Front Courtyard Sweet Pea

Sweet Pea (MW)

In 2016 we were contacted by workers at a shelter on the Sunshine Coast that was closing down. Like many such organizations, it was set up privately, and was mostly a labour of love for the founder.  It focused on rescue, but was not organized for continued funding or for succession planning.  As the owner’s health declined, it became obvious that things couldn’t continue, and her friends called us. Over the course of the following year we took in more than twenty cats.

A wet-day excursion  (KN)

In the back courtyard we established the first colony in Pen 6; we knew their records and that they knew each other, so they didn’t have to be caged initially – the pen was their cage till they settled. These included PawPaw, Simba, Blue, Laredo and many others. Also from there was the one-and-only Honey Bear, a snowshoe Siamese with electric blue eyes and a neurological problem. In subsequent months more cats joined the front courtyard, this time via a short cage stay. These included Sparks, Wickem, Gidget, Figaro, Reefer, HunnyBun and Sweet Pea.

Hiding out in a cat-tree  (GA)

Many of them were already seniors when they came to us and have since passed; Sweet Pea is one of the last cats of that group of refugees; she, Reefer and Figaro still roam the front courtyard. She was a September 2017 arrival, and is now about 14 years old – she arrived at Happy Cat Haven as a kitten. All three cats came to us as ferals, but the two boys have become used to petting and treats, and have merged well with the general population. Sweet Pea remains on the feral end of the spectrum, but she doesn’t really like to be alone and needs other cat companions. 

Cuddles with friend Libby - now gone  (LBF)

She’s our third Sweet Pea – the first was a well-loved messy little manx with a sweet trill of a voice; the second was one of the Kootenays cats who was recently adopted out. In a courtyard with a lot of black cats and tuxes, it’s easy to identify  this Sweet Pea by her thin white moustache marking. 

On the climbing frame on a wet day  (KN)

She can usually be found around the covered courtyard that is known as the Old Rabbit Area, but when there are visitors, she emerges to hover around the climbing platform – especially when volunteer Allison is there on Sunday afternoons. She is still wary of touch, but she trusts Allison and will come to her for petting and treats, and she has a few other volunteers she will approach for attention.

Sweet Pea  (MW)

She’ll often be found lurking under cover, watching everything that goes on. A little patience, a treat or two, and she will dare to emerge for her share of petting.  I suspect she’s never going to be really comfortable with contact, but she now knows that nobody will hurt her, and she’s seeing some of the benefits of life at the Sanctuary.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Graham Akira, Lisa Brill-Friesen,
Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright