Quiet Days in the Leukemia Pen

Neko  (KN)

Looking back over fourteen volunteer years, it’s interesting to recall how the numbers of FeLV (feline leukemia) and FIV (feline AIDS) cats has fluctuated. We’ve always had space for both sorts of residents, but at one time we had leukemia cats in the back of the SingleWide, in the Val Jones area, as well as in the main leukemia pen (which, confusingly, was known as Old Aids), and only one pen of FIV cats; now we have more than 30 FIV cats in two pens.  Sadly, many of our leukemia cats don’t live very long – the virus is very hard on their immune systems – and we love them, knowing that we may not have them with us as long as we would like. We are learning things about the virus that we didn’t know years ago, and we hope that it will give our current leukemia cats more time.  There is no cure for FeLV, but anything that will boost their immune systems is helpful. 

Adria & Creston, now adopted  (BC)

One of the things we still don’t understand it what causes the virus to go into remission or to flare up. Cats like Ooly lived much longer in our care than some of the others – we think Ooly made it to 18 years, which is good for any cat – and we don’t know why; we can only be grateful.  Since my last leukemia cat blog the numbers of inhabitants has gone down: currently there are only six cats living there, but they all seem to be in good shape, and we hope that their health will remain strong.  We rejoiced when sassy Adria and loving Creston were adopted together by someone who understood that they would need constant oversight, and no contact with other cats. But the two were both young, and it’s wonderful to think that they have the experience of living in a home with humans of their own.

Beautiful Neptune  (KN)

We’re left with four black cats, a Siamese mix and a tabby. The four blacks are headed up by Neptune, who is probably the senior resident (if not very senior). He has been with us nearly seven years, having come from Oregon with Portia, who we lost last year. Neptune is shy until he knows you, but once he feels safe, he will come for petting and treats. 

Athena  (PC)

He is trailed devotedly by Athena, who was the only one of the MacLeod cats (arriving in 2019) to test FeLV+; Athena weaves her way around him, and bunts to get his attention. She looks like his mini-me, and you need to see them together to be certain who's who.  She’s still not very sure about wanting human petting, and is very picky about what treats she will accept.

Furgie usually looks startled   (BC)

The other two blacks are very shy as well.  Furgie came from the colony that now lives in Pen 3; the youngsters from a hoarding situation in Alberta. She’s now about 6 years old, and can be distinguished from the others by the little flecks of white on her neck and shoulders; she tends to look a little rumpled, and it always takes time and patience to get her to accept attention.

Laszlo  (KN)

The fourth one is Laszlo. who is the last of a group of leukemia cats who came to us from CatNap rescue in Nanaimo just over two years ago. As a leukemia-infected colony, the virus obviously had a good hold on their immune systems, and they have all passed in those two years, except for Laszlo who is still holding strong.  He is wary, but will accept a little petting if he accepts you. 

Athena, Laszlo, Neptune having a cage-top meeting  (JS)

The four of them integrate pretty well – Furgie and Laszlo tend to find their own corners, but every now and then there is a black cat meet-up to plan the next party.  Volunteer Justin calls it The Void.

Handsome Neko, listening to Joanne talk in Japanese  (JN)

The largest cat in the pen is Neko. Neko came to us almost five years ago, having been trapped as a Valley stray near Abbotsford. Initially he was very scared, and spent considerable time hanging out on the walkways under the roof of the outer section of the pen; in cold weather he took over the wicker basket under the heat lamp, but he was not ready to come inside for real warmth.  Gradually he has come to accept that nobody will hurt him, and began to venture indoors. 

Neko with black cat buddy  (BC)

He became more social with the other cats, enjoying cuddles and company with Boris (now gone) and Adria, and accepting attention from volunteers and Kitty Comforters. He especially enjoys it when Joanne comes and talks to him in Japanese; like Princess in the back courtyard, and her conversations in Farsi, there is something in the sound of the language he heard as a youngster that gives him comfort.

Big Dave preferring quiet alone-time on the cat tree  (BC)

The most recent addition to the Leukemia pen is Big Dave – who doesn’t look so big, when faced with Neko!  Poor Dave was obviously used to being either boss cat or the only cat, and he’s had struggles to deal with his new situation. Initially he remained mostly indoors, while the other cats came and went; Neptune in particular was not friendly, and Big Dave learned to find the corners where he could feel safe. Volunteers made a point of coming to visit for some BD time on the couch, but it took a while before he would venture past the cat-door.  With the recent heatwave, being out in the Leukemia courtyard is infinitely preferable to staying inside; cool stone floors and walkways that catch the breeze are too much to resist. However, there’s not much progress happening yet in terms of cat socializing.

Sweet anti-cat-social boy  (BC)

Big Dave will come for human attention, but he prefers to tuck himself away in a safe bed when the others are out and about.  With only six cats currently in residence, there are lots of places he can feel secure – but he would obviously feel much happier if he had the place to himself, or if, like Adria and Creston, he could score someone who would give him his own home.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Pauline Chin, Brigid Coult,
Joanne Nicholson, Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint

Big Dave

So lovable....   (KH)

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

Will you play with me?  (KH)

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

Such a chatty boy!  (KH)

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

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

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

Surveying his territory from above (BC)

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

Enjoying window time  (BC)

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

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Kim Howe

October 2024:  We lost Big Dave  - he didn't let on he was in pain, but was discovered to have an inoperable cancer and his leukemia body had no reserves to fight it.  We miss our sweet boy...