Snoozing in the Rain (or out of it...)

Simon  (HM)

It may be almost summer, but here in BC we’ve had our share of wet days recently.  There are always the cats who like to be out and about, whatever the weather, and they vary from those who seem to shed the rain like ducks, to those who get soaked through.   But sensibly, most of the cats find somewhere cosy, and curl up, shutting out the weather.

With inspiration from Henrie Morgan, whose lovely photos from the New AIDS pen got me started, here are some of the not-so-soggy moggies!

Mozart likes to sprawl (AG)

Dahlia sleeps with one eye open  (HM)

Christina Aguilera face-plants to shut out the world   (AG)

The Kamloops colony prefers to sleep together  (BC)

Jerry, Magnus and Jim monopolize the Val Jones chair  (DW)

Ariel is a solo sleeper and prefers the shelf by the sink  (KN)

Jasper is not shy about his sleeping positions (KN)

Woodie is another upside-down boy   (KN)

Sharing breath   (KN)

Rocket prefers outside - but under cover   (HM)

Marble's favourite thing is sleeping - whatever the weather  (KC)

Blog (minimal) by Brigid Coult

Photos by Katy Cobb, Brigid Coult, Akira Graham,

Henrie Morgan, Karen Nicholson, Debbie Wolanski

Caging Cats

Plum caged for one of her Manx-syndrome bladder infections (MW)

One of the things that visitors love about the Sanctuary – well, we do, too! - is the way that cats roam freely. They can choose whether to be in or out, hidden or in sight, alone or cuddled with a buddy.  There are limitations, of course, the Leukemia (FeLV) cats need to be kept isolated from the general population for everyone’s good, and we keep the AIDS (FIV) cats separate for similar reasons, though, strictly speaking, it’s not essential.

For BB, being in a cage is sanctuary; she's not a fan of other cats  (KN)

But the concern that so many people have before they experience the place is the thought of dealing with cats in cages – and that’s simply not the norm with us.  In fact, some of our cats have come to us from the Adoption Centre because they don’t handle the inevitable cages in that smaller space, and show shelter aggression – as happens to many animals in confined spaces. Elvis, Hunter, Mango, Lunette and many others have settled well now that they are no longer shut in, and can take their time to find the person who is right to adopt them from the Sanctuary, rather than returning to the Adoption Centre.

LittleCat & Menjosie have claimed their cage in the SW,
and do NOT want to be moved   (BC)

Cages are necessary, though. Most of our cats are caged when they first arrive. The caged period gives them a chance to settle, to hide behind a drape if they need to do so, to encounter first the highly cat-savvy med staff, then the calm, encouraging Kitty Comforters, and then the other volunteers, and to learn that no harm will come to them and they’re getting food and care.  This is the period when they get their vaccinations and health checks, and when we get to work out whether we have a scared stray on our hands or a fearful feral. Many scared or angry cats choose to stay in their cage once it's opened; it becomes a place of security for them.

Ariel took a long time to move out of her cage after it was opened (GA)

Cages are also necessary when cats need specific medical attention. For many receiving care, it’s a matter of getting a little plate of something tasty with meds in it, and you will often see the med staff around with a tray of little dishes, watching that a cat eats all its dose (or turns its nose up, because the food is chicken and it wanted fish!). But there are many cats who will not take their meds that way, or who need it syringed into the mouth, or who need eye-drops or cage rest for an injury – and each of the main buildings has cage space, so that cats who need caging can at least have it in a familiar area.

Luke and Bodhi were photographed for Valentines,
while Luke was being caged for insulin adjustments  (LBF)

Sometimes there’s even an advantage to caging. When big tuxedo Luke was diagnosed diabetic, he was one of the semiferals on the DoubleWide Deck. Because he needed twice-daily insulin, he was initially caged so that the med staff could monitor his intake, work out what his favourite foods were and give him his “treat” plate along with his insulin shot. From being a wary boy, Luke decided that he was definitely on to something, and when the cage was opened he decided to stay – after all, that was where the good food was!  And with all those humans who came and fussed over him, Luke became a lap-cat, and persuaded his pal Bodhi that he should join in too. Luke now loves lap-time and fuss – he doesn’t need food-bribery, just love.

Amelia in Pen 4 - anxious eyes, ready to swat  (LBF)

I just spent time this evening with Amelia, similarly caged. Amelia is interesting, because she’s a feral farmcat from Pen 4;  she came in many years ago with her sister Willow and was named Amelia Earheart for her flattened aeroplane-ears. Most of the Pen 4 ferals want nothing to do with us – it takes the patience of Lisa or Catherine to make any headway at all, and it’s measured in inches.  But both Amelia and her friend Annie had to come in for medical care, and while Annie preferred to hide behind the drape, Amelia would emerge at mealtimes and let us know what she thought of this restaurant and the service.  Annie is now back in Pen 4 and still hiding, but Amelia is bunting and preening and talking in a way that makes us wonder how she’ll be when she’s returned to her home pen – will she forget all about her enjoyment of human company and go and hide with her cat-pals, or will she be more like Ranger, and come looking for attention? 

Amelia loving cage-pets  (BC)

The general rule is that if you don’t tame a feral cat within a specific window of time, you probably won’t – but general rules are made to bend, and sometimes a feral will decide that humans are OK, after all.  We do often see it with the old cats – when an old feral becomes friendly, it’s often a side-effect of senility.  But though Amelia’s no spring chicken, she’s got plenty of life in her still, and we would be delighted if the rest of that life was spent enjoying more contact with humans at the Cat Sanctuary.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Graham Akira, Lisa Brill-Friesen, 

Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Psych!

Don't you just want to pet me?...    (KN)

In the fall of 2018, a little stray cat was brought into the RAPS Shelter. Ariel won the hearts of the staff there with her friendly, outgoing ways;  they put the necessary hold on her to give someone a chance to claim her, and when no owner appeared, she was given all the necessary vet treatments and put up for adoption. Someone came to visit, fell in love, and by the end of December she had a new home.

Contentment....  (GA)

Sadly, not the end of the story...

Back in a cage - and not happy about it  (GA) 

Early last year, her owner returned to the Adoption Centre to let them know that he would have to surrender her. He still loved her, and hated to do it, but after the initial honeymoon period, things had gone downhill. She had started to bully his dog – and her owner, on occasion – she became reactive and aggressive, and she began to use the “inappropriate urination” weapon. He was not quick to give up; he took her to the vet, he tried different diets, but the turning point was when she pee’d on him one night, with a clean litter-box right there.  

She doesn't much like other cats  (GA)
(though Christina and Hope are incapable of the mean-girl gossip this looks like!)

So Ariel returned to RAPS, and to some of the people she’d known four years before. Initially she settled well; she liked the staff at the Adoption Centre, she liked where she was, she didn’t much like the other cats, but she could roam the building during the day and avoid them. What she couldn’t avoid was being caged at night, and that turned into a major battle of wills. Finally the staff decided that she could neither remain caged nor roam freely, and that the Sanctuary was the only option.

Guarding the top of the climbing frame from other cats  (BC)

There, she was initially placed in one of the large cages in the Connor. I remember going in to tend her cage, and having her scream at me – no ladylike hissing for this girl!  I think some of us got into the habit of taking some protective padding with us when we had to clean in there. Once the cage was opened, it made little difference;  for some time Ariel sat and defended her territory against both humans and cats.  And when she finally emerged, we learned to watch the space between ourselves and this demon girl. Shena tells me that when a private group visited (this was just before our spring visiting opened), Ariel sat in the gateway and drew blood from every single person that approached.

I dare you to walk through this gate....  (KN)

So, come visiting time each Saturday, some brave staff member had to find Ariel and pop her into her cage around noon, and she stayed there until visitors had gone on Sunday.  There was much growling and grumbling; she wasn’t happy in the cage, but she wasn’t happy with the cage opened, either. When visiting time ended in the fall, the need to cage aggressive cats, or to collar reactive ones, was not so necessary, and Ariel gradually relaxed.  

Lap time with a favourite volunteer  (GA)

These days, she’s allowing contact occasionally – with luck you can get in a couple of head-caresses before you need to start watching your ankles.  She’s more inclined to let you know with her grumble when she’s had enough, rather than just attacking. She’s even taken a leaf out of Cher’s book and indulged in a little lap-time with some of our calmer (and braver) volunteers; she seems to like the men best!  Some of the photos here are from Ariel's best friend Graham, with whom she's very relaxed. It looks like we’re starting to see the Ariel that first came to RAPS more than four years ago.  

Ariel  (GA)

But I think we’re all subconsciously waiting for her to revert to her old ways, saying, “Psych!  I fooled you!” 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Graham Akira, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson