Eden & the Voids

Eden  (KN)

Sounds like a rock group, doesn’t it?  But it’s quieter, more fragile and definitely furrier!

Furgie can be identified from her rumpled fur  (BC)

The cats who live in the Feline Leukemia pen are often overlooked – the doorway is marked for No Entry, and there are protocols about sanitizing, dealing with plates and laundry and so on. FeLv is transmitted in cats’ body secretions, so we are very careful about anything from their pen that might bring the virus in contact with the cats in the Front Courtyard. Equally, the virus affects their immune systems, so we have to make sure we don’t bring in cold germs or other infections from the rest of the Sanctuary. This results in an isolation area that many volunteers never visit – but one that is loved by those of us who are in the know.

Classic voids: Athena, with Laszlo & Neptune (now passed)  (JS)

Currently we have eight cats living in the area – one little grey girl and an assortment of blacks. The slang term for a black cat is a “void” – the sort of cat that disappears in a dark corner, and is hard to photograph because the black colour swamps the features. In fact the only true void at the moment is Athena, who came to us as one of the McLeod cats in 2019. Athena was devoted to Neptune, another void who passed last fall at the age of more than 11 years – a good age for a leukemia cat – and now she seems to be taking comfort in Furgie’s company. Furgie came in with the hoarded cats from Calgary in 2021; she is nominally a void, but has a lot of little white flecks in her ruffled back fur. She was the first of that group to be identified as FeLv+. Banff and Creston, who followed her, have both passed; nobody else in that colony has tested positive.

A stack of Moons, with Athena on top (CP)

There is one cat in the pen who is rarely seen; he came to us last May from Saskatchewan, and promptly went into hiding in the outdoor area. He goes by the name of Password 123, and joins the ranks of feral cats who prefer to have minimal contact with humans. On the list, he’s marked as a black cat, but he’s actually a smoke: black on the surface and grey underneath. We don’t know how much contact he has with the other cats, but he has made himself comfortable under the heat lamp or in shelter with a heated pad.

Eden (with Cosmo, above)  (KN)

The little grey girl is Eden, and she has settled well with both cats and humans. She came to us from Winnipeg with a couple of kittens that may or may not have been her own; they were also FeLv+, taken into fosterage as we do for all kittens;  sadly for their foster mom, their immune systems failed them. This is one of the reasons we don’t bring kittens to the Adoption Centre too soon, and why we ask potential adopters to visit there first, before coming to visit the Sanctuary, so that they don’t carry infections from adult cats to juveniles.

Eden enjoying cuddles with Cosmo  (KN)

We don’t know Eden’s background, but she’s obviously had contact with people, and likes to play with wand toys. She has a clipped ear, which usually designates a feral who’s been TNR’d; I wonder if it may be a sign of a Manitoba frostbite instead; we remember Picasso (now adopted) who came to us with clipped ears and tail from a very cold winter.

Eclipse - our most beautiful void  (BC)

Eden is also very cat social, especially with the remaining four cats. Eclipse, Cosmo, Calisto and Galaxy came to us with Mama Moon from the same Manitoba rescue just over a year ago, and are probably about the same age as Eden – she certainly sees them as playmates, and the older cats mostly let them be. Moon was fostered last year by someone who was willing to take the extra care leukemia cats need; her kids are still with us. Eclipse is the only true void; his brother Cosmo has a little locket on his chest, and his fur has taken on a tint that is brownish rather than black, together with some grey..

Cosmo can be something of a goof...   (KN)

Galaxy is now the more social of the two girls; her previously orange eye colour has faded to a gentler gold, and she is the perfect little tuxie with white socks as well as facial and shirtfront markings. Her sister Callisto has a little Harry Potter zigzag streak down her nose. She likes to have her sibs’ company;  she can often be found in one of the cage-top beds, or on the overhead walkway outside. Both boys have black whiskers; their sisters' white whiskers are long and beautiful against their black coats.

Galaxy  (BC)

Callista's favourite flirting position, lounging on the cat tree  (KN)

I spent a couple of hours with them earlier this week: cleaning, scooping, dealing with kibble and water, and all the other things that go into a morning shift. For the last half hour I had all the Moons and Eden with me; Cosmo and Galaxy wanting attention; the other three just wanting to be around. Towards the end, Athena came in to join us and did some head-bunting with Galaxy, but avoided actual contact with me; that’s par for the course!

Eden gets the last laugh  (KN)

Weekend visitors are not allowed in, but volunteers who work in other areas of the Sanctuary can choose to spend some cat-time with this sweet colony, as long as all the sanitizing protocols are followed to protect them, and all the other cats, from a virus that can take them from us far too soon. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Carol Porteous, Justin Saint

Ophelia

Ophelia (KH)

Torties have a reputation for sass, for unpredictability; the saying is that “people have attitude, cats have cattitude, and torties have tortitude”. And we’ve certainly had our share of the latter: sassy Lunette, who was known as “lunatic” in her early days with us; Princess, who has been with us for more than 4 years, and has only recently started being touchable; bossy Gwen who now loves people but still hates cats – and before them, Treacle, Emily and others.  But we’ve also had our share of gentle, sweet torties: Blaze and Toes, Chelsea, Beans – and, for RAPS old-timers, our beloved Daisy, who loved everyone. So when a new tortie arrives, it’s always interesting to know where she’s going to be on the tortietude scale.

Ophelia loves people  (KN)

Ophelia came to us from out-of-province; our primary ties are with BC’s rescues, but good work is happening everywhere, and sometimes we are the best solution to a problem that, in another jurisdiction, could end in so-called euthanasia. Our contacts here were with the Canadian Animal Task Force (CATF) in Calgary which works with Alberta rescues, shelters and Indigenous communities, with a focus on spay/neuter for both dogs and cats. It was from them, in 2021, that we took in the colony that is still based in Pen 3 – Cornelius, William Shakespurr, Jenkins and the rest of that formerly hoarded group. And we were the ones they called when Ophelia came into their hands.

Wand toys are the best!  (KH)

She is still a youngster – probably around 2 years old – but she has a variety of health issues. She’s theoretically a semiferal, but definitely on the tamer end of the spectrum, and it was decided to place her in the SingleWide where her health could be monitored. She has plasma cell pododermatitis, more commonly known as pillowfoot – puffy, swollen paw-pads. It is thought that it’s an immune system condition, and we’ve seen in before in FIV cats. Auto-immune diseases can throw up a variety of problems, and Ophelia also has occasional inflammation of genitals and problems with her eyes that require eye-drops.  She was fostered by a volunteer for a while, but you can’t explain the necessity for giving eye-drops to a cat, and she was so hard to medicate that it was decided to return her to us, where two pairs of experienced hands could combine to treat her more easily.

Ophelia and Oscar (AA)

Ophelia is very happy with her situation (other than the eyedrops). Her inner kitten is still present, and she loves to play. Even more, she loves having companions. Her companions are not so sure about this!  Oscar is a dignified cat, and it’s beneath his dignity to play, but Ophelia persists in flirting with him until his patience ends and he takes himself out of the way.  

Sharing space with Winston (KH)

She’s also tried it with floofy Winston, but he’s better at removing himself. Black Polar is closer to her age, and more willing to engage; they both love wand toys and will take turns without aggression. Texan Syd will join in, but can get a little carried away; he doesn’t know his own strength.

Loves her lap-time (KH)

Ophelia also loves her humans; she’s often the greeter at the door, and looking for attention. She’s a lap-sitter and a neck-snuggler; one of the joys of working in the SingleWide is the chance to sit when all is done (and sometimes before it’s done!) and have cuddles with cats. There are several of them who will claim lap-time, and Ophelia has added herself to the list. The happier she is with being handled, the easier it is for the med-staff to give her the necessary care, so we all do our part!

Playtime with Polar (AA)

We’re the perfect place for her to land; all the necessary medical care, boyfriends to play with, humans for attention all day, every day. Cat heaven for Ophelia... 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Alicia Almeida, Kim Howe, Bev Johnston, Karen Nicholson

Back Courtyard Shadows

Shy Minnie in Pen 8

Throughout the Sanctuary, there are feral cats lurking out of sight or on the edge of our vision. Some of them have come from our own kitten-rescue efforts; others have come to us from other rescues across the province. Many of those rescues are doing amazing work with little in the way of resources, and they rely on fostering for ongoing care for their cats. And as we all know, some cats will tame down fairly easily, and others resist it all the way!  For a fosterer, the hope is always that you can get a cat to the point of allowing contact and building a relationship – and when that doesn’t happen, it’s very hard to know what to do with a stressed and angry animal in the long term. 

Escaper Volcano is getting used to us 

At the Sanctuary, we can release these cats into the general population and play the “wait and see” game. Some of them may go their entire lives avoiding us, others tolerate our presence as long as we don’t invade their space too much, and with luck, a few will learn that with humans come good treats and gentle hands.  Most of the shyest cats can be found out-and-about in the early morning, and in the evening; cats are by nature crepuscular, meaning that they are most active in the twilight. And it’s usually staff member Karen whose patience and camera-eye can capture views of the ones that many of us see only rarely. All the photos in today's blog are hers.

Sherlock is very wary

Sherlock and his brother Mycroft came to us together; they were spotted on the trail-cams around the perimeter, trapped and brought in. Sometimes these “detective cats” may have been dumped, but these two were definitely feral, and had probably been making a living off the rodents in the surrounding farmland. After their obligatory cage-time for neutering, vaccines and so on, their cages were opened. Sherlock made for the courtyard; Mycroft chose to remain indoors. He adapted really well, and in fact has been adopted (he’s just “Mike” now!) and has his own home. His rough-coated brother Sherlock has also adapted well – just, not to people. He migrates happily from the south wing to the eastern one, and no longer freezes in fear, but he doesn’t trust us, or allow an approach. That’s OK – it’ll happen when he’s ready...

The Winter King - majestic, but cautious

I introduced beautiful Plateau back in September, and he remains wary and dislikes too much attention. He usually hangs out around Waldi’s Hut.  He has been joined by The Winter King, who prefers the comfort of being IN the hut – though he is quick to exit or to hide when any human enters. He came to us from the Shuswap lakes are this past fall, and we had hoped he would tame up, but in the Adoption Centre he huddled in his cage, and only reluctantly tolerated touch, though without aggression; the staff decided to bring him over to the Sanctuary and see if he might blossom (like Bello did). He has obviously decided that he will remain on the wild side.  Thankfully, unlike his namesake, he is no fighter, but manages to co-exist quite happily with his roomies.

Devon and Cordelia, in Pen 8, prefer to be up and out of reach

Next to Waldi’s Hut is Pen 8, given over to a group of refugees from a hoarding situation in Victoria. These cats have been very wary with us, mostly going into hiding when anyone comes in to clean or feed. The Kitty Comforters (particularly Patti) have been working on building trust with them – sitting quietly with music, offering tasty treats and gentle play. Some of them are getting much braver and coming to the gate, especially in the evening; others prefer to remain out of reach, though they are obviously not as scared as they were. Churu to the rescue!

Pretty Pinnacle prefers to stay in hiding

When Lisa and Ken rescued the Commuter Colony last year, there were two naming conventions applied – one group was the Hotel Cats (including Westin and Wyndham) and the other was the Topological Cats (including Plateau, above). The latter group also included Summit, Meadow, Pinnacle and Volcano. Pretty tabby Pinnacle has removed herself as far as possible, but can occasionally be seen at a distance, or lurking in the shrubbery.  Volcano showed himself to be an escape artist, and since recapturing a black cat is not the easiest thing, he has been confined to the escape-proof Pen 7, where he is beginning to get used to the presence of humans; as well as regular visits for cleaning and feeding, Pen 7 is regularly entered by the med-staff handing out necessary meds to other cats.

Tubbitha - no, you may not pet me!

The colony that came to us from Cranbrook, known as the College Cats, has established themselves firmly in Pen 3. Most of them prefer not to use the cabin, which is largely occupied by the group that came from a Calgary hoarding situation back in 2021; the College cats prefer to use the outdoor shelters, and largely operate like a shoal of fish – where one goes, the others tend to follow.  All except for Tabitha, who has separated herself from her family. Renamed Tubbitha, this solid tabby girl has established herself just outside the cat-door leading onto the DoubleWide deck. I assume she goes in when it’s cold, but mostly, she remains at the base of the cat-tree. Visitors proceeding into New Aids have to be warned not to touch her; unlike Hickory, who is also dark tabby and enjoys attention, she is quick to warn people off. The collared cats are marked as cats who will approach and then change their minds, reactively; Tubbitha is not collared because she doesn’t want to be approached at all.

Handsome Chef has the BEST whiskers!

Beautiful tuxedo Chef is right on the edge of contact. He arrived with us in a Tupperware container from another rescue this past June, He came with the name Chicago, but we already had a Chicago among the Pen 6 Newton cats, so his name was changed. He’s still quite young – probably less than 2 years old – and the inner kitten is still there in his reaction to wand toys. He doesn’t want direct contact yet, but he likes treats, loves to move, and is sometimes to be spotted playing with a found object, whether manufactured or just a leaf. He’s quick to swipe with sharp claws when you get too close, but he obviously enjoys being around the courtyard even when people are there – he doesn’t go and hide out in the gardens.

Princess offers the royal sploot

Our little Iranian refugee, Princess, has always kept her distance; she likes to have visitors come and speak Farsi to her, she is a dedicated chickaholic, and she follows me around in the pens, but she did NOT want contact. Suddenly she is presenting herself for petting (though under specific conditions: she has to be on a table or a shelf and there must be no other cats around) - then she ducks her head under my hand and clearly tells me to go on and stroke her. I knew that she’d started accepting it from other volunteers, but it’s the most amazing feeling to have that gift of trust. She’s been with us more than four years – who knows when or if the others will allow that touch.  

But in their own time.... 

Blog by Brigid Coult

All photos by Karen Nicholson

Comfortable & Cosy in the Hauser House

Lindor has claimed the tree in the back corridor  (BC)

In the 1990s. RAPS founder Carol Reichert noticed the growing feral cat population in Richmond, and in characteristic Carol-fashion, gathered her friends and tackled the problem head-on. The focus was TNR; trapping a full colony of cats, getting them all spayed and neutered, and then returning them and maintaining the colonies. However, Richmond was in full flood of development, and it was often not safe to return the cats to an area soon to be overrun by excavators and other machines. With the help of a generous benefactor, she was able to get a long lease on land within the agricultural reserve, and the Sanctuary began with a trailer and a few sheds. Like Topsy, it “just growed”; other donors stepped up, volunteers came forward and over the years it has increased to the complex that currently serves our cats.

Junji loves the couch back  (KH)

The Double-Wide trailer was the second primary structure, brought into place in the early years of this century. These trailers were pretty basic – not the quality of a contemporary mobile home – and they have taken quite a beating in terms of treatment from the feline inhabitants. Most trailers of their era were not intended for long-term use, and several years ago we had to say a sad farewell to the Moore Trailer, which housed some of our older cats, when it became apparent that mold, damp, rotting wood and access by rats made it unsafe and unhealthy. Some of the other buildings have had overhauls – the Hill House, the Connor, and the area that houses the leukemia cats were all funded by the generosity of donors. But the Double-Wide was the heart of operations, the base for the med staff, and in constant use by hundreds of cats. And that meant a lot of urine soaking through the floor, wooden structures being used as scratching posts, an elderly wiring system and a roof that leaked occasionally.

Digby, enjoying the warmth of the Hauser House, beside the dedication plaque  (JS)

Having made the decision that a major overhaul was necessary, a donor was urgently needed. We are so grateful to the Hauser family, who provided the funds in memory of mother and sister Marcia Hauser, a dedicated cat-lover – and to Judy Sharpe whose donation in memory of her father Jim made it possible to expand and modernize the Med Office. There is more information about the renovation HERE  
A couple of weeks ago, the door that was firmly labelled NO CATS was once again opened, and our furry friends who had been dispersed around the Back Courtyard were finally able to return. Most of them have entered through the TeaRoom and DW deck; the catflap in the main door is still being regarded with some suspicion. But all the usual characters are back in their familiar territory.  

Parker guarding the counter  (BC)

Entering through the Laundry Room, it’s clear that all is back to normal. Blonde Parker has posted herself on the facing counter – a test for those who don’t know her: she’s beautiful but dangerous. She has her favourite people; for everyone else she can be quick with the claws. I think she’s a little miffed that she no longer has her pile of towels to sleep on and guard; all the laundry is now put away in cupboards. Cat-beds have their occupants;  Bear is happy to find a warm home. JJ and Jade have an armed truce over who claims the bed on top of the drier.

Bear and Parker on the counter; Little John enjoying dinner; 
Jade on the chair, waiting for JJ - on the drier  - to move  (JS)

White walls, white painted cages, new lighting – the main room feels brighter. The Med Cage has been relocated and equipped with more counter-space and storage, with water, light and electric connections. We still have to work out how to cat-proof the door; it’s on a spring closer, but Eli has already learned how to cat-burgle his way in. A long counter runs the length of the first area with drawers and cupboards below, and space for lots of cat-beds above, which are quickly claimed. The couch by the Med Cage door is also very desirable property – for cats and humans alike.

Eli & Tyson approve of the couch (as does Justin!)  (JS)

Turn right at the Med Cage and the passage takes you towards the back deck. Currently it’s still full of the old cages; the “Newts” (the hoarded group who came to us last year from Newton) are sharing an upper respiratory infection, and they have all been caged in groups of two or three so that the med staff can monitor them more carefully. We are so grateful to be able to get them out of their pen, which will be fully sanitized before they return to it.  At the moment almost all the cages are occupied – 14 out of 15 in the main room, 4 on the deck and 3 in the TeaRoom. 

Ryan hopes to get out of  her cage soon; we hope she stays so friendly!  (BC)

Other cats are in for observation, or for recovery from dental procedures. Caging like this can be a useful socializing tool – shy little Ryan has blossomed since having all her teeth out; she loves having visitors and is happy to accepts attention. Let’s hope the friendliness continues when she’s released.

Weird boy Tucker is occasionally in "time out"  (BC)

One of the cages is semi-occupied; while renovations were going on, neurologically challenged Tucker went into foster-care with a staff member. We didn’t think he would be good at handling the upheaval of exile from the DoubleWide, but now he’s returned. Tucker has to have a cage reserved for his use; he doesn’t relate well to other cats, and can be aggressive, so needs a retreat from time to time. 

Flynn looks down with a judgemental eye (BC)

The process of return is happening steadily; the cats who enjoy the outdoor life are still able to come and go as they please. Not all the cage-top inhabitants have returned from the Deck; one who has is chonky Flynn who likes to sit on the edge and look down on the activity below.  He is occasionally joined by his “brother” Fonzie, but Fonzie is much more mobile and socialized with both cats and humans.

Fonzie also like the tree at the crossroads  (KH)

The orange Kamloops cats who usually used the TeaRoom as their winter quarters were never DoubleWide inhabitants, but they explored their way in from the TeaRoom entrance. Cheddar and his sidekick Kelvin were the first venturers and discovered that they could climb up and walk the upper paths.  Cheeto was a little slow to pick up the trend, and by the time he did, the other two were quite comfortable, while he was down below asking “How do I get up there?”

How do I get up there?  (JS)

Big thanks to our wonderful donors, to our Board for their vision and determination, to our own staff who've made it home again, and to all the volunteers who built cages and painted and helped in any way to make the Hauser House a warm and welcoming centre of Cat Sanctuary activity.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe, Justin Saint

Pemberly

Pemberly (BC)

Pretty little Pemberly came to us this past summer, like last week’s blogged cats, Mayday and Sparrow, but from a different area. She was found with her litter of six kittens near the home of one of our volunteers, and quickly trapped and brought to the Adoption Centre. The kittens were young enough to be tamed fairly easily, but not so with the young mom – she was not happy with the new surroundings, and it was decided to bring her to the Sanctuary..

A dignified presence  (BC)

It’s tempting to put her in the “just another little black cat” category – and goodness knows we have enough of those in the Front Courtyard! - but Pemberly is a little more identifiable than most. She has a little white locket on her chest – but so does Texas cat Alyssa – plus odd white hairs in her black fur and on her belly. Where Pemberly stands out is that she has lovely white feathers in her ears. Why is ear hair so pretty in cats, and so un-pretty in humans?!

Still anxious in her cage  (BC)

Her cage time was in the Connor House, and she was lucky enough to be in one of the large cages, which meant that Kitty Comforters could come and sit with her without doubling themselves up to fit into one of the smaller ones. Like most newcomers, she was fearful, but didn’t express it with the hissing and spitting she had shown in the Adoption Centre – she just pressed herself against the wall, and allowed herself to be touched. 

Asking for petting  (BC)

Before long she came to the realization that humans were not too bad, and was accepting petting while Mayday and Sparrow were still warning us to stay away. It’s likely that she has had some human contact before – quite possibly she had a home and escaped before she could be spayed.

Comfy on the couch  (BC)

She was one of the cats who preferred to remain in her cage once it was opened, and when it was finally sanitized for another cat, she moved to a nearby cage for a while.  She obviously likes to have something at her back, and doesn’t explore all over the courtyard, like the other two.  Currently she can usually be found in one of two places, depending on mood and weather. There is a seating area between the Connor House and the Leukemia cats’ pen, and Pemberly tucks herself onto the back of a couch, or occasionally into one of the cat-caves. If there are not too many other cats around, she will come out and visit; once Mayday gets pushy, she retreats. She’s not cat-antisocial, but she likes her space. 

Waiting by the gate (BC)

On warmer days she can often be found sitting near the entrance gate or in the covered area close by. She knows that people are a source of petting;  food is not the passion it is for some of the others, and she doesn’t like being part of the crowd, but quiet time with a quiet person is satisfying. 

A regal greeting  (KN)

She’s still a little timid, and not a lap-cat yet, but I think with patience she could be. We have her on the “possibly adoptable” list, but would like to see her establish a relationship with a potential adopter before going anywhere. The problem, of course, is black cat syndrome – possible adopters don’t always take time to see the personality behind the black fur. For black cat lovers, Pemberly is definitely worth taking time to get to know. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Mayday & Sparrow

 

Mayday & Sparrow (BC)

As new visitors walk though the Sanctuary gates, they are alerted to some of our spicier kitties by the presence of a collar. The colour of the accessory doesn’t matter, but it always signals “be careful!”. In fact, many of the collared cats are known and loved by staff and volunteers, but for the most part we also know the signals that that cat in question got out of bed on the wrong side that day, or that it’s had just a little too much attention. And for the most part, it signals a willingness to bite when the cat has had enough.

Mayday makes the most of the KCs comforts  (KN) 

That’s a very different proposition from some of the uncollared cats, who may also have shed their share of human blood. The youngsters, in particular, have come in as ferals, been terrified in cages, and learned that once released, there are many places that they can hide and feel safe. But they also learn that there are humans who bring delicious food as treats, and that other cats are enjoying the goodies, and they end up being drawn into the crowd that enjoys the handouts.

Sparrow  (KN)

For some, it’s a very long process – cats like Speckle and Kahlua had been with us several years before they learned to enjoy contact. Deelia and Marmalade are usually part of the begging crowd, but are always at a distance – they’re still too wary to enjoy much in the way of actual contact. Chutney has eased into petting through Carol’s steady coaxing and delicious tidbits.

Mayday and Sparrow waiting hopefully  (BC)

Among the “where’s the food?” crowd are several youngsters who came into our care this past summer. Between maintenance and refurbishing the DoubleWide, staff members Ken and Lisa are also responsible for the trapping of colonies of kittens who would probably not survive otherwise. There were several colonies in Langley which provided an inundation of kittens for to come into RAPS foster-care with the dedicated folks like Kati to foster. Mayday is the bigger one – a slim tuxedo with an inverted V-shaped blaze on his face.  

Mayday (BC)

Ken and Lisa were focused on collecting the moms and kittens, but when they spotted Mayday limping around with a paw wound, they knew they needed to bring him in.  He was obviously a survivor of an earlier litter – probably around a year old. He was caged in the Connor House to heal and proved to be a typical hissy boy who quickly discovered that humans were less fearful than he had first thought. The hisses eased and though he was not exactly tame, the KCs were able to visit with him.

Early days feeling safer under a chair  (BC)

Now released, Mayday loves the opportunity for tidbits, and is quite willing to approach and smack the food out of your hand. He bites, not because he is vicious in any way – he’s just so anxious to get the food before anyone else that he doesn’t aim well with his teeth. Mostly, he uses his paws, and his very sharp claws!

Sparrow (BC)

The smaller cat is tabby/white Sparrow - with beautiful classic tabby markings - trapped from the same colony, though she was a teen mom, and went to Kati for fostering. The parental instinct didn’t swing into action, and when Kati found her beating up her kittens, Sparrow was sent to the Sanctuary while Kati bottle-fed the babies.  

Begging for goodies  (BC)

Sparrow is the perfect name for her – she darts around like a little bird, and will often get to a bit of food from under another cat’s nose. She’s not ready for physical contact;  when a tidbit is offered at her level she will look longingly at it, and perhaps smack at it, but she’s not ready to risk approaching closer than just beyond arms-length. Both Sparrow and Mayday are chickaholics and quick to be on the scene when Carol or I arrive. Temptations are good, but real chicken....mmm...

So keen, she dances with impatience  (DW)

With both of them, I think it’s just a matter of time and patience. I made breakthrough with Dr Flint in the Back Courtyard last week when he very gently accepted food from my hands – before that, it had to be tossed to him and I have my share of hand scratches from his smacks. I can put up with a few more marks in the process of convincing Mayday and Sparrow that they too have nothing to fear at the Sanctuary. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Dehbie Wolanski