Blog #500

Kojak  (MW)
- and many other leukemia cats I've loved and lost

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love spreadsheets – not necessarily for financials, but to keep my life organised. I use them for choir, for resources and planning, for past repertoire and reports. I use them to log my own library, to track gifts given and received, to plan holiday trips.  And of course, I use them for a whole lot of Sanctuary stuff, especially around my writing work.

Dell & his beloved Gregory (BC)
- follow all the sub-links for Dell's early story

When I took over the blog from Claire in the summer of 2014 I didn’t imagine I’d still be doing it more than eleven years later. Claire began the Neko Files blog five years before that, and it played an enormous part in helping me get to know the cats I was working with. It was based on her skills as a photographer, and formatted as three or four short vignettes each week, with pictures and small profiles of the cats who were her models. Photography was not my skill, but I hoped that I could maintain the blog with one weekly offering, with the assistance of other volunteers both in writing and images. 

Bossanova (KN)
 - scared feral to lovebug in the SW

Marianne & friends (Selena Marchetti)
- Marianne founded the Kitty Comforters

Marianne Moore was a blog contributor till 2018; Pauline Chin from 2018 to 2021; more recently Anne Marchetti has been offering profiles of cats she loves. I have co-written with other volunteers, transcribing or editing their work. But the majority of the work has been mine. The online Blogger tally stands at 1,283 blogs since Claire began, and my spreadsheet indicates that this is my 500th solo blog, with another 100 or so being by other contributors or co-written.

Elvis  (KN) - now safely adopted

Sissy  (BC) 
- I never knew her well, but I can't resist that face!

I still return to some of the earlier ones, for memories of cats I’ve loved. My Facebook profile pic remains one of Sissy (above), who I met in my first year, initially through Claire’s blog.  Clicking through cat profiles can lead from one link to another – the story of  Dell’s arrival, and how much of a lovebug he became; the many Leukemia cats like Kojak and Panther, Bingo and Bubba who had lives that were too short, but rich in our love; the memories of the Moore House and both the seniors and the kittens who lived there.

The magnificent Skittles  (MW)
- feral to lap-cat

Sylar - always so shy...  (KN)

I am so grateful to all the photographers whose shots have brought Sanctuary cat images into people’s homes, and especially to the folks who I can message to say “I’m profiling this cat; do you have pics?”,The pictures in this week’s blog are those of Sanctuary heart-cats I have particularly loved. I couldn’t do this without the med-staff (especially Molly) to whom I go to ask for back-stories or details. I love to hear from visitors who tell me they look each week to see who’s been profiled, and from volunteers who let me know that it’s really helped them to get to know the cats. And I especially love it if someone wants to blog a cat they particularly love, for the series.

Mario and Shrek  (CF) - Mario was a cat-magnet
and beloved by all, including hissy Shrek

Handsome Bello (KN)
- so scared when he came to us; happily in his own home now.

I realised recently that there were very few cats left who were here when I began in 2010. Strays and ferals come to us from hardship; sometimes malnourished or injured, and exposed to possible toxins. It’s always hard to lose them. But for every cat we lose, there are probably dozens more, all over the province, who still need sanctuary. Some just need a reset point, like Elvis or Bello, who have gone to safe homes. Others have a home here as long as they need. I am grateful to be part of the work of a great team of volunteers, of our dedicated staff, and of RAPS as an organization. We may not be able to save all the cats, but for every cat saved, our work means everything.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Claire Fossey, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Little Black Cats in the SW

Taavi (KH)

For long-term volunteers, the SingleWide feels different. We miss the Dryer Gang toasting themselves by the door, succeeded by the Cuddle Crew who monopolized the comfy chairs. Nowadays Whiskers and Jinx dominate the dryer, Oscar and Winston add chonk and floof to the space, and Texas cats Sunshine and Syd Junior jockey for position.

But three newcomers are making themselves known, and each one has his or her own fan-club.

Taavi (KN)

The oldest of them is Taavi – she’s about seven and a half years old and came to us last summer. She was an owner surrender – a surrender that was very hard for both humans and cat. They had adopted her from the SPCA, and bonded, but it appeared that she had a tail pull injury and was largely incontinent. “Tail pull injury” may not actually be from the tail being pulled – it could be from a fall or having the tail trapped in a door – but the damage to spine and nerves affects bladder and bowels, as in manx syndrome cats. The incontinence did not improve, and Taavi’s owners reluctantly surrendered her. Initially she was in the Double Wide, caged, and then finding her way around tentatively. She is very much a Garbo cat with other felines, and was struggling with the proximity of other cats around her all the time.

Taavi hiding on her favourite draped shelf (BC)

The med staff moved her into the Single Wide – with fewer cats and lots of hiding places – and she has settled well, adopting one covered shelf as “her” territory, and being more comfortable since Noelle was adopted by a volunteer. Having her in an enclosed area also means the med staff can keep a more careful eye on her, watch for potential UTIs and express her bladder on a regular basis. She enjoys contact with the volunteers who seek her out, but she still lets the other cats know that they need to leave her alone.

Sweet boy Polar (BC)

Polar actually came to us before Taavi, but is younger; he was about two years old and feral when he arrived in the fall of 2024 as one of a trapped group from Boston Bar – in rough shape, with an abscessed wound, likely from fighting. . He became one of many Little Black Cats in the Back Courtyard, usually found somewhere round the Newcomers area. But unlike most of them, he didn’t remain terrified.  Wary, yes – but he gradually grew to accept that humans meant him no harm and often carried treats. Before long he was on the Kitty Comforters’ list and getting attention and then petting, and was considered as a possible candidate for adoption.

He was named all wrong – he should have been called Houdini.

Polar retreats to cage tops when visitors arrive  (KH)

In November the trail cams and arriving volunteers told of a small black cat around the parking lot. The Sanctuary cats were tallied, and all checked in. Someone said “it looks like Polar!”, but Polar was right there outside Newcomers. Finally, the outside cat walked into a trap; his ID was checked, and it WAS Polar!  The little sneak had found an escape route, gone out for adventures, and then come in for warmth and food! There was a concerted effort to check all the possible holes and close them up, and Polar was brought into the SingleWide to become an indoor cat.  He has actually handled it really well – he doesn’t try to get out and he gets a whole lot more people-attention, which is good for his potential adoption prospects.  But any adopter is going to need to be aware that this boy needs to be kept in!

Carla (KH)

Carla was the latest arrival in late summer.  She had originally come to us as a pregnant mom and was fostered for the birth of her kittens, who didn’t survive. With us, she was reactive and hissy in her Connor cage, and when released, was given a collar to warn visitors to approach with caution.  Like many cats, it became evident that most of the reactivity was a factor of cage aggression, and once out and about, she became much happier about human contact – in fact, so much so that it extended to leaping onto a passing shoulder for attention. 

Carla staying close to the door (BC)

That in itself was not really a problem; we’ve had our share of shoulder-sitters, and as long as the owner of the shoulder is OK with the proximity to claws, all is well. But to Carla, the shoulder was a step to higher things, and she took to using it to access the roof of the gazebo, which in turn could give access to a tree and thence to a roof.  After too many ladder-rescues of “Get that cat down!”, Carla was transferred to the indoor safety of the SingleWide, like Polar. She was not happy about the relocation, and is one of the cats to be aware of when entering and leaving the building. Door Dash to Carla does not mean food arriving, it means Time To Escape! 

Shadow guarding her BF Nikki  (BC)

Regular SW visitors know, of course, that there is a fourth Little Black Cat, living mainly on the Deck – Shadow had her own blog entry a couple of years ago; she continues to be Nikki’s possessive girlfriend, and is still fast with the claws. But she has mellowed considerably as she ages, and will come and share couch space with humans – especially if food is offered.

All little black cats – but with very different personalities!

Blog by Brigid Coult (with much thanks to Molly!)

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe & Karen Nicholson

A Quiet Corner

Billy Ray enjoys the winter sunshine  (BC)

On visiting days at the Sanctuary there are some areas we block off because we don’t want scared cats to be under pressure, or where safety requires no contact for visitors (the Leukemia area). But there’s one quiet corner where we’d love to have visitors, but often have to keep closed because we don’t have enough volunteer Ambassadors to have someone posted there.

Virginia (KN)

The Val Jones pen is in the southwest corner of the Front Courtyard. I blogged about its creation here  – originally it was simply a quiet corner for cats and people to retreat; then it was closed off when we had an increase in numbers of our leukemia cats; some years later it was extensively scrubbed out and became an FIV cat enclosure. It was decided that the cats to be located here would be the more outgoing and friendly ones, so they would be more visible to visitors.

Merran  (KH)

The next change happened when friendly orange-and-white Dango from New AIDS was diagnosed with urinary issues – specifically the formation of crystals in his urine. When this happens for a cat, it is very painful for them to use the litter-box, and particularly for male cats, whose urethras are very narrow. Shy Merran from the SingleWide received a similar diagnosis and there were several other cats with risk factors. It was decided to keep the Val Jones area as primarily, but not exclusively, for FIV cats, but to keep them all on a diet that helps prevent the formation of crystals. The necessary prescription food is effective but also expensive, so can’t be fed to the general population.

Jim is the watcher at the door  (KH)

The Val Jones cats continue to be fed with the others from the main courtyard, but they only receive their special food, and when they have visitors, the treats offered to other cats have to be left between the gates. It’s particularly important that visitors here are supervised so that all these cats get is petting and grooming, and food is not part of the currency. I don’t think it bothers them too much – either they love the attention offered, or they prefer not to be part of it at all!

suspicious Virginia (BC)

Currently there are only six residents in the Val Jones area – a few were adopted, others have passed. We particularly miss sweet Jerry, whose mouth and skin problems never stopped him lapping up all the love we could offer. Virginia is the shyest; she’s cat-social, but hissy and scared around people. She used to hide away all the time, but she’s more likely now to be found sharing a bed with one of her boys, Merran or Jim. Minuet has come a long way;  she was another hider, but now likes to be out in the open, and will often appear at the gate when company comes. She likes to be petted in her bed – she rolls and wiggles and does happy bum-raises.

Minuet (BC)

Handsome Billy Ray is a little aloof; I find he’s ready to accept limited pets, and then just moves away without too much reaction. He’s not a cuddler with me, though he will come and sit beside me for a short while. He likes to be up on something – ideally, the shelf attached to the VJ external fence, where he poses, as if to say “Aren’t I beautiful?!” Indeed he is, but sadly, not adoptable – not because of his FIV+ condition, but because he’s a pee-er, as the med-staff have experienced!

BillyRay enjoys the cabin warmth
and watching the birds  (JS)

Merran was one of the cats that gave the VJ its urinary care status; he was shy in his old home in the SingleWide, and he’s shy here, though he’s become used to humans being around and is no longer quite so spooked. He’s as handsome in his floofy tabby way as Billy Ray is in his sleek blackness, and is very cat-social, often found cuddling with Virginia or Minuet.

Captain Jack aka CJ  (BC)

Captain Jack (CJ) is the newest and the youngest – he came to us from an Island rescue, and may in fact be part of the colony that brought us Marble and Biggie, Simon, Smalls and Junior. He came to us in spring of 2024, and initially showed himself to be something of a bully to the other cats, though I suspect that some of that was just being adolescent – teenagers of all species are inclined to push the limits!  Now he’s a little older and a little less inclined to throw his weight around.  He’s discovered that he quite likes people, and is one of the cats who happily enjoys lap-time with Justin.

Justin offers the BEST lap-sits
- and all the RAPS cats know it!  

I think a lot of his acceptance of life in the VJ has come from Jim, who is the oldest of the cats and the most loving – in fact, his loving gets a little carried away, because he thinks everyone wants it. Jim came to us as a lover, with his friend Frank (the two were known as FrankenJim) and when his buddy passed, Jim just picked himself up and went on loving. He was a big part of getting Minuet from being a terrified hideaway to being part of the greeting club, and when he cuddles with Virginia, it is possible to pet her as you pet him. It’s been funny watching him convince CJ that togetherness is good; he grooms CJ with enthusiasm, even when CJ pushes him away. You can practically see the resigned sigh as the younger boy says “Whatever....”  Sadly, both of them have chronic colds, so their germs are shared too.

CJ & Jim  (JS)

For volunteers and regular visitors – it’s worth washing up and going to spend some time in the Val Jones corner with this lovely group. You may not get anywhere with Virginia, but all the others respond to attention, and though they’d really like commercial treats (not allowed!), the SO kibble gives them the feeling of having something special from your hand.

Cuddle-puddle - Merran, Frank, Virginia  (BC)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe, Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint

Charlie

Charlie (KC)

Charlie came into our care almost a year ago – he found his way into the garden of one of our volunteers. She saw that he was a stray rather than a feral – shy, but not terrified. She was tempted to take him in, but she already had two cats of her own, and when she brought Charlie to RAPS for checking, it was found that he was FIV positive. FIV cats can live with non-FIV cats, but it requires no aggression, and she wasn’t sure it could be made to work – so Charlie came to us, living in the New Aids pens.

An affectionate moment with Vinnie (BC)

Initially he was wary; he preferred to live in the second Prince of Wales pen, right at the back, with the shyer cats like Vinny and Rocket. But Rocket is no longer as scared as he used to be, and there are several volunteers who regularly spend time with the back-pen cats; Charlie was reminded that humans are Good Things, and enjoyed receiving petting and loves. The back cabin has become the favoured base for three good buddies – Charlie, white Vinny, and orange Junior, and they can often be found hanging out there together.

Three roomies: Vinnie, Junior, Charlie  (BB)

Charlie’s a really sweet chonky boy; lap-time is much appreciated, and if you don’t spend enough time with him, he will follow you around – though his “following” consists mostly of getting under your feet. I have a very soft spot for him because he’s a near-twin of my McCormick.  I wonder whether they might be related;  McCormick was a detective-cat who found his own way to the Sanctuary in November 2023; Charlie was found three months later, about 3k away from us, so it’s quite possible...  The vets put McCormick as being older than Charlie – but once cats are past kittenhood, estimating their age is mostly guesswork. Their detailed markings are different, but their body-type and attitude have a lot in common.

McCormick  (BC)

Charlie - possibly a brother?  (AM)

Charlie has one big handicap (well, two, actually) – he suffers from entropion, which is an eye condition in which the eyelid turns in, bringing the eyelashes in contact with the eye, causing painful irritation. Surgery is possible – the problem is scheduling it, since the Sanctuary cats have to be scheduled into the rare quiet times at the hospital.

Wearing a collar as entropion eye #1 heals  (HM)

Charlie’s right eye was done earlier in the year, but it’s taken till now to get the left eye done; currently he’s wearing a collar, looking sorry for himself, but healing well. As with all the FIV+ cats, we monitor them very carefully so that their immune systems don’t have to fight off any infections.

Caged for the initial healing of left eye  (BC)

Whether caged or not, Charlie loves to have attention from visitors. It is quite likely that he will be one of our FIV+ cats to be adopted; he’s a general favourite with everyone, and one couple has been back several times to have cuddle time with him.  Heal up quickly, Charlie – a new home awaits you!

Charlie inverted  (KC)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Britt Burant, Katy Cobb, Brigid Coult, Anne Marchetti, Henrie Morgan

Spud

Spud Buddy - new to the Connor  (AM)

A lot of our kittens in the last year, mostly trapped by Ken and Lisa, have come from Surrey and Langley, where the feral cat problem is a continuous struggle for rescue organizations.  But we still have cats coming to us from closer to home.  Four of them arrived this past June – listed as “owner surrender” with the owner moving out of town, but I think there was also a litter of kittens found at that site under a bush, so there may have been elements of hoarding; certainly there was carelessness.

Watching activity in the room (JS)

The four cats came in to the Adoption Centre with the names of Meg, Brian, Lois and Buddy – the first two were adopted out very quickly; Lois is still in the AC, but we hope will go soon. Buddy was renamed Spud (we’ve had a number of Buddy-cats) and he had been largely an outdoors cat; he did not handle AC life well – he was very fearful, and cage life was very stressful for him. It was decided that he might do better in the Sanctuary and he was transferred to the Connor building. 

Solemn boy  (BC)

It took very little time for Kitty Comforter coordinator Anne Marchetti to fall in love with him and alert the KC team to give him some extra attention, and Spud handled living in the larger cages of the Connor much better than the Adoption area – and positively blossomed when allowed access to the courtyard.

Waiting by the gate for visitors  (AM)

Spud is a medium sized tabby boy with a proportionately large head - possibly a late-neuter. He has added himself to the greeting team, and can often be encountered at the gate, looking for attention. We were concerned about his health initially; he has a rather stiff-legged walk and was occasionally observed to be limping – cage rest did little other than frustrate him, but when the vets checked him, he was found to have bone spurs, and there’s little to be done about that other than pain meds when needed.  Spud’s probably no more than four years old, so if there’s osteoarthritis involved, as is common, it’s not age-related but possibly genetic.

Enjoying the winter sun  (KH)

He looks like a very serious little cat, but he loves attention from humans, and likes to come up for lap-time with the right people. In fact, the lap is less the target than the chest – Spud is one of those cats who prefers to be held upright, with his head at face-level. And that in turn requires an awareness of his body-language;  he is very happy to be petted until suddenly he isn’t... I suspect that his rear end is sensitive, and too much stimulation is painful. 

Come sit with me?  (KH)

Spud is OK with a few cats around him, but when the crowd gathers, he takes himself out of the way until things are quiet again. He tolerates other peaceful cats like Reef, but we have recently been joined by more assertive ones like Mayday and Sparrow (blogs to come) and Spud prefers to avoid them. Unlike them, he’s not strongly food motivated, and prefers a quiet one-one-one with his favourite people.

Spud  (AM)

Watch for this sweet boy when you visit, and make the most of a little Spuddle-cuddle time!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe, Anne Marchetti & Justin Saint

Loved and Lost in 2025

(March) Sweet leggy Akiva had been declawed before he came to us;
he was always wary around other cats (KN)

The between-gates entry to the back pens of the Cat Sanctuary is also a storage area – cleaning supplies, transfer cages and carriers, the sign-in book, the board showing volunteer vacancies and temporary assignments – and a RAPS calendar. The latter is not there so much to keep track of dates as to keep an open record of cats who have passed, and you will often see an incoming volunteer checking to see that all is well in the area in which they are working. Kitty Comforter coordinator Anne Marchetti emails the KCs to let them know when we have a loss, and includes a little tribute and a photo that helps us to mourn privately – thank you, Anne! It’s hard to do a shift, and realise that you’ve not seen a specific cat – only to check the calendar or with one of the med staff, to find that cat has passed.

(March) Cole came to us with aggression issues, but quickly 
discovered that laundry-room life offered lots of good attention, 
first tastes of food, and warm towels for sleeping on.  (TV)

Some months we go long periods with no losses – and then we may have a dozen cats pass in a few weeks. This year we got through to May with 2-3 each month – and then we lost 25 in the next three months – especially hard on the med-staff, for whom compassion fatigue has to be an issue. Sometimes we know it’s coming – the cat has been on medication and under a watchful eye; sometimes it comes out of the blue – perhaps a cancer that the cat has been hiding, or a sudden stroke. This year I am all too aware that practically all the cats I encountered when I came to the Sanctuary in 2010 have gone – I think all that are left are May and Walker in Pen 5, and sweet Orlean in the DW.

(May) Named for his beautiful golden eyes, Pumpkin 
was very much the social leader of the Boys Club  (MW)

55 cats have passed in 2025; some that visitors may never have encountered because of where they lived; others who were beloved favourites, sought out for special lap-time or petting. I wrote about our Sweet Gericatrics in April, all of whom have now passed - and I memorialized some the July passings in a later blog called July Rainbows.  

Here are a few of the others.

(June) Beloved by all, Willow was known as Spider-Cat
in her early days. After a bout with vestibular disease and a cage-stay,
she became very friendly with humans.  We lost her sister Amelia in March (BC)

(June) Sylar was my sponsor cat, and my challenge; 
 when caged, he would  reluctantly enjoy petting;
 out in the back courtyard he was usually very shy  (BC)

(June) Handsome Adam was a core member of the Pen 5 crowd,
and is greatly missed by his sister May (MW)

(Sept)  From arriving as a plain tuxedo, pretty Holly's colouring looked like she'd
had an expensive balayage treatment. She loved lap time with visitors (MW)

(Oct) Bricklyn was a fearful feral through much of her life with us, but this
sweet old lady  experienced feline dementia in her last year, and forgot to be
so scared. She made many human friends and loved petting and treats  (KN)

(Oct) Rookie was a former feral boy brought to us by volunteers
Barb and Waldi, more than ten years ago; he loved their visits  (KN)

(Oct) Hannah (also known as Hannah-Banana) was the small queen of the
back courtyard, and, for the last year, the oldest cat in the Sanctuary.
Hannah enjoyed Sanctuary life; she just didn't care much for other cats! (MW)

(Dec) Dazzle was another girl who held to her wary-feral status for years;
she would come and leg-rub, or accept arms-length petting - and then
she suddenly made breakthrough and adored lap-time with Justin  (JS)

(Dec) Cricket was always known as one of the kittens, though she'd been with us
more than 10 years. She came to us as a feral and resisted taming, but she became
one of the best greeters, standing on her back legs to get petting  (KN)

ALSO: Jan: Mojo, Venus / Feb: Tang  / Mar: Amelia, Kip  / Apr: Skye, Lil / May: Taylor, SweetPea / June: Charlotte, Kirby, Flash, Marble / July: Jerry, Neko, Denzel, Autumn, Juliette, Chumley,  Lloyd,  Paula, Kimpton, Higgins, Nova, Fletcher / August: Mystery, Licorice, Peaches, Luna, Sierra, Crinkle  / Sept:  Kilkenny, Buddy / Oct: Della, Salem, Tux, Ringo, Neptune, Dave / Nov: Laszlo / Dec: Billy, Karisa, Skittles, Runti

We have many sweet memories of furry friends whose lives would probably have been shorter and harder without the Cat Sanctuary. We grieve losing them - and are grateful that we can continue to offer shelter to others who come to us in need, and who find a place of safety, care and love with us.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson,
Justin Saint, Tanisha Vincent, Michele Wright