Two Beloved FIV Boys

Sweet Taz  (SM)

There’s a steady trickle of FIV+ cats who arrive to our care from rescues all over the province.  Where there are people doing TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release), you can be pretty sure that some of the cats trapped will be FIV+ because it’s almost exclusively a virus passed by unneutered tom-cats. Once the cats are neutered, the testosterone that drives the fight-and-bite instincts is gone, and like the rest of the Sanctuary cats, they usually learn to get on well enough with each other.

Dust Bunny  (BC)

Our FIV+ boys are either ferals or strays. The ones who have come in as ferals may or may not tame up, and if they do, it may take awhile. Cypress was an aggressive, angry boy when he arrived in 2018 and now he wants in on laptime and treats. Obelix was very shy when he came a year later, and now looks for petting and love. A feral cat may appear settled, but the stress of a relocation, if we were to consider adoption for either, would probably drive them back into a place of fear. A stray, on the other hand, has known a home and human touch. The strays often appear very scared initially, and then blossom under touch and attention.

DB  (BC)

In the last six months we’ve had two new boys come to us, and settle so easily that it’s pretty obvious that they are strays rather than ferals. They began in different areas of the Sanctuary; Taz was in the Val Jones pen, and Dust Bunny in the larger New Aids. Dust Bunny arrived in March, from Foster Critters rescue in Duncan. His rescuer tells us that he was an occasional visitor at a small colony where they were doing TNR, and it was supposed that he was a barn-cat from a nearby farm. It soon became obvious that he was probably more than just a barn-cat; though initially very scared, it only took a few approaches from the Kitty Comforters to have him asking for petting and love.

Summer lounging in the back pen  (BC)

Our guess was that he has been stray for some time; he had earmites and bad skin and broken teeth. Skin and teeth are a common FIV+ problem, and it didn’t take long for the vets to whisk him in for urgent dental care. He’s not lost all his teeth, but they’re greatly reduced. Cage time was hard for him – he SO wanted human attention, and now he’s out and about he’s loving petting and laptime from volunteers and visitors.

May I come up?  (BC)

Unfortunately, as the new kid in the schoolyard, he was something of a target for Angus, who in turn was out of sorts that his favourite bed had been taken over by Kicks. Angus started taking out his frustrations on Dust Bunny, and we made the decision to move DB across to the Val Jones area.  At time of writing, he’s in a cage (short term), going for a vet check, and then he’ll be out and about with the Val Jones cats.

Taz loves his humans  (SM)

He’ll soon get to know Taz, who came to us in early summer, and who has proved to be a real love-bug. When Taz first came to us, it was hard to visit him in a cage, because a visit was never long enough, and he would cry when left. He had been in fosterage, and his foster-mother loved him, but had other FIV- cats, and her vet recommended not mixing them. In fact, we know that FIV+ and FIV- cats can live together safely, but as we saw with Angus, personalities do come into play, and territorial issues in a multiple-cat situation led her to the cautious decision.

Whatever the weather, Taz loves the heat-lamp! (BC)

In fact, Taz is loving with humans, and even more so, with other cats. Jim is delighted; he has been the resident Val Jones love-bug and his love has not always been reciprocated (not that it put him off much!); Taz and Jim can often be found playing or snuggled together.
Taz may have some vision problems; he’s slightly squinty, and possibly had entropion surgery for in-turned eyelashes. I’ve found that he doesn’t always see just where treats are, though he is aware of movement. But he moves with confidence and doesn’t feel his way around like a blind cat.

Enjoying the sunbathing....   (SM)

Both Dust Bunny and Taz are entirely adoptable. The fact that they’re in the Val Jones area and therefore living with the bladder-crystal cats doesn’t mean that they have that problem, though they’re living with that diet for now – it just means we wanted them near the front courtyard and more accessible to visitors.
We are so pleased when visitors fall in love with the FIV+ cats. In the last couple of years, first Biggie and then his brother Simon found homes, as did handsome Goose, Hank the hunk, and brave tripod Trooper; this summer sweet Kicks has gone to a foster-home where they hope to get his skin itchies under control. They may carry the FIV retrovirus, but it doesn’t mean they’re sick; it just means we need  to take a bit more care in keeping them healthy – and thereby benefit from all the love that a cat like Dust Bunny or Taz is ready to share with the right person.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Selena Marchetti

Nugget and Fernando

Nugget approves of more volunteers!  (KN)

Back in May I blogged an overview of some of the many black cats in the Front Courtyard, with a mental note to myself that I needed to do something similar in the back. There are a lot of seemingly anonymous black cats who disappear in the many cabins and hidey-holes around both arms of the courtyard, but it's rarer to find friendly ones who look for attention.

Fernando  (KN)

Everyone knows Tyson, of course – our “illegal immigrant” loves to get petting and cuddles from both volunteers and visitors; Tyson is quickly identified by a single white whisker (which he occasionally loses and then manages to re-grow). Arwen is the friendliest of a black trio that came to us from Salmon Arm via Kamloops; her sibs Keno and Orson are touch-me-not ferals.  Alexandria mostly lives in Newcomers, but every now and then we spot her and her white toes visiting the great outdoors. We are beginning to see black Donny exploring warily; she arrived with her bonded “sister”, orange Chrissy, and both are still pretty cautious. And who can miss our sweet JackieO, polydactyl and tail-less, who loves a lap (though you may need a protective towel in order to appreciate the experience). And that's only a few of the plain black cats, with a number of tuxedos to boost them!

Nugget's white locket is on show; he has a few other while hair patches  (KN)

But while volunteers are taking a break at the table outside the Tea-Room, the most likely black cats to come visiting are Nugget and Fernando.  Nugget (like tuxedo Aster) came to us from Broken Promises rescue on Vancouver Island. He is easily identifiable by the collar he wears – a signal that he is pretty reactive.  

We tell weekend visitors that collars indicate spicy cats; in fact, many of them are not so much actively spicy as just very sensitive. Broken Promises sent Nugget to us when they couldn’t find a foster home to take him; at the Sanctuary he has found he has space to avoid other cats, and discovered humans who will read his body language. He loves the basket in the TeaRoom when he doesn't have a favourite person with whom to sit.

Both collar and locket on display  (BC)

Nugget loves attention, and will hop up on a lap without an invitation. Petting is welcomed, but, as with many of the sensitive cats, is better confined to the above-the-collar area. Move further down the back, and the tail starts twitching; ignore the cues, and you will need band-aids!  The worst aspect of Nugget is that he is one of the cats who seems to have a chronic cold; through the summer months it’s not so bad, but when the cat-colds hit, Nugget’s are always the snottiest, and he continually needs to have his face washed.

Dozing is Nugget's favourite thing; bonus points if on a lap  (BC)

Fernando has been with us about 4 years; he’s about Nugget’s size, though a little slighter, with a slightly tattered edge to his right ear. From a distance, he looks black;  close up, and you will see that he has little flecks of white in his fur.  He is one of those cats who sees a hand hanging down from a chair arm, and immediately rubs against it; he loves attention, and is sometimes willing to be picked up for a lap-sit, though he’s not as comfortable with it as Nugget.

Lori brought goodies  (BC)

Fernando came to us through one of our loved-and-missed volunteers. Lori was every Sanctuary cat’s favourite person, arriving on Sunday afternoons loaded down with fresh-cooked chicken and fish – a labour of love now adopted by volunteer Carol (who also crafts our seasonal decorations and the painted stones). 

Fernando  (KN)

A few years ago, Lori moved back to Alberta to be closer to her family. But as she was packing for the move, she was concerned for a little feral cat who was often found on her porch;  he was not tame, but she had fed him and given him a place to hide.

Fernando  (KN)

Before she left, she trapped him and brought him to the Sanctuary, knowing he would be safe with us. Fernando is now about 10 years old, and very likely would not have survived that long as a lone feral cat. His initial years with us were like many of the other ferals – wary, suspicious – but he has become much more trusting with time, and adores attention. I think he’s not a cat that would ever be adoptable; former ferals don’t do well with transportation and relocation, and will often revert to their feral mindset.  Fernando is relaxed and comfortable with us in his permanent home.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Leslie Ann Burgess, Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Madonna

Madonna (KN)

The back deck of the DoubleWide trailer – now the Hauser House – is a favourite base for the feral cats who are released from their orientation cages but who are not ready to face the great outdoors.  In the majority of cases, new cats have a 4-6 week cage stay, during which they may have necessary spay/neuter surgery, receive their vaccines and any necessary boosters, and encounter humans in roles as med-staff, cleaning volunteers and Kitty Comforters. We always leave at least one drape up (sometimes two), so that the cat can hide, and we’ve usually got a pretty clear idea of whether this will be a cat who will blossom in our care, or treat us like the great enemy.

The young Madonna - hiding on top of the cupboard  (KH)

Madonna came to us in the summer of 2024.  She was a stray from Surrey, gathered up by Ken and Lisa in the process of a kitten-rescue operation. When she came in to the Adoption Centre, she managed a jail-break the same day she arrived, and it took a couple of days before the med-staff got her back inside. Sanctuary Manager Valerie took the kittens for fostering, joined by the errant mom once retrieved, and says “she was never aggressive, allowed me to fuss with her babies, though she preferred to stay in the background while her babies crawled all over me. The whole family was moved to another foster and they all stayed there for another couple of weeks. Madonna was returned just 9 days before the kittens went to the Adoption Centre”

Hiding under the ceiling   (BC)

In the Sanctuary Madonna decided that humans were Bad News. She ignored all overtures from us, and when finally released, she made her way out to the back deck to join the semi-ferals there.  One of the things that makes that space so attractive to the scared ones is that there is a shelf that runs all the way around the room, high up under the ceiling. They can stay up there, out of reach, descending only at night when there are no humans around. Ringo, Hamlet, Gwen, the College Cats and so many others – photo records show us scared cats up in the corner, clearly saying “You can’t touch me!” It became Madonna’s own place, and she spent most of her first year hiding out of the way.

Any treats for me?  (BC)

Breakthrough happened in the summer of 2025. The windows of the deck are covered with wire mesh, and through the winter months transparent plastic panels help to protect the space from rain and cold. Once the summer months get going, the plastic panels are stored up in the roof, and the mesh is open to allow light and circulation. And at the weekends, visitors arrive.  Not to the deck itself – that’s one of the areas we keep shut off to visitors so that the scared ones have somewhere to feel safe. But people pass from the back courtyard along the path to visit the New Aids cats – and where there are visitors, there are treats.

The window became her favourite weekend place (KN)

Initially this benefited just the braver cats, the ones who had learned to use the cat door and who enjoyed sitting on the little deck at the end of the passage. But word obviously spread, and there were often other cats who would sit behind the safety of the mesh and accept treats passed through. Madonna obviously thought it was worth the risk. She began sitting back from the mesh until she was sure that nobody could reach through. She attracted a lot of attention – she is very beautiful, after all – and she learned that if a treat was placed on the ledge, she could reach a lightning paw through and claim it.  Success bred success, and soon she was a regular moocher, and one of the cats that regular visitors looked for.

Still a bit suspicious   (KN)

We had a bit of a setback over the winter; the renovations in the DoubleWide meant that the cages it contained needed to be re-sited, and the DW deck got four of them. This meant more crowding for the cats, and Madonna took to hiding up on her shelf again. But with the return of warm weather, more cats were out and about, and Madonna not only returned to her window haunts, but she became braver about exploring – she can sometimes be encountered in the DoubleWide building itself, and she has started an occasional circuit, out of the cat-door, along the passageway from New Aids and in via the TeaRoom entrance. This past weekend she actually spent all afternoon outside - tucked in a corner, of course, but ready for tentative interaction with people she knew.

On the edge of flirting...   (BC)

Most feral cats don’t want any form of attention – they don’t even want you to look at them. Semi-feral cats are usually on a sliding scale from “you may look, but don’t touch!” all the way to “pet me, pet me!” Madonna is still at the feral end of that scale, but she watches us with more curiosity than fear, and she will accept the occasional treat or finger-touch. She’s not ready for petting, and she may never be truly tame, but all her body language is more relaxed than the terrified girl who arrived two years ago. Take your time, Madonna – we have all the patience you need.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe, Karen Nicholson

Tigger Two

Tigger  (KH)

Tigger arrived with us early this year, and was placed in the SingleWide trailer; his cage bore a warning that this was a reactive boy, and that volunteers and staff needed to be careful around him!

Exploring the SW   (BC)

When orientating visitors, I will often talk about the four main categories of cats who live here – the ferals, the semi-ferals (on a sliding scale), the health-issue cats, and those who have been surrendered. The latter sometimes come to us because of the death of an owner, or when a family relocates somewhere they can’t take a cat. But the most common reasons for surrender are “inappropriate urination” and aggression. Both issues may just be about a quirk in the cat’s personality, or may be a situational thing – something that stresses the cat enough that it has to express itself in pee or in biting.

Considering a lap-jump  (BC)

Tigger had lived with his family since he was a kitten, but due to changes in the home, he became increasingly anxious, which then manifested as aggression.  Sometimes that behaviour can be mitigated by pheromones or by medication, sometimes the stressor can be removed from the equation – sometimes none of that works, and the cat comes to us.

Hideaway time on cage-tops  (KH)

He’s only the second Tigger we’ve had (four Bobbys, four Whiskers, four Jinxes...); the other Tigger was also an orange boy who I met in my early days at the Sanctuary; a Front Courtyard boy who generally disliked other cats but had his favourite humans, from whom he demanded cuddles. Claire blogged him back in 2012. Our new Tigger shares the dislike of other cats, and is reserving judgement on the humans. Once released from his SW cage, he largely took himself out of the way to the shelves and cage-tops. He would come down and interact with a few people, showing himself to be sweet but changeable, often lashing out without much warning. He seems to dislike men, and older people.

Did someone say "Treats"?   (KH)

As he became more confident in his new home, we began to see more Tigger-attack issues. With staff and volunteers, that’s part of Sanctuary life, but it’s not good when we have visitors, and when Tigger started getting aggressive during visiting hours, something needed to be done, and we relocated him.

Finds a hideaway on the DW Deck  (BC)

When a new cat comes in, its placement may just be about where the first available cage is, or it may have another rationale. In Tigger’s case, the fact that he’d been an indoor cat may have been behind the decision to put him in the SingleWide. We’ve had situations where there have been dominance / bullying issues among Front Courtyard boys, and relocating a cat to the Back Courtyard changes the conditions; in the Back Courtyard there is more room to get away from each other when needed. Tigger was moved to the DoubleWide for a quick relocation stay in a cage, and once it was opened, he had a much bigger space with which to work – he could stay indoors if he wanted, or he could explore the full range of the gardens.

Exploring from the TeaRoom   (BC)

Currently he’s staying close to known turf; he’s become a regular visitor to the TeaRoom, and will sometimes come outside if there are treat-type reasons to do so, but we don’t yet see him out and about with any consistency.  Last weekend we put a collar on him to warn visitors to treat him with caution; the most usual attack follows having been nice when accepting goodies, and then launching himself, teeth and claws, at a passing leg. Personality-wise, he reminds me most of Gizmo, who can be a sweet boy, responding to pets, and then suddenly lash out – generally when another cat has wandered into his personal space bubble.

Mooching on the deck - 
Tigger loves Churus!  (AC)

Sadly, there’s no way we can give him the stress-free, other-cat-free, quiet un-anxious life he would probably like – but he’s like a coiled spring, and needs to release the tension from time to time. At least in the Back Courtyard he has the space to go and be alone when he needs to do so.

Blog by Brigid Coult
Photos by Andy Chiu, Brigid Coult & Kim Howe

Captain Jack

Captain Jack - "CJ"   (BC)

In the spring of 2023 we took in a group of cats from Foster Critters in Duncan who were all FIV+. We thought it was likely that they were, in fact, all related: one-eyed mama-cat Marble, Simon and Smalls, and Biggie, who might have been son or sire. Smalls was black; all the others were orange tabbies. About a year later we added two more orange boys from the same rescue; it’s likely there were family genetics there. Junior went to join his cousins/siblings in New Aids;  Captain Jack went to the Val Jones pen.

Courtyard snoozing  (BC)

So why split them up? Sadly, Captain Jack (or CJ, as he is commonly known) is one of those cats who has been discovered to have bladder crystals. This is predominantly a male-cat thing; the feline urethra is so narrow that any obstruction can totally block the bladder, and unless it’s spotted in time, the cat dies in great pain. Surgery is expensive; luckily the typical crystals that make the blockage can be dissolved with the right diet. So the Val Jones has become the Urinary corner even though some of the cats pre-date that designation; Jim has lived there since 2019; Minuet and Virginia, as females, are not as likely as the boys to have bladder blockages,  but everyone eats the special food that will keep a few of them safer. Merran was moved over from the SingleWide when his problem was diagnosed; the Val Jones is an FIV+ pen, but FIV+ and FIV- cats can cohabit easily enough. We separate the FIV+ ones so we can keep an extra careful eye on their health, not because we need to protect the other cats from them.

Life is serious...   (BC)

Unlike the other felines in the Sanctuary, the Val Jones cats don’t get all excited when visitors arrive because the red cups containing treats have to be left in between the gates. There are some special treats allowed for bladder-crystal diets, but in fact the cats are quite happy to have petting/grooming attention with no extra food.

CJ, when he first came to us  (KN)

Captain Jack was about three years old when he came to us in April 2024. Initially he was a bit of a bully with the other cats – he’s the biggest of the VJ residents, and maintained the dominance. We will sometimes see this in the early years – teenagers pushing boundaries, which includes bugging the people/cats around them. If the calculations about CJ’s age are correct, that would make him late 20s in human years – and we all know that some young men like to maintain that macho attitude.  We know that he’s not had an easy time;  the life of a feral cat is rarely a long one, especially for the un-neutered males who are driven by their hormones. CJ’s records from the previous rescue noted that while cleaning up a facial abscess, they had to remove lead from his jaw and suspected that he had been shot in the face. 

Playing with his buddy Jim  (BC)

Now no longer at the mercy of his hormones, CJ has come to tolerate the cats around around him.  No small part of this is the work of Jim, who is a relentless lover.  Jim came to us with his beloved Frank (we called them FrankenJim), and when Frank passed, Jim mourned, but didn’t shut off his love. He was often found snuggling with Minuet in her early scared days with us; he befriended shy Merran: he cuddled with Magnus (now passed) even when it was the last thing Magnus wanted. And when CJ came along, Jim had a new target. The two of them play-wrestle, they snuggle under the lamp and they share a chronic cold which seems to pass from one to the other and back again. I think most of the cuddle-drive still comes from Jim, but CJ now enjoys it.

Loving laptime with Justin  (JS)

The Val Jones area remains a lovely quiet place to visit some favourite cats. CJ has his own favourite humans, and though he is not commonly a lap-cat, he is quick to claim time with Justin, the volunteer who has many of the other cats queueing up for comforting snuggles. After scary teenage years in a feral colony, with humans shooting at him, CJ is discovering that Sanctuary life is the best thing ever!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson & Justin Saint

A Trio of Tuxies

Atari  (BC)

The covered courtyard known as the Old Rabbit Area (ORA) has typically been dim and quiet, a refuge for scared ferals, with draped shelves and many hiding places.  Two recent factors have brightened it up – a custom-built structure made of used pallets, painted and with sisal-wrapped posts, and a trio of active little tuxedos.

New places in which to be a cat...   (BC)

The covered places remain, but there is now more space for cats who enjoy open beds. The structure was built by a RAPS supporter known as CatDaddyDan; it was constructed and painted in the parking lot beyond the gate, and then brought inside in pieces and connected in its new site, with approval (including pee) from the residents.

Kahlo  (BC)

The tuxie I see on it most frequently is one of a pair of boys who came to us from Prince George, with the names Rembrandt and Kahlo. They were caged for a while in the Hill House next door, and there, Rembrandt was outgoing and happy to see the Kitty Comforters when they visited, while Kahlo hid behind a drape. Since release, the roles tend to be reversed and it’s Kahlo who comes to investigate visitors, while I have to hunt to find Rembrandt. Both boys are slim and leggy; Kahlo is easy to identify, with a half-’tache on his face. It’s lovely to have more outgoing cats like this in the ORA, demonstrating to the shy ones that humans are not as scary as all that!

Rembrandt  (BC)

Rembrandt is more typically tuxedo in colouring, with a white facial blaze and white shirt-front; and long white socks. Tuxedos are one end of the spectrum of bi-coloured cats; the other end is the Turkish Van pattern – all white, with coloured tail and head splashes. In between fall the harlequin cats, with irregular splashes of black, or the ones known as cap-and-saddle or mask-and-mantle – predominantly white cats with strong black markings. A classic tuxedo should be about two-thirds coloured – so the black cats with a small chest marking don’t classify as tuxedos.

Mayday (L) and Eddie (R)    (BC)

It’s easy to confuse Rembrandt with either of two other tuxies; Mayday is another of the “gimme chicken!” crowd, and has a lightning paw; his blaze is a bit more pointed than Rembrandt’s and he wears socks rather than stockings; Eddie is very similar, but his black nose smudges into his left cheek; he has actually been with us since the spring of 2023, was adopted, but never settled in his new home; he is happy to be back with his buddies at the Sanctuary,

Atari  (AM)

The third of the new tuxies, and another who bases out of the ORA, is pretty Atari who came to RAPS last spring with her three kittens Yahtzee, Checkers, and Monopoly – part of a colony rescue from near the Skybridge in Surrey.  As is common, the kittens socialized well and were adopted out; Mama Atari was very wary with us initially.  After arriving at the Sanctuary she was identified as having intestinal problems, and put on a limited protein diet which necessitated cage time. This can work either for or against us; in Atari’s case, she became very happy with human contact, wanting petting and cuddles, and offering resentful nips when the visitor had to leave.

Atari  (AM)

It’s lovely to see her out and about with fresh confidence;  she is often a greeter at the gate, and she lays claim to the bed under the heat lamp in the ORA whenever possible. I find that if I sit next to her, she will quickly come onto my lap and make herself at home; she doesn’t want to be picked up or held (many of our cats don’t want that), but when it’s her own idea, she settles right in. I would guess the med-staff are keeping an eye on how her gut is behaving now that she is back eating from the common plates; if her problems are dietary, she may need fostering so she can return to a limited protein diet without cage time. For the time being, medication is doing the job.

Kahlo loves to play  (BC)

All our three newcomers, as well as Mayday and Eddie, are still young, and it’s good to have that happy energy around the Front Courtyard.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Anne Marchetti

Cats from Westeros

Rhaenys has found a place where she feels safe,
but can still satisfy her curiosity   (BC)

About a year and a half ago, we took in three young cats from Boundary Helping Hands Rescue in the Kootenays. Somebody at that rescue is obviously an ardent fan of Game of Thrones, because they came to us with the names Jorah, Corlys and Theon. I don’t know if our med-staff were just not Ice and Fire addicts, but the three boys names were changed to Fletcher, Flynn and Fonzie. We lost Fletcher to cancer last year, but Flynn and Fonzie are beloved members of the back courtyard cat family.

Beric enjoying the sun   (KN)

This past fall another three refugees came from Boundary Helping Hands Rescue (otherwise known as Westeros!) They were Beric – namesake also known as Beric OneEye (leader of a guerrilla resistance group against the Lannisters), Rhaenys (the Queen Who Never Was, and a dragonrider) and Laena (daughter of Rhaenys, and also a dragonrider).  BHHR put in some dedicated efforts to socialize them, but they have limited space for long-term care, so these three little refugees needed a place where they could truly settle in at their own pace, so they have joined us at the Sanctuary. Still wary of people, they are considered “unadoptable” — but we know that with time and understanding, they can thrive.

Slightly suspicious, but allowing touch   (BC)

Poor Beric (who as a feline has both his eyes) came to us in a very matted condition, and he got a winter lion-cut (complete with Ugg booties!); the two girls escaped that indignity, but all three of them contracted the upper respiratory virus that did the rounds during the winter months, and they had to be caged separately so that their medication could be carefully monitored.  Like most of the Front Courtyard ferals, they vanished into the Old Rabbit Area when they recovered and were released;  the ORA is full of draped shelves and good places to hide.

Laena was more outgoing in her cage than she
has been since release.  (CR/KN)

We were told that Laena was the most confident of the trio, while sweet Rhaenys was the most timid – in fact, of the three it’s Beric who has been the most active in exploring the courtyard and all its corners. He can most often be found around the ORA courtyard, but he seems to prefer to use the big (swimming pool) litterbox by the SingleWide stairs, and likes to base himself in the papasan chair in the sleeping area above it.

Cozy in the papasan...  (BC)

He’s not soliciting attention yet, and avoids touch, but not in a way that speaks of fear – more of “I’d prefer that you kept your distance, please”. He seems to get on well with the other cats.

Rhaenys - high up, queen of all she surveys...  (KN)

Rhaenys is a beautiful long-haired tabby in many shades of brown. She enjoys sitting by the plant containers and soaking in the sun, but she was initially very wary of being approached, and scurried away to find a covered shelf where she could disappear. Now she is less fearful when on a raised level, and allows touch, if not yet much in the way of petting.

Now Laena's out, she prefers to remain hidden!  (KN)

Laena has almost totally vanished; obviously, being caged made her willing to cooperate, but with freedom has also come the ability to hide from sight, and she’s reverted to her “humans are bad!” feral default. She’s obviously found some good hiding places, because all we see is a worried face peeking out. In appearance, she’s very like Cuddles, though with a white left chin rather than a black one – however, she’s a long way to go to match Cuddles’ degree of confidence!

Beric heading out to explore   (BC)

It’s early days, though – all three are still quite young, and are learning that we mean them no harm; that there is food, and there are safe places to rest. Because we don’t see much of the two girls, we don’t know if they’re interacting with each other, or just doing their own solo thing. Rhaenys is now exploring outside the Connor, on the climbing structure; we hope that Laena, too, will venture outside the ORA drapes. Just as Fonzie and Flynn have shown us, they have lots of time to decide that they can relax and feel safe with us.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson & Chloe Robinson