Peaches

Peaches says "MY space!"  (KN)

A couple of weeks ago I featured this girl as the lead photo for a blog I called “Love Attack”. She was more the Attack than the Love, sadly – she’s one of our collared cats, so marked to make it clear to visitors that this is a reactive feline – pet at your own peril!

This is definitely a trap!  (KN)

Peaches was surrendered to us because of her aggression, and she made it pretty obvious in the Adoption Centre that she was NOT a happy camper.  Usually when a new cat comes to us, if it has its name already, that doesn’t change. In this case, she was introduced as Precious, but the med staff asked for that to be changed to Peaches. It actually suits the warm tints in her colouring. We think she’s 7-8 years old.

Peaches  (KN)

She spent the first few weeks of her Sanctuary stay with the obligatory cage-time that allows a newcomer to adjust to a new space.  In her cage in the Double-Wide, Peaches didn’t have much trouble adjusting to new surroundings, but she didn’t want anyone in her space – staff and volunteers had to step carefully when cleaning there, and you took your life in your hands to change the bedding!  Sitting quietly and talking was permissible, but anything more tended to be greeted with an unfriendly rumble.

Laundry is usually a comfy place to hide  (KN)

Because we have visitors at the weekend – as well as occasional new volunteers – Peaches joined the collared cats when she emerged from the cage. She’s managing quite well in new and much bigger surroundings; she didn’t spend long inside and has now investigated all the corners of the back courtyard.  

Watching the treats action from a safe place  (BC)

Occasionally she will approach and ask for attention; as with JJ and Sophie and a few others, the best technique is to hold still and let her do the petting. Arms and legs are good for bunting and rubbing against; hands tend to produce a more aggressive reaction. We don’t know if she was abused in any way, but she certainly doesn’t expect good things from hands.

Sometimes it's worth suffering for beauty!   (LBF)

Other cats factor into her don’t-touch-me bubble – and yet, I wouldn’t label her as a Garbo cat (“I vant to be alone...”). She watches the activity around her with interest; she’s just not ready to be part of the crowd.  

That’s OK, Peaches – you’ve got all the time you need to decide how you fit it, and whether there are humans here that you can trust.

Blog by Brigid Coult

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