)

He loves lap-time and attention, though is still a little nervous if another cat is also on the couch. He has an adorable little chirp, and will maintain a good conversation; he likes to play both solo and interactively.  What’s his future? - there’s no knowing. The virus affects the immune system, so we are very careful about sanitizing and maintaining a clean environment. Leukemia cats do tend to have shorter lifespans, but in some cats the virus seems to go dormant, and we’ve had our share of the ones who have lived good lives in our care – plus the ones who have been adopted by cat-lovers who understand the limitations needed for FeLV living. Because he is still young and so socialized, Big Dave would probably be a candidate for the latter – but until the right big-hearted person comes along, we will love him and enjoy his irresistible company.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Kim Howe

BFFs Living Apart

Careen  (MW)

 For years, Pen 5 was the home of the bonded cats – pretty Salish and black Rudolph, siblings Adam and May, the menage a trois of Walker, Capilano and Chinook, and best girlfriends Careen and Willow. Only Adam and May remain – five others have passed over the last couple of years, and the two grey girls have gone their different ways.

Willow & Careen on Pen 5 porch    (KN)

Willow and Careen loved each other’s company. They came from different places, but each recognized a kindred spirit in the other.  For a while Willow was caged with an ear infection that affected her balance (vestibular disease) and when she recovered, she could often be found cuddling on the deck of the Pen 5 hut with Careen. She still carries her head slightly tilted - a long-term result of that condition.

The perfect way to spend and afternoon   (LBF)

But Willow has always been more of a wanderer than her buddy; Pen 5 was not her only home, and she could often be found bunking in Waldi’s hut – I suspect she liked that it was warmer.  Careen stayed around Pen 5, and enjoyed interacting with visitors at the weekend; she’s a gentle girl who likes attention and was always popular.

Willow, cosied up in Waldi's hut   (JN)

However, we began to notice that all was not well:  her fur became patchy and harsh, she put on weight, but not in a good way. Finally she was brought into the DoubleWide and caged for medical care.  Tests focused on hormonal changes, but in the end it was established that she was diabetic, and needed to join the cats who are checked regularly, and given twice-daily insulin. Because she was largely an outdoor cat, there was some discussion about transferring her to the SingleWide, to be with the other diabetic cats who live there – but in the end, it was decided that the med staff would see how well she could be managed for medication in surroundings she knew.

Careen enjoying the cage-tops   (BC)

In fact, it turned out to be unwarranted concern – having been caged in the DW, and had her initial treatments there, Careen decided that this was the place that she was most comfortable, and established herself as a regular DW cat. Occasionally the med staff have to coax her down from the cage-top to have her insulin shot, but when the latter is usually accompanied by a dish of tasty food, it didn’t take long for Careen to adapt to the new routine.

Waiting for her meds - and the tasty treats that come with them  (BC)

Sadly, it’s meant that she’s opted to remain an indoor cat, and has lost contact with Willow. And since all the tasty stuff is found there, Careen’s not got much incentive to explore outside her immediate surroundings.  Willow continues to migrate from Pen 5 to Waldi’s Hut, and enjoys interacting with volunteers and visitors in the main courtyard; she’ll often join us at coffee time for a little petting and a few tidbits, but she doesn’t venture into the DW.  As it gets warmer, the outer door is occasionally propped open, so there’s less of a barrier – I can’t help hoping that one of the pair ventures outside her immediate comfort zone and encounters her friend again, renewing a long friendship currently on hiatus.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult,
Joanne Nicholson, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Farewell to Hope

Hope was a gentle presence  (MW)

There are a number of cats who have lived with us since they were feral kittens, since the days when the focus of the Sanctuary was rescue alone, and adoptions rarely happened. Many of those cats grew old with the Sanctuary as their home, and in their later years, it was considered better not to uproot them unless they clearly bonded with a specific person.

Hope was definitely one of those cats.

brother GusGus with Hope (BD)

She came to us with her family from Marpole – papa-cat was named Hudson, for the street where he was trapped. Mama was a shy feral called Joanie who was never very comfortable around people. She lived in the back courtyard, but Hudson and the three kittens were front courtyard cats.  The other two kittens were boys – shy Domino, with his striking ‘tache markings, and beautiful GusGus, who was one of my sponsor cats, and dearly loved, till he passed of feline leukemia.  

The younger Hope was a solid cat!  (MW)

Hope, in her teenage years, got into everything – she was described as the fastest cat in the Sanctuary, and you had to watch the gates when she was around. She was one of the cats who loved grass, and looked longingly at the clumps of greenery just outside the entry. All her life she had the softest fur – velvet-smooth and a pleasure to touch. But petting her was all about her timing – if she didn’t want it, you couldn’t get her up on your lap!  Luckily, as she aged, the agenda changed, and Hope went looking for laps and for petting.

with age, she became more frail,  and her eyes a darker topaz  (KN)

She always attracted the visitors, who were drawn by the big eyes and the pink nose and that plushy fur – repeat visitors would ask for her, and nervous newcomers would become cat converts under her attention. You could count on Hope for visiting days – sometimes visiting laps on the benches, sometimes holding court in the Connor.

Carly made a comfy cushion  (CT)

She was one of our more social cats. We have our share of loners, and cats who prefer to be by themselves, but Hope loved her girlfriends, Carly and Celine, and could often be found sharing a bed with them, or waiting hopefully with them for dinner to be dished up.

Dropping a hint to Celine (JR)

They will miss her, as we will

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Barbara Doduk, Melanie Draper,
Karen Nicholson, Jill Rabin, Cheryl Townsend, Michele Wright

Kiefer

Kiefer  (KN)

During a recent snuggle session with some Single-Wide buddies, we were rudely interrupted by a big black cat who decided that he wanted in on cuddling as well. 

With long-haired brother Indiana  (DW)

 Kiefer came to us about six years ago, in company with his brother Indiana.  The two were very close, initially, but on release, it was long-haired Indiana who approached volunteers and visitors for petting and attention, while Kiefer took himself out of reach. In fact, it became apparent that Indy wanted to be with people so much that someone finally stepped up and adopted him.  Kiefer didn’t show any signs of distress, but he also didn’t change his habits, and was generally to be found on one of the upper walkways on the deck – watching, but not participating.

Kiefer the loner  (KH)

In the intervening years he has largely kept himself to himself. He’s not scared or aggressive with humans, he doesn’t dislike other cats...  But he has that black-cat way of disappearing when he doesn’t want to be noticed.

Kiefer tucked away (KN)

Recently that seems to have changed. Kiefer is now down at floor-level (or on the back of the couch) more often than not, and is more confident in approaching people for the petting and attention that he used to dislike. There are some volunteers that he seems to like particularly, and he comes to investigate when they arrive. He still prefers to be on the deck – but he’s investigating the main room more frequently.

Braving a visit to the main room  (KH)

In the last year he’s even braved the crowd looking for attention from weekend visitors, and can often be found pushing his way under a caressing hand. He likes it best when someone will sit with him on the chair by the mesh, and he will weave his way from that seat to the cat-tree. Food is not a major motivator, though he’s happy to take what’s offered as long as it’s not directly from the hand; he’d rather pick it up from floor or shelf. 

Are you offering pets?   (KN)

what he wants is human attention – he’s not close with most of the other cats, and prefers to keep himself to himself. Apparently he has been caught pee-ing in the wrong places – but like some of our other “inappropriate urinators”, he may be stressed by the presence of others, and would do better on his own.

Reaching out from his favourite place on the deck
towards the back courtyard   (KN)

This is another boy who suffers somewhat from Black Cat Syndrome – it’s very easy to miss him, and he will take himself out of sight when he’s not sure about the company.  But for lovers of house-panthers, I think Kiefer would be a winner, now that he’s feeling braver.  Come and meet him!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Kim Howe, Karen Nicholson, Debbie Wolanski

April 21 - How quickly things change...  Cats hide their physical problems so well that by the time they show up, it's too late to do anything.  Finding a few lumps on Kiefer  led to a check that showed him riddled with cancer.  Rest well, sweet boy...