Reef

Reef

Reef is one of several cats who has come to us from another shelter that was unable to get him adopted.  Like Bello, he was trapped and neutered, but was so fearful that potential adopters were unwilling to consider him.  He came into our care, caged in the Connor building while we gave him a chance to get used to the people and the smells and the other cats. There, he was very vocal, letting us know very clearly that he wanted out of there!  Volunteers and Kitty Comforters visited him, but some cats just hate cages – no matter that ours are much larger than most commercial ones – and Reef couldn’t wait to get out.

Don't bug me...

Release day came, and Reef didn’t hang around long. He quickly discovered that most of the shyer cats prefer to hang out in the Old Rabbit Area, and that there are lots of places where he can hide behind a drape or in an upper-level basket. And there he would probably have remained, if not for Carol Porteous.

Climbing down onto Carol's lap

Carol is a favourite with many of the front courtyard cats – actually, she’s a favourite everywhere she goes! – but she is usually on shift for feeding in the front, and the cats gather at the gate as she arrives. Like former volunteer Lori (now living in Alberta) she brings both freshly cooked chicken and fish, and some of the tastiest of the commercial catfoods. She has a particular gift with the very shy ones, and it’s thanks to her that I have begun to know little tripod Chutney, and Reef.

Leg-rubs

She calls him Reefie, and his head immediately pops up from the basket where he’s hiding. Within a couple of minutes, he makes his way to her, climbing down from her shoulder to her lap, and then weaving around her legs.  Because he is so confident in her presence, he is also comfortable with me, and before long I have a new lap-sitter.

Under the heat-lamp

Reef is about 5 years old, and a skinny boy; possibly life in the wild has left its mark, and it will be good to see if we can get a little more condition on him.  My guess is that he is actually a stray rather than a feral, and is now remembering what it is like to have humans giving him some love.  It’s heart-warming to see how handsome Bello, in the back courtyard, has blossomed – to the point that he’s now wearing his “adoptable” bandanna at the weekends.  Reef is still a bit too wary for that, but when there are few people around I can call his name and he will emerge and offer leg-rubs, and then lap-time. 

Watching us from above

It doesn’t take much to spook him, and there are other cats like Cuddles and Westin who get a bit jealous (Westin demonstrates his jealousy by sitting on my feet!), but every encounter makes him a little more confident.  He’s not ready yet to go further than the doorway, but he’s made such progress in the last while that I am confident that our patience will eventually be rewarded by a cat who is no longer “too feral to adopt”.

Blog & photos by Brigid Coult

The Sushi Bros

Tobiko  (BC)

We maintain our contacts with shelters around the province – mostly for the sake of occasionally taking in a colony that’s too much for the local rescue, but sometimes for smaller problems.  A few months ago we heard from the shelter in Prince George, who called us about a couple of cats they’d had in care for some time. Nobody – neither cat nor human – enjoys being caged, and when it goes on too long, there are often behavioural problems.  We don’t know why nobody had adopted them, but when cage life began to make them aggressive, their adoption chances took a dive.

Hamachi  (BC)

RAPS Sanctuary Manager Valerie agreed that they would probably do better with us, and Tobiko and Hamachi arrived in June.  The two are obviously related, beautiful flame-points (white with reddish colouring) – flame-point is often thought to indicate siamese in the genes, but may in fact occur in many breeds. Colourpoints are temperature sensitive partial albinos, which means that they only produce color in areas of their body that are cooler, like face, ears, tail, paws. Blue eyes also signal partial albinism (as opposed to the full albino with red eyes). 

Tobiko  (KN)

Tobiko is long-haired (he’s had with a shave-cut to deal with mats) and Hamachi short-haired.  They were caged separately;  Hamachi had an upper respiratory infection and needed treatment, and there were no adjacent cages available. Their cage signs reflected the warning – Hamachi in particular needed careful handling and was liable to bite – but their cages were large enough that they were able to move easily. Tobiko settled quickly, enjoying attention from volunteers.

Tobiko  (BC)

Once released it only took a few days until they became comfortable with new surroundings – the only hitch was that Hamachi looks very like some of the Newton Hoard in Pen 6, and volunteers who had not met the pair kept reporting that a cat must have got out of the pen.  Nope – just Hamachi exploring.

Hamachi (KN)

Their names provoked the title above – tobiko is the flying fish roe often used in Japanese sushi; hamachi is a type of yellowtail used in making nigiri and sashimi.  Unlike the late Neko in the Leukemia pen, who loved it when talked to in Japanese, these guys are quite happy to be addressed only in English.  I am already hearing people calling them Toby and Hammy – but I love their original names!

Tobiko loves to be high on the cat tree  (BC)

Both boys are friendly and playful – Tobiko particularly loves wand toys, and I find I need to be careful putting the barrier ropes away after visiting hours, because any rope on the ground is a fair target for play. Hamachi walks around with his mouth slightly open, which gives his face a “Duh!” expression – I think it’s something physiological in his jaw. They’re still young; about 2 years old.  They may be brothers, but I wouldn’t say they’re bonded, but operate pretty independently.

Let sleeping cats lie...   (BC)

I don’t know whether they will ever be considered for adoption. Since release, we’ve seen no sign of aggression to humans – perhaps a little oneupcatship to other felines, but nothing actively nasty.  There is a question of litter-box use, but that is often tied to the stress a cat is feeling, and may not be an issue when away from other cats. Like so many adoptions from the Sanctuary, it may depend on a potential bonding of cat to human, and on the cat-savviness of a possible adopter.

Till then, Tobiko and Hamachi have a home with us as long as they need it.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Adopt me, please!

RootBeer  (SM)

The Adoption Centre is overflowing with kittens – and as quickly as a fosterer brings a new group in to us, a new pregnant mom arrives, and the foster family is back in action.   We are so grateful to our supporters in adoption – the various pet-stores who give temporary home to our kittens so that more people can see them, and the partners who allow us to exhibit them in unexpected places.  Of course, it’s kitten season, and the weather has been fine, so lots more kittens are coming to us from both safe and unsafe origins – and with the unsafe ones (like the trailer park kittens), being trapped and coming to us may be a matter of life and death.  But the kittens are not the only ones needing homes, and we have a few cats at the Sanctuary who are needy as well.  Two of them have been featured in earlier Neko Blogs.

RootBeer enjoys visitors who will work at his pace  (SM)

RootBeer came to us more than a year ago, a solid golden-tabby boy with a chip on both shoulders. He had come to us from another shelter that was not able to keep him, but they didn’t want to see him euthanized.  He didn’t like humans, he didn’t like other cats, and he just wanted to be left alone. He had some health issues which vet investigation discovered meant that he needed to be on a limited diet, and he turned out to have asthma, which is easily treated with an inhaler. In the course of RAPS Hospital visits he bonded with one of the vet assistants, who fostered him, though she knew that it had to be a short-term commitment.

Watch me grooming...  (SM)

So – time’s up, and RootBeer is back with us. Currently he’s living in isolation at the back of the SingleWide. He’s very happy not to have other cats around him, but he’s grown used to people, and welcomes visitors. He needs to be an only cat, both because of his dislike for other felines, and because he needs specific food. He could continue as a foster, with RAPS taking responsibility for all his medical and feeding needs – what he really wants is someone who will be patient and loving with him, and allow him to take his time adjusting to yet another home. We think he’s about 5 years old.

Frank spent much of his time hiding  (KN)

Sweet Frank  came to us earlier this year, having been surrendered by a family who was moving and couldn’t take him. He struggled with life in the Front Courtyard; he was the new boy in a schoolyard being picked on by the bullies – and like some bullying victims, he turned his anger on smaller cats.  He was moved into the SingleWide, and discovered the joy of door-dashing; he didn’t really want to be back in the Courtyard, but he really wanted to be on the other side of the door!  

He still needs to hide - but there is more choice in the Back Courtyard!  (BC)

When his bullies were adopted (separately!), he was allowed to return – though he would occasionally door-dash the other way, back into the SingleWide!  He still needed to be watched, though, and we were concerned by the way he would hide.  The decision was made to move Frank into the Back Courtyard, and I think it was a good one. He had to put up with a little cage-time in transition, but now he’s out and about and has much more space in which to keep out of other cats way. Cats like Jasper and Gizmo can be avoided, and his favourite humans watch for him and offer cuddle time.  

Frank loves a lap!  (BC)

He really needs a home where he can be The Cat – allowed to have his quiet time when he needs it, but with petting and attention available. Sadly, he tends to vanish at the weekends when visitors arrive – even wearing a bandana, he manages to become invisible until things are quiet again. The vets think he’s about 8-9 years old

Lomi has claimed her bed, and wants to stay there   (BC)

The third Adoptable is a very pretty tabby & white girl who is still reticent about coming forward. Five-year old Lomi was surrendered to us recently by her elderly owner, who was no longer able to care for her. After her Hill House cage time, Lomi vanished into the Old Rabbit Area, the covered courtyard that is the safe area for many shy cats.  She has taken up residence on one of the shelves, and is now happy to hold court for admirers; she’s friendly and happy to accept petting and attention; she’s not really food-motivated, and though she has allowed herself to be held, she is nervous about going beyond the doorway.

She's curious - but not quite ready to come out  (BC)

This is a disadvantage in terms of adoptability; the Old Rabbit Area is an out-of-bounds area during visiting hours, because it’s really important that the shyest cats have a safe area that they know will not be invaded when we have strangers around. Anyone interested in meeting Lomi will need to make an appointment with Shelter Manager Valerie to be introduced during a quiet time. Lomi appears to be quite relaxed around other cats (though not actively social with them) and might do well in a home with another friendly feline.

Such a sweet face...   (BC)

We really hope all the cats & kittens in the Adoption Centre will find loving homes, and most of the people visiting the AC are going there for that purpose.  There are a few other Sanctuary cats (Guacamole, Gwen, perhaps Bello) who, with luck, will eventually find their own places.  RootBeer, Frank and Lomi need to be sought out with purpose; they all need experienced cat-people with much patience for these three whose pre-RAPS life has not been easy, and for whom the Sanctuary is just not enough.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Selena Marchetti, Karen Nicholson

Luka

Luka  (KN)

Usually my Neko-blogs come into existence when I find I have a nice collection of pictures, and decide to write a cat-profile around them.   In Luka’s case, I was asked for a picture for a potential sponsorship certificate, and discovered I didn’t have any!

Posing nicely   (JS)

Luka is one of our many black cats in the front courtyard. I am grateful that I don’t have to know every black cat by name, as the med-staff do – for them, it really matters that the right cat gets the right meds. For me, if I can’t identify a cat, I can call it Black Cat 42b, and not worry too much about it.

You can turn it on now   (KN)

But everyone working in the front courtyard knows Luka – because she’s one of our collared cats; reactive, a little spicy, with her favourites.  She is best known for her habit of hanging out in the sink; she doesn’t want to be wetted down, but she likes to have water available.

If the sink's taken, a drain will do  (CP)

Luka has been with us for two years; her original name was Luna, but we’ve had several Lunas, and one letter change set her apart from the others. She came to us from from a family that was moving, and who were not prepared to take this little diva with them; I believe there was a new baby and Luka was feeling displaced, and acting out with pee, as well as with her claws. With us, she has settled down in her own way – the collar is mostly a warning, but in the right mood, she’s pettable. She’s mostly a loner; she doesn’t interact much with the other cats.

On the prowl  (JS)

So I went in to do a Kitty Comforter shift, and said I’d get a photo of Luka at the same time.  And of course (typical cat) she was nowhere to be found.  Not in or around the sink. Not in the Connor, which was still being cleaned. Not in the adjacent seating area. Nowhere around the SW entrance. Oh, well, I thought, later...    Two hours later I returned to the front courtyard. No Luka – checked everywhere. Nothing can disappear like a cat that doesn’t want to be found.  I touched bases with Carol and Justin, coming on shift as I left, and asked them to look out for her.

No sink - but a box is acceptable   (KN)

Karen, of course, had a photo of Luka on file. Then I got messages from both Carol and Justin, and a regular collection of photos – lots of choice for her sponsor!

Luka and the grass treat  (CP)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson, Carol Porteous, Justin Saint

July rainbows

Neko, from the Leukemia pen  (KN)

One of the hard things about involvement in the Cat Sanctuary – and I think it has to be particularly hard on the med-staff – is the number of cats we lose through the year. The cat population at the Adoption Centre constantly changes, but it changes because Adoption Centre cats are gone to new homes. The majority of our Sanctuary losses are the cats we lose to age and illness, and it hurts to come in and find that a beloved friend has gone.

Denzel always sat with his paws neatly turned out  (BC)

Often this seems to happen in waves. We had a couple of months earlier in the year when we had only a couple of passings – but this past July has been painful: 12 cats gone in 26 days.  And somehow, to have them cross the rainbow bridge in this lovely weather feels all wrong.  

Jerry, from the Val Jones pen  (KN)

The first to go was sweet battered-looking Jerry in the Val Jones;  Jerry was one of the few FIV cats that showed the effects of the virus; he struggled with skin problems and mouth problems.  But he loved his feline buddies and his human friends, and was never happier than when having cuddles. Three days later we lost Neko from the Leukemia pen, and Denzel from the DW deck. Handsome Neko had been a very spooked feral for some time after coming to us, spending most of his time in the overhead walkways, but in the last couple of years his reserve had thawed, and he came down to enjoy petting from staff and volunteers.  Denzel was the last cat trapped at the old 5 Road shelter, before RAPS left it for demolition and rebuilding; he was a good buddy of Luke and Bodhi, and of Hamlet, now gone – the three tuxedos formed the core of what Daphne called the Mafia cats in the Catsino - and Denzel was the honorary consigliere.

from the gremlin Autumn was when she first arrived....

to the flirt who loved everyone   (KN)

The following day, sweet Autumn crossed the bridge. Autumn had been with us since 2012 when she arrived with her kittens; the angry hissy girl of those early days turned into a floofy flirt who enjoyed nothing better than human attention. She’d had mouth problems for at least the last year, and a lot of cage time while the vets tried to sort out what what happening with her.

Chumley, lounging in Pen 1 (MW)

Paula, exploring outside Pen 2   (MW)

A surprise passing was Juliette, one of the cats from what we call the Newton hoard. Most of that colony is doing well, but one of our concerns with them is how inbred they likely are, and it’s probable that Juliet was carrying a genetic timebomb.   Three days later, we lost four cats in a single day.  Two of them were seniors: Chumley (kidney disease) had been with us 14 years, and Paula (cancer) for a bit less; she was one of the Pen 2 cats who came to us in 2016. As we lost the older cats from that colony, Paula stepped up to become quite the bossyboots, changing from a hide-away girl to one who roamed the courtyard.  Lloyd in Pen 4 has gone to be with his beloved buddy Len across the Bridge, and with him was one of the Hotel cats from the past winter's trapping;  we never really got to know Kimpton well, and he was not a happy Sanctuary dweller, unlike his companions Westin and Wyndham.

Higgins, in the DoubleWide  (KN)

The following week, sweet Higgins passed;  he came to us as a battered boy, and he never really recovered his health, constantly struggling with skin conditions – possibly an auto-immune situation. He rarely ventured outside, making his home in the Double Wide, where there were always people around to make much of him;  he was pretty wary of other cats.|

Would there be any chicken for me?  (KN)

Two more shocks – little Nova, from the SingleWide, was gone at the weekend; Nova had arrived with her kittens, and been a very ferocious mama until they went for adoption;  once they were gone she settled into Sanctuary living, becoming a chickaholic and a happy dancer. The SingleWide seems very empty without her determined begging!  And sweet semi-feral Fletcher, who came to us with his buddies Fonzie and Flynn, had been hiding away and losing weight; both of them had cancer.  Fletcher had been learning that humans were not so bad, but the feral instinct is not to show weakness and by the time he was seen, it was too late.

We had all too little time with Fletcher   (BC)

So July was a pretty brutal month – and all that on top of losing Willow, Charlotte, Sylar, Flash, Marble and Adam in June. Four of those were seniors, and anticipated – the loss is never welcome, but the passing of senior cats has to be accompanied by gratitude for their long lives with us, and for all the love that was shared with them. And even for the relative newcomers like Juliette, Fletcher and Kimpton, we take comfort in knowing that their time with us was lived in safety, and with much love and care from staff and volunteers. Rainbows at the Bridge mean there was rain, and tears – but their light was so beautiful... 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Handsome Bello

Bello - the handsome one  (KN)

I don’t remember when Bello came to the Sanctuary – usually I will meet a new cat in my Kitty Comforter shift during their initial cage-stay with us. But in late spring I started to notice a pale ghost in the back courtyard, generally around Waldie’s Hut, or on the shelves backing onto the SingleWide. Any move towards him resulted in his doing a disappearing trick, and I went to the med staff to find out more.

You can't see me, I'm not there....   (BC)

We have good relationships with a number of BC shelters, and will sometimes accept cats from them that are too feral for adoption;  they know that in our care, these felines can remain feral but safe as long as is needful.  Bello is one of those cats – in his case, he came from the Lower Mainland Humane Society in February. He had been trapped as a feral, and was consistently fearful with them, and not considered a good adoption prospect. RAPS was to be his sanctuary. We think he's around three years old.

Bello's portrait from FVHS;
crouched down with ears pinned back in fear

Because we had all his medical records, his cage-stay was brief - a short while in the Adoption Centre, a stay in Newcomers, where he remained behind his drape. And like a lot of ferals on release, his first instinct was to go and hide – generally emerging in the early morning or late evening. I tend to be an early morning volunteer (when I’m not feeding in the evening!) and found Bello was more open to contact when fewer people were around. He could often be found comfortably settled on a cat-tree where he could slide away behind the shelves if he got nervous.

Starting to be patient with an approaching human  (BC)

Bello is the masculine form of the word bella, meaning beautiful.  His name suits him – he’s really handsome, in a striking way. We suspect there’s some Siamese in him, evidenced in his lynx-tip coloring and blue eyes, but his chonky body shape is much more British Shorthair.

Coming for pets....  (KN)

Patience began to pay off; he would allow a little contact, and accept tidbits from my hand. I heard from other volunteers that they were starting to get somewhere with him.  Occasionally he would approach for a leg-rub; he started interacting with other cats, and could be found enjoying the sun with the others. He stayed well out of the way on visiting days, but would appear when things were quieter.

Lounging comfortably for visitors  (BC)

I left in mid-June for a 3-week (cat-less) vacation, and came home to the Sanctuary to discover that Bello had blossomed; he was out more, looking for attention from people, and even being around to accept petting during visiting hours – though he tends to settle himself in a chair just out of reach of the rope that marks the cats-only boundary!  

Happy smile   (KN)

It seems to me that Bello is one of those cats that is likely a stray rather than a true feral; he may well have had a home, and been so traumatized by its loss that he reverted to the terrified feral behaviour. We do have ferals that tame up in time, but both Bello and his buddy Guacamole have made the switch relatively quickly, and we hope that both may be candidates to find their own homes in due course.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Pobre gatita Kia

Kia - the regal glare  (KN)

 Five-year old Kia came to us in May 2024, and was caged in the front courtyard Hill House for her introduction to the Sanctuary. The Hill House is usually a good place to start for a cat; the two big cages are quiet and private when draped, and most of the cats who use the building as their base are not aggressive – many of them spend time in the feral area next door.

Defending her space  (BC)

Kia was not a happy camper when she arrived. All newcomer cats get their cages set up with places to hide, and she made full use of every bit of cover. Volunteers arriving to do a morning clean, or to deliver supper, were greeted by angry hissing from behind a drape, and we placed a warning sign on her door so that people would disturb her as little as possible.  She was, of course, on the Kitty Comforters’ list, but was adamant that she did not want interaction with people, so most of us could do little more than sit and talk with her, while she told us to go away!

Very spicy in her early days  (KN)

Having a cat surrendered to us because of aggression is not a new thing, of course – we have our share of cats (most of them collared) who are pretty reactive. What I think many of us had not realised was that her background probably ensured her reactivity. You see, Kia is from Mexico! As a former street cat, she was adopted by a Mexican couple, who then moved to BC. I don’t think she was a particularly nice cat with them, but it got to the point where she was aggressive to anyone arriving, and they feared that she might harm someone. So now she’s in a strange country, away from the only people she knew, and not hearing a language sound she might recognize. And we know what a difference it made to the late sweet Neko in Leukemia to hear someone speak Japanese, or for tortie Princess to hear voices in Farsi.

The look says "No closer!"  AG

Still – it is what it is, and Kia was going to have to settle.  With cage-time over – it’s usually 4-6 weeks, depending on various factors – the door was opened. Kia glowered – this cage was her space, and she did not appreciate visits from investigating felines. She remained where she was for some time, making it quite clear that nothing had changed; she didn’t want company, she hated other cats, like Greta Garbo, she “vanted to be alone”.

Do not disturb me   (BC)

Gradually she started to emerge, and initially came to claim the cat-tree or the counter-top just outside her cage. This was slightly more dangerous for volunteers – that countertop is the source of evening feeds, and we had to keep an eye on our dragon-cat, and not allow her to slash at working hands. Signs went up – obviously fueled by painful encounters – warning the unsuspecting to be very careful.

Sometimes the look is tentative rather than aggressive  (DW)

Her range began to increase; she could be found at floor level at meal-times – not competing with anyone for food, but keeping a wary eye on the activity around. The other cats have learned to give her a wide berth.  Carol Porteous, who brings special goodies for the cats she feeds, was very patient with her, and Kia became more willing to explore beyond the boundary of the window.  Her long self-imposed cage stay had meant very little exercise, and it’s hard to see the former street cat in this tubby girl with the baleful stare.

Finally venturing through the window  (CP)

When we have weekend visitors, Kia returns to her safe place, but at quieter times, she has begun to investigate the rest of the courtyard.  She has been spotted sitting beside the sink, or at the top of the steps to the Single-Wide, and occasionally even on the bench by the entry. She is still wary of contact; when I stop to speak with her she turns away and ignores me – but that’s an improvement on the hiss-and-claws encounters. She is one of the cats who just takes a long time to accept that life has changed, and that nobody is going to harm her.  

A gentler look  (KN)

If your Spanish is better than my minimal skill, go hunt her out and try talking to her – but stay out of reach of those murder mittens!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Akira Graham, Karen Nicholson, 

Carol Porteous, Debbie Wolanski