Walking the Dark Side

golden-eyed Sherbet  (KN)

In last week’s blog I introduced a few of the Pen 3 newcomers; this week, in true Halloween style, I’m turning to the black cats (and tuxes) who make it their home.

Shimmer  (MD)

Shimmer is the friendliest of the blacks – hovering at the gate to welcome a visitor, and ready to accept attention. He is small and sleek, with lots of personality, and is one of most agile cats when presented with wand-toy play. He’s on the list to go to the Adoption Centre soon, probably with Jenkins and Lucius.

Jenkins  (BC)

Tuxedo Jenkins was pretty much at ease with us from the beginning. He likes to be around people and lap-sits when he trusts.  He can usually be found hanging out with his friend Lucius, who I will include here, though he’s not one of the blacks – they may not be with us for long, because they’re good candidates for adoption.  Lucius is a stocky boy with beautiful classic-tabby whorls – rather more black than tabby. He’s a bit bossy around the other cats – assertive and dominant, so that some of the more timid ones stay out of his way.

Lucius & Shimmer play rough  (LBF)

Once Jenkins has gone for adoption, it will be easier to zero in on Baker, his “twin” - much shyer, and good at finding hiding places, though he is friendly when he feels he can trust.  The fourth tuxedo of the group (the third is Mewlius Caesar, introduced last week) is pretty Holly – a long-haired girl, unlike the sleek boys.  

Holly  (KN)

Holly’s fur is still growing and changing – she has more than a hint of the ghost-grey that front-courtyard Mozart shows off, and her grey ruff gives the effect of mutton-chop whiskers.

Gemini & Sherbet  (BC)

There are three other plain black cats – but easily distinguished from each other.   Gemini is the smallest; she has a look of Shimmer (we’ve no idea how these cats are related to each other, but it’s likely that at least some are litter-mates).  One of her eyes is a little larger than the other.

Sherbet  (KN)

Sherbet is the most elegant of the cats – a long-haired black, he nevertheless manages to stay sleek and tidy, showing off his plumed tail. In the right light he has the most astonishing eyes – dark orange, almost copper-coloured.

Jason  (BC)

Normally the rule is that when a cat arrives with a name, that name remains – it’s only when nameless cats arrive that med-staff have the privilege of naming them,  But someone didn’t like his given name of Galloway for some reason, so, since he arrived with us on Friday the 13th, he was given the name of Jason. Jason is still a little skittish, but the offering of chicken tidbits has established a bargain of taste for touch and the motivation is strong enough to bring him up onto a lap. He and orange Cornelius seem to enjoy each other’s company, and Jason’s leadership is helping us coax Cornelius into allowing touch more easily.

Cornelius & Jason  (BC)

This is a pen of cats who could easily have tipped to the feral side, but the presence of a few key individuals who enjoy attention, and the steady work of the Kitty Comforters, as well as staff and other volunteers, holds much hope that most of these cats will eventually find their own homes.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult,
Melanie Draper & Karen Nicholson

To Purr or Not to Purr...

Cornelius & Holly  (LBF)

Last week’s blog reminded me of the work we had to put in with Mozart and his buddies to get them to accept human attention. Remembering them at that age also reminds me of the youngsters we have at present in Pen 3.

Garth & Sierra  (LBF) - currently in Pen 4

Dell & Gregory  (BC) - Best bros forever

Pen 3 has always been a home for ferals. It held an assortment of little tabbies, it was always a stop for visiting with Gregory and our beloved Dell, it became home for a colony of cats who originally came from Merritt. Of them all, only Dell and Gregory were truly tame; the others would sometimes tolerate contact, and a few cat-whisperers broke through the barriers with cats like Napoleon, but most of them would hide when the gate opened.

William Shakespurr  (MW)

This summer we helped out with a Calgary rescue dealing with a hoarding situation. Knowing that we would have a batch of newcomers arriving, there was a scurry to catch and transfer the remaining cats from Pen 3 to the larger Pen 4 – also home to ferals – and to clean the pen out for new inhabitants.  The transfer seems to have gone well; Pen 4 has sufficient space and hiding places that the in-comers have settled comfortably, and there appears to have been no tension with the original inhabitants.  As with all our newcomers, the Alberta cats were caged for a while for assessment and to allow vaccines to take hold.  With few exceptions, they were released into Pen 3 and given time to settle.

Jason & Cornelius  (BC)

As is most usual, initially we didn’t see much of them. Between the main cabin and the smaller houses around, there were many places to hide. Typically for cats, they were most active early in the morning, and at twilight, and Sunday visitors often saw nothing of them.  But the Kitty Comforters have been digging in, and every time I’m in with them, I see progress.  Some were instantly friendly; there are a couple (Jenkins and Lucius) who would probably be at the Adoption Centre if it wasn’t already so full of kittens!  We currently have seventeen of them – all at that tricky teenager stage where they might tame up – and they might not!

Mewlius Caesar (KN)

I’m not going to try and introduce all seventeen – but the blog title comes from the fact that someone who named them was a Shakespeare lover, so you’ll get a couple of the Bard’s cats today.

William Shakespurr (KN)

They are led, of course by William Shakespurr – actually, “led” is the wrong word, because he’s a very shy boy and reluctant to make contact, though he’s curious about visitors.  I love his markings – he looks as if someone gave him bangs with his haircut.

Mewlius Caesar & Holly (LBF)

Equally shy is Mewlius Caesar. We were a bit concerned by a potential FeLV reading of his blood-test results when he came in, and he spent extra time in a cage before a second round of tests proved to be clear. I suspect his name came from his vocalizing – he was a very loud cat to have in the Double-Wide – but now that he’s out in the pen, he’s pretty quiet again. He is easily distinguished from the others by his Groucho Marx-type moustache.

Cornelius (LBF)

There was another Shakespearean cat called Mercutio (friend of Romeo, in “Romeo and Juliet”) but he was so “ridiculously friendly” (in Valerie’s words) that he never made it to Pen 3, but went straight to the Adoption Centre and found his forever home. My favourite of these Bardic cats is Cornelius (there are two Shakespearean examples of Cornelius – one in “Hamlet” and one in “Cymbeline”). This pretty boy is a little wary, but willing to venture contact – and he loves chicken.  He also likes other cats – he can often be found hanging out with Holly (who is putting on grey fluff to challenge Mozart) or black Jason.  

More of Jason when we meet the other black cats in a future blog...

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright 

Teens All Grown Up

Mozart, Caleb, Benny (LBF)

Real kittens – the tiny cute kind – almost never come to us at the Sanctuary.  There are two main reasons – their immune systems are not yet fully developed and they are susceptible to any number of infections they can catch from adult cats, and they need a LOT of handling to get them used to being with people.  The common wisdom is that up to 10-12 weeks old they can be socialized fairly easily. After that, it’s a much more individual thing – some tame easily, and other maintain their feral instincts.

Two happy adopted girls:
Aphrodite (MD) & Leona (ACA)

I have written before about our aging population, but we do also have a fair number of younger cats – most of whom have come in at around 6-months-plus as young ferals.  We will usually try to keep them apart from the general population and have our Kitty Comforters spend concentrated time with them, helping to learn that humans can be trusted. With some of them, the magic happens, a bond is created, and a cat finds a home - tortie Aphrodite and blonde Leona had early established themselves as the ones most receptive to human attention in the McLeod pen 6 and are now spoiled house-cats; the rest of their family prefer to remain out of reach and are part of the feral population in pen 1. 

Mr Megafloof - Mozart  (KN)

In a similar way, we had a group of “teens” in a separate area of the old Moore House.  Much time and patience was spent working with Benny, Leo, Caleb, Pistachio, Mozart and Mason, and for the most part they resisted all efforts.  We finally conceded defeat and moved them to the front courtyard.

Benny's another guy with cattitude  (KN)

Eighteen months later, and they are for the most part relaxed and happy. Pistachio and Mason really tamed up, and were adopted within a few months.  The others have made themselves totally at home in the front courtyard population.   Benny, the long-haired black boy, can be told by his characteristic curled plume of a tail.  He is now actually a little warier of human contact than his formerly shy buddy, blond Leo, who is more comfortable around people these days – especially if chicken is offered.  Leo is now one of those cats who will roll over and accept tummy-rubs from starry-eyed visitors.

Leo is one of our prettiest front-courtyard cats (KN)

Handsome Caleb has become a social butterfly with a number of other cats, but he is obviously most relaxed and at ease with his brothers, and can often be found snuggling or playing with them. The leader of the group is usually Mr Floof – Mozart (also known as Poptart).

"Handsome" is definitely the word for our Caleb (MW)

The incomparable Mozart  (KN)

There is no way this boy can be confused with anyone else – in both appearance and personality, he shines! Visitors often ask for him, and he’s usually happy to be fussed over for a while – until he decides he’s had enough, and disappears into the feral area, which is out of bounds to visitors.  He is happiest when the other cats are around him. We have often been asked about his adoptability, and the sad fact is that Mozart is a pee-er, and would probably not make a good house-cat.  But along with his brothers, he makes a wonderful Sanctuary cat! 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Ana Carolina Albuquerque, Lisa Brill-Friesen,

Melanie Draper, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Lots of Leukemia Cats

 

Jane   (BC)

In “the bad old days”, when a cat was blood-tested with an FeLV+ diagnostic result, that was Bad News; most shelters would put the cat down immediately.  Both FeLV and FIV were conditions that cannot be “cured” but only treated empirically.  There are vaccines for both, but they don’t help the cat who already has the condition.

Hutch in hiding  (KN)

We know much more about both viruses now, and neither has to be a death sentence.  Many of our FIV cats live quite long lives, and can find loving homes if they are either solo cats or if they get along well with feline companions. Leukemia cats should only live with other leukemia cats – but with care, they can live well and happily.

Krinkle  (BC)

But there are still many shelters who simply don’t have the space or the facilities to hold a cat for any length of time till a home is found, and there is still much ignorance about what is entailed in having a cat with either condition.  For cats in that situation, there is RAPS Cat Sanctuary. Since we opened, we have consistently had groups of cats brought to us from other jurisdictions, and the numbers come and go. Sometimes we have more FIV cats; sometimes there are more with leukemia. The former condition is common among feral males, depending on how much fighting there is;  the latter may occur anywhere, but is less common, though more deadly.

Wilco  (BC)

Feline leukemia eventually kills most persistently infected cats within three years of diagnosis. The virus most commonly causes lymphoma or anemia, but because it suppresses the immune system, the cats are susceptible to other infections – hence our care with sanitizing before working with them.  Some cats may test positive on blood tests when they are young kittens but test negative later on if their immune system has been able to eliminate the infection. Similarly, some cats may test negative at one point and test positive later on, as the virus progresses through various stages in the body. We have had leukemia cats who have lived quite long lives with us (I’m thinking of Ooly, who lived to the age of 18); some cats have body systems that manage to suppress the virus, and that is always our hope, especially with the younger cats.

Pewter  (LBF)

Currently, we’re at an upswing in numbers with new leukemia cats coming in to us. Pauline introduced us to Banff and Creston not long ago, and they have settled well and made themselves at home; a visitor is instantly welcomed and lap time demanded.  Other arrivals are out and about in the leukemia area, but are very wary about contact with humans.  Krinkle and Pewter prefer to stay high up and out of reach;  blond Hutch is an expert at finding hiding places;  Khaya is timid, but approachable; Furgie is comfortable running around with the other three black cats. Recent arrivals include a trio who have come from Calgary – Adria, Wilco and Jane are all young and friendly and will do well when they are released from their introductory cage-stays.  

Adria  (BC)

There may be no cure yet for FeLV, but with constant monitoring and quick reactions by the medical staff, who watch for signs like weight loss, fevers, eye and mouth conditions, we will do our best to keep these sweet newcomers in the best condition we can manage, and give them lots of love as we do so.  And we’ll look forward to profiling them as individuals, so that through the blog, you can love them too.

Khaya    (CP)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Carol Porteus, Karen Nicholson