Tofino

Tofino (KN)

The Cat Sanctuary is the centre of our own feline universe, but throughout the province, and beyond, there are many wonderful rescue organizations working to alleviate the suffering caused by careless or abusive pet owners. We have strong links to Kamloops because of the contact through Sanctuary Manager Valerie, but whenever possible, we try to respond to urgent pleas, wherever they come from. Many of the smaller rescues don’t have the facilities to offer a permanent home to feral cats; they depend on the big hearts of volunteers to provide fostering. And while that can have wonderful results, when a colony of cats is brought into care, that’s a big ask for a small organization.

Wary Tofino...  (KN)

One of the rescues that calls on us occasionally is Cats Cradle rescue, on Vancouver Island. Based in Sidney, they actually serve all the municipalities around Victoria, focusing their work on fostering and adoption. When they have a group of ferals come in, we are one of the resources to whom they turn. Last May I introduced a group of the cats who came from one of their colonies: black Velma and grey Ryan, Bugle and Veruca Salt have all settled pretty comfortably with us. They’re not “tame”, but less wary of contact, and we think slow-and-steady will do the job. Veruca Salt has decided to remain in the Double-Wide; Bugle has relocated to the Newcomers area; Ryan and Velma are pretty free-ranging.

Enjoying the sunshine   (KN)

Others, from different colonies, have scattered: Indigo and River (Styx), Campbell and Nootka are all more feral, and mostly black, so they are hard to identify. Sweet Burt Reynolds has given up all thought of being a feral and has settled into comfort in the DoubleWide. We have a new group of orange tabbies (Tangelo, Valencia, Mandarin and Tangerine) who are still caged. The cat that stands out from the Cats Cradle refugees is a quirky-looking little black-and-white girl called Tofino.

Mmmm..twigs...  (KN)

Tofino is still feral, but she’s more at the “you can look at me, but don’t touch” point on the feral spectrum, rather than like the still-spooked Cranbrook cats. She’s a back-pens girl, tending to hang around pens 3 and 5, and she’s pretty cat-social with most of the others. Her blotchy black and white colouring makes her easy to spot, and she has long ears for the size of her head, with a large ear-tip removal identifying her as a spayed feral.

Always curious  (KN)

She can most often be found with calico Sarah, from another rescue, but Sarah has moved in to the cosy warmth of Pen 3 hut recently, and is no longer quite so available to Tofino. She doesn’t seem to care much; I’ve found her dancing with a leaf near the back gate, doing quick sprints from one pen to another, rolling and playing by herself. Food isn’t much of a motivator, and she ignores the other cats waiting for a handout – which may make it harder to coax her into coming closer; it’s definitely been a strong factor in making other ferals more accepting of our attention.

Endless wonder...  (KN)

But this is where the Cat Sanctuary has an advantage – most rescues have to hope that ferals will tame enough to find homes, or they’re taking valuable foster-space. At RAPS, we can allow ferals like Tofino to be ferals as long as they need; to ease their way into communication with us, or to hold their distance. Cats like Amelia in Pen 4 have spent years refusing our attention, and now, in her old-lady days, she has blossomed into a cat who loves petting and treats. We hope Tofino won’t take that long, but we won’t force it; she’ll come to us when she’s ready, and till then she’ll have our love at a distance.

Blog by Brigid Coult
Photos by Karen Nicholson

Another Tri-Paw'd Cat

Handsome Guacamole  (KN)

In the last year or so, we’ve seen more three-legged cats come into our care than I remember through all the years before...  In the Front Courtyard we still have floofy orange Marmalade (missing back leg) and tuxedo Chutney (missing front leg).  Both are inhabitants of the Old Rabbit Area, the favourite base of the feral cats, and both are very wary about contact with humans, though they like to be around when tidbits are being offered.  

Front Courtyard tri-paw'd cats Chutney and Marmalade  (BC)

I have managed to persuade Chutney to accept food from my hand, but she prefers to keep her distance. Marmalade only allows Lisa to touch her, and black Wasabi, who is still very spooked by being here, is not into human contact at all.  Another Front Courtyard tripod was not with us long – sweet Jelly was shy in her cage, but blossomed into a flirt when released.  She relocated herself to the Hill House, placing herself in one of the tabletop beds, conveniently within reach, where she wiggled her way into her adopter’s heart, and found her own home. We miss you, Jelly, but we’re so happy for you!

Jelly (BC) and Trooper (BB) - now happily adopted

In the fall, volunteer Brit introduced Trooper on the blog – our brave boy who came all the way from Saskatchewan with a paw mangled by a leg-trap. Trooper made himself totally at home with the FIV cats in New Aids, and has become a lap-cat with visitors and volunteers alike. He stole someone’s heart to the point of being adopted – we will miss him, but are delighted for him.

Guacamole exploring around the back of Pen 8  (BC)

While preparing a blog early last fall about a trio of black cats in the Back Courtyard, I encountered a longhaired black boy moving slightly clumsily – and realized that this was yet another tri-paw’d cat. Like the two Front Courtyard cats above, he was wary of attention, but proved to be willing to stay around and be admired, though he was not yet ready for actual contact.  FIV+ Trooper came to us already tame and named – but the other amputees had no names when they arrived. Marmalade had been an obvious name for our orange girl, and the med staff decided to stay with the food theme for our incoming tripods, so this black boy was called Guacamole.

Guacamole (BC)

He’s a cat whose rescue was assisted by social media; Lisa tells me that he had been spotted by someone over a period of some months, but since this was Surrey and there are lots of feral cats to be found, they just assumed he was another feral.  But coming back after a visit away, they noticed that he was limping badly, and put out a Facebook call to get help for him. This is exactly the sort of thing that spurs Ken and Lisa into action; they set traps, got him in, and immediately discovered that he was seriously in need of medical care, with one paw off – perhaps caught in some sort of leghold trap – and an infected leg.  No Sanctuary stop for this boy – he went straight to the hospital for an amputation. 

Yes, I'm happy to accept petting!   (BC)

We suspect that Guacamole is in fact a stray rather than a feral; he had all the hissy wariness that tends us label a cat as a feral, but in the last six months he has gone from hiding behind Pen 8, to lolling around the courtyard even when humans are at hand. He’s not part of the chickaholic crowd, like Sylar and Pumpkin – he prefers crunchy treats to chicken – but is obviously drawn to the socializing that happens at those times.  He now allows petting when he is relaxing in one of the courtyard patio chairs – and not just the odd touch: he accepts full-body pets, and wriggles happily. 

Lindor on the table and Guacamole on the chair:
both hoping for treats!  (BC)

I find it interesting how cats react to their disabilities.  Marmalade is a chonky little girl, and a rear amputation has taken time for her to get used to; she’s not as active as front-amputee Chutney, though she can move when she needs to.  But Jelly was a rear-amputee too, and very active from the start.  I think front-amputee Trooper has had a slightly harder time of it, since it was his paw that was taken, but there was a good bit of upper leg left. You could see that he had to compensate for the movement of the affected limb. Wasabi has the same problem.  

Under the table is a favourite space  (KN)

Guacamole’s back paw was gone, and the surgeon amputated his whole leg – I assume because of infection – and he has quickly learned to balance himself;  he can keep up with most of the other cats, and can run and jump with ease.

Relaxed and enjoying the dappled sunlight (BC)

The Kitty Comforters have a constantly-updated list of Cats Who Need Attention, from Anne, the KC Coordinator.  I was so pleased to see Guacamole lead off on her recent Back Courtyard list;  the more he learns that humans are not to be feared, the better. Sadly, black cats are easy for people to overlook, and I hope that he will become comfortable enough with us that he might start interacting with our weekend visitors as well as the volunteers who know him and love him.

Blog by Brigid Coult
Photos by Brit Burant (Trooper),Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Heavenly Newcomers

Mama Moon (KN)

Back in November, we welcomed a mother cat and her four kittens to the Sanctuary.  Normally that would be No Big Deal – our Adoption Centre is kept busy with incoming feline families.  But these five were a little different.  They came to us from Manitoba, where they were found abandoned after their people had moved away – and fall in Manitoba is cold!  

Galaxy prefers hiding  (KN)

Luckily, they were taken in by a small local rescue group with the irresistible name of What’s One More Community  in Winnipeg.  This is a very small organization, doing an enormous job with limited resources – and any financial help is gratefully received. They took this little feline family into foster, and got them checked over by the vet – to receive the sad news that all of them tested positive for FeLV – feline leukemia.

Cosmo - always curious  (BC)

RAPS to the rescue – we are a unicorn among shelters in that we have facilities specifically for leukemia kitties, and we were delighted to welcome Mama Moon and her four teenagers to live with us. They bypassed the Adoption Centre and came straight to the Leukemia area, where they settled in pretty quickly.

Moon likes to know what's going on  (BC)

Mama Moon is a sweet girl with striking looks. The blue eyes and colouring indicate that there’s probably some ragdoll in her, though it doesn’t show up in her offspring. Daddy-cat, whoever he was, was probably black and longhaired, and that’s evident in all four. There’s been a little name-juggling, but they’re now settled as Cosmo and Eclipse (M) and Calisto and Galaxy (F). 

Callisto is a flirt!  (KN)

All four are friendly, but Cosmo and Calisto are obviously extroverts, and Eclipse and Galaxy are much shyer. A visit to the Leukemia room will produce an immediate reaction of interest from Cosmo and Calisto, who will come to investigate and play, and enjoy being petted.  Cosmo is mostly black with a white locket on his chest; he’s active and energetic, he loves attention and is occasionally a shoulder-climber. His sister Calisto has beautiful bronze eyes, and a striking set of whiskers; she’s a true tuxie, with not only the white bib but four white paws. Her facial white is just a thin white stripe.

Eclipse & Galaxy in hiding  (KN)

The more introverted pair often need to be hunted for; they’ve discovered the hiding places, though they will emerge when they feel safe.  Eclipse, as his name suggests, is all black, and because he hides in dark corners, the pupils of his eyes tend to be dilated, so his eyes look as black as the rest of him. He is one who I have most often found in the “outside” of the Leukemia pen, though whether that is escaping or exploring is not clear.  His sister Galaxy is another tuxedo, but her facial white is a striking blaze down her nose, rather than Calisto’s discreet line.  The two of them can often be found hiding away together.

Cosmo goes exploring  (KN)

The five other cats already in the Leukemia pen are all semi-ferals (and not adoptable), but are very tolerant of the new family. Most of them live outside; Siamese Neko is the most usual visitor to the inner room, and Neptune and Athena come in when they think food is on offer.  Like FIV cats, FeLV cats are adoptable to special people – but there are constraints. All RAPS cats are adopted out on condition that they remain indoor cats but this is especially important with leukemia cats. The virus that they carry is transmitted in fluid – mostly though cat saliva. Cats who lick each other, who share food and water, can pass the virus on. It is not transmissible to humans, and it dies quickly when it dries – but in wet form it is a danger to other cats.  

Callisto has the best whiskers!  (BC)

The other thing about feline leukemia is that it affects the cat’s immune system, so that they have less resistance to other infections. We are careful about keeping everything very clean, and because many of us work with other cats who may have things like cat-colds or eye infections, we wash carefully before visiting them, and sanitize when we leave. There is no denying that FeLV cats tend to have shorter lives – but we also know that the virus may go dormant, and we’ve had leukemia cats like Ooly, who lived to be 18 years old.  Anyone who’s lost a cat knows that the grief is a measure of the love – and most of us would rather have the love, despite the inevitable grief.  So, to the right person, under the right conditions, adoption of the Moon family would be possible, though the youngsters would need to go at least in pairs.

Sharing the family tree - Callisto, Moon & Eclipse  (BC)

Till that happy time, they are having a good life in our Leukemia area; they are so engaging that they have a lot of attention from staff and volunteers, and are enjoying being somewhere much warmer than a cold Manitoba winter! 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Home At Last

LittleCat has such a sweet face  (KN)

Cats are surrendered to us for a variety of reasons – most commonly because of bad bathroom habits, but reported aggression, or aging owners, or any number of other factors may bring them in to us.  Nearly three years ago, a pair of females came into our care, aged around 12 years. They had been adopted from a Seattle shelter at the age of 6 months; they may have been littermates. We were told there were allergy issues and dog-stresses and a new baby, but whatever the formal cause, they lost their home and found a temporary hideaway in the SingleWide building at the Sanctuary.

LittleCat with her best buddy, Menjosie  (BC)

It was rapidly evident that they really were bonded. The SingleWide is home to several cats who have come to us as pairs - Winston and Oscar, Marie (now gone) and Noelle, Whiskers and Jinx - but all seemed to be as happy on their own as with their partner, and are frequently found separately.  Not so with these two!  Menjosie was the more social of the pair – a tubby little tabby with a hint of torbie colouring – her partner LittleCat preferred to hold back and hide behind the drapes or under the bedding. But the two of them were always together, and refused to leave the cage that they had made their home.

Happiest making a cave to hide from sight  (KN)

In the last half of 2023 we lost eight of the SingleWide cats for a variety of reasons, and Menjosie was one of the eight, succumbing to a tumour in November. LittleCat struggled with her sudden isolation.  She didn’t have to live solo – lots of other cats wandered in and out of her cage, but she didn’t want them, and in true Garbo-style, told them firmly that she wanted to be alone. Staff and Kitty Comforters made a point of visiting with her, but her tolerance level was limited, and though she was vocal about wanting attention, she was also dramatic (and accurate!) in letting us know when she’d had enough, which was usually after no more than three or four pets.

We learned to take her warning collar seriously  (KN)

Weekend visitors would come and interact with her, and occasionally she would show her nice side – but more often than not, she would disdain human attention with all except a few selected people.  The trouble with a personality like LittleCat’s is that she needed a very cat-savvy home – and most of the cat-savvy homes already have cats in them. And she needed a home with NO other cats – in fact no other animals at all.

Christmas in new surroundings  (KN)

But LittleCat had her Christmas miracle.  Staff member Karen (the eye behind so many of our wonderful photos in the blog and the Calendar) is not from an animal-free home – her family has two cats and a pretty lively dog. But the opportunity to move into her own apartment meant decisions about leaving the animals in their own home, and the possibility of offering LittleCat a space and a human that would be all hers.  What a Christmas gift!

Exploring in the new home  (KN)

LittleCat is chatty in her approval of the new surroundings.  Karen says
LC has only been with me for three weeks but it feels like she has lived with me her whole life. The transition from bustling Singlewide life to being an only child in a quiet apartment was nearly seamless. She is quite a polite little princess, though if I try to only give her a few head pats and walk away, she is quick to give me a (gentle) swat to let me know that she did not dismiss me. I'm still learning about her food preferences, since the sanctuary diet is so varied, it was difficult to discern what she actually liked. Given her somewhat troglodytic lifestyle at the sanctuary, I did not anticipate how playful she would be once she came home. She loves chasing and pouncing on wand toys, but she also plays independently and carries her toys all over the apartment. It's wonderful to see her finally relaxing enough to enjoy life again.

Play with me some more!  (KN)

We tell most of our weekend visitors that the majority of our cats are non-adoptable, and people certainly can’t point and say “I want that one!” - the adopting staff need to know a lot more about the surroundings a cat is going to, and the handling they will get in that home.  But there have been many successful adoptions of Sanctuary cats by Sanctuary staff and volunteers – they know the quirks of the cats in question, and love them even when they’re difficult (I’m thinking of dedicated volunteer Daphne who took on the care of Smokey, who was one of the feistiest cats we’ve had, and gave her a loving home with so much patience...). 
Karen is a true cat-whisperer and in her care, this pretty old lady will have the best possible home, with no feline competition, and lots of love for the rest of her days.

Nose boops from the hand she loves   (MK)

Blog by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson
Photos by Brigid Coult, Mike Kossey & Karen Nicholson