Yoda

Yoda was surrendered to RAPS a number of years ago. A friendly, attractive boy, Leslie says they had no trouble finding him an adoptive home. Unfortunately, it didn't work out and the people eventually returned him, citing "soiling problems."

We're not sure what set this off, but Leslie suspects there may have been other animals in the home. For cats who are picky with the company they keep, having to deal with unwanted furry roommates can sometimes prove intolerable. And Yoda is not overfond of other cats.

Is he a known sprayer at the sanctuary? No, says Leslie. "I've never seen him spray at our place. Maybe he thinks there's no point. His wonderful personal scent would just be overwhelmed by everyone else's!"

Her thought is that he'd be "a wonderful cat friend for someone with no other pets."
He would make a wonderful cat friend - always inquisitive, friendly and up for a cuddle.

Lola

Lola has a distinctive face with two different coloured eyes.
Another point of note: despite what one may be led to expect with a name like Lola, this cat is a he.

Shannon remembers a sign on his cage when he first came to the shelter a year or so ago stating that yes, the boy's name is Lola and that we shouldn't change it because the people who'd had to surrender him hoped to come and visit him.

It turns out that Lola was named for the song by The Kinks, a song I didn't know as well as I thought I did, having never really listened to the last verse which goes:

Well I'm not the world's most masculine man

But I know what I am and I'm glad I'm a man

And so is Lola

La-la-la-la Lola la-la-la-la Lola

Twiggy

Named for the model Twiggy, this little black cat came to RAPS years ago as a skinny little thing with tiny little kittens who, very sadly, didn't make it.

Despite this rough start in life, she's doing well in her life at the sanctuary. When Gaye introduced me to her today, all I had to do was smile and she went like this...

... and then this--

For anyone who hasn't had a chance to get to know Twiggy and would like to, you can tell her apart from the multitude of other black cats at the sanctuary by the little white dots on her nose.

Squirrel

Squirrel is a handsome boy who came to the sanctuary when he was around 8 months old. He apparently has an identical twin who was adopted out... upwards of 10 years ago! According to Leslie, "Squirrel has happily gallivanted around the back area of the sanctuary since then.  He used to run into every pen when volunteers opened the gates.  A nuisance like Sadie."

These days Squirrel leaves the pen/cage sneaking and general volunteer hassling to other cats, or at least he doesn't try it on my watch. Most often I see him comfortably lounging on a big cat bed on this shelf, either on his own or in the company of nap & cuddle buddies like Princess. He likes his cat buddies, but he's always quite open to throwing a little human cuddle time into the mix.

Phoebe

Phoebe is another one of those cats sporting a collar that will help visitors recognize her as a potential swatter. In her case the collar is a cheery red one with a bit of bling that sets off her glossy black coat.

photo provided by RAPS

What visitors may not know about Phoebe is that she's actually very fond of people and would welcome a cuddle. What she does not like, and what will set off the bouts of ill temper suggested by the warning collar, is other cats. Unfortunately, at the sanctuary it's hard to spend time with her without any number of furry interlopers trying to muscle in on the attention she's getting. And Phoebe is very much the jealous sort who does not play well with others.

But if you can give her a little lap time to herself, you may just be rewarded with this:

For anyone looking for a pretty, furry friend who would be deeply grateful to live in a one-cat household, this is your girl!


Update March 29, 2010 - Phoebe has been adopted!

Congratulations, Pearl

Pearl first came to us as a starved young thing, skinny and scruffy, but no less full of purrs for it. It's been heartening watching her fill out and return to good health. And of course those purrs just kept coming. We knew there must be somebody out there who would take one look at her and see she's exactly what they wanted. 

I'm delighted to report that Pearl has been adopted and went home with her new family yesteday. We miss her already, but are so glad she now has a home with people who will love her.

Mary

It's time to pass on the crown of covercat for The Neko Files header. For the past few months we've been enjoying the adorably quizzical face of Mary, one of the cats in the single wide.

Here is the original, unedited photo:

Mary is a photogenic cat who actually seems to like getting her picture taken. Or at least she finds the crazy biped holding a box interesting enough to stick around and stare at. She hasn't let me touch her yet, but she's quite content to let me get as many shots as I care to.

Leslie tells me she's named after the lady "who fed and then captured her feral litter in Steveston about 1 1/2 years ago." She also says that while Mary will sometimes let her stroke her, she's still a timid girl who will often run away.