Loved and Lost in 2025

(March) Sweet leggy Akiva had been declawed before he came to us;
he was always wary around other cats (KN)

The between-gates entry to the back pens of the Cat Sanctuary is also a storage area – cleaning supplies, transfer cages and carriers, the sign-in book, the board showing volunteer vacancies and temporary assignments – and a RAPS calendar. The latter is not there so much to keep track of dates as to keep an open record of cats who have passed, and you will often see an incoming volunteer checking to see that all is well in the area in which they are working. Kitty Comforter coordinator Anne Marchetti emails the KCs to let them know when we have a loss, and includes a little tribute and a photo that helps us to mourn privately – thank you, Anne! It’s hard to do a shift, and realise that you’ve not seen a specific cat – only to check the calendar or with one of the med staff, to find that cat has passed.

(March) Cole came to us with aggression issues, but quickly 
discovered that laundry-room life offered lots of good attention, 
first tastes of food, and warm towels for sleeping on.  (TV)

Some months we go long periods with no losses – and then we may have a dozen cats pass in a few weeks. This year we got through to May with 2-3 each month – and then we lost 25 in the next three months – especially hard on the med-staff, for whom compassion fatigue has to be an issue. Sometimes we know it’s coming – the cat has been on medication and under a watchful eye; sometimes it comes out of the blue – perhaps a cancer that the cat has been hiding, or a sudden stroke. This year I am all too aware that practically all the cats I encountered when I came to the Sanctuary in 2010 have gone – I think all that are left are May and Walker in Pen 5, and sweet Orlean in the DW.

(May) Named for his beautiful golden eyes, Pumpkin 
was very much the social leader of the Boys Club  (MW)

55 cats have passed in 2025; some that visitors may never have encountered because of where they lived; others who were beloved favourites, sought out for special lap-time or petting. I wrote about our Sweet Gericatrics in April, all of whom have now passed - and I memorialized some the July passings in a later blog called July Rainbows.  

Here are a few of the others.

(June) Beloved by all, Willow was known as Spider-Cat
in her early days. After a bout with vestibular disease and a cage-stay,
she became very friendly with humans.  We lost her sister Amelia in March (BC)

(June) Sylar was my sponsor cat, and my challenge; 
 when caged, he would  reluctantly enjoy petting;
 out in the back courtyard he was usually very shy  (BC)

(June) Handsome Adam was a core member of the Pen 5 crowd,
and is greatly missed by his sister May (MW)

(Sept)  From arriving as a plain tuxedo, pretty Holly's colouring looked like she'd
had an expensive balayage treatment. She loved lap time with visitors (MW)

(Oct) Bricklyn was a fearful feral through much of her life with us, but this
sweet old lady  experienced feline dementia in her last year, and forgot to be
so scared. She made many human friends and loved petting and treats  (KN)

(Oct) Rookie was a former feral boy brought to us by volunteers
Barb and Waldi, more than ten years ago; he loved their visits  (KN)

(Oct) Hannah (also known as Hannah-Banana) was the small queen of the
back courtyard, and, for the last year, the oldest cat in the Sanctuary.
Hannah enjoyed Sanctuary life; she just didn't care much for other cats! (MW)

(Dec) Dazzle was another girl who held to her wary-feral status for years;
she would come and leg-rub, or accept arms-length petting - and then
she suddenly made breakthrough and adored lap-time with Justin  (JS)

(Dec) Cricket was always known as one of the kittens, though she'd been with us
more than 10 years. She came to us as a feral and resisted taming, but she became
one of the best greeters, standing on her back legs to get petting  (KN)

ALSO: Jan: Mojo, Venus / Feb: Tang  / Mar: Amelia, Kip  / Apr: Skye, Lil / May: Taylor, SweetPea / June: Charlotte, Kirby, Flash, Marble / July: Jerry, Neko, Denzel, Autumn, Juliette, Chumley,  Lloyd,  Paula, Kimpton, Higgins, Nova, Fletcher / August: Mystery, Licorice, Peaches, Luna, Sierra, Crinkle  / Sept:  Kilkenny, Buddy / Oct: Della, Salem, Tux, Ringo, Neptune, Dave / Nov: Laszlo / Dec: Billy, Karisa, Skittles, Runti

We have many sweet memories of furry friends whose lives would probably have been shorter and harder without the Cat Sanctuary. We grieve losing them - and are grateful that we can continue to offer shelter to others who come to us in need, and who find a place of safety, care and love with us.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson,
Justin Saint, Tanisha Vincent, Michele Wright

Christmas with the Cats

Nikki on his Christmas throne  (KN)

Christmas is just another day at the Sanctuary - all the usual stuff still needs to be done! 

Cat-wreath in the entry-way   (BC)

In the last month, Karen has put decorations up, hung the lights, put a tree safely behind cage-wire, and the RAPS stockings are on the gate, safely out of reach of inquisitive paws. Weekend visitors have enjoyed the sight; staff and volunteers have shifts made more fun with extra goodies in the tea-room. 

Oscar says "Can I tap it with my paw?"  (KN)

The cats don’t care whether it’s Christmas or Hanukah or Kwanzaa – all they want is to know that they will have food at the right times, and comfy places to rest. That’s made a little trickier by the fact that volunteers may be away, or have schedule conflicts, and suddenly there’s nobody to clean in one area or feed in another.

people step up to fill vacancies  (BC)

The Auxiliaries respond – an app lets us know there’s a vacancy, and more often than not, someone volunteers to come in and cover things. In fact, on Christmas Day, quite often there are more volunteers than usual, and extra hands make the work go quickly.

Gathered for cat-caroling  (BM)

My own choir has a tradition of caroling visits to the Food Bank (for clients and volunteers) and to the Hospice (for staff and patients). But we always begin our morning at the Sanctuary, gathering in the back courtyard with any volunteers around, to sing carols both traditional and fun: parodies of well-known songs with cat-words. 

Sing "We three cats", please!  (KN)

Bentley LOVES the singing, and wants in on the action; Junji is busy getting under everyone’s feet.

"You can sing and pet me at the same time!  (KN)

I came in on Christmas Eve to clean the Hill House; with a wet morning, most of the cats prefer to stay indoors, so it was mostly a case of cleaning around them. With a temporary church job, I had to work in the evening and the following morning, but I’ll be back during the late afternoon of Christmas Day to help out as needed with feeds – and to enjoy a Christmas cuddle with some of my favourites!

Abby thinks the tree is a great place to hide   (KN)

The holidays are an occasion to be grateful for all the people whose generosity in time and money helps to support this very special place, and to give the cats the gift of life and love in a world that is hard on homeless felines. 

Winston thinks it should smell more like catnip...  (KN)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Bill Meyer & Karen Nicholson

Hobbes

Kitty Comforter Coordinator Anne Marchetti introduces us this week to this boy who has "the luck of the Irish"...

Hobbes (AM)

Hobbes is a sleek 9-year-old fellow who arrived at the Sanctuary in September. He has Irish ancestry as he was originally picked up as a stray kitten on the streets of Dublin, Ireland in 2016. He later relocated to Canada with a new family and settled in Toronto where he was cherished for the happy, sweet guy he is. 

Curling up can be tricky when you have long legs!  (AM)

Unfortunately, he's had persistent litterbox issues since he was a kitten. He just loves peeing! His human tried all the methods you'd expect to help him with this over the years but with vet visits confirming there was no underlying medical cause, the problem was clearly behavioural. His human accommodated his needs over the past eight years as she was worried he'd be impossible to re-home or be euthanized if surrendered.

Come pet me!  (BC)

With the recent addition of family members in her home, Hobbes became increasingly stressed to the point where he was peeing on a piece of furniture every single day. They tried so many behavioural interventions without improvement. His family had him on a rotation of waterproof blankets protecting the couch, and they bought door closers for the bedrooms to keep him out. Their laundry bill was massive! 

Claiming the courtyard  (KN)

Seeing him so unhappy with no relief in sight, his family made the gut-wrenching decision to surrender him to a place where he would no longer feel so stressed - but where? They reached out to local shelters in Toronto yet they only hit dead-ends, either due to there being no room or the unwillingness to take on a cat with his issues. They put his name on several re-homing websites but there was zero interest. They were quickly losing all hope, but then recalled that a family member living on the West Coast volunteered at RAPS Cat Sanctuary. They reached out to see if we had room for Hobbes; thankfully, we were able to accept him into our fold - must be the “luck of the Irish”!

Hobbes knows who loves him! (AM)

His family describes Hobbes as having a hard time dealing with change, needing time to warm up to people, NOT liking other animals and generally acting like a grumpy old man. But despite their warnings, sweet Hobbes settled in quite seamlessly, ready to make friends with any human that visited him. He was such a dear boy that he quickly won the hearts of many of the volunteers. After a brief cage stay, he was released into the Front Courtyard and mingled quite comfortably amongst the other felines. If another cat wanted to make friends, he either ignored them or gave a soft hiss as he galloped off to a less-inhabited area. Lucky for him, there are lots of different spaces to have privacy if he so desires. 

Exploring the Connor House rafters  (KR)

His favourite bed occupies the top shelf on the deck of Connor House, where he was originally caged. It is a cozy nook with opaque walls that lets through the warm rays of sunshine. It's also a prime location for Sunday visitors to give him treats and lots of petting (we're open year-round to the public on Sundays 1-4pm). He likes to explore the courtyard and can be found rolling around gleefully in a sunbeam. He's also quite a climber - he's frequently spotted up in the rafters getting a birds-eye view. Med Staff tell us he's extra playful at night. He makes his own fun and finds his joy.

Enjoying the freedom  (CP)

His family should be very proud of their boy and how he's so quickly and happily adapted to his new life with us at the Sanctuary. They love him and miss him dearly, but they made the right choice bringing him to us where he is living stress-free with all the comforts of home, freedom to explore safely outdoors if he chooses and be looked after with much love. It's never an easy decision to surrender but we hope they are comforted knowing Hobbes is so happy now in his forever home with us.

Blissful catnip moments  (KR)

Blog by Anne Marchetti

Photos by Brigid Coult, Anne Marchetti, 

Karen Nicholson, Carol Porteous, Karrie Radford

Four Sweet Oranges

Mandarin - now happy and confident  (SF)

It seems that there is no longer any such thing as “kitten season” – the kittens keep coming throughout the year, often born to feral mamas who are little more than kittens themselves! All over the province, rescues are working to reduce the number of feral cats by spay-neuter programs – but it only takes one careless owner letting a cat out without due care, and another litter is on the way.  Kittens are, of course, inherently cute, and once trapped, raised and ready, they can usually be adopted. But if they stop being kittens before being socialized, the socialization process can take a whole lot longer.

early days cage-top time for Mandarin  (KN)

In January 2025 we were joined in the DoubleWide by a quartet of young cats from Vancouver Island.  They had been living feral, and were probably around 9 months old; like many “teenage” kittens, they had no intention of taming easily. There were three females and one male.  We don’t know if they were litter-mates or just all from the same colony, but they looked amazingly alike. Three of them had had their SNAP tests (identifying the presence or lack of FIV and FeLV) and neutering done before they came to us; the fourth may have been trapped later than the others because she had neither and had to be caged separately until that was done.

Tangerine, on the DW deck  (KN)

As usual, when they’d had their initial cage-time, all their vaccines and necessary treatments, the cages were opened, and the four of them vanished into hiding.  When we did see them it was almost impossible to tell who it was we were seeing; the four of them are orange tabbies with classic whorl markings, and nearly identical. It’s really difficult to do a blog when you can’t tell who you’re looking at (if you’re lucky enough to be able to see them at all) and my plans for writing them up were put on hold until I was better at identifying them.  As orange as they are, the med staff named them Mandarin (m), and Tangerine, Valencia and Tangelo (f)

Mandarin bunting with Walker  (BC)

Almost a year later, we are starting to see progress from most of them, and watching as they develop. Mandarin is now a little larger than his sisters. He is the bravest of the quartet, and ranges freely around the Back Courtyard. He is cat-social, especially with his buddy Walker, and is quick to react when treats are offered.  Not only does he accept food from the hand, but he now enjoys a little careful petting – though still very much on his terms.

Tangerine & Mandarin mooching  (BC)

At first sight he can easily be confused with his sister Tangerine, who now bases herself in Waldi’s Hut, but can often be found hanging out around her brother. She’s now a little paler than his colouring, with a slightly more rounded face. It’s in behaviour we see the clearest difference; Mandarin will approach to accept food and attention; Tangerine is interested, but not yet brave enough – she hovers hopefully a few lengths away and is quick to react to food tossed in her direction.

Tangelo  (BC)

The other two are residents of the DW Deck. Tangelo is the most immediately identifiable, with a narrower face, and slightly crossed eyes. She is very food-motivated, and can be coaxed out of hiding with chicken tidbits, but would rather smack the food out of a hand than risk the possibility of touch.

Want to see Valencia? Look up!  (BC)

Her sister Valencia is the shyest of the four, preferring to remain totally out of reach on the cage-tops, and refusing to venture closer, even for the best bribery.  The DoubleWide renovations are almost done, and we’re looking forward to having the Deck cages removed, and more space available to the cats – it will be interesting to see whether Tangelo and Valencia will remain in “their” space, or whether they’ll move indoors to more light and action.

Two of four  (KN)

It’s generally accepted that the critical socialization window for kittens is the first 2-3 months; beyond that, they are often labelled as feral, and it is very hard for small, fostering-based rescues to do anything other than trap-neuter-release. Effectively, these four oranges were TNR'd, but released into our safe Sanctuary, where they can take their time getting used to the idea that humans really aren’t so scary after all.  Mandarin has already taken that big step; his sisters have as much time as they need to become comfortable with us.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Sarah Faith, Karen Nicholson

Abby

Thanks to Anne Marchetti - Kitty Comforter Coordinator - for this week's blog!

Abby (AM)

As a Kitty Comforter, I love spending time with all the cats I meet no matter what their circumstances, but I feel a special heart-tug for the surrendered cats who have once known the love of a family but now find themselves alone at the Sanctuary. These little orphans can be scared and confused, shrinking from our offers of comfort and friendship but in desperate need of solace. 

The wide stare of a scared cat  (AM)

Allow me to introduce you to one of these cats. Her name is Abby, or as I like to call her “Lady Abigail”. This petite, young girl arrived at the Sanctuary from a rescue in Kamloops just under a year ago. She had been surrendered due to “inappropriate urination”, which is a polite way of saying she refused to use a litterbox. She came with a care package and a heartfelt 4-page letter from her foster mom who loved her dearly but could no longer manage Abby's unfortunate bathroom issues. 

If I stay still, will you go away?  (AM)

When Abby arrived, she was temporarily caged in Connor House in the Front Courtyard. She was a very scared, very sensitive young girl who would easily startle at the slightest noise. We would visit her regularly, trying to provide comfort and companionship in order to help her more easily adapt to her new life situation, but little progress was made due to her extremely nervous nature. 

still shy...   (AM)

When her cage door was eventually opened and she was allowed to roam, her fear kept her frozen in place. When she tried to venture out, she'd be easily spooked by any little sound and she'd quickly jump back into her cage to cower behind her drape. 

Most comfortable with a nearby place to hide (AM)

It was evident to all that her anxiety and delicate nature was preventing her from living a full life in the Front Courtyard so it was decided she should move into the Single-wide trailer. The Single-wide has a warm and homey vibe where cats can relax in relative quiet, with lots of warm beds and frequent human visitors on hand for extra cuddling. This location is usually reserved for elderly cats and those with chronic health issues where Med Staff can more easily tend to their needs. 

Cautious, but braver now  (MW)

It is also the perfect living arrangement for such Nervous Nellies as our little Abby, and the relocation turned out to be a good decision. I could see her stress level dial down noticeably after her move here. With less jarring ambient noise to trigger her stress and panic, our visits together became more relaxed and I was able to more easily establish a trusting relationship with her. 

Playing with wand toys (SM)

She still has a skittish personality (her default expression being “deer in the headlights”) but she has also lowered her defenses to the point where she will play with us with wand toys and occasionally come out to see the general public on Sundays where she allows the more gentle visitors to pet her and offer yummy RAPS-approved treats. I consider these significant achievements for this timid little girl. She may never be brave enough to be a lapcat but I'm sure with time she'll grow more confident, content and at peace in her life with us. 

Blog by Anne Marchetti

Photos by Anne & Selena Marchetti & Michele Wright
Video by Selena Marchetti

The Front Courtyard Texans

 

Wilbur, Alyssa, Bingo - in their shared cage

Last week’s blog introduced the two Syds, Sunshine, Sophie and Oreo who arrived from a Texas cat-lover who bequeathed them to RAPS care when she passed away. The other five Texas cats were brought into the Hill House off the Front Courtyard, and housed in two adjacent cages.

Milo - very wary

The prospect of keeping cats in cages is not a welcome one – either for us, or the cats in question. No cat likes to be confined, but in the Adoption Centre, there is no alternative; newcomers have to be caged for the health of the kittens whose immune systems are not fully developed. The cages are standard vet-care ones – easy to keep clean, with room for movement – but it must be like living in a tiny studio apartment.  When the cats are transferred to the sanctuary, most of them find themselves in cages that are more than twice that size, and we have several that are larger than that.

formerly Texas Cricket - now Weevil, hiding in her bed

The Hill House, which I blogged about this time last fall, was refurbished in 2012 with funds from the family of cat-lover Stanley Hill – and many of the cats mentioned in that blog still make it their base.  The south wall is divided into three pens – a large cage in the centre that is frequently a temporary home to groups of cats arriving together; and two smaller ones on either side.  The large central cage was allocated to Alyssa, Wilbur and Bingo; the smaller one on the right to Texas Cricket and Milo. As we always do, furniture in the cages was well-draped to offer hiding places to fearful residents.

Wilbur

The three in the middle were initially cautious, but not fearful;  all three had quickly been identified in the Adoption Centre as cats that would probably adapt quickly.  There was a large drape at the entrance to dissuade passing cats from pee-ing into the cage, but on any visit to them, once past that drape the three would emerge and be social.

Alyssa - queen of all she surveys

Alyssa is the most vocal of the three. Slim and elegant, with a white locket, and a little white belly-fur, she was also the first of the three to emerge, make contact, and then claim the top of the cat-tree in a position of clear superiority.  Now that the cage is open, she is also the most adventurous, exploring freely, and making sure she’s noticed. It’s easy to confuse her with shy Pemberly, but Alyssa’s much more extroverted, and lacks the white inner-ear fur that characterizes her look-alike

Bingo

Light tabby Wilbur and long-haired darker tabby Bingo are also ranging beyond the Hill House door, but prefer to stay inside – partly familiarity, but also, I suspect, because the Hill House is cozy and warm. The centre cage has now been closed off for the use of newcomers, and the smaller one, with an open door, has become ground zero for the Texas cats. When there is human company, both Wilbur and Bingo are glad to accept attention; treats are always good, but best of all is petting and laptime, for Bingo in particular, He will settle down happily for as much time as you have to spare, eyes blinking happily, big paws opening and closing as he makes air biscuits. Wilbur seems to prefer his snuggles to be next to you; he enjoys a lap, but Bingo is pretty pushy about getting the lap first.

Alyssa & Weevil - now out and about...

Inside the cage, despite the fact that the door was wide open, Texas Cricket prefered to have solo snuggles in her own bed. This pretty tabby and white girl is now known as Weevil, since we already have a Cricket in the Front Courtyard, and one that has no boundaries for exploration – she is quite likely to saunter into the Hill House at any time. Weevil was prepared to accept a treat, and a little touching from me, but was not exactly enthusiastic about the latter; she sat and watched Wilbur and Bingo interacting with me outside the cage.  A couple of days later she was emerging with more confidence...

Milo in the heated basket

The last of the Texas cats was initially nowhere to be found. Milo is a shorthaired grey boy who has – happily for him, less so for us – discovered that one of the benefits of living in the Hill House is an easy window exit to the adjacent Old Rabbit Area, where many of the ferals hang out. Milo approves of this option, and has reverted from his original willingness to be petted to taking on the semi-feral skittishness of his new roomies, Having accepted treats and petting in a confined space, he is now looking horrified at the prospect of physical contact, and not even treats would tempt him,  However, he hovered in true semi-feral style of “you may look at me, but not touch me”, so I was at least able to get some photos.

The family stays together

We hope that volunteers working in that area will make a point of introducing themselves to the newcomers – and especially, of encouraging Weevil and Milo to learn that this may be a scary new place, but that our new immigrants have found a safe Sanctuary with us.

Blog & photos by Brigid Coult