A Cat Who Walks By Herself

Yma  (KN)

Yma came into our care almost nine years ago – one of a colony of cats Stephanie trapped at a nearby composting facility. Some of them may have been dumped cats;  others were born wild.  Life for ferals is often short and terrifying – this site was also a hunting ground for hawks, eagles and coyotes (there were a LOT of rats!) - and we tried to rescue as many as possible.  Many of the cats we brought in were dubbed “the cow cats” for their black-and-white Friesian patterns, though there were also tabbies like pretty Merran.

In her favourite place, alone, in the gardens  (BC)

Stephanie and her helpers made regular visits, setting traps and waiting patiently. We knew that it was not possible to rescue them all, and she had identified at least one big tomcat, who she named Pavarotti, who was too wily to venture into a trap, even with the tastiest food to bait it.  But over the course of months, cats made the protesting journey from the feral life to life with RAPS. I was with Stephanie when one of the last of these was trapped, and was given the privilege of naming her: since Pavarotti was likely her sire, I named her for Yma Sumac, the extraordinary soprano of the ‘50s

Early days: Yma in hiding  (KN)

The youngest cats trapped, of course, went to fosterage and eventual adoption. Stephanie still has one of those cats: Hammy (Hamish) - one of Hillie's kittens - still has the former feral’s wariness, and is a one-woman cat, trusting Stephanie alone. The cats that came to live at the Sanctuary were split between the SingleWide and the Back Courtyard. Mya and Kirstie settled to the comfy life in the SingleWide – so comfortable that they both became roly-poly cats, with all the snacking that was available. Luckily, they had also tamed to the point where they were both able to go to the homes of experienced cat-people who could put them on a measured diet, and they’re both doing well. 

Kirstie & Mya remain happy indoor cats (LBF)

In the Back Courtyard Hillie and Yma ignored one another – their similarity meant that there was probably a strong genetic link, but they were trapped at different times, and there was no mutual recognition. Hillie made a breakthrough with us, and realized that people were not so bad! - Yma relocated herself from the DW deck to the outdoor life, and settled in Pen 2, preferring to keep her distance.  In all the time she has been with us, she has elected to avoid humans at all costs. She was one of the cats who preferred to climb the tree in the back courtyard, and continued that habit until we finally extended the netting to prevent access to the branches and a possible escape route. 

When she first discovered the gardens,
Yma liked best to hide up in the tree  (MW)

Through much of the year she would base herself in one of the straw-lined kennels around the perimeter, actually going into the cabin only when the weather made it really necessary;  nowadays she usually sleeps in the cabin, but a sudden human visitor will make her explode out through the cat-door. I try to remember to speak as I approach, to give her some warning.  

You can look, but not touch!   (KN)

Unfortunately she has that curse of white cats – ears that are sensitive to sunshine, and that develop skin cancers. We have had several cats like her who have had cancerous ear-tips nipped off to prevent further growth. But going in for even minor surgery means netting and caging her, and is stressful – two steps back, behaviourally, in order to be one step forward, health-wise.

Ears now rounded, rather than pointed  (KN)

So, so slowly, she is adjusting to us. When she is sitting quietly, it is sometimes possible to approach her, even to sit with her; a gentle voice is accepted, but any sudden movement, and she’s gone.  She will occasionally hover at the cabin door when I’m cleaning, but she shows no inclination to come closer or to accept tidbits. She has some favourite perches around the edges of Pen 2, and is ready to sit there peacefully even when visitors are around; she obviously knows that the ropes marking access limits are there to protect her.  She’s not a cat-social girl, like Tofino, in last week’s blog; mostly, when you see Yma, she will be alone. Behind the cabin doors, who knows? – but in the gardens, she’s a lonely figure – the other cats don’t bother her, and she rarely approaches them.

Watching the visitors from a safe distance  (MW)

I sometimes label our loners as Garbo cats – but in many cases, their alone-ness comes from their active dislike of other cats, and we need to encourage that separation in order to keep the peace.  Yma simply chooses to be alone.  Greta Garbo would approve of her.

Blog by Brigid Coult

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