Blanket Therapy

Karrie in action - with fans gathered round  (BC)

Mornings at the Sanctuary are busy with people scooping and sweeping, scrubbing and making laundry changes – and always taking time for the little stops to visit with cats.  Evenings are similar, when the canned food comes our and anxious faces await plates – and once again, volunteers arrive early or stay late to visit with feline friends.   

Boots & Reefer

But in the afternoons (unless there’s a work party labouring on a project), all is quiet, and the Kitty Comforters are present.

Max has found the fresh catnip

The KCs were the brainchild of the late Marianne Moore, and after her passing their leadership was taken over by Anne Marchetti. Their focus is primarily the caged cats who may need more one-on-one interaction with humans than they will get in the normal way. Anne will alert us to where attention is particularly needed. Currently, that includes a number of cats who have not yet settled enough with us to have their own blogs – so you will have to wait to hear about Orange Julius who began very cage-aggressive and is learning that we’re not so scary, about a group of cats who came to us via a bequest from Missouri, about Tumble who is recovering from surgery and may possibly go to the Adoption Centre.

Both blankets occupied

But many of the feral or wary cats are out and about, and sometimes the best way to approach them is to let them approach you.  Especially in the summer months, that’s the mode for KCs Karrie and Catherine, who begin their shift by spreading blankets in the sun of the front courtyard, and waiting to see who comes.  Food may be involved, but more often it’s touch and grooming and gentle voices and a little catnip.

Boots has become a lap-cat with Karrie

The blankets are magnetic for the cats – there are some of them that will come immediately to be part of the sit-in, and other that gradually let themselves be coaxed into it. We suspect Boots was a stray, and he’s been considered for adoption, but he’s wary with a number of people. Summer afternoons on the blankets are his favourite thing, and he loves it so much that he will cuddle with Karrie instead of maintaining a cautious distance.

Max the cat-burglar

We worry about Max, who really needs a tolerant home with no other cats, but who doesn't show up well when we have visitors; normally he stays clear of the others, but he knows that Karrie’s bag usually has catnip in it, and he will venture closer for her gentle attention and for the ‘nip!

Spooky's snooze is watched over by Boots

Sweet Spooky is one of our older cats now – wary of people, as her name implies, but cautiously trusting with a few. She is one of the cats that Karrie will go and find in wherever she has hidden herself – just a few treats and a little petting reminds her that life’s not so bad. Just occasionally she will venture out with the others and make her own space on the blanket.

Our former Mexican street lady has presence!

Like Max, Kia is not a great fan of other cats, and mostly she prefers humans to leave her alone as well. She’s doing much better this year and venturing out more consistently – with her, the draw is less the ‘nip and the food, and more just the quiet time in the sun, and the softness of the blanket. She doesn’t want much in the way of attention, but she’s beginning to enjoy being present as long as the others don’t bug her.

Bingo: all the 'nip in this bag is for me!

Bingo is one of the Texan cats that came to us last year; they have assimilated themselves well into the front courtyard crowd, and love to be part of the blanket party. He loves the fresh catnip, and wiggles his way into contact with it. His brother Wilbur is more of a sit-around-in-the-sun type.

Wilbur, Leo and (of course!) Boots

Xena is a relative newcomer, and not very comfortable with humans – so it makes us very happy when she joins the blanket sun-bathing crowd.

Xena, looking disapproving

While Catherine and Karrie are visiting caged cats in the DoubleWide and the shyer cats in the back courtyard, the blankets remain in the front courtyard until the end of the KC shift, with cats coming and going as they please.  As the feeding team begins arriving for the last shift, the blankets are folded up to be taken home for washing, and preparation for the next afternoon of feline basking. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

All photos (and inspiration) by Karrie Radford

Wasabi

Wasabi (KN)

RAPS visitors are often astonished to learn that there are many regions in BC with a serious feral cat problem – a problem that always begins with the carelessness of humans. The older folks among us may remember an upbringing where there were barn cats, or indoor-outdoor cats as a matter of course, and often there were the inevitable kittens. Nobody tracked the growth of cat-colonies, and spay-neuter was often considered an “extra”. Now, of course, we know just how vital spay-neuter is in controlling the growth of such colonies, but all too many regions and municipalities don’t take any responsibility for that, and it’s left to the efforts of local, mostly volunteer-led rescues, operating on minimal budgets.

Wary boy  (BC)

RAPS is a resource to many of those rescues. We can’t take great numbers of their cats, because each one costs us money too, but we can sometimes offer an option that means that a cat will live, rather than die.  One of the rescues we have sometimes worked with is Foster Kritters Feral Cat Rescue, in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. They don’t have a website, but I am linking their Facebook page here.   As their name implies, they focus on finding at least temporary solutions for the ferals that come into their care. The primary predators on the Island are cougars and Vancouver Island wolves – unlike the mainland, where feral cats are a tasty treat for coyotes - and there are colonies of ferals near many populated areas. Cats living alone and unprotected have very short life-spans; cats living in a colony that has been spayed/neutered and that is supervised to some degree by human care may live more than 10 years.

Occasionally playful  (BC)

Wasabi came to us in 2024 from Foster Kritters. He was a feral boy either trapped during a TNR operation, or rescued from within an existing colony – they noticed that his leg was injured, and a local vet did a necessary amputation. The question then was what to do with this tripod/tri-paw’d cat. If released to his colony, he was at greater risk because of his disability. But he was sufficiently feral that keeping him as an indoor cat was not an option – he was very fearful of humans.  Option three was to send him to RAPS, and he arrived in June 2024, with an estimated age of around 8 years.

Caleb with Wasabi  (BC)

Initially, his fear meant that we rarely encountered him outside post-supper social time with the dusk drawing on. But he obviously enjoys the company of other cats, rubbing and rolling with them. He has a particular “thing” for handsome Caleb. Caleb came to us with his buddy Mozart back in spring of 2019, and was one of a group we ended up calling “the teens” – too old to tame easily, and in fact they all resisted it, and have become Front Courtyard fixtures. They are comfortable enough around us, but wary of too much closeness with humans. Wasabi adores Caleb, and follows him around the courtyard, moving in for a little bunting whenever possible. Caleb is tolerant, but I don’t think it’s a balanced relationship - it reminds me of Ringo and Zivko, five years ago in the Back Courtyard – one easy-going, and one very needy...

A little affectionate grooming - though it's
Wasabi who really needs grooming assistance!  (BC)

However, Wasabi has also discovered something that moves him out of Caleb’s orbit. Caleb is not very food-motivated, but Wasabi adores chicken, and when tidbits are on offer, he’s quick to join the crowd. Initially he was very cautious, with the result that his mouthfuls got stolen by other more determined cats; now he’s more ready to put himself front and centre, and to grab whatever’s offered. He’s not ready yet to accept it from the hand (though he will sometimes smack it out of that hand!), but he’s getting braver, and as long as he’s not in contention with Cuddles or Sparrow, he usually gets what he aims for.

Handsome Guacamole  (BC)

Of our four Sanctuary cats who have just three legs apiece, only Guacamole, in the back courtyard, is generally known to people. He is very popular on visiting day, and happy to demonstrate how fast he can run, or how well he can get onto a table without his missing back leg slowing him down much. He was adopted out last year, and recently returned;  while his adopters loved him, and did all the right things, he was not happy away from the Sanctuary, and since returning, has just slotted back into place.

Chutney & Marmalade  (BC)

The other three tri-pawds, all in the Front Courtyard, are much shyer. Tubby little Marmalade may occasionally be encountered on her bed in the Yellow Shed, but once disturbed, she is quick to vanish to a hiding place. Chutney is the youngest of the four, like Marmalade, arriving with us in 2022, and she prefers to be safely hidden behind a drape in the Old Rabbit Area during the day, though she emerges quickly at supper-time, especially when her favourite volunteer, Carol, is serving the food. 

Jumping onto a stool is manageable...   (KN)

Like Guacamole and Marmalade, Wasabi’s is a back leg amputation. Guacamole is strong and hasn’t let his disability slow him down; Marmalade is a good bit slower, probably because she’s a bit chonky! We know that Guacamole’s leg was amputated because of an infection caused by an injury, and that all his leg was removed – presumably to reduce the spread of infection. Wasabi’s amputation is lower down, and it’s obvious when you see him walk, that he is still trying to use the limb above the amputation site, which throws him off balance.  This was also true for two of our HIV boys – Trooper, who was adopted a couple of years ago, and Kicks, who is in fosterage – both are front-leg amputations, at the elbow rather than at the shoulder. Leaving a nub makes perfect sense for a human, who will need the limb to anchor a prosthesis. I don’t think anyone has made a prosthesis for a cat, though, and it would be interesting to know if there is any general veterinary protocol around how much of a limb should be amputated for maximum quality of life.

Big eyes, begging for chicken!  (BC)

We also need to keep an eye on Wasabi, who doesn’t seem to be able to groom himself very well, and like most ferals, doesn’t take kindly to contact with grooming tools. He was one of many cats this past spring who benefited from Gracelyn’s skills with the clippers – but it needed help from some gentle sedation. In Wasabi’s case, even though he’s short-haired, the fur on his back mats into clumps, and he ended up with a saddle-shaped shaved area that is now growing back. We’ll have to see if his sudden passion for chicken tidbits will help us coax him into accepting some grooming maintenance, or if he amasses enough clumps that he needs another shave next spring.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Chrissy & Donny

Chrissy  (KN)

In the last few months, we have welcomed several pairs of cats to the Sanctuary – usually sibling pairs, who have been kept together and presented as bonded pairs – only to strike out with independence when they are finally released at the Sanctuary. I will look forward to introducing Linus and Lucy, Abra and Catdabra – but this week’s pair are Chrissy and Donny. Chrissy is an orange tabby, and Donny all black, and both have wonderful golden eyes.

Donny  (KN)

They came to us in February with two other pairs of youngsters from Broken Promises rescue on the Island. Broken Promises relies heavily on fostering to deal with the cats who come to them, and when the fosters just aren’t there, or are overloaded, they will reach out to us, or to other rescues, for help. We already have a number of Broken Promises cats in residence, and have helped others find homes.  The newcomers were established in the Adoption Centre, the staff and the Kitty Comforters got to work, and all three pairs found homes.

Tired after an afternoon of play!  (KN)

Chrissy and Donny went to a family who renamed them as Honey and Luna – but they were still very shy, and unlike most kittens, they didn’t warm up. The truism is that kittens under 8 weeks will usually tame very easily, and up to 12-15 weeks, can usually be brought around with patience and gentle consistent handling. These two were older than that – probably about 8-9 months – and had lived feral, so we knew that the taming would take longer. With a cat born feral, patience has to be long-term; my own heart-cat Kissa was a young mom when she came to me; probably not much older than these two. It took at least a year before she would come to me of her own will, and for most of her life, when anyone entered the house, she hid.

Staying in the background  (KN)

In June, the adopters came back to us, saying that it wasn’t working – that the pair were still withdrawn, and preferred to hide; they felt that it wasn’t a good match. We took Chrissy and Donny back, of course – once a RAPS cat, always a RAPS cat – and it was decided that they would come to the Sanctuary rather than be returned to the Adoption Centre and would keep their original names (we've had a lot of Lunas come through our doors, and didn't want any more!). Caged together in the DoubleWide, they had room to move, a drape to hide behind, and a regular flow of med-staff, volunteers and KittyComforters visiting them. Usually the cage time enables us to do spay/neuter, vaccines and booster doses – in this case, we knew the records for all that, and the only purpose of caging was to allow them to decompress and become more relaxed. Visiting them confirmed that each took comfort in the other’s company, but that they preferred to hide;  as the weeks progressed we could see their curiosity increasing, and their willingness to interact with us through treats and play.

Keep both eyes on the target!  (KN)

Eventually, graduation day – the door of the cage was opened, and they were left to make their own decisions. Released cats have several options. Some emerge and immediately make for the great outdoors, to be spotted at the bottom of the gardens or hiding behind Waldie’s Hut. Others stay in the cage, laying claim to their territory, though that doesn’t last long when cages are in short supply and the space has to be cleaned for a newcomer. Many of them move immediately to the DW Deck, where there is a population of feral, semi-feral and tame cats living together. Here the newcomers can see that interactions between cats and these scary humans are really not that scary, and many of them will move to a more comfortable flow between indoors and outdoors.

Onlooker  (KN)

Chrissy headed for the gardens – but not in fear. She really wanted to see the big wide world and explore. In no time at all, she was interacting with both cats and humans, approaching for petting and play. Initially, it was easy to confuse her with the Four Oranges – but Mandarin (Manny) is bigger than she is, Tangerine mostly hangs around the south courtyard and is not ready for touch, and both Tangelo and Valencia prefer the safety of the DW Deck area. In addition, they are all classic pattern tabbies, and Chrissy is a mackerel tabby, though most of her mackerel lines are broken. She loves visitors at weekends because it always means more playtime; wand play is her favourite activity, and she and Rockford vie for attention. I don’t think she’s ready for the scoop-and-cuddle stuff, but she is a passionate ankle-weaver, and we need to watch where our feet go.

On the prowl  (KN)

Donny took the other route; she preferred to stay in the safety of the Deck and usually tucked herself into a shelf or a cubby not far from the cat-door. I don’t know if Chrissy returned in the evenings to visit her sister, but the Kitty Comforters (especially Anne) made a point of looking for Donny and reminding her that we were OK. She began to respond to voices and come out for fussing, jumping up on her hind legs for high pets (the manoeuvre preferred by the late beloved Cricket, in the front courtyard). In the last few weeks she’s emerged from shelter and started exploring; initially just down the path from the cat-door, and then running back;  then the full loop from there, through the TeaRoom and up the stairs (a route increasingly being investigated by Madonna, as well); and finally all the way out into the gardens. She prefers to stay mostly to the side, among the plants, and has not yet joined the weekend Wand-play Olympics, but petting is welcomed and she is clearly more comfortable than she was a month ago.

Face to face  (KN)

We're so pleased to see this pair blossom with the care and gentle attention of the RAPS team.  We’ve had other Sanctuary cats adopted and eventually returned – most recently, beautiful Bello and friendly Guacamole. Taking on a former feral needs enormous patience, and anyone who has done it (and many of our staff and volunteers have that experience) knows that ultimately it’s the cat’s decision! RAPS does require that adopted cats remain indoor cats, for safety’s sake – and that can be a hard transition for cats who are used to a semi-outdoor life in the safety of the Sanctuary.  Friendly as Chrissy and Donny are now, being in a human home could possibly revert them to their scared mind-set – so they will probably remain where they are, safe with us, unless they make it clear that they have found their own person. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

All photos by Karen Nicholson

Thor-Theo

Thor, aka Theo

Last summer part-time med staff Gracelyn was also part-timing at a veterinary office in South Surrey. A cat was brought in for euthanasia – not because he was sick, but because his owners were going into care, and nobody else would take him. Gracelyn holds to the RAPS belief that convenience is not a reason for euthanasia, and she brought him to us. His name was Thor, and he was not a happy camper!

Slightly suspicious....  (BC)

He’s a small boy, light tabby with a white muzzle and there’s something about him that reminds me of a Bengal cat, though his markings are tabby stripes rather than the typical Bengal rosettes. He is tailless, though I understand it’s an amputation from a tail injury when he was young, rather than a natural mutation.

Do I have to go back in the cage?  (WN)

Thor is one of those cats who seems to have a perpetually worried face, and for him, there was a lot to worry about. We hoped that he might be adopted out – he was about 7 years old, and was initially housed in the Adoption Centre. However, it became apparent that in fact, all was not well with him – he has a sensitive stomach, and either one end or the other was giving him problems. Various medications and changed diets were offered, but Thor’s biggest difficulty was that he was stressed by his environment. Nobody likes living in a cage, and the Adoption Centre’s cages are smaller than the ones at the Sanctuary, and not intended for living in for very long.

Loving being in a home  (WN)

Fortune was on his side; Wenda, one of our Sanctuary visitors, offered to foster him, and Thor went home with her. She renamed him as Theo, and the quiet environment she offered him, and her gentle patience, brought him out of his shell.  Sadly, his intestinal problems continued, and required repeated visits back to the Adoption Centre or the Hospital, and though Theo had changed with her care, he knew what it meant when his carrier came out. He proved to be a hard cat to manage and transport, and it was finally decided that in order to facilitate his frequent need for medical care, he needed to remain at RAPS, though in the Sanctuary rather than the Adoption Centre.

Relaxed enough to play  (WN)

He was admitted to the SingleWide trailer, where the cage in which he was placed was ten times the size of his Adoption Centre digs. Here he had room to move around, places to hide, places to climb, and a chair for visitors – and the Kitty Comforters swung into action. Wenda continues to visit him regularly, but we all learned the subtleties of dealing with Theo/Thor (he officially remains Thor in the Sanctuary). The main thing is that he needed time; he would come and sit by the door, but often when a visitor went in, he would move away and hide behind the drape, or turn an eloquent back! If we had the patience to sit quietly with him, to talk gently and not push for contact, he would usually come around and allow a little touch. He likes to play, and wand toys have been a big part of initiating contact and activity.

Guarding from the shelf  (KH)

The digestive problems continued, though with closer monitoring by the med-staff, they have come under better control. Initially he only ate prescription food and hydrolized protein, but without keeping him in a cage, it’s not possible to maintain him on a limited diet. So, gradually that was phased out, and the staff keep a careful eye on him for throw-up or poop problems and a consequent adjustment of medication. Now the cage door is open and he is getting to know his surroundings – he doesn’t really care for the company of other cats, but he enjoys exploring, especially now the SW deck has been refurbished, and he loves having the space to move when there’s a wand toy available and someone to play with him.

Even if I only half-fits....   (WN)

Wenda’s visits remain a special treat for him and with her he is comfortable enough to allow lap-time and touch in a way that takes much longer to achieve for more infrequent visitors. There’s sufficient space in the SW that he can remain aloof from the other cats if he wants, though he is often an interested onlooker when Ophelia, Oscar or Teddy Swims are enjoying playtime on the floor. Perhaps some day he will join them!

Watching the other cats in action!  (KH)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe and Wenda Nairn

Yeti

Yeti  (KN)

There are several rescue organizations with whom we have strong ties, and occasional transfers of cats when the numbers get too much for them to manage, or when cats are determinedly fearful and fostering is not an option. One of them is Sammy’s Forgotten Felines, in Kamloops;  Sammy’s tackles an ongoing feral cat situation, and we will often take the overflow.

Yeti  (KN)

When you talk to most volunteers at RAPS about Kamloops cats, it’s the crew in our back courtyard that’s implied – a colony of about 15 cats – mostly orange – who arrived together in 2021, and were joined by two more (Daffodil & Thorne)  a year later after time in fosterage. But we have accepted many other cats from Sammy’s – currently that includes Deelia, Vonda & Vinnie, Butterfinger, Arwen, Orson & Keno, together with others who have now passed.

Pewter, high in Leukemia pen  (KN)

One of the latter was a pretty longhaired grey girl called Pewter, who, sadly, tested positive for feline leukemia. She joined a group of other shy cats in preferring the high spaces in the Leukemia pen, watching us warily from above as the pen was cleaned and food provided. She never really tamed, and like many FeLV cats, her life was not long – the virus is hard on a cat’s body, and any infection can turn fatal.

Yeti, wary in Old Rabbit Area  (BC)

Last year two cats came to us from Sammy’s – male and female, about five years old, and it’s quite possible that they were originally Pewter’s kittens, certainly genetically linked. They were called Yeti and Runti, and practically identical. They were also not neutered, and sadly Runti proved to be one of those cats reactive to anaesthetic, or to the surgery itself. Yeti came through safely (it’s always easier on the boys!) and returned to us at the Sanctuary.

Dinnertime in Visitors  (BC)

He is a very handsome, striking cat – but one of the many who still regards humans with deep suspicion. Visitors will rarely see him; during the day he hides away in the Old Rabbit Area behind the drapes. In the late afternoon he emerges and explores; if the north side of the courtyard is fed first, he will make his way over to the Visitor area adjacent to the Connor House, to access the plate there rather than waiting for a delivery to his home ground. His executive-blond fur makes him easily identifiable, but he also has a noticeably dark mouth - a trait shared with Pewter. It makes them look as if they've been chewing black licorice!

Relaxed for once, even with a camera there!  (BC)

With other cats Yeti appears confident and comfortable; he has a wonderful plume of a tail which is often upright in the signal of happiness. When people are around the tail tends to be lowered and he is wary about making any eye-contact; he will walk by, but not engage in any way. On a shelf in the Old Rabbit Area he can be approached, but is usually uneasy; food bribery can only go so far.  That’s OK; we have a number of cats who are still feral, and who may never be comfortable with humans. It’s enough for us to know that they are safe and happy in their own feline community.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Teddy Swims has a Fan Club!

Teddy Swims (KH)

Many of the cats that come to us from other shelters do so because of available space – our cage space may not be much more than some of the others, but because of our set-up we can allow ferals, semi-ferals and problem cats free range within the security of our open pens.  Sometimes, all they need is a bit of time to settle – Rembrandt and Kahlo, blogged recently, are getting more and more comfortable with humans, and may eventually find their own homes. Others offer more challenges, and may become long-term residents with us.

Stiff back legs  (BC)

A long-haired tuxedo called Teddy Swims is one of the latter. He was brought in to the receiving shelter up north when someone discovered a limping cat foraging for himself; once in, and examined, it was evident that he had much more than just a limp, with both back legs stiffened to spasticity. The first vet who saw him said it was just bad arthritis, but a second opinion from a surgeon said that it was likely a birth deformity that affects both his hips and his legs. 

Teddy getting around  (AA)

We think he's about two years old. He’s come to us so that the RAPS hospital can get a closer look to see if anything can be done;  he will in any case need a more complicated surgery than usual for his neuter, since he is also cryptorchid – meaning his testicles have not descended to normal position, but remain tucked somewhere in his abdomen. 

Watching from cage-tops  (BC)

We’re not sure why he was given his name – the human Teddy Swims is a large, bald, tattooed singer in a variety of genres (actually to be performing in Vancouver in the coming November – we should get him to come meet his namesake). The feline Teddy Swims has lots of fur, and though vocal, is not exactly tuneful. We were concerned about his safety in getting around and he was allocated a ground-floor-only cage in the SingleWide, but since release, he has had no hesitation in climbing to the cage-tops, from where he can survey his kingdom. He will remain in the SW until he’s had his hospital visits, and will probably be transferred to the back courtyard, where there’s more space to roam, but less climbing,

Teddy can be vocal!  (KH)

We don’t know what the future holds for him. He will almost certainly be more prone to arthritis, and we will need to work on pain management, but he might well be fostered out to a home that could accommodate his disability. A double amputation and a wheelchair might be possible – but a wheelchair would be hard on Sanctuary ground surfaces.  We’ll wait and see what the RAPS vets say. In the meantime, Teddy is settling down well. He loves to play, though not so much with other cats as with toys. Little Ophelia (missing her buddy Polar, who was adopted) is not having an entirely easy time with him; she likes to play, but he then starts pursuing her and is a good bit larger than she is. Fortunately, she knows how to use the cat door to the SW deck – and he has not yet mastered that skill.

"Chillin' like a villain"  (AM)

His determination to climb reminds me of orange Terry, about nine years ago, who came to us with injuries that were the result of being hit by a car, but who hauled himself around on strong front legs, using his stiffened back legs to balance. Terry was also incontinent; Teddy Swims does seem to have control of his sphincters, and as long as he can get in and out of a litter box, has no hesitation in using it. He is obviously a stray rather than a feral, and likes attention from humans – but you do wonder what sort of “cat lover” allowed a disabled cat to roam outside. Part of his roaming was undoubtedly his unneutered condition, and with all the other SW cats safely “speutered”, he’s not too reactive – though it does need to happen sooner rather than later (for which Ophelia will probably be very happy!).

Tired after play  (BC)

In the meantime, Teddy is doing well in the SingleWide, with time for play, volunteers who drop in to visit him, a safe place to sleep at night, and the med staff to take the edge of any pain that his probably been part of his life for much too long.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe, Anne Marchetti

Video by Alicia Almeida

A Happy Newcomer

Rockford  (KN)

Long-term Sanctuary lovers know that we have a tradition around naming cats.  If they come to us with a name, it doesn’t get changed unless there’s another cat it might get confused with. If they come to us nameless, the med staff get naming rights, sometimes random, sometimes themed – for instance, most of the Pen 5 Newton cats have fruit names.  But the big naming tradition is around the cats who find their way to us, and who are trapped in the parking lot or on the perimeter – they get given detective names. Originally they were classic TV detectives or PIs: Magnum, Colombo, Steele,  Kojak, Horatio, Cagney (though he turned out to be male, rather than female like his namesake!) Then the watchers of Law & Order /CSI/ SVU gave us Rico, Rollins, Munch & Cassidy, McCormick and Higgins. We reverted to the real classics with Sherlock & Mycroft Holmes, and we had a Watson in earlier years.

First explorations  (KH)

Sometimes these cats are clearly strays – unneutered males with battle-scars and chubby cheeks; sometimes they are younger, and we don’t know whether they have wandered or been dumped. I don’t think we’ve ever had a female detective cat – it’s mainly the males who have the urge to wander.

Such handsome classic tabby markings!  (BC)

There are trail cams set up around the Sanctuary, and every now and then there is an alert, and part of the med-staff’s duties begins to include setting up traps in favourite places.  In late May there was one of those alerts, and by early June we had been joined by a handsome dark tabby boy who was given the name of Rockford (Rockford Files in the 1970s).  Like so many newcomers, he had a very dim view of the initial caging process; getting neutered, given his vaccines, and the daily encounters for cleaning and feeding and visits from the Kitty Comforters was all greeted with hisses and swats. He was more likely to smack a tube of Churu from your hand than to eat from it, and for me, at least, he was a boy to sit with and talk to, and not one to press for petting.

Cats and their boxes....  (KH)

On schedule, Rockford was released mid-July and promptly vanished onto the DoubleWide deck – traditionally the retreat for the scared and feral newcomers. But he didn’t stay there long – within a week he was darting out to do a quick investigation before retreating back to security. His confidence increased, and before long he was approaching people and soliciting petting. He does what we call the Cricket dance (named after a beloved front courtyard cat), rising up on his back legs to push up into a petting hand.  He seems to be social with the other cats, his youth shows in his enthusiasm for wand play with the visitors and with his feline buddies.

Exhausted after an afternoon of play  (BC)

A lot of his behaviour in the cage was clearly cage aggression, to be noted if he has to be put into a carrier or a cage for any length of time in the future.  It’s still early days for Rockford, and for us to make a full assessment of him, but I would not be surprised to see him as a possible candidate for adoption when he’s more settled, especially to someone who understands the needs of a cat who’s lived outdoors, and needs stimulation and enrichment to enjoy the safe life of an indoor cat.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe, Karen Nicholson

Rockford enjoying the sunshine  (BC)