The Neko Files - A RAPS Journal and Scrapbook

Asia

2012-02-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

Although Asia ended up at the sanctuary with bother Cairo and sister Sahara because the three were too timid to be adopted from the Richmond city shelter, she has turned into a very friendly girl.

The campaign to win her over apparently involved numerous offerings of chicken. Asia is still a big poultry fan, but now she's quite a human fan too.

She's a bright-eyed little sweetheart who does the cutest little happy dance. For anyone who hasn't already had the pleasure of meeting Asia, she can be found in the singlewide. A smile may be all it takes to make a friend.

Update: Shayla

2012-01-30T21:52:00.000-08:00

Pretty grey & white Shayla has long been a look-but-don't-touch kitty for most of us at the sanctuary. The notable exception has been Marianne, who Shayla adores.

When I wrote my first post on her almost two years ago, Shayla had gotten to the point where a few people could occasionally "make contact," as Marianne put it, but I never heard of her enjoying contact of any kind with anyone but Marianne.

In the past little while, that seems finally to be changing. A few members of staff have reported being able to stroke her a few times while she sits in one of the cat beds in the doublewide. I tried too, and was permitted a stroke or two, but Shayla looked so horrified by the fact of me having a hand on her that I didn't push the issue.

Today, though, a breakthrough: Shayla not only let me pat her, but she actually liked it! So much so that she got up while I was stroking her and did a couple of bum-in-the-air circles around her bed and, though I can't guarantee this absolutely wasn't some other cat nearby, she even purred a little.

Unfortunately, the offer of friendship did not extend to my SLR camera. And my sudden transformation into a scary black box faced monster lost me any further petting privileges for the day.

So if you want to try for a little Shayla love, put the camera away for now. And know that Marianne will still and always be this girls special human... though she seems finally to be willing to give some of the rest of us some small bit of room in her heart.

Cairo

2012-01-27T22:05:00.000-08:00

Cairo came to the RAPS sanctuary from our No. 5 Rd. shelter along with his sisters Asia and Sahara because the three were too timid to be good candidates for adoption.

Cairo is still a bit shy, but can be quite friendly if he feels comfortable (or if you give him chicken). I met him while I was getting to know April earlier this week. He'd was hanging out on the same shelf and became increasingly intrigued by what a good time April appeared to be having, so it wasn't too long before he decided to sit up and get in on the action.

Cairo and friends

Does anyone know for sure who Cairo's black buddy in the photo is? Someone had suggested it might be Dylan (and thanks for that!), but this one was being more laid back than Dylan's been with me in the past.

April

2012-01-25T23:06:00.000-08:00

April came from the same egg farm on Blundell in Richmond where we got Simone, Bantam and others.

The farm owners had been feeding a number of feral cats on their property. When they moved and knew the place was to be demolished, they were concerned about the cats and asked RAPS to trap and bring them to the sanctuary.

April was very scared at first, but now likes people -- though Leslie and Gaye warn that she can still swat on occasion.

When I visited April on Monday, she was a little timid at first, but soon warmed up to me enough to get from her comfy bed for some rubbing and purring. And luckily, no swatting.

April was having such a good time visiting, in fact, that neighboring nappers Asia and Cairo woke up and wanted in on the action (and does anyone know who the black cat lounging in the middle of this group might be?).

April and friends

Tiffany

2012-01-23T22:33:00.000-08:00

When feral Tiffany was brought to the cat sanctuary some years ago, she was already around 10 years old. Now she's an old girl who's nearing the end of her life and, as sometimes happens with our very elderly feral cats, who's mellowed to the point that she's pretty much forgotten to be afraid of us.

I met her only recently, when she began to appear on the armchair in the doublewide, often huddled up with (and sometimes practically under) some other cat. Hearing she was feral, I didn't attempt to touch her until this evening, when she appeared in one of the shared beds on the table I use to prepare the evening meals. To my surprise, she had no problem with me stroking her, let me take a number of photos, and even happily accepted a little wet food put in front of her.

Leslie tells me that in the past, Tiffany always been something of a loner, choosing hiding places on the back porch away from humans and other cats. These days, she can often be seen snuggling up with other cats, appreciating the warmth or the company or a bit of both. And, to our delight, she's turned into a real sweetheart where humans are concerned. This has won her more than a few hearts.

Tiffany and Ricky

With her advanced age and failing health, we know we probably won't have this sweet old girl with us for very much longer. So we're enjoying her company while we can, and doing whatever we can to make sure the time left to her is comfortable and full of love.

Luongo

2012-01-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

Sanctuary cats can get their names in many different ways. Surrendered cats come with names already, but then there are all those strays and ferals whose names we don't know or who were never given human names in the first place.

Luongo came to us last November, having been trapped as a stray by Carol in the yard of a man named Lou. Naming him Lou after this gentleman was an obvious possibility, but the sanctuary already had a Lou and so, and sometimes happens, a slight amendment was made to him name. Anyway, sanctuary staff had been wanting to pay tribute to the Canucks for ages, so this seemed a perfect opporunity.

I met Luongo right after he came in, when he was not only in a cage in the Connor, but still opting to stay inside his smaller cage within that cage. Despite being a brand new arrival, he was calm enough to permit a photo or two.

I meant to go and do a follow-up photoshoot after he'd settled in, but got distracted (we've got more than a few cats at the sanctuary to get distracted by!). Recently, I heard that Luongo may be adopted soon, and so I made sure to come and see him. Opening his cage, I found a cat who was so very friendly and right-up-close-and-personal interactive that it was impossible to get him to stay still long enough to take a decent photo. I actually had to get the help of Leslie, who distracted him by picking him up and cuddling him long enough for me to get him (more or less) in focus. Great human teamwork plus one happy cat!

Baby, it's cold outside

2012-01-18T21:18:00.000-08:00

Visit the cat sanctuary in the summertime and you'll see languid felines sprawled all over the warm pavement in the front and back courtyards. When the winter cold comes, particularly with the arctic front we've been having this week, the outdoor areas empty as the cats are drawn indoors where it's kept nice and cozy for them.

photos by Phaedra

Well, almost empty...

photos by Phaedra

When the sun goes down, outside looks even more frigid.

But doors are kept closed and plastic sheeting put up to shield the porch areas so that the cats have plenty of places to go and keep warm, even the ones who aren't comfortable coming right inside and getting too close to us human types. And on the porches, you can see the red glow of heat lamps set up to make sure there's a nice, toasty bed for any cat who wants one, whether they want to claim the entire bed for themselves or snuggle up with a few cuddle buddies.

Judy

2012-01-16T21:13:00.000-08:00

I had another nice visit with Jazz tonight. He's such a cuddly sweetheart of a cat that I had a hard time giving him a treat because he wouldn't stop rubbing his face against the fingers holding the treat for long enough to eat the treat itself. Later, when I put my face close to his, he leaned in and rested his forehead against mine like Bandit used to do.

Cagemate Judy, however, remained in the screened off area behind a towel. She spat at me a couple of times, but when I flicked a treat in her general direction, she didn't wait until I left before creeping forward to collect the offering. After that, she allowed me to take a few photos of her, flash and all, without seeming too bothered.

In the last shot, she seemed almost.... curious? Maybe this is another one of those shy newcomers who can be won over with a little love... and a little food.

RAPS people walk the walk

2012-01-13T23:22:00.000-08:00

I think we all know by now that RAPS people don't just talk about helping animals, RAPS people do something about it. Whether helping the homeless, loving up their own pets or being there for RAPS alumni and their humans, RAPS people really come through.

Leo, one of my two sanctuary adoptees, got up to some shenanigans in my apartment earlier this week that caused him to end up with a sore foot. The sanctuary very kindly lent me a large cage to keep him in for a stint of cage rest so that he won't slow down the healing process with a lot of premature running and jumping.

Unfortunately, despite my efforts to turn the cage into the best ever cat fort, Leo did not take to it. In fact, the only way he would consent to stay in it without flailing around and wailing constantly was to have someone sit in there with him. And so, being a RAPS person after all, I crawled in and sat with him, staying until he'd stopped his hysterics and could be coaxed to eat a little dinner.

After that, I called in Daphne, his mom, to keep him company. And she, apparently having decided that being in a cage with a quiet Leo was vastly preferable to being at liberty but having to listen to a yowling Leo, didn't need much convincing.

Yes, when RAPS people talk about climbing into cages to sit with unhappy cats, it's not a figure of speech!

Jazz

2012-01-11T06:30:00.000-08:00

Jazz arrived at the sanctuary in mid December along with a tortie named Judy. The two cats came from a farm where whoever had been putting food out for them could no longer do so.

Jazz is thought to be around 2 years old and is by far the friendlier of the pair. I'm curious to see how Judy will turn out once she gets over hiding behind a towel and spitting at me. In the meantime, I just know I'm going to enjoy getting better acquainted with adorable Jazz, who's already venturing up close for purrs and rubs.

Update: Grrrroucho

2012-01-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

For those who can count they time they've been coming to the sanctuary in years, it can be very rewarding to see how individual cats change over time, particularly those who come in shy, even totally wild, but slowly grow in self-confidence and trust of others. Unfortunately, there is the odd case where the change is not such a positive one. Once laid back and easily lovable Groucho has undergone such a personality change since I first posted about him in 2009 that he has to be kept separate from other cats to prevent him from starting a brawl.

At all seems to have started when Grizzy came to the sanctuary. Groucho took an almost instant dislike to Grizzy, so much so that he'd go out of his way to find him and start a fight. Newcomer Grizzy was already stressed and miserable about his environment (not to mention he'd recently lost an eye), and so it was easy to feel sorry for him and angry at Groucho when Groucho threw him off the top of the cages. And so Groucho had what was to be the first of many "time outs."

And then somewhere along the way, Groucho started going after other cats. He'd get so wound up that he couldn't calm himself down if he wanted to. The time outs became more and more frequent until he had to spend all his time either in a cage in the doublewide or in an outdoor run out the back. Staff even tried a special collar with medicinal properties that were supposed to help calm him, followed by a prescription medication. Nothing seemed to help.

Helping even less are some of the cats he's attacked in the past who, being cats, hold a grudge. Greyson in particular has been observed hanging around Groucho's cage and taunting him.

Fortunately, not all have forsaken Groucho. Loving, loyal Salty often drops by to check on him and even asks to go in his cage and sit with him from time to time. He also still has some human friends who haven't given up on him, who will go into his cage and sit with him (he particularly likes a little company while he eats his dinner) or give him a brush.

Salty visiting Groucho

We still don't know exactly what caused the change in Groucho's behavior. Staff have looked into discernible causes such as possible pain from bad teeth, etc., but so far the change remains a mystery. We may never know for sure.

Towards humans, Groucho's still much as he ever was. A little wound up sometimes because he'd really like to be let out of that cage, but still the kind of cat you can go and spend some time and share some cuddles with. He's even got his own special brush in his cage which he loves being groomed with.

I don't think he understands why he's become a bad boy any more than we do. So, as the sign on his cage says, "Please visits & brings treats & lovin'"

Update: Miller and Schatze get cuddly

2012-01-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

Not long after Schatze, our little escape artist and self-appointed parking lot dweller, was [re]captured and brought inside for a check-up, RAPS staff put her shy brother Miller in with her, giving the two a chance to get reacquainted. They were a little uncertain about each other at first, I hear, but were soon cuddling up to each other. Not only that, they both started warmly welcoming cuddles from human visitors to their the cage. Schatze has even been observed to start squeaking a bit like squeal-queen Josie if the stroking stops too soon.

Schatze

Miller

It's wonderful to see these formerly shy kitties turn into wriggling, purring love balls. The hope now is that it'll stick once they've been let out of the cage. Please visit them while they're in there so that they don't forget their decision to like humans once they're out! If Schatze gets to like us all enough, she may even decide that she can be happy living within the sanctuary and not try to escape out into the parking lot when she gets a chance.

Jumper

2012-01-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

Jumper and his sisters are the offspring of a feral mom. They were fostered as kittens by longtime volunteers Barb and Waldi.

Jumper apparently likes to hang out on top of the cages in the Connor, so I didn't get to meet him until this week when he happened to be trying out a couple of different cat beds located at a more pettable height in another building. He was so immediately responsive and friendly that I was amazed I hadn't met him before.

He's one of those cats who put the 'active' in 'interactive' while they cuddle, which meant I got lots of rubs and kisses but not so many portrait quality photos. He's also the type who can get so involved in licking fingers that he starts to bite them, but never mind -- he doesn't do it hard. Love bites are the one kind of cat bite that I don't mind.

Update: Wonder

2012-01-02T12:10:00.000-08:00

Here's a great start to the new year with an update on how Wonder is enjoying life in her forever home. A huge thank you to Cathy and Don for welcoming this little blind darling into her home and for sharing with us how she's been doing.

Wonder, our little blind girl from the Sanctuary, has been with us for seven months now. She has grown from a beautiful kitteninto a beautiful young cat and continues to be an inspiration for us. She does not let her "special needs" interfere with herlove of life!

She has three companions--our Sheltie and two other cats. (Pansy our 2 1/2 year old urban barn kitten and Mcduff, our 13 year old rescue cat.)Wonder finds lots of things to challenge her---if "Pansy" can get on that shelf or piece of furniture then "I" can too. And she eventually suceeds! Wonder doesn't give up easily!Wonder is a gentle, loving cat, a joy to have in our lives!

photos by Cathy

brief holiday break

2011-12-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

The Neko Files will be taking a short break this week to recuperate from a hectic lead up to Christmas. Next post will be on Monday, January 2, 2012.

Wishing everyone all the best for 2012!

- Claire

Boxing Day photo -- Leo employing cat logic:

He vigorously resists crating,
wails all the way in the car to Victoria
and wails all the way back.

After an hour or two at home,
he voluntarily climbs back into his crate
and curls up for a nap.

He doesn't feel there's anything odd in this.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Solstice for yesterday, and a good old all around Season's Greetings from the Neko Files!

Don't forget to give your pet a cuddle this weekend (and everyday).

Matty

2011-12-21T10:27:00.000-08:00

I've noticed this big, good-looking grey tabby on top of the cages in the doublewide many times. He's noticed me too, but our interaction has never gotten past his curiosity turned briefly to look of wide-eyed horror shortly before fleeing if I try to reach up and touch so much as the tip of his nose.

I finally asked Leslie who this handsome boy was and discovered that his name is Matty and he's the brother to the equally handsome brown tabby, Duke (formerly Beastly) and their sister Jellybean. They all came to the sanctuary as young ferals, which explains the boys' reluctance when it comes to human contact. I've yet to meet Jellybean, but hear her are of operation is similar to Matty's and suspect her position re. people may be much the same as his.

Leslie tells me that there was a brief period of time in which Matty had started to allow her to pet him, but something must have happened to scare him because she suddenly found that permission had been revoked. I'm thinking that if he was brought around once, with a little effort he can be brought around again.

Sounds like time for another win-over-the-kitty campaign. Who's in?

Mini update: Jake

2011-12-19T22:32:00.000-08:00

Not long after I posted about Jake last winter, his health had deteriorated to the point that our vet advised us to consider having him put down. He'd gotten incredibly skinny and his kidneys were going, so it really looked like he might not have much time left. But when it came down to making the final call on his fate, RAPS staff saw a cat who still had a good appetite and just didn't seem "ready."

And so Jake was given the meds he needed to make sure he was comfortable, and he was given a bit more time before anyone made any life or death decisions on his behalf. Still, there was very much a feeling that we should make an effort to enjoy his company while we could.

I'm posting about him today because he was there when I was giving the cats in the doublewide their evening meal, first watching me and then doing some fairly spirited mooching. Though still on borrowed time, Jake seems to have decided to borrow himself quite a bit, as he's rallied remarkably over the past months. And now, close to a year after that grim prognosis, here he is with us still. He's put on a little bit of weight and is generally looking perkier and more bright-eyed, thanks to the efforts of the RAPS med staff giving him any extra care he needs and, at least in some small part, to his own strength of spirit.

And did I let him get away with mooching from the plates of wet food as I prepared them? You bet. Plus all the pats he could ask for.

Updated January 2012: Sadly, Jake's amazing rally came to an end a few short weeks after this post. He was loved and will be missed.

Update: The New, Improved Combo

2011-12-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

Back in the summer, I was delighted when lunge & hiss king Combo #5 let me come within a few feet of where he was sitting without bothering to give me more than a lazy hiss. But this, it turns out is nothing compared to the progress he's made more recently.

Marianne's patient, tenacious efforts to make friends with him have shown what might turn out to be his gentler side and, perhaps... a bit of a foot fetish?

Here's what Marianne had to say about her experience with our new, improved Combo:

Some time during the past year, he had to have some teeth removed, including those very scary top fangs. As a result, he doesn't look nearly as vicious anymore when he hisses. In fact, he isn't as vicious anymore. One can now approach up to a foot or so away from him without being lunged or hissed at, a great improvement over being threatened from across the room!

And, get this, he's decided that contact with a stockinged foot is actually kind of nice! I can't remember how this came about for the first time, but for the past few weeks, he's let me sit near him and rub him with my foot. I think there was even a bit of a purr the other day, or maybe that was just my foot trembling in anticipation of the slash that never came. While I'm not yet willing to risk my hand in the same way (even covered in a sock, although I've considered that), I have high hopes for the old boy. He's come a long, long way!

The lactose-free milk Marianne's holding in the first photo as apparently an excellent way to get on Combo's good side. It even inspired Marianne to be brave enough to try a little rub on the side of his face with her finger while he drank. This he found acceptable, though Marianne's OK-to-pat pass was valid only as long as he was busy draining his saucer. After that, he felt it was important to go back to growling and hissing (a cat's got a reputation to uphold, after all).

While quality time with Combo may still be best left to experienced cat whisperers (or people with Kevlar socks) for the present, this old boy is definitely making progress. Maybe one day he'll dispense with the hiss altogether and just go straight to the purr.

Picadilly (aka Dilly)

2011-12-14T20:56:00.000-08:00

Picadilly, often called Dilly for short, came to RAPS as a frightened youngster along with her sister, who I believe was named Chelsea (both Picadilly and Chelsea being areas in the city of London). The sister was adopted, while Dilly, the shyer of the two, remained at RAPS.

She was brought to my attention recently for having apparently performed the fabled feat of catdom - peeing in the toilet. The people toilet, that is, not the usual litter-filled cat version. Impressive!

When I met her on Monday night, Dilly was indeed in the bathroom just off the tearoom, but she was just enjoying a nap on one of the shelves. I hear this is one of her hanging out spots of choice.

It's hard to imagine her as a shy girl, since it took only a few gentle strokes to have her purring, wriggling and stretching her paws in pleasure. Leslie says she's one of those cats who enjoys attention, but doesn't think to put herself forward for it. So if you want to visit a pretty little grey cat who'll love you for it, go and find her in her spot. Who knows, she may even let you catch her performing her special feat.

Update: Dell

2011-12-12T13:07:00.000-08:00

When we first met Dell back in the spring, he was determined to make sure we were every bit as scared of him as he was of us. His cage even had a sign on it warning "Caution: Attack Cat." We hoped he'd mellow out in time, but knew it would be up to him to decide when and how that might go.

Once Dell had been at the sanctuary long enough to be released from his ~~cave~~ cage, he was moved to one of the back pens where he could hide from us to his heart's content.

The first couple of times I went out there to check on him, he was hiding a bit too effectively, so I wasn't able to get a look at him, let alone a photo, for some months. More recently I've been able to follow his progress through a couple of photos that Phaedra shared on her Facebook page.

Here's one from late November:

"Dell did NOT run out of the hut while cleaning today."

photo and caption from Phaedra

And one from early December:

"Dell snuggling with friend"

photo and caption from Phaedra

These photos are quite consistent with the results I got with my own camera a couple of weeks later:

OK, so he's still looking at us suspiciously and occasionally having a good old hiss... but he's not freaking out or running away. Baby steps, and all that. Progress is progress.

Update: Pip (formerly Bree)

2011-12-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

Many friends of RAPS will remember the sometimes harrowing but ultimately heartwarming story of Bree, the kitten who came to us back in 2009 as one of the "urban barn" cats and won our hearts only to develop life threatening upper respiratory problems caused by nasal polyps. Amazing work was done to raise money to take her to a specialist and have the polyps removed and return this plucky girl to full health.

Our very own Janice provided Bree with her forever home once the little cat was well enough to move in. The first thing Janice needed to do was give Bree a new name, since she had previously adopted a cat from the sanctuary called Breanna. To make matters more confusing, Bree was actually named after this very Breanna because they both had the same big eyes. Obviously, no one anticipated that both cats would end up in the same home! And so Breanna is now Beebers and Bree is now Pip. And Janice is able to stay sane.

I asked Janice to tell us a little about how Pip (formerly Bree) is doing in her forever home. Here's what she had to say:

I was told not to expect an overly affectionate cat when I took Bree (Pip) home because of her tough start to life. She wasn't happy after having all that treatment to save her life. I was ok with that, just wanted her to have a home of her own so that she could feel settled. Once I got her home, however, there was an initial settling in period for my two other cats but Bree was making herself at home straight away. ... she reminds me of a child - all impulse and little thought!!!

She can't stand for me to put anything on counter tops and takes great delight in batting stuff onto the floor at all times of the day and night - consequently my place is always a tripping hazard. I blame the cat for the mess but my friends may disagree with that one!!!! Another way of creating havoc for me it to sit on my bedside table and dip her paw into a small glass bowl that contains my earrings. She dips in, hooks the odd one onto a claw, places it on the table and then bats it into infinity. Hoovering is a bit of a hazard since I brought her home.

photo by Janice

She came home with me a few months after my first cat Chloe's passing. At first I didn't want another cat to get attached to, another cat to feel so desolate when losing. But I soon noticed that Chloe left a huge gap in my home and heart and needed to offer that to another. I could never replace Chloe but I could expand my heart to include another cat.

That last point is a tough one that many people who've lost a beloved pet face. It takes a bit to realize that welcoming another pet into your home does not make you unfaithful to the departed, nor does it imply that you think you could replace them. Janice likened it to sisters asking their mother which one of them she loves best and the mother responding that she loves both equally but for different reasons. In the same way, we can love all the cats we've shared our homes and our lives with in different ways without ever choosing one over another.

Bobby

2011-12-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

Bobby is a cat I came across an interacted with numerous times while doing my volunteer shift in the doublewide without knowing anything about him beyond the obvious - he's a big, friendly tuxedo cat who likes to hang out on the tops of the cages and peer over the edge at anyone who might pat (or, even better, feed) him. And then there's those messy, unintentionally well-aimed sneezes you've got to watch out for...

When I asked Leslie about him, it turns out there's not much more story to him that this. He was trapped as a feral kitten and has lived at the sanctuary ever since. Over time he's become pretty tame, but he's also one of those ones who seem to suffer from chronic congestion. More often than not, he looks like he could use a little help with some kleenex. And if you happen to be reaching up to pet him when he starts gearing up to expel some of those pesky nasal deposits, you'd be wise to get out of the way.

Bobby & friend

Update from Mack Cat

2011-12-04T22:03:00.001-08:00

When we first met nice senior gentleman cat Mack back in the spring, we thought for sure he'd be living at the sanctuary for good. We were delighted when a lovely lady named Annette discovered him and decided to open her home to him.

Here is a special update on how Mack is doing in his new home, presented to us by Mr. Mack Cat himself! A big thank you to Annette, his "lady carer," for passing it along for him.
The accompanying photos are provided the lady carer as well.

MEOW!!! I got adopted !!! I,m so happy & so excited , I got a sofa & a king size bed a garden & oohhhh I dont know what else to tell you I got !! But I,d better tell you first what happened , I,m getting my paws in front of my tail !!!

One of the volunteers at RAPS was very concerned about me , as I wasn,t happy at the Sanctuary , they were very nice to me , but I didnt want to be there !! So I stamped my paws & didnt eat much or groom myself & was looking a little raggedy to say the least !I could tell the volunteer cared about me as she started to come & see me every day , which was lovely -- I felt very special . After all , it,s not very nice having a notice on your cage saying you will be there forever !

One day she came with a man & put me in one of those boxes they carry you around in & put me in the car with them & we went for a ride . I thought I was going home with them so was very well behaved !! But we went to the cat doctors & they left me there !!!!! I must confess I was a bit scared then . I must have gone to sleep for a while cause when I woke up I didnt have any more knotted fur !! It felt very comfortable .

The man & lady returned & took me for a car ride again , I didnt dare guess where we were going this time !

We went into a house & they opened the carrying box for me to get out , I saw a sofa which looked very comfy , so I immediately jumped on it ( ignoring my basket they had bought from RAPS for me !) . Since then I have been jumping on sofas , jumping on beds , walking in the garden , being a picky eater & all those things cats do when they have a furever home .

My fur has grown back nicely now & I groom myself & am looking very handsome . I,ve got a furever home . What every cat should have ! Meow !!! I,ve even got a Facebook page !!! If you want to see how I, m doing, check me out ----Mack Cat !!

Miller

2011-12-02T16:19:00.001-08:00

After meeting Fiona and Schatze, I was eager to meet their brother, Miller.

Debbie described him to me as still feral and listed "climbing the fence in the courtyard" as a pastime he seems to favor. Leslie added her discovery that while he looks scared, he actually enjoys it when she pets him. He also likes cuddling up with his buddy Morgan.

When Debbie and Leslie found Miller so they could introduce him to me on night, he was busy with his face in a nice big plate of wet food, so I didn't get to see his fence-climbing side or his being petted side. He was so involved in enjoying his dinner that he wasn't even interested in looking up so I could get a picture of him that wouldn't just look like any random tuxedo cat eating.

By the time we finally got his attention, he'd had quite enough of us invading his space and scooted off out the cat door. Leslie had a good laugh seeing me zip out the people door and down the stairs in hot pursuit, but I knew if I let him disappear into the dark courtyard without having gotten more than the briefest glance at his face, I'd never manage to find him again on my own.

Luckily for me, Miller didn't go very far and even let me take a few photos before he'd had enough of me and my camera flash. As for petting, maybe better luck next time.

Schatze

2011-11-30T19:59:00.001-08:00

Schatze is the sister of Fiona and Miller. The three were trapped as kittens near the Massey Tunnel.

Schatze was supposed to live in the front courtyard area of the sanctuary but must have objected to the whole perimeter fence thing, as she made it known by escaping that she would prefer to live in the parking lot outside. She was lured back inside at one point, only to zip off out the gate and back into the parking lot when the opportunity presented itself.

Given this history, I didn't hold much hope of getting more than a fleeting photo of her. Recently, though, RAPS staff were obliged to catch and bring Schatze in whether she liked it or not because she was overdue for a check-over by the vet.

When I met her last week, she was in a cage with staff-only access until they managed to get her to the vet. Fortunately, Debbie was on hand to demonstrate a level of cuddleability that comes as a pleasant surprise in a cat who's thus far been so determined not to hang out where she can easily be loved up. Maybe this bit of time where she's obliged to stay put and give into the urge to purr will help change her mind.

Fiona

2011-11-28T06:30:00.000-08:00

Fiona came to the RAPS sanctuary as a kitten along with her sister Schatze and brother Miller.

According to Debbie, they were trapped near the Massey Tunnel. People working at a construction site nearby had been feeding them, but felt they would be safer with us. The man who called RAPS about the cats even took the time to come and visit them a couple of times shortly after they'd been moved to the sanctuary.

Fiona is a friendly girl. She introduced herself to me by training her her bright, expectant eyes on me from a countertop in the Connor where I was visiting Shady, Cozy and a few of my other cat friends. My attention successfully captured, she proceeded to treat me to a very nice, very animated cuddle.

Shrek

2011-11-23T12:48:00.001-08:00

I was recently asked by Bev to do a post on Shrek, a cat she sponsors. She sent this photo taken by Phaedra along with her email:

photo by Phaedra

I'd heard of a cat called Shrek before, but this was the first time I'd seen a photo of him. I was curious how he came by the name. As he didn't look exactly friendly, I was also interested to know how Bev came to choose him as a sponsor cat.

Here's what she had to say:

"Shrek used to live on top of the cages in the double wide and he was absolutely scary. I named him Shrek because he's a bit of a ogre - but I think deep down he's really not as mean as he looks. When I'd climb the ladder to scoop the boxes, if he was nearby he'd hiss and spit and he was so big and ferocious - with those gorgeous big round eyes - that after a while I began looking for him instead of cringing when I saw him.

He eventually came down to floor level and it was fun to try getting closer to him - although always giving him some distance. At some point - I'm not sure when or how - he joined the Mario fan club and started following him around. He is still pretty feral - but it's tempered by his love for the big guy."

Shrek, along with his sister Honey who likes to hang out in the tearoom, has been at the sanctuary for a long time. It's hard to find anyone who knows/remembers where he originally came from. As Bev says, "You tend to remember the ones you see - not the ones who hide."

I don't know if it's thanks to the Mario influence or to the passage of time, but Shrek doesn't seem to feel the same need to put on a big show of ferocity as he once did. When I came across him tucking into a bowl of kibble on the back porch of the doublewide the other day, he only gave me one hiss. And even that seemed little more than a formality to protest the interruption.

Shortly after my encounter, Ayako snapped a close-up picture of him cuddling up to Mario. Is it just me, or does the former ogre-cat look like he's smiling?

Shrek and Mario

photo by Ayako

Yale

2011-11-23T08:57:00.001-08:00

Back in January, Phaedra posted this picture on Facebook of Yale having a good old yawn while siblings Gabriel and Saffron looked on. She described how Saffron had hissed at her until she realized that a lamb treat was on offer, Gabriel was scared but managed to pull himself together enough to collect his portion, and other brother Ash accepted her food offering but refused to come close enough to be in the picture frame. Yale, she said, was the fearless one.

Yale, Gabriel and Saffron

photo by Phaedra

These days, Ash and Saffron are much more readily friendly. Gabriel's still working on it, but is making progress. And Yale seems to have made himself a favorite among the volunteers who work in the singlewide.

Here are a few photos from my first proper visit with him last week:

And here are a few from a couple of volunteers who he'd already won over long before I met him:

photos by Kim

photos by Michele

Gabriel

2011-11-21T13:19:00.001-08:00

After his feral mom, Grace, Gabriel is still the shyest of the family that includes Ash, Saffron and Yale. Until recently, he tended to stick pretty close to mom. In the last couple of months, though, he's started to strike out on his own.

When Leslie introduced me to him last week, while he wasn't ready to come down from his safe perch above the door, he allowed me to slip a few treats up on the plank in front of him and even take his picture without causing him to bolt. After making the appropriate number of treat offerings, I was actually able to go as far as offer a fingertip for sniffing without a flinch.

This may not seem like much, but to those who've worked with feral, semi-feral or just plain scared cats know that being granted permission to reach that far into an animal's personal space is huge. That first finger tip to nose tip touch is just a start, true, but it can signal the start of a beautiful friendship.

Saffron

2011-11-18T17:30:00.000-08:00

Daughter of Grace and sister of Ash, Gabriel and Yale, Saffron is probably the most outgoing of the family.

Gabriel, Saffron and Yale

photo by Michele

photo by Kim

In fact, Saffron was the first one of her family I met, and the only one to make a point of introducing herself to me. I came across this little unknown kitty in the singlewide, perched on the edge of shelf and trying to stare me down for some cuddles or food (dinner was being served at the time) or whatever else might be on offer. As I started patting her, I asked Michele who she was and was told her name was Saffron.

Introductions having been made, Saffron happily settled into purring, rubbing and dancing, stopping only briefly to have a little play with a nearby cat toy.

When I came to see her a number of days later, she was just the same: friendly, open and ready for a visit.

Ash

2011-11-16T19:13:00.001-08:00

When feral mom Grace and her kittens arrived at the sanctuary, Ash was the scardiest cat among his scaredy cat siblings.

young Ash

photo by Michele

Leslie recalls the day they were vaccinated, when Ash was so frightened that he ran around behind where she knelt and climbed into her jacket to hide. In his mad flight, Ash didn't realize that Leslie, who he thought he was getting away from, was actually in the jacket with him.

Although Ash still has the odd brief "Eek!" moment if caught off guard by someone he doesn't know very well, he gets over it quickly. No more hiding in jackets for this boy. He's truly come a long way in the past year and a half.

Ash has decided he quite likes people and very much enjoys being stroked. In fact, he seems to have gone from being the most timid of his siblings to being one of the most outgoing.

Grace

2011-11-14T20:35:00.001-08:00

In the summer of 2010, RAPS received a call from a dockyard with a request to come and trap a feral mom and her four kittens. The family was brought to the sanctuary, with the mom given the name Grace and her kittens being called Yale, Saffron, Gabriel and Ash.

The man who'd called RAPS to take the cats away didn't just put them out of his mind as soon as they'd gone. He even paid a visit to the sanctuary, where he was relieved to see that they were being well cared for and that the move had not resulted in the family being split up.

Grace and her now grown kittens still all live together in the singlewide, though the kittens are much more independent these days than when they were small and scared.

Grace herself is quite a beauty.... or at least I think she is. She's still very much a feral and feels a strong need to hide up on the shelving by the ceiling of the enclosed porch behind the singlewide. Even looking at her for more than a second or two can set her to flight.

Hopefully, when she's observed us for long enough from her safe perch, she'll realize we wouldn't harm her for the world. And maybe someday she'll even follow the example of her young ones and consider liking us.

Look for blog posts this week and next on the rest of the family.

Emily

2011-11-11T18:08:00.001-08:00

Tortie Emily came to RAPS in the autumn of 2003 as a young cat with kittens.

She started in the newcomers area, then moved to the first pen on the left in the back yard, where she lived for a long time. Gaye remembers often coming across her contentedly lying on the porch on a summer day.

photo by Barbara

According to Marianne, Emily wasn't all that friendly with people in the early days, and she didn't like other cats much either.

These days Emily still isn't a fan of other cats, but she finds the idea of human contact much more appealing. Unfortunately, she still seems to be a bit confused about how to behave: headbutting and purring one moment, vigorously smacking the hand that pets a moment later, then just as quickly returning to rubs and more purrs. She's so pretty, though, that even if on occasion she smacks a littler harder than she means to, it's hard to stay mad at her for longer than it takes to apply a band-aid.

Belinda

2011-11-09T18:28:00.000-08:00

photo provided by Marianne

I was asked to write a post about Belinda by Bev, who sponsors this little black sweetie living in the singlewide.

I first met Belinda some time ago but had yet to blog about her, largely because the fact that she's very friendly and tends to do a bit of scooting around one's feet as she shows it makes her not an easy girl to get a good photograph of.

Belinda comes from the same farm where Mitchell, Mary, Alec, Marilee and others were trapped. She was initially very shy, but a bad cold early on in her time at RAPS saw Leslie having to climb into her cage regularly and sit with her while she gave her fluids.

It came as a welcome surprise to Leslie when Belinda started to purr during her visit. And then she even came over and climbed into Leslie's lap.

According to Bev, Belinda may not be into being picked up, but she does love a lap to curl up in.

Belinda turned out to be such a sweetheart that Marianne says it's a shame she's never been adopted. Fortunately, she does have friends at the shelter who love her dearly.

photo provided by Bev

Simon

2011-11-07T22:10:00.000-08:00

Simon came to the RAPS cat sanctuary a few years ago after being surrendered for peeing.

I was introduced to this apparently rather quiet and retiring boy last month by fellow volunteer Karen. She felt for him because he's so skinny and doesn't always stick up for himself enough to get his fair share of wet food from the communal dishes, and so she asked me if I could give him a little plate of his own after I was done feeding all the caged cats. I of course did so, and Simon was very happy, both for the food and for the attention that went with it.

Karen has another reason to want to go that extra distance in looking out for Simon: his physical appearance (skinny, even boney body everywhere except for his round belly) could be a sign of cancer.

I had another visit with him today. He was so pleased to be photographed (or simply pleased with the attention that went with it) that he followed me around so I could pay attention to him more easily.

It can take so little to make their day. And what great pleasure when you do.

Mini update: Peaches

2011-11-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

There's such a contrast between Grizzy and Peaches that it can hard to believe that when they came to the sanctuary in the summer of 2009, they came in together.

Grizzy's antics are well-known to anyone who's been a regular visitor to the sanctuary or even follower of this blog. Always a much more gentle soul, Peaches doesn't tend to do the kind of things that would land a cat in anyone's hall of fame... or hall of shame. She's just a nice, sweet old girl.

If she has a quirk, it's that after spending some time trying out different spots in the doublewide, she decided the bathroom shelf between the sink and the toilet was going to be her place to roost. And so there she sits, day after day.

She's not quite as rooted to her spot as Deety is to his micro-kingdom of a small counter in the laundry room, and will venture out now and again. For the most part, though, it seems that the bathroom is where she likes to be. She's still as happy as ever to cuddle and will delightedly start giving headbutts and kneading her bedding with the slightest encouragement... but you have to come to her in ~~the bathroom~~ her room.

Cathy

2011-11-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

I came across Cathy many times on the back porch of the doublewide many times without knowing who she was. I'd be visiting with another cat like Harley or Audrey by the steps leading up to the raised area to the right of the door, and there would be this cat sitting up there on a cushion, staring at me suspiciously. Any movement in the cat's direction would be greeted with the look of abject horror so common in ferals. And so I let it alone.

When I heard her story from Leslie, however, I was inspired to put in a bit more time trying to make friends.

Cathy has been at the shelter for years. She was never comfortable with people, but she did have her cat friends to keep her company. She had her boyfriend Heathcliff and was also pals with a cat named Toffee. Unfortunately, both Heathcliff and Toffee have now passed away, and so Cathy, still not really comfortable with humans, doesn't really have any friends.

According to Leslie, Cathy will occasionally let people get close enough to sneak in a pat. So far with me, she's still pretty much about the staring and the fleeing if I try to make contact. Sitting nearby seems to be almost acceptable, though. Maybe that's a start. She sounds like a cat who could really use a human friend or two.

Jordy

2011-10-31T06:12:00.000-07:00

Early in my volunteer poop career at the sanctuary, I stepped out of my car and noticed a streak of cat fur race by me into the bushes. Worried that we had an escaped cat-vict on the loose, I reported what I saw to Leslie. Leslie assured me that there are a few feral cats that like to hang out around the sanctuary but don't live in the sanctuary. RAPS cat wanna-be’s I guess, but too shy accept an invitation. Leslie pointed out the “food stations” set up for these independent cats around the parking lot. Now, after many months driving in week after week, it seems to me that most of the “cats” I see enjoying a free dinner at the feeding stations bare a striking resemblance to Pepe Le Pew.

That was until one sunny evening when a handsome tabby cat came out to greet me on my arrival with an enthusiasm that was almost overwhelming. We hung out for a bit and puss was practically doing back flips when I stroked him. What had I done to deserve such a welcome?

This cat I later found out was Jordy, who in fact did hold residence at the sanctuary in the past but managed to convince the staff after a multitude of inexplicable escapes that he should be allowed to live outside the chain link fence permanently. Jordy, it seemed, was miserable on the inside - never quite fitting with the rest of the cats and had even the victim of occasional cat bullying. He now considers the parking lot and Doug’s shed to be his home. Impossible to know why animals will cast out one of their own; it’s an unfortunate part of life, even in our little kitty haven.

So the next time you’re pulling in to the sanctuary parking lot, drive slowly and keep an eye out for this little sweetheart. Not to worry about Jordy though, he’s got it all worked out - life on the outside is not too bad.

Terry

2011-10-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

After two and a half years of volunteering at the sanctuary, I'm amazed (and sometimes slightly embarrassed) by how frequently I'll be introduced to a new (to me) cat who's been there all along, sometimes in plain sight. I was therefore quite heartened to learn earlier this week that this happens to the best of us.

Long-time RAPSer Marianne emailed me on Monday to introduce me to a cat whose acquaintance she had only just made herself:

I'm astonished at how often I meet a cat for the first time at the shelter and then am told that said cat has been there for years and years, sometimes even longer than I have! That happened again to me today.

A sturdy-looking ginger guy came trotting up to me in the [doublewide] laundry room this afternoon and, when I reached down to pet him (because he seemed friendly), he took a little swat at my hand and shied away. But he quickly came back and rubbed against my leg so I tried another pet and this time he got right into it - butt and tail up, head pushing against my hand, etc.

Just then, Leslie came by and I asked her who this handsome guy was. I was told his name was "Terry" and that he'd come to the shelter a long time ago, along with and from the same rural site as Farrah, tortie Rosie and a few other cats, most of whom have gone to the rainbow bridge.

I remember that Rosie, Farrah and her mom and two siblings were at the shelter when I started volunteering there almost ten years so it's simply beyond me how it is that I hadn't met Terry until today. He sort of hung around me for the next little while and let me reach down to pet him whenever I wanted to.

When I went to the sanctuary a couple of days later to meet Terry myself, he was in the laundry room again, but this time perched high up on a shelf.

I got the smack that Marianne did, but not the rubs she received afterward. Ann told me that he's fine on the floor, but not so friendly up by the ceiling.

He must like the wide open space of the floor that gives him numerous directions to move in if he starts feeling uncomfortable. Up on the planks that run around the perimeter of the room just below the ceiling, he can go only right or left, and maybe not even that if there's another car barring the way. Not surprising he can feel slightly cornered up there. And Leslie says that anytime that happens, he quickly reverts, forgetting he actually likes people.

I'll have to keep an eye out for him when he's at floor level and see if I can win him over then.

Katie (III)

2011-10-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

Katie is a tiny little black girl with a white mark on her chest who lives in the Connor.

According to her file, when she arrived at the sanctuary in 2007, she was only 7-8 months old, unspayed, and possibly pregnant. For the next few years, she behaved like a shy feral and has little exposure to humans as possible. Consequently, no one knew what her name was until she had to be brought inside for a dental in 2010.

These days, while still not exactly confident around people, she's comfortable enough to accept, and even enjoy, some gentle strokes and chin tickles.

She likes climbing into empty cages in the Connor and hanging out there on the shelves. That's how I met her this week, going in to visit Cozy and wondering who the little girl sitting in the cage with him was. She didn't take a whole lot of convincing to let me pat her, and before long she was happily rubbing her face all over my hand.

Outside the cage, though, she's suddenly much less secure, running away (albeit not very far) if approached. Looks like she's still got a bit of a way to go before she truly trusts us.

Mini update: Ziggy Girl

2011-10-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

When Ziggy Girl arrived at the sanctuary back in August, she was so stressed that banshee shrieks and violent lunges seemed to be her chosen mode of self expression. She would now and again show glimpses of a softer, gentler side, but it took very little to get her back on the defensive (if one interprets defensiveness according to the motto that "the best defense is a good offense").

Earlier this month, she was released from her cage. I was initially worried that she'd run off and hide somewhere where she'd never get a chance to know us better, but she surprised me by staying put in the doublewide, parking herself between a chair and a shelf where she could comfortably peek at everyone. It was also pleasantly surprising how easily she could be coaxed out for some strokes, rubs and purrs.

This week she'd moved herself out to the back porch and staked out a little den under a cover on one of the chairs. This didn't exactly seem to be progress, but anytime I went out there and called her, these two round eyes and tufted ears would emerge, followed by the rest of her, ready for cuddles. She even welcomed being stroked by two pairs of hands at once (something Gunther still tends to find rather threatening).

That said, she is still not overfond of other cats encroaching on her personal space and will (so far) invariably respond with a hiss.

She also seems not to have learned how to hold back when she bites, so that the only way she could think of to tell volunteer Ayako that she needed a little break from being patted last week was to bite her really hard on the leg. Hopefully she'll start learning that this sort of thing really isn't necessary: if she does it too often, she'll get herself a reputation as A Biter. And then many people will be less likely to take a chance on her... when a chance is exactly what she needs.

Mama Mia

2011-10-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

Mama Mia was brought to RAPS along with Dinky and her other offspring when the people who'd been putting out food for them in their yard could no longer do so.

Initially housed together with her family in the feral-friendly BC Packers Pen in the rear of the sanctuary, Mama Mia was later moved inside to the Singlewide where she can currently be found.

With the same ongoing ear problems as her son, Dinky, Mama Mia recently had to have a portion of her ear removed just like he did. When I photographed her a little over a week ago, she was still wearing her cone from the vet. Though understandably not delighted about the situation, she bore it with good grace.

Mama Mia had become quite tame for the woman who'd been putting food out for her at her home and given her and her kittens their names, but it still took Mama Mia a little while to get used to her new human friends at RAPS. Linda remembers her as quite mistrustful at first. Trust was earned, though, and now Mama Mia very much enjoys being brushed and having her head rubbed.

Even with her new RAPS friends, Mama Mia never forgot the people who'd first welcomed her and her little family and given them a safe haven. When the son of the woman who used to feed them came to the sanctuary to visit, Mama Mia remembered him and was delighted to see him.

It still takes her a few moments to really warm up to people she doesn't know, but only a few moments. A soft voice and a gentle hand, and she's bestowing little headbutts in no time.

Sara Lou

2011-10-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

Sara Lou came to RAPS as a feral young adult with her nearly identical sister Sara Lee.

Sara Lou was so upset about her new surroundings that she not only chewed her way out of the cage the sisters had been put in, but out of the building in which the cage was located. Although she thankfully didn't make it out of the sanctuary altogether, she put such an effort into resisting capture that RAPS staff in the end thought it best to respect her wishes.

photo by Barbara

As a result, while Sara Lee's regular contact with staff and volunteers taught her to trust humans early on, Sara Lou never really did tame up. After over eight years at the sanctuary, it's only been fairly recently that she's begun to allow people to get close enough that she might consider sniffing a finger tip.

Luckily for me, posing for photos is now well within her comfort zone. Attempts to make actual contact, though, were repeatedly greeted with a neat little scoot just out of reach... followed by an equally neat little look-at-me pose. Progress? Sure. Slow but sure.

Lassie

2011-10-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

Lassie was trapped as a feral kitten at the same place in Ladner where we got Kenny.

She's tamed up over time, so that when she joined the crowd of front courtyard cats who greeted me when I arrived at the sanctuary this evening, it was hard to believe she'd ever been wild. She was happy to visit with me and receive any rubs on offer, to the point that she was hard to photograph because her efforts to stay within easy stroking distance made for a lot of awkward camera angles and out of focus shots.

Lassie's hyperthyroid, which makes her a bit on the skinny side. Her most obvious distinguishing feature, though, would have to be her odd coloured left eye. It makes it easy to find her among other tabbies in the front courtyard.

Dinky

2011-10-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

When Dinky and his siblings were feral kittens, their mom found them a house where they could count on food being put out by the couple who lived there. The mom, named Mama Mia by the human carers, got comfortable enough that she would even go into the house, but Dinky & Co. weren't ready to be so brave.

Time passed and the couple were no longer together. And so Mama Mia and her still feral kids were brought to the RAPS sanctuary to be looked after. Leslie put them all in the BC Packers pen together, feeling that was the place they would feel most comfortable.

On arrival, the whole family was found to have chronic respiratory, eye and ear trouble. Dinky had to come in for treatment the most often, and so he became tamest soonest.

Volunteer Linda was one of the ones called upon to help with the taming. Here's what she remembers:

I got to know him a couple of years ago when Leslie asked me to befriend him and see if he would let me brush him, etc.

When I first started visiting Dinky in the pen and he didn't want anything to do with me, another of the cats (very feral - he would hiss and spit at me) would herd Dinky over towards me. It was most interesting to observe, as obviously the other cat felt that Dinky needed me!

It took a while, but once he realized how good a brushing felt, I could go into the pen and call "Dinky, brushing!" and he would come out from wherever. Then he allowed me to pick him up and put him on the wooden ledge (easier on my back to brush him). And he just loves to have his head rubbed. That was a bit of a challenge when he had the collar on, but I managed!

White cats are apparently especially prone to skin problems, up to and including cancer, on their sensitive ears. Not long ago, an ugly tumor formed on Dinky's left ear that had to be removed along with the top portion of the ear.

What with meds, a cone from the vet and general discomfort, Dinky wasn't a happy boy for a little while there and would mostly hide behind his privacy curtain. When I visited him earlier this week, he was looking much happier, sitting out in the open where he could check out what was going on and where people wouldn't forget to stop by his cage and pay him a visit. Or two or three.

Sara Lee

2011-10-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Since I started volunteering the spring of 2009, Sara Lee has been one of my most dedicated helpers when I dish out the doublewide cats' wet food every week.

September 2009

Skouch, Sara Lee and Shadow

Given Sara Lee's dedication to helping - "helping" - with the preparation of dinner, it may seem odd that I haven't dedicated a post to her in the past.

The reason is largely a case of mistaken, or at very least uncertain, identity. While Sara Lee is attentive and affectionate for the duration of the time it takes me to serve out 12 large plates of wet food, after this she promptly disappears. Sometimes the confusingly similar looking Noelle will mysteriously appear in her place, the two having somehow pulled a switcheroo while my back was turned.

These sorts of shenanigans led to a long period of uncertainty on my part as to which little black cat I was looking at.

Sara Lee - now that I can be sure it is she - was trapped as a feral youngster along with her sister Sara Lou back in 2003 by Mary Pritchard, having come from one Mary's feeding sites in the Steveston area. Despite being only 1 - 2 years old herself, Sara Lee already had kittens.

Arriving at the sanctuary, Sara Lee and Sara Lou were put in a cage together but, overnight, Sara Lou chewed her way out and disappeared into the back yard. For reasons known only to herself, Sara Lee opted not to follow her sister to possible freedom, instead staying put in her cage.

As a result, while Sara Lou never did tame up, Sara Lee's early and continued exposure to RAPS staff and volunteers turned her into a friendly, cuddly purr-machine who's as comfortable with people as can be.
Especially if it happens to be feeding time.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-10-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

Later this week, look forward to the stories of Sara Lee and Dinky. For today, I'd like to celebrate the Thanksgiving weekend with a cat-themed take on the holiday.

comic by Ronald Neal

from www.cats-on-shirts.com

Oh, graceless kitties of autumn!

2011-10-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's that time again - time to share a few photos of our furry sanctuary friends taken on occasions where they opted not to sit pretty.

Here's what I was able to round up for the October blooper reel:

Bonnie Boy

photo by Michele

Logan, post shave (so the graceless part, really not his fault)

photo by Michele

Who can resist a little pink tongue shot?

photo by Michele

Salty making is own fun

photo by Michele

Morgan

photo by Michele

Sadie vs. plant

photo by Phaedra

Mario takes his followers' well-being very seriously

photo by Phaedra

"What?"

Melvin, caught between poses

Zander. Not exactly an unusual pose for him, but still - funny!

Renee, giving the ever-popular back paw salute

Salty, once again just doing his thing

Noelle

2011-10-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

A Flickr page of Noelle photos by former (and hopefully future!) RAPS volunteer Barbara Doduk describes Noelle as "a tiny little mushy kitty."

photo by Barbara

When Noelle first came to RAPS years ago, surrendered at the age of about 1 1/2 for peeing, staff noted in her file that she was "a funny, hyper cat." Leslie remembers Noelle as so hyper that she could actually be seen doing flips in her cage.

These days, most people will be more familiar with Noelle as Barbara describes her, unless of course they've encountered her when another cat has had the ill manners to encroach on her personal space. At such times, she can be a proper little grouchypants.

photo by Barbara

It's also important to observe the correct cuddle protocol when it comes to Noelle, i.e., she must be in the mood. I made the mistake earlier this week of interrupting her perfectly nice cuddle with Brigid to wave my arms at her and flash a camera in her face so I could do this blog post. I thought I could make it up to her by picking her up myself afterward. Noelle thought not, at least not right away.

Bingo

2011-10-03T21:54:00.000-07:00

Written by guest blogger Karen Yu

photo by Karen

I first encountered Bingo years ago, when I noticed a cat who was often looking down on the ground instead of looking up. It turned out that Bingo always looked at the ground because he loved chasing the reflection off anything, whether it was from your camera or your watch. He was one of the original front courtyard cats who loved chasing the laser.

photos by Karen

According to records, he arrived in June, 2002. He was trapped, along with 4 other litter mates, by a volunteer. Although he is a quiet and friendly cat, he generally doesn’t make himself known, but it seems that as he has grown older, he enjoys human company more and will even climb onto your lap occasionally.

Another unique trait Bingo has is that he can sometimes be seen walking around the front courtyard carrying a sponge ball in his mouth. Unfortunately, as with most cats, he refuses to pose and in spite of many attempts, I have yet to photograph him with the ball in his mouth.

photos by Karen

Rosie

2011-09-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Rosie was brought to the sanctuary in 2001 after fending for herself living a homeless life. I’m told she was very scared on arrival as many cats are when they first come from a life on the streets. Her ears were sideways facing or what we call “airplane ears”, a message to those around her to “back off”. It took Rosie a long time to warm up to life at the sanctuary but eventually she came around and is a now known as a sweet, but shy girl.

I met Rosie this summer when she was being treated as an in-patient in the double wide for an ear infection. Armed with my scoop bucket and shovel, I was ready to enter her cage. Not knowing her, I watched her for a minute or so to get an idea of her temperament. Huddled in the corner, she looked back at me with worried eyes and pupils the size of saucers. I decided a quiet, respectful approach would be best to introduce myself.

Rosie is a striking cat with black and orange calico markings. Once in her cage, I bent down to scoop her tray when I felt a soft nuzzling at my ear. Little Rosie had decided that I might be someone she would like to get to know better. I started to stroke her and to my surprise she soon came out of her shell and was revelling in the attention she was getting.

Apparently Rosie lives in back pens but I found her last week in the newcomers building, ear infection long behind her. She was having a little dinner when I came upon her and she bolted under a stool at my approach. Patiently, I waited for her to remember the friendship we had started in the summer. She looked up at me as if contemplating whether I was worthy of another try. Happily, the answer must have been “yes” as she came out from under her stool and with a coy tilt of her head, nuzzled my arm, friendship rekindled.

Lucy (II)

2011-09-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

Lucy is another cat who came to RAPS from the same kitty group home that brought us Whiskey, Cara, Moosha and others.

A cuddly sweetheart of a cat, Lucy so captured the heart of one of our volunteers that she adopted her. Unfortunately, possibly as a response to a cat or cats already resident in the household, Lucy developed a tendency to pee where she shouldn't, and so she had to be brought back to the sanctuary. This was a tough decision for Lucy's would-be adopter, who even tried bringing her home again some time later. But the same problem arose once more, and so Lucy has had to come back to live at the sanctuary.

Currently in a cage in the doublewide while she readjusts to sanctuary life, Lucy was a bit shy at first but is increasingly letting us see her adorably cuddly side, complete with purrs and upside down wriggles.

Whiskey

2011-09-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

Whiskey is one of the original cats to come to us from the house that Cara, Huey, Hannah and others once called home.

I hadn't met Whiskey until now as he's one of the backyard gang (as opposed to the doublewide gang who are stuck with me every week). He was hanging out on the table in front of the tearoom this evening when my fellow doublewide volunteer noticed this handsome tabby man and wondered who he was. I didn't know and decided to find out.

He wasn't too sure about me at first, but quickly warmed up to the point of repeatedly reaching out and grabbing my hand, drawing it toward him so that he could headbutt it more easily. He then spent some time trailing around after me, affectionately headbutting any cat he happened to come across on the way.

Whiskey & Tawny

All this matched nicely with Leslie's description of him as a nice boy who's friends with everyone.

Larry (II)

2011-09-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

Larry (aka Limping Larry, aka Orange Larry) was trapped and bought to RAPS in 2004 along with a semi-feral named Socks.

Thought to be around 4 years old at the time, Larry was one of several strays being fed by neighbors in the area where he was found. He and Socks did not get along at the time, but, since they were trapped together and the shelter was short of space when they arrived, they were obliged to share a cage. Fortunately, the shared experience of being in a strange new environment gave them both enough to think about that they didn't get around to fighting each other.

Larry's had a few names since he came to us. When he first arrived, he had a limp that earned him the name "Limping Larry." The limp went away, but staff and volunteers still needed a way to differentiate him from our black & white Larry. And so you may still hear the "Limping" prefix from time to time. For those concerned about calling him by a no longer descriptively accurate name, "Orange Larry" has come into use. I don't think Larry himself minds too much either way. After all, he knows exactly who he is.

photo by Barbara

Lynx

2011-09-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

When I arrived at the sanctuary on Monday night, I ran into Debbie who told me there were two new cats I just had to meet. One was Scarlett, who I've already introduced on Monday's blog post. The other was Lynx.

Lynx came to us by way of one of Debbie's feeding sites, a tame and until very recently unneutered male. And, unfortunately, he has leukemia.

Though understandably uncertain of his new surroundings, Lynx shows promise as a very nice boy. He hasn't got to the point of seeking out attention yet, but does allow his human visitors to extend the hand of friendship and even given him a few strokes and chin tickles.

I, for one, can't wait to get to know him better.

Updated October 15, 2011: I sadly never did get a chance to know Lynx better, as we sadly lost him today.
Here's what Debbie posted about him on Facebook this afternoon:

Lynx came to live with us at the shelter a month ago. He was trapped at one of my feeding sites near the railroad tracks. His first vet trip (to be neutered and tested) determined that he had leukemia. He wasn't too sure about us at first, but turned out to be very cuddly and affectionate at the end. He left us having had a warm place to live, lots of food, and knowing he was loved. That is why we do what we do........

Lynx at the feeding site

photo by Debbie

Scarlett

2011-09-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

When Scarlett arrived at the sanctuary on Saturday after being picked up from the streets in west Richmond, she was covered in scabs and having such difficulty breathing that it was feared she might not make it through the night.

Hoping to save her, RAPS staff rushed Scarlett to the vet. She was found to have an enlarged heart and asthma, with the sores on her skin apparently being the result of terrible allergies. Fortunately, she seems to be responding well to antibiotics.

Despite Scarlett's tiny size, she's thought to be full grown. And, despite her natural fear from being in such a strange new environment, RAPS staff have found her to be promisingly friendly.

I'm posting about her now in hopes that her health will continue to improve as it has done over the last couple of days, so that these photos will be the "before" pictures to be contrasted with a follow-up of happy, healthy "after" photos in the not too distant future.

Updated September 26, 2011: Our time to get to know Scarlett was much shorter than we had hoped. After initially rallying at the beginning of last week, she quickly went downhill again, showing signs of having great trouble breathing. It seems her little heart just wasn't strong enough, and so RAPS staff took her to the vet to save her from suffering any further.
So... sadly no happy "after" photos to follow the original post. BUT, Scarlett and others like her, the ones we couldn't save, shouldn't be forgotten. Because they all deserve any chance they can be given to pull through. Or, if recovery is too big a miracle to manage, they deserve someplace safe and warm to spend their final days and not to die alone on the streets.

"Coming out" update: Amber and Nelson

2011-09-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Seeing cats begin to come out of their shell is a wonderful thing. Here are progress reports on a couple of our formerly less gregarious kitties.

Amber

When we first met Amber back in June, she was an adorable, tiny little grey thing... who didn't want to have anything to do with us. She was so frightened that she would just hide in her cat bed, her ears perpetually pinned back.

As she began to relax in her environment and get to know us, she slowly went from defensive hissing and spitting to curiosity. At first she would still hiss but allow us to stroke her in her bed, and then she began to cautiously climb out of her bed to receive visitors.

She's now been released from her cage and, though still skittish and prone to hide under things, hasn't forgotten that she enjoys having us stroke her. Approach her slowly and then let her decide if she wants to come within reach, and you may be treated to anything from showy cat dances to full upside-down wriggling and purring as you stroke her.

And those ears? Very much facing forward.

Nelson

Nelson's problem wasn't one of being scared, but simply being perpetually overlooked. And, as can happen with the more introverted cats, he'd gotten to a point where he'd given up on even asking for attention.

A little time in a cage this summer seems to have done him some good, as it made him more visible to people who might not have noticed him otherwise. With more people making a point of visiting and spending a little time with him, he began to think that maybe he did in fact deserve a little attention.

A little while after he'd been let out of the cage, Nelson surprised me by coming forward when he saw me and initiating a cuddle, which we both enjoyed. It's great to see this boost in self-confidence! Now we just have to help him keep it up - everyone who went to visit him in his cage, please keep coming to see him now that he's out.

Panther

2011-09-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

Fantastic, friendly Panther is the third member of the Jeremy/Jasper/Panther lap-occupying gang in the Old AIDS building at the sanctuary.

At 14 years old, Panther's not a young guy. What I find amazing, though, is that it was 2002 when he came to RAPS as an FIV positive cat - which means he's been living with FIV for at least 9 years! And in all this time, says Leslie, he's never had any major illnesses.

Proof (for anyone who needed convincing) that cats with FIV should not automatically be seen as not long for this world. Some can still go on to live long and happy lives.

Panther and Bella

Jasper (II)

2011-09-12T22:58:00.000-07:00

Like more than a few cats living in the Old AIDS building at the sanctuary, Jasper is a cuddler.

I first met him when I was interviewing Jeremy for a blog post. Phaedra had mentioned that Jeremy, Jasper and Panther were all eager to have a share of cuddle and lap time, so that it was never possible to pay attention to just one of them. I found this to be true within moments (or was it just seconds?) of sitting down, when all three cats managed to insert themselves neatly in the available lap space like furry puzzle pieces.

Jasper has been at the sanctuary for a long time. And he's always been friendly. Like most cats, though, he does have his quirks. For some reason, while he's quite happy to cuddle with Leslie, he also loves to smack her. Why? Apparently, he just seems to think it's terribly funny.

Cats have a strange sense of humor.

Grizzy's friendship: the gift that just keeps giving (please make it stop)

2011-09-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

While normally the successful befriending of a formerly hostile animal is the kind of thing that gives shelter staff and volunteers the warm fuzzies, occasionally such benevolence can backfire.

Though not a concentrated campaign like I used to try and win over Orlean, I felt for kitties such as Grizzy and Gunther, both so bitter and unhappy when they came in, and so have slowly but surely made friends with them. I didn't spend a huge amount of time with either of them, but did make a point of giving each a pat every time I came, and sometimes even a little plate of food if I had a little extra.

Gunther now gives my hand a gentle headbutt if I stroke him. And Grizzy has started marking me as his territory. Literally.

I discovered this strange new development a couple of weeks ago. I'd been patting Grizzy, then turned my attention to other cats, followed by further distraction by human conversation. I felt something warm and wet on my calf and looked down to see Grizzy sauntering away, only to stop nearby and look up to me for more pats.

A number of days later, though I couldn't say for sure since a more pressing issue of dealing with a nasty bite wound from another cat kept me distracted until after the deed had been done, the presence of Grizzy suspiciously nearby when I'd just noticed that my ankle was inexplicably wet led me to suspect he'd struck again.

Tonight, just as I was telling Gaye of this suspected second incident and preparing to give Grizzy the benefit of the doubt, he wandered up to me and turned around. I hopped out of the way in the nick of time to watch several pungent marking squirts land on the floor where I'd been standing. He then thought maybe I'd like to stroke him.

As much as it seems that he really does mean it as a complement, if this is love, somebody goofed.

Renee

2011-09-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

Renee came to the sanctuary five plus years ago with her sister Calista. Karen suspects the pair of names may have been chosen as an homage to Ally McBeal, but one that went a bit off the rails with cat-Renee's name somehow morphing into something closer to "Reenie" in pronunciation.

Starting her RAPS life in Doug's shed like her sister, Renee turned out to be the tamer of the two. Described in her file as "talkative," she likes being patted and will meow will approval while arching her tail into the air to receive as many pats as you're prepared to give out.

Calista

2011-09-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Calista came to the cat sanctuary five or six years ago after being trapped in Marpole by Lisa and Stephanie.

When she first arrived, there was no room for her or her sister Renee, and so they initially had to be housed in the shed with Doug's tools. Both were very scared little girls, and so perhaps a quiet place away from all the other cats was a good way to start shelter life.

Calista is still a little on the shy side, but is now quite willing to accept pets if you're gentle and ask her nicely. And she's more than happy to pose for photographs.

Jimmy

2011-09-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

Jimmy's story so far is a tale in two acts, one that's a little sad and one that will make you smile.

Act One
The first part of the tale comes from Bev, who was the first one at RAPS to hear about Jimmy.

"Jimmy came to us from a radio show host on the old CFUN. She was talking about him on her show saying how he was peeing everywhere and she was going to have to do something - the family had a few pets and kids so I think he was probably stressed. I called the show to tell her about RAPS because I thought she was going to put him down. She dropped him off at the shelter and never came back - poor boy has never gotten over it, I think."

Bev had hoped the woman would come and visit Jimmy, but wonders if she ever did. Gaye remembers her coming once early on, but only the once.

Act Two
The second part of the tale comes via Debbie. This is, as she calls it, The Tale of Jimmy and Robbie.

A young boy and girl named Robbie and Emily started coming to the sanctuary around 3 years ago. Emily had just gotten out of the hospital and her parents thought the visits would be a good way to cheer her up.

Emily fell in love with Squirrel and Robbie with Jimmy. They continued coming for about a year until they moved away from BC.

When they came back on vacation a year later, one of the first things they did was come to visit the sanctuary. Robbie looked for Jimmy, and when Jimmy saw him, Debbie tells me Jimmy was so excited that he just ran around and rubbed himself all over the boy.

Another year passed until the family returned for this year's vacation. They came to visit the sanctuary just this past Sunday. Emily found Squirrel and some of the other cat friends she'd made. Robbie once again looked for Jimmy. Finding him, he patted him and gave him some treats he'd brought. Jimmy looked at him for a moment and then began to give him kisses.

Jasper

2011-08-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was taken by surprise a few weeks ago as I walked into the cat sanctuary doors. I was greeted by the usual deluge of cats floating towards me with the grace and fluidity of a school of fish swimming in the ocean. Such is the way at the cat sanctuary; it is beautiful to be received in such a manner and welcomed with a shower of affection.

Wanting to bask in kitty love I immediately sat down on the warm cement revelling in it all. That was until our tuna laden volunteer Jez walked onto the scene. The current changed and the cats turned in unison and swam away from me towards Jez.

All except one.

Jasper a beautiful brown tabby cat had decided that cuddles were better than tuna and he was now happy to be the sole proprietor of my lap having no further competition. Had I not had a job to do, I’m sure he would have draped himself on my lap all evening and into the night. In fact, it was difficult to get a photo of Jasper on his own, so persistent he was to be in my lap.

It was love at first purr for me.

Remarkably, he came to the no 5 road shelter as a kitten and was the only one of his litter not to get adopted. It is truly baffling how this loving and gentle cat had not been snatched up.

Now every time I come to the shelter, I loiter around the front courtyard outside of the Connor building where he spends his time. I have never had to look for him as within a few minutes he eventually appears out of nowhere and comes to greet me, inviting me to sit down and provide him with a warm lap and soothing cuddles. In return for the borrowed use of my lap, he provides me with an immense release of all the days stress and fills my heart with love and happiness.

Ziggy Girl

2011-08-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

I was a little trepidatious about entering this new arrival's cage tonight. The sign on her door said:

"Ziggy Girl"

surrendered for peeing

CAREFUL

She is very nasty at the moment.

And if this wasn't enough, Debbie told me how, earlier in the day, Ziggy Girl had been screaming like a banshee when Louise so much as tried to enter her cage. There were even reports of lunging and slashing.

Keeping an eye on the blanket draped over the back corner of the cage, I slowly opened the door and quietly announced my non-violent intention to fill her water dish. I expected mayhem to start, but instead this little head poked out from the side of the drape and blinked at me. I blinked back (it seemed only polite).

Next thing I knew, I'd crouched down and reached out to her, still half expecting at least a swat and prepared to ignore it. Instead, she gave a little yawn, sniffed my hand and then gave it a little rub with her head.

Twice later during my shift I repeated the experiment, each time expecting her to turn into the angry kitty I'd been warned about. But each time it was all purrs, rubs and yawns and stretches.

There's often no knowing what they've experienced before coming to us... and generally what goes on in those little cat brains of theirs. And so there's no knowing why one person makes a particular cat's guest list and another gets an angry rebuff for no reason that us human types can see. Maybe I sounded, looked or smelled like somebody she used to know?

Updated September 2, 2011: Before I start sounding too special, I'd like to point out that when I went to visit Ziggy a second time and ignored her "not accepting visitors" demeanor, she felt obliged to respond by biting me silly!

Update: Maddie

2011-08-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

When I first came across Maddie back in April of last year, she was a kooky kitty who had parked herself on top of the cages in the newcomers area. She was happy to dance around up there to keep my attention on her, but I never did get her to come down for a ground level cuddle (Phaedra apparently had better luck... sometimes).

Maddie has since had to be moved to the Old AIDS building. Once there, it didn't take her long to find and latch onto friendly Jeremy. Jeremy, of course, didn't mind a bit.

In fact, I became reacquainted with Maddie last week when I was taking pictures of Jeremy for the blog. He was hanging out in the rafters, comfortably surveying the scene, and I'd barely had a chance to get a ladder out to introduce myself before this crinkle-eared tabby barged in, demanding first his attention and then mine. Somewhere in there, she decided I was to be her friend and that's all there was to it.

Phaedra describes Maddie these days as being very much into headbutts, pets and snuggles with everyone. She can apparently get a little pushy with her affections and has been known to force a snuggle on another cat whether they're interested or not.

Being a former feral, Maddie can still be a bit unpredictable at times if something sets her off, but for the most part, says Phaedra, she's all about the love.

I got to experience both the love and the pushiness the next time I went to visit, where Maddie practically chased me around the room for cuddles. If my attention appeared to be on anything or anyone other than her, she didn't hesitate to march up and lightly claw at my leg until I returned to the all important task of being her pal.

Jeremy (King Tut)

2011-08-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

Brigid suggested I get to know this lovely, friendly boy in the Old AIDS building and recommended Phaedra as a good person to ask about him.

photo by Phaedra

Here's what Phaedra had to say:

"Jeremy is actually called King Tut as he was trapped out by King Tire.

He used to live in the back courtyard. My daughter spotted him one day and asked me who he was. I had no idea what his name was, so my daughter said he looks like a Jeremy and it's stuck for me.

Back then, he wasn't so big on snuggling or even allowing you to touch him. After lots of courting and flirting, I finally won him over and he would patiently wait for the flocks of kitties to leave me alone so we could have some quiet lap time. We used to do this every day at either coffee break or lunch time.

When he was diagnosed with feline leukemia, I was heartbroken for him and promised him that I would visit him every day I worked. So every day after work I go and sit with Jeremy.

Obviously I can't just sit with him because Panther and Jasper and all the other kitties in that area would not have that, so I've had to bear the burden of loving them all up after work. Not quite sure how I ended up being persuaded to buy a case of cat tuna every pay cheque and feed them at least two cans every day... Somehow they managed to convince me to do it without my prior knowledge.

Having followed Jeremy to the Old AIDS, I've taken an interest in making the change of spaces easier on all the new kitties that enter that area. It just seems like the right thing to do."

Jeremy (I think we're all calling him that now) has been so successfully turned into a cuddler that he's ready and willing to love up anyone, anytime, seemingly all the time. Don't expect much alone time with him, though. Offer him your lap and soon find Panther and Jasper tucking themselves neatly in beside him. Fortunately, he's just as willing to snuggle with his cat friends as he is with his human friends.

cat photography behind the scenes

2011-08-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

Photographers sometimes have to get into tricky spots to get the perfect shot. RAPS animal care worker Ann thought our readers should see some of the hard work that goes into getting the cat photos that appear in the Neko Files posts.

This shot was set up to capture a mystery tabby under the chair.

Abby felt certain she would make a better subject.

Each of the following photos is accompanied by the behind-the-scenes version, taken by Ann.

Gypsy

Sweetie

As with many cats, getting his attention can take a little work

Zander with Georgie (above) and Daisy (top)

Jerry

Max

2011-08-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

It's been about a year since Max came to the sanctuary... for the second time.

He originally came to RAPS when a woman phoned Carol at the No. 5 Rd. shelter and insisted RAPS take her cat. She was not particularly interested in the fact that the shelter was full to capacity or that there is a fee to surrender an animal. If RAPS wouldn't take him, she threatened, she would have to just let him go somewhere.

RAPS staff member Ann felt bad for Max and decided to take him home herself temporarily until space could be found for him. And so, after a brief sojurn at Ann's, Max came to live at the sanctuary for the first time.

After being diagnosed with bladder crystals, Max's treatment included many months in a cage with a special diet to help resolve the problem. He became increasingly depressed, and seemed inclined to just let himself waste away. Ann stepped in once again to take him home, this time with the idea that it would be a permanent arrangement.

All was well for 18 months or so between Max and resident household cats Stubbs and Muffin. And then Max started acting aggressive, going after the elderly Stubbs with a Jerry-like abandon. Concerned for Stubbs and worried that Max would start going for the big-talking but ultimately pretty defenseless Muffin, Ann had to face the hard decision and the heartache of bringing Max back to the sanctuary.

Remembering how miserable he'd been the first time, she worried about how he'd fare. True, he was a pretty grumpy boy for a while, but he settled in to the singlewide where Ann asked that he be placed and these days seems to be doing just fine. Phew!!

Sally

2011-08-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

I first noticed Sally in the spring of last year, a pretty calico who could often be found sitting in the window of a small building in the back courtyard. The few times I tried to touch her, though, I would be met with the sort of cringing and expression of wide-eyed horror that are generally meant to signal a cat is not friendly and is about to either run away or get out the claws.

Fellow volunteers Kim and Ayako had a similar experience, until one day Kim discovered an interesting thing: Sally actually likes to be petted. It may have been because Sally had a chance to get used to Kim, but Kim managed to make contact and was quickly rewarded with a solid purr and a tail in the air.

photo by Kim

When Kim brought me over to see this, we found Sally hanging out on a shelf hidden behind a blanket - again, not a place you'd expect to find a kitty who wants to be found. But Kim had only to stroke her head and pat her back at the base of her tail a couple of times before Sally was purring away, clearly enjoying the attention. I tried as well and even got Sally trying some headbutts, although this was seemingly newish territory for her, as she became a bit uncertain after the first few bonks and switched to looking perplexed and smacking me instead.

I found out from Leslie afterward that Sally and her shy tortie sister Soleil were both trapped at a Richmond automotive garage. They were both feral, but were being fed while they were there, and so had become at least somewhat used to humans.

Dusty (II)

2011-08-15T22:46:00.000-07:00

photo by Kim

Dusty was trapped around two years ago with her kittens, all pretty tabbies like their mom. The kittens lived in the Kitten Trailer until they'd all had their shots and could be adopted out. Dusty, a feral and therefore unsuitable for adoption, remained at the sanctuary.

photo by Kim

She's still shy, as is to be expected from a feral, but is slowly getting more comfortable around humans. She also has her cat friends. In particular, I'm told she loves black longhair Leo and is campaigning to be his girlfriend.

I was introduced to Dusty by fellow volunteer Kim, who's discovered that over time this feral kitty has felt less of a need to hiss when approached and may even allow a fingertip to be extended towards her before scooting away.

photo by Kim

Although Dusty wouldn't let me come quite close enough to be in danger of touching her, I was permitted to take quite a few pictures without making her feel threatened. And when Kim and I were standing nearby, talking about her, Dusty couldn't seem to resist the beginnings of a little tail-in-the-air showing off before making a show of getting away from us, almost as if saying, "Look at me - I'm running away. I'm going to run away from you now."
Dusty, methinks thou dost protest too much.

Let sleeping cats lie

2011-08-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

photo by Brigid

Why let sleeping cats lie? Because, for some of them, if they wake up and catch you calling them cute as a little buttercup while they snoozed, furry belly exposed and paws in the air, you may be in trouble.
Trust me. I know.

With the warm weather comes an increased likelihood that cats at the sanctuary can be found sprawled in any manner of cute-as-a-buttercup (or sometimes just plain strange) poses as they rest to save up energy for more napping later.
Here's a sampling.

Jenny

photo by Michele

Max

photo by Michele

Ziggy

photo by Michele

Georgie

photo by Phaedra

Fred

photo by Ayako

Gunther

photo by Ayako

Morrissey

photo by Brigid

Savannah

Latte

Faline

Patterson

Jinx

2011-08-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

When feral sister and brother Mindy and Jinx came to the sanctuary, Mindy seemed to at least want to be tame. Jinx wasn't so sure.

Leslie says he could be quite vicious when he first arrived. He was such a brat, in fact, that he earned himself the name of Jinx.

Over time, he did become tame but will still revert to feral if put in a position where he feels cornered. When I first encountered him sitting on one of the benches along the edge of the front courtyard, he was uncomfortable enough with only a choice of left or right escape route that he wouldn't let me touch him without running away.

Meet him out in the open though, and he's a whole different kitty. There, it was all I could do to get a picture of him with all the purring, rubbing and weaving around my ankles.

Dickens

2011-08-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

Dickens is a gentle fellow recently brought to my attention by Brigid, who described him as a sweetie who looks like a tubby version of Jake but with Gunther's sad, solemn expression.

Dickens was given the name of Loco when he arrived at the sanctuary last year. He had been trapped with some wild cats, so it was assumed he was wild like the rest of them. It was immediately obvious, however, that "Loco" wasn't exactly wild and crazy as his name suggested. He would even meow for attention from his cage.

photo by Brigid

Brigid decided the name Loco just didn't suit him: "He needed something more old-fashioned and solid." And so she gave him the name of Dickens. For me, this evokes characters from Victorian era literature, but Leslie offered another, more immediate interpretation: "He's cute as the Dickens."
I couldn't agree more.

photo by Brigid

"He's fairly shy until he feels safe with you;" she says. "Then he's quite happy to be a lap-cat for a bit."

photo by Brigid

Aldo

2011-08-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, Karen introduced me to a grey shorthair named Aldo.

photo by Karen

Aldo was surrendered some years ago to the No. 5 Rd. shelter along with another cat. The other cat was adopted but Aldo wasn't, and so he was brought to the sanctuary to live.

Like Nelson, he doesn't put himself forward for attention and so is one of those cats who people just don't notice. Over the years, he seems to have resigned himself to this life. But resigned does not mean disinterested: Aldo loves any show of attention and affection given to him.

Karen remembers him as a round little thing when he came in, but these days he's much thinner. Clearly, this boy needs a little love! He won't come to you, but if you seek him out, he'll be delighted.

Melvin

2011-08-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

A lady had been feeding this stray tabby for a time before bringing her into the No. 5 Rd. shelter. When "Melanie" was taken to the vet to be spayed, two interesting pieces of information were discovered: Melanie was in fact a neutered male and he was FIV positive.

And so he, with his name amended to the more gender-appropriate "Melvin," was brought to the cat sanctuary to live.

When I met him on Monday evening, he'd only been released from his cage in the New AIDS building hours before. And he was already quite ready to settle in.

Larry

2011-08-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

Like Cozy, Larry is one of those cats who's so friendly and relaxed now that it's hard to believe he was a wild and crazy thing when he came in.

Geri, a RAPS volunteer at the time, brought Larry in as a stray. He acted feral with such vicious abandon that people were scared of him when he was living in a cage in the Connor. He was so bad that some volunteers were afraid to go to the beast's lair to scoop his litter box.

Over time, Larry calmed down and started to like people. By the time I met him, he'd gotten so laid back and friendly that it's hard to imagine him being any other way.

Taboo

2011-07-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve not spent a lot of time in the front courtyard of the cat sanctuary, but in search of a new subject for The Neko Files, I thought I’d check out what’s happening with the west side cats.

I asked Bonnie, a long time volunteer, to tell me about any cats she’d come particularly attached to in her years at RAPS and without the slightest hesitation she shouted: “Taboo”!

Taboo, a beautiful brown tabby cat with striking yellow eyes is the sole survivor of a litter of five kittens that were found on the streets of Richmond many years ago and died within six months of their arrival at RAPS. You can recognize her by her odd body shape: a small cat with a large pot belly which makes her look as if she is either pregnant or has a fondness for a wee pint of beer every now and then.

Described in her file as: “tame, with attitude”, Taboo fits that portrayal perfectly. Although she is very sociable with people, she can also be quite skittish and scampers away should anyone try to pick her up. Bonnie’s gentle ways and long connection have earned her some trust and Taboo now allows Bonnie to pick her up occasionally, though not without some apprehension.

On solid ground in the courtyard she seemed quite happy to let me pet her and even treated me to a little marching dance with her two front paws and accompanied this with a loud melodic purr. Taboo held back the hoards of cats all clamouring for a little attention from me with a good claw slashing and hissing before turning back to me with eyes so angelic you’d have thought she descended straight from heaven.

Sweet gentle cat with me; angry, savage beast with the interlopers. Yes indeed, she is tame... with attitude.

Nelson

2011-07-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

There's nothing really special about Nelson's story, but I find that in itself makes him worthy of a little extra attention.

photo by Barbara

He came to RAPS 7 or 8 years ago, likely after being surrendered. He's always been a nice cat, but since he doesn't try to initiate contact with humans like some of our more outgoing residents, he doesn't get much attention from people.

With other cats, he has even less luck. Leslie says he sometimes get into fights because some of the other cats just don't seem to like him, almost as if there's a vibe he gives off that they object to.

Since he never pushed himself forward for me to notice him, I'm ashamed to say that until this week I was one of the many who tended to pass him by.

He's currently in a cage while being treated for a cold. I gave him a little pat along with his dinner, as I do with the caged cats who don't look likely to shred me for my troubles. Rarely have I seen a response of such gentle delight: I barely had to touch him before he was beaming at me and kneading the air with his paws. After that, it was all purrs and rubs.

It makes me wonder - how many other shelter cats allow themselves to get passed over because they don't think to speak until they're spoken to?

Lana

2011-07-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

Feral Lana started at the No. 5 Rd. shelter where Carol provided a quiet space for the new mom to be with her kittens. Once the kittens were weaned, they stayed at 5 Rd. where they could be adopted out and Lana moved to the sanctuary.

Lana is still quite cautious around people and if you move beyond her invisible comfort barrier she'll quickly run away. If she's feeling relaxed and surrounded by her cat friends, it's sometimes possible to get tantalizingly close to touching a finger to her nose before she bolts.

Lana with Nikki and Kenny

photo by Barbara

Fortunately, she does enjoy the company of other cats at the sanctuary. Notably, she's a member in good standing of the Mario Appreciation Society.

Da Vinci

2011-07-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

Da Vinci came to the sanctuary last November as a feral who'd been trapped near the No. 5 Rd. shelter.

He lived in a cage in the doublewide for the first while, where he'd spend most of his time sitting on a low cat tree and making an effort to let us know how little he liked us. Released into the sanctuary population in the spring of 2011, he promptly ran to a corner of the enclosed back porch area of the doublewide and stayed there.

Fortunately, he's now slowly starting to get more comfortable with people he knows. Ann, for example, tried approaching him with a back scratcher to see if he'd accept a few strokes and scratches with that. On the first few attempts, his response was to swat it right out of her hand. She persisted, though, and managed to get in there and give him a vigorous scratch... which he was surprised to discover he loved.

He still hangs out in his corner, but now lets Ann pat him. He hasn't let me touch him yet, but no longer gets angry at me for trying.

Paris

2011-07-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

Paris is a feral who came to RAPS in 2003 from the same house that brought us Cara, Mooshie, Elmo & Princess, Huey & Hannah.

She might originally have been named Doll Face on account of her unusual face, but this was not a name she was widely known as, being so shy that she immediately scampered off into the back when she was let loose at the sanctuary and disappeared into the general shy black cat population.

Staff got to know her a little when she was brought inside for observation because she'd gotten quite skinny. She was given the name Paris at that time.
These days she'll let a person get close enough for a photo op, but still has that invisible feral boundary very much intact: come any closer and she runs off to reinstate the proper distance.

Update: Headbutt Harry needs another nickname...?

2011-07-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

"Headbutt" Harry, so known for his adorable tendency to bonk his head against humans he's feeling affectionate towards, has unfortunately become the latest member of our one-eyed cat club.

Earlier this month, what appeared to be a fairly straightforward and treatable infection turned out to be serious enough that our vet had to give us the bad news that he wouldn't be able to save the eye.

Harry soon returned to the sanctuary plus a cone and minus some depth perception. It was hard to tell which of these was most cramping his style. Fortunately, he had more than a few of his human friends and well-wishers on hand to make sure he could get at his food easily and to generally make a fuss over him.

I hear he even got a few headbutts in, or at least what were meant to be: in actual fact they were more sharp jabs with the edge of his cone.

The cone is now off and my visit this evening was greeted with vigorous bonks of his forehead against any part of me that came within range (though his favorite still seems to be the classic forehead-to-forehead bash).

So we need to think about changing "Headbutt" Harry to "One-eyed" Harry?
Nah. That trademark "bonk!" still says it all.

Neko Files by email

2011-07-15T22:09:00.000-07:00

Now available: email subscription to the Neko Files

(at last!)

For those of you who like to get the latest blog posts hot off the press, just enter your info in the "Follow by Email" field on the right side of the page to subscribe.

Cheers,
Claire

Pekoe

2011-07-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

The photo above may look familiar, a version of it having served for a number of months as the Neko Files' header. Now that it's time to move to a new feature kitty, Pekoe at last gets his own blog post.

photo by Barbara

Pekoe came to RAPS with his sister Mocha (aka Brownie) as strays living under the porch of a house. Pekoe also sometimes gets called Stubby on account of his shortish tail.

photo by Barbara

Although looking every bit the laid back guy any time I've seen him, Ann swears he will do the "Pekoe dance" if given the proper patting incentive.

Tippy

2011-07-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

photo by Michele

Tippy is another of our former feral success stories.

He and his brother Lucky came to the cat sanctuary in 2003 when they were around a year old. They'd previously been living around a feeding site in an industrial area in north Richmond, where RAPS volunteer Waldy had been looking out for them.

When he arrived at the sanctuary, Tippy was so frightened that he spent all his time hiding in the back of the box in his cage. If anyone put their hands on him, he would just freeze in terror.

Leslie took time to sit with him in his cage, pat him and offered him little morsels of ham. Over time, he learned to trust her and eventually became her buddy. Waldy was thrilled to see him become tame.

Kris & Kringle's new digs

2011-07-11T22:07:00.000-07:00

Gaye used to wonder if some of bunny Kris's grumpy behavior was an expression of frustration at just having the small space of the rabbit hutch in which to operate.
Now we get a chance to see.

Doug has recently finished the construction of a rabbit run where the sanctuary's two hoppity residents can enjoy some fresh outdoor air and a bit more space. So far, they seem to very much approve. When I visited them there this evening, Kringle was his usual cautiously laid-back self, but Kris was positively relaxed by Kris standards. She didn't even try to rush me (!), opting instead for an investigative sniff before pausing to accept a few strokes and then returning to her alfalfa.

In other news, the cats in the New AIDS area adjoining the rabbit run are finding their new neighbors quite fascinating and are likely of the opinion that it was put there purely for their viewing pleasure.

photo by Debbie

Kringle and Baxter

photo by Phaedra

Kris

photo by Phaedra

Maureen

2011-07-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

Maureen was one of the first cats trapped on the Richmond farm that Alec, Marilee, Mitchell and Mary came from. Human Mary who'd been looking after the feral colony called Maureen "the auntie" to the kittens there.

Maureen has an old front leg injury that gives her a noticeable limp, but she's had it for so long that Leslie says there's not much point in us messing with it now. Still wary enough to flee when a human comes too close, Maureen doesn't look to be in favor of us messing with her leg either.

Even without embracing the idea of human buddies, she has no cause to feel lonely at the sanctuary and is particularly fond of cat magnet Jet.

Birdie (II)

2011-07-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

Birdie came to the cat sanctuary via Carol after spending some time at the No. 5 Rd. shelter. There, while he'd shown himself to be a nice boy as far as people were concerned, he just wasn't getting along with the other cats. This tended not to show him in the most positive light to potential adopters.

He's mellowed a bit now, with time and with more space to move around in. Still, when a couple of cats saw I was dispensing cuddles and tried to muscle in on what had been Birdie's cuddle time, he was quick chase each off with a light smack. But then my cat Daphne still does that to her own son when he tries to barge on her cat/human quality time, so I can hardly hold this against Birdie. He just loves the human love too much to share.

Puffin

2011-07-04T22:23:00.000-07:00

Puffin was brought to the No. 5 Rd. shelter as a stray, where he stayed for 2 months before landing himself with a reputation for being unpredictable by attacking a woman in the face. And so he came to the sanctuary.

He only arrived yesterday, and so we don't know yet if the whole scratch-and-bite thing was a one-off incident or, if not, just what can set him off. He's got a collar on for now to warn people he may take a chomp and we're being cautiously welcoming - lots of pats and strokes but no up close cuddles and nuzzles for the time being. Leslie says some cats who act out when they're at 5 Rd. do very well at the sanctuary where can they have more room.

He'll be living in the front yard once he's had all his shots. If you want to meet him, look for a handsome boy similar in appearance to Tugboat but with a ring of white near the tip of his tail.

Tabby taming update: Saba

2011-07-01T05:39:00.000-07:00

Another one of our tabbies who came in as feral kittens and took to hiding before we had a chance to make friends, Saba has recently decided she's ready to take a leap of faith and move from wide-eyed peering at the humans to actually letting us touch her.

And not just a fingertip to nose touch, either; we're talking proper, full body stroking!
Granted, she hasn't quite lost the wide-eyed, faintly horrified expression yet, but she is showing the beginnings of a head tilt when scratched under the chin.
All in all, excellent progress for this formerly shy, shy girl.

Theo

2011-06-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Remember in high school there was always that popular kid who seemed to be friends with everyone? And everyone, from teachers to the class nerd to the school jock seemed to adore him and want to be just like him? Cool as he was though, that kid had a good, kind heart, definitely not a bully. Kind of like the Fonz from Happy Days. Remember him?

Well, RAPS has its own Fonzie character. Meet Theo.

Theo hangs out on the overflow pen area from No 5 road, behind the New AIDS trailer. I can almost picture Theo with a leather jacket, greased back fur and opposable thumbs to give us the thumbs up - a greaser cat from the 50’s.

The overflow shelter pen is cozy and intimate with only a few cats and a small heated indoor structure. Theo is a beautiful boy and certainly displays a curiosity to get to know any new comers to his hood. But unlike some cats in the sanctuary, he approaches with a kind of casual demeanour. He was happy to sit beside me and allow some gentle pets, but anything more aggressive and he’d turn his back to me and mosey away.

What is particularly interesting about Theo is all the cats he seems to attract that gather around him trying to get a little Theo time. He seems to be the most popular cat in the pen. I’ve watched as his sidekick Moe licks the top of his head and Katie, the very kitty image of Pinky Tuscadero, nuzzles him under the chin. He accepts their licks and rubs graciously while still maintaining his cool.

Theo and Katie

Theo and Moe

I go back to see Theo often as we are getting to know each other. He usually sits by me and checks me out from a close but comfortable range. I can be sure that within minutes, his posse of cats will show up beside him as well.

Marilee (Merrily)

2011-06-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

This tiny, pretty girl came from the same place as Alec, a farm where a feral colony was living. It's quite possible, likely even, that Alec is her brother. Leslie named Marilee after RAPS' Mary, who'd been looking after the site. (It's "Marilee" since the actual name "Mary" was already taken.)

While the kittens at this location were brought straight to RAPS to be tamed and hopefully adopted out (Mitchell and Mary among them), the adults were trapped, neutered and released back on the farm, as the property owner was happy to have them there. What seemed like not long after, RAPS found that Marilee was back at the vet, having somehow sustained an injury to her tail that resulted in most of it having to be amputated. After this, Carol decided to bring her to live at the sanctuary where we'd know she was safe.

Marilee's made some friends among the cats in the front courtyard and Connor building, but she's still not sure how she feels about us humans. She's very curious and will often position herself so that she can peer, wide-eyed, at whatever you're doing, but she'll quickly scoot away if you get too close.

The curiosity's a good sign, though - she's at least interested in possibly, maybe, if it's not too scary... getting to know us.

Nutmeg

2011-06-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

While some cats gain human friends and fans through active and energetic campaigning, there are others who need to do little more than pose.

This mystery tabby caught our attention through this signature pose:

photo by Kim

Kim first sent me this photo for inclusion in Graceless Kitties, but I thought he or she just looked too cool to be lumped in with a bunch of goofballs. Then, when I tried to find out the name of this cat, I discovered that nobody knew.

According to Leslie, among the residents of the singlewide are a number of tabbies who were trapped as young ferals around the same time. Because they promptly scattered and proceeded to hide, there was no real chance for staff and volunteers to learn to distinguish one from another. As a result, the names they were given when they first arrived now only exist as information tucked away in their files at the vet's office.

As "unknown tabby" lacks the personal touch, Leslie invited me to make up a new name for this one, a task I offered in turn to Kim, who'd been the one to introduce me. And so we arrived at the name "Nutmeg."

Until Nutmeg decides whether being called a particular name is a good enough incentive to let us get closer than safe peering distance from the top of the cages, we'll just have to continue being treated to the signature pose.

photo by Phaedra

Leland

2011-06-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

Leland arrived at the cat sanctuary at the beginning of June, having been surrendered for peeing. This much is clear from the sign on his door. It turns out the story is a little more complicated - and sadder - than that.

Leland's owners brought him to a vet for something or other, then simply failed to come and retrieve him. The contact number they'd provided turned out to be fake, leaving the vet's office with no way to get hold of them.

We like to think the vet wasn't serious when speaking of euthanasia as an option for this cat who'd been dumped on the clinic, but the assistant took the possibility seriously enough that she opted to take poor Leland home herself. It was then that she discovered he was a pee-er, something he demonstrated all over her place. And so she called RAPS.

All this back story shouldn't take away from the fact that Leland is a nice, friendly boy. This shot was taken moments after he met me for the first time.

A few friendly words of greeting were all it took for him to think that my foot may be a nice place to lean. He then proceeded to talk, purr wriggle and rub until it was time for me to go.

Amber

2011-06-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

The newest resident of the cat sanctuary arrived just three days ago via the No. 5 Rd. Shelter.

Presumably being given the name Amber because of the colour of her eyes, this pretty girl is so scared that it's impossible to tell if she's semi-feral or tame but too frightened to act it.

I'm posting this now as the "before" picture. Hopefully I'll be able to post an "after" picture where she looks happier... or at least has both ears pointing forward.
Wish us luck!