Mr Love-Bug

 

A handsome senior!  (KN)

I don’t think there’s anyone who works in the Connor building who doesn’t love our sweet Vesper.

Vesper with his beloved Fable  (MW)

This handsome tuxedo gentleman – now about 15 years old – came to us in 2017 in company with his “brother” Fable, a Siamese.  The two of them were surrendered to us for “inappropriate urination”, but we never had any clear evidence of it, and came to the conclusion that it was probably a stress-peeing situation in the home.  They were devoted to each other; both would do little solo outings into the Front Courtyard but they always returned to cuddle together.

Vesper solo  (MW)

Fable suddenly passed in March of 2021, and poor Vesper was alone.

Kiwi with Vesper  (DW)

In 2019 we had taken in a group of cats from an Alberta shelter that was closing. Among them was a trio of sweet semi-feral calicos – two of them (Melon and Honeydew) with classic white-fur and calico markings, and one (Kiwi) with much more black in her calico colouring.  The three were wary of human contact – something that improved over their years with us – but they enjoyed the company of other cats. 

Did someone say chicken?  (JS)

After Fable passed, Kiwi became Vesper’s comforter, and they could often be found curled up together on a shelf in the Connor building, or flirting from one shelf to another.  But Kiwi passed suddenly from FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) in December 2023 – she was only 6 – and Vesper was alone again.

Can I room with you?   (BC)

This time, however, it wasn’t a long transition.  Tabby Dominique had obviously been keeping her eyes on the handsome man, and she was quick to move in and fill the space in his bed. Dominique had come to us through a local trapping operation in the summer of 2021; she was found to be pregnant and went into fosterage to have her kittens. The kittens were socialized and taken for adoption, but Dominique’s feral roots were a little too strong, and it was decided the Sanctuary was the best place for her. She seemed largely to ignore her fellow-trappees – Chai, Speckle and Kahlua – and made herself comfortable in the Connor, where she encountered Vesper and Kiwi. The two of them were well-bonded, but occasionally we would find them snuggled up together, with Dominique keeping a careful eye on them.

He's all mine!   (BC)

Vesper & Dominique enjoying the winter sunshine  (MS)

With Kiwi’s sudden passing, Dominique was there to comfort and do her own snuggling with the widower. Cats do grieve when they have close bonds that are cut off by death – it’s obvious that Celine is still missing her beloved Hope – and Vesper was certainly in need of comfort. What nobody had expected was the involvement of a “younger woman”.  

Butterfinger  (AG)

Butterfinger had arrived in the summer of 2023, originally with the name of Butterflower – she was another of our transfers from Sammy’s Forgotten Felines in Kamloops. Like Kiwi, she was a dark calico, almost a tortie; unlike the dainty Kiwi, she was, quite frankly, a bit of a mess, soiling her bedding (she's a manx), kicking her litter around (hence the name change), and being very wary with us.  She is still pretty young – not much more than 2 years old.  

Butterfinger and Vesper  (BC)

Once out of her cage, she relaxed and became more comfortable with her surroundings, establishing herself as a champion at wand-play with the other three calicos.  When Kiwi passed and Dominique moved in, Butterfinger kept an eye open, and established herself in the same complex of shelves with the other two. Any time Dominique wasn’t around, Butterfinger would move in; Vesper was obviously flattered by the attention of another pretty girl, and before long, it was anybody’s guess who would be snuggled with him.

The ménage à trois:
Dominique, Vesper & Butterfinger   (BC)

The three of them have a fairly well-established ménage à trois now – it’s rare that you will find all three together, but usually one of them will be with Vesper and the other will be close by. There are no cat-fights;  warmth and snuggles are the important thing. The only thing perhaps a little more important to Vesper is chicken; he will edge out of the snuggle, stand on the edge of the shelf and shout until the tidbit is delivered.  We think that he’s a bit deaf and can’t hear how loud he is. It doesn’t seem to bother “his” girls – the attention of a dashing older gentleman in a tuxedo is worth the odd inconvenience to them!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Akira Graham, Karen Nicholson,
Justin Saint, Molly Sjerdal, Michele Wright