Flat Cats

Once again the Cat Sanctuary is basking in the best of BC summer weather – and most of the cats have decided that activity is OUT.

Latte

Wherever you go, little patches of shade each hold a cat. The front courtyard has been rigged out with an awning, the new trees (thank you to Purina and Evergreen) are giving green respite and the gazebo is popular.

Puffin
In each building the fans are going, and cats have plastered themselves on shelves, so that often only the toes can be seen.

unknown toes

The barn cats find a convenient umbrella and stay out of the sun

And everywhere there are sleeping furry bodies...

Ash

Emily

Harry

Leland

Tommy

Thanks to Michele Wright and Moira Langley for the pictures

Update: Rookie

Rookie is all done the cage rest he needed since his arrival at RAPS (for torn ligament) and has been moved to much more spacious digs in one of the back pens.

I visited him there today and he was having a lovely time relaxing out in the fresh air. He seemed like he could be a nice boy before, but now it's clear that he is one.

Larkin

Larkin arrived at the cat sanctuary at the end of April, but I've been waiting to post about him as he's been making a lot of progress from how he was when he arrived.

Initially, it was unclear whether Larkin was feral, as he was so frightened of people. He'd had one of his ears tipped, indicating that someone had trapped, neutered, and released him. Our vet thinks he's around one or two years old.

Larkin started off hiding in a small cage draped with a towel sitting inside his large walk-in cage, then gradually worked up to peering out the main cage door at cats and humans going by.

He was quite curious about the cats, but any human coming to close would send him diving back into his hidey hole. Soon a note appeared on the sign on his cage door describing him as "timid but very affectionate."

Sanctuary staff then moved him to a new cage where he could be more out in the open and check out what everyone around him was doing. After that, he really started to gain confidence. He now loves being patted and is an enthusiastic player.

In fact, he now not only permits human contact, he actually makes quite an effort to get our attention!

Rookie

Rookie came to the RAPS cat sanctuary at the end of April as an unneutered stray who'd been hanging around the home of volunteers Barbara and Waldi. He was found to have torn ligaments in his knee, so is doing a stint of cage rest while he heals up. This has given him a chance to get used to his surroundings at the sanctuary without being overwhelmed by too much too soon, and it's given sanctuary staff and volunteers to get to know him a little.

He seems like a very nice boy, and it sounds like he's already won himself a few human fans at the sanctuary.

My buddy Colin

Colin came to us in 2010 as a stray who seemed to want to be friends but just hadn't got the hang of interacting nicely with humans. He'd dance and rub, but then would often get confused about what to do next and would start wildly smacking his visitor. I took a shine to him early, despite the smacking, and kept visiting him as he gradually began to learn better manners.

When I give the cats in the doublewide their dinner once a week, Colin is invariably waiting for me. While I'm opening cans and putting the food on plates, he's there rubbing against my legs and playing around my feet.

Initially, I thought he was just hoping to get closer to the food, but I soon discovered that he wasn't interested in joining the mooching crew on the table. He just wanted to be patted on the head as often as he could inspire me to do so.

I assumed this was a regular thing for him with all the people who came into the building, but Leslie surprised me by noting that she only sees him come out like that when I'm there. I'm not able to come to the sanctuary as often as I used to be (hence fewer blog posts these days), and with only a few hours of kitty visiting time a week, I don't expect the cats to necessarily single me out for special remembrance among all the staff, other volunteers, and visitors they may see from week to week. So it's nice to know that my little buddy Colin doesn't forget about me so easily.

He still has moments when he forgets his manners and gets a bit slappy, but all in all we get along fine. He's my little buddy, after all.

Don't worry, though -- he's hardly lonely when I'm not around. In addition to other human friends he's made over the past few years, he's always got his Salty.

Tuzzi

Tuzzi (as in Bertuzzi) is a delightful 11-year old boy who came to live at the cat sanctuary earlier this month. He was unable to adjust when a baby came into his life, and responded to the intrusion with a compulsion to pee everywhere. After trying everything they could think of to solve the problem (including a visit to the vet to check for possible medical causes), Tuzzi's people made the tough choice of surrendering him.

I'm sure many of us wish we could just explain to cats who feel compelled to express themselves this way that it's just not going to work out the way that any of us would hope... but sadly, we can't.

On a brighter note, Tuzzi's friendly personality has already won him some human admirers at the cat sanctuary. It's not the same as being in a home and part of a family, but at least he won't have to worry about feeling friendless.

Springtime at the cat sanctuary

It's that time of year again -- the days are getting longer, the weather's starting to get warmer... and the sanctuary cats are starting to spend more of their time enjoying the outdoor areas at the RAPS sanctuary. Here are a few photos of them enjoying a pleasant evening this week.

our new greenery in the front courtyard is starting to show us some green

Lana, Salty, and Mistletoe

Sadie

Tiger
~sttrretcchhh~

Peppercorn