Lost and Found

Miller (KN)

After the celebrations of Christmas, we start anticipating the prospect of a New Year – and inevitably that includes some retrospection as we remember what we’ve been through in the past twelve months, and, particularly at the Cat Sanctuary, who we’ve lost in that time.

HoneyBear  (KN)

In fact, 2022 has been a year in which fewer cats have crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but there have been some notable personalities among them. The list has to be led by HoneyBear, our blue-eyed charmer, whose neurological quirks caused both his incontinence and his “Ministry of Funny Walks” gait. Once visitors encountered our boy, we could be sure they would always ask after him again.

Marty, our love-bug  (LBF)

Lovers of the Single-Wide cats were particularly hard-hit in the summer, when we lost seven cats in less than three months. First was Bluebell, the Dowager who was transferred when the Moore House was closed; a week later we lost Siamese Presley. Little Marty put up a brave fight with a tumour, and was a central figure for some loving from both cats and humans; less than a month later we lost Mr Pink, another especially loving boy.  All too often cats hide their illness until it’s too late for any treatment.

Mr Pink (JS)

Cats with feline leukemia are almost always more prone to having something that seems small become fatal; their systems don’t have the resiliency needed to combat an infection. Since August we have said farewell to Nandor, Catalano, Banff, Brian and sweet Jane (who features in the 2023 Calendar which went to press just before her sudden passing).

Jane (LBF)

Rudolph & Salish (KN)

Bonded pair Rudolph and Salish in pen 5 have both gone. Rudolph had an anaesthetic reaction to dental surgery in January; Salish passed in June – she missed him so much.  Most of the Old Boys club in Newcomers has also gone; Albi and Woody passed on the same day, and Moxie less than a month later.

Ruff (KN)

We remember sweet Ruff with fondness – his extreme shyness when he arrived, his amazing floof, the way he bonded with Karen – and I still find myself looking for OJ when I enter Pen 4:  he was another feral boy who finally decided that humans were not so bad after all.  Onyx was one of our dowagers, at least 20 years old. Having been largely an indoor cat for years, she moved out to Pen 5 this summer, and then wouldn’t move back in when the weather turned. Med-staff Catherine took her home to fosterage for her last few weeks of comfort and loving.

Puck (BC)

And two other front-courtyard senior tuxedos have passed in the last month: little Puck was our beloved Marianne Moore's cat, and she has crossed the Bridge to be with Marianne again, and sweet Miller (at top) was beginning to age early in the fall, and became very frail and tottery in his last few weeks.

Oscar (LBF) and Gypsy (DW) - gone to new homes!

So we grieve their passing, even as we give thanks that the lives they lived were made possible by the love and care they received at the Sanctuary.  There are never enough homes for all the cats we take in – especially in a year like this one with a prolonged kitten season.  We are grateful to the people who have taken in Sanctuary cats like Oscar and Gypsy and given them hope for a new life, and also to all the supporters whose help allows us to give lifelong home-space to otherwise unadoptable cats like incontinent Jasmine or moody Jade or JJ, to the cats who come with Feline Leukemia, or the shy ferals who want nothing to do with us. Every life is precious, and RAPS will continue to offer Sanctuary to cats who have no other options.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, 

Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint, Debbie Wolanski

The 2017 Calendar's Coming!

As we’ve done for the last five years, a selection of the Sanctuary cats will be featured in a calendar,  – this year, it will appear on 22 October at our fall pub-night fundraiser  and, for the first time, will be accompanied by a dog edition from the City Shelter.

And as always, it was hard to make a selection of pictures, and inevitably, to say no to this or that one. I always try to choose a variety of cats – so I’m looking for a black cat, a calico, a tabby, a grey, a pair, a group... and so on. We made the decision to allow some new photos of cats who had been featured in previous years, but not of any cat who appeared in the 2016 calendar.

Here are some of the pictures that just missed being selected – not because they were less worthy in any way, but because they just didn’t fit with the sequence that emerged.

Albi - the first of a series of orange boys on the shortlist!

Boomer - in New Aids

MiuMiu was going to be our January 2018 cat
- but she may just possibly be adopted!

The light on our lovely Rudolph makes this a wonderful photo
 - but he's already in another picture!

Ian Tom sent us a couple of lovely photos.
This is Autumn, who was featured in the 2016 calendar

We discussed making this the cover - but decided that
being stared at with horror by a feral was not a welcoming image!

Buddy has the most beautiful eyes!
He's another one on the verge of adoption...

Henrik was on the cover of the 2015 calendar.
This is his brother Daniel, another of the orange guys on our list

The calendar will be available at the Sanctuary, the Shelter, the Thrift Store, and at several other venues around the city - for more information check the RAPS webpage  

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Ian Tom and Michele Wright

Sanctuary Pen Five

Pen no. 5 is a little quieter these days – our sweet trio of Arlington, Kirara and Spaz have gone into foster-care – mostly with an eye to keeping alert to Spaz’s diet, and helping him lose some weight with a combination of fewer calories and more exercise. The three of them are greatly missed, but we’re very happy for them – they were surrendered to our care from a home, and it’s good to see them going into a home together.
They were a trio that was very demanding of attention from visitors, and it’s good that the other cats get a bit more of a look-in now.  I will hope, in upcoming blogs, to put more focus on individuals, but here’s an overview.
You’ll likely be greeted at the gate by big ROOKIE. He came to us as an unneutered stray, found by volunteers Barb & Waldi, who always make a point of visiting him.

Rookie - MW

HUDSON is very chatty and friendly from outside the pen – especially if treats are being handed out – but a little more wary about being touched by visitors; he will often take himself up to the top of the cat tree nearest the door.

Hudson - PH

Blond WALKER is the most vocal of the cats, and again, likes humans on the other side of the fence, but is none too sure about the ones inside. He’d rather hang around with his buddy CAPILANO, who is not friendly to humans, though calmer than he used to be. Capilano is another big boy, though his weight took a dive when he needed some serious dental work. 

Walker & Capilano - MW

Walker also seems to get on with a number of the other inhabitants of the pen, which includes two small grey cats. WILLOW is currently caged for vestibular disease – a condition that affects the inner ear, and therefore the balance of the cat.  CAREEN is shy but very sweet.

Careen & Walker - PH

ADAM & MAY have been introduced before; they are practically always together. Both enjoy being petted, but are not too sure about taking human attention much further yet.

May (top) & Adam - BC

There are a few lap-cats, though. CHINOOK was wary about people when he came in, and is now very find of attention, and loves to climb onto a lap. He’s a little sensitive around his lower back, but if you keep your petting around his head, he loves it.

Walker & Chinook - MW (Calendar cats!)

SALISH looks like another big animal, until you take a look at the head, and realise that it’s quite a small body under all that fur!  She’s another very shy, but beautiful cat.

Salish - MW

Handsome black RUDOLPH is either in hiding, or being the total flirt – he has the most beautiful fur, rather like Ninja.

Rudolph - MW

Just a reminder for visitors: we ask that people don’t go into this pen to visit them without an experienced volunteer or one of the staff present.

Blog by Brigid Coult
Photos by Brigid Coult, Phaedra Hardman, Michele Wright