The Hotel Cats

Westin waiting to be noticed  (KN)

In the couple of months before the RAPS rescue team tackled the Newton Hoard, which was the topic of last week’s blog, they were focused on the problems of two other colonies, not far away, but totally unrelated to the Newton cats.

Wyndham is little suspicious  (BC)

Colonies develop because cats are, in their own way, social animals. They may not have a pecking order; there is rarely an established alpha male, though there may well be a matriarch, but they feel safer together, and female cats will sometimes cooperate in kitten-care. A colony may be all-feral, usually the progeny of a few cats, interbreeding, and if they’re lucky, extending through generations (though the survival rate of kittens is usually poor). They may be strays, encountering each other and deciding that being together is better than being alone. Or they may be dumped cats – those whose owners don’t want to surrender them formally, and just leave them where they see other strays.

A suspicious Westin in the wild - not yet ready to be trapped (LBF)

Lisa and Ken found this colony in December near a Surrey bus stop and named them the Commuter Colony.  They were living in unsafe conditions – there was traffic around and several cats had already lost their lives to cars. They were wary – they already knew that life was dangerous, and no matter how often traps were set, the most savvy of the cats avoided them.  It is rarely safe to just set a trap and leave altogether; the trapper needs to wait just out of sight so that they can run in and cover the trapped cat, who will usually calm down somewhat when in darkness. And the team was dealing with the worst of winter weather – rain and snow and ice – not comfortable for either humans or cats.

Learning that being outside can be good!  (HM)

Over a period of weeks, often one cat at a time, Lisa and Ken trapped 14 cats from the colony. Some have required medical attention, none have been happy campers. Fosters stepped in to take those who needed extra care – Lisa has a youngster who is recovering.  Because of the Newton hoarding situation, further trapping needed to be put on hold while RAPS dealt with the immediate crisis, but Lisa and Ken have continued to feed the remaining cats – there are probably about six or so, and they will be brought in as soon as we have space for them.

Handsome Westin (BC)

Naming, in this case, was the trappers’ privilege, and they followed two lines. The first was topological – Mountain, Plateau, Volcano and so on. The other was hotels: Kimpton, Sheraton, Westin, Wyndham... Sheraton is remaining in Lisa’s care and will bloom as one of a large foster-family. Kimpton is still caged, and I will hold off profiling him till he’s out. He is one of what’s known as the popcorn cats – very hissy/spitty!  Hampton has been adopted, as have the other two youngsters, Ramada and Ridge who are now happily living with former RAPS volunteer Claire Fossey. My current obsession is the other two boys, Westin and Wyndham.

Treats?  (KN)

Mmmmm....  (KN)

Westin, a solid tabby boy, was caged in the Hill House, and was not happy about it. We are always careful to give new caged cats places to hide, and we try not to take those hiding places from them.  Sometimes a caged cat will emerge all by themselves, but Westin took full advantage of drapes and dark shelves, and though he would sometimes react to a play wand, he did NOT want to come out.  When his door was finally opened, he did what most Hill House cats do, and moved next door into the Old Rabbit Area.  All our areas have shelves and comfy beds, but in the ORA, all the shelves are draped all the time – very comforting for cats who don’t want to be seen.

Westin happily relaxing  (BC)

At least once a week, I try to go and sit in the ORA for a while – usually with treats, because a little bribery never hurts. And among the hopefuls emerging for handouts was this handsome boy I didn’t initially recognise – never having seen him when he wasn’t hiding in a dark corner. He actually wasn’t that interested in food – what he wanted was a little attention, initially just gentle petting, and then he indulged in some enthusiastic leg-rubs.  Since then, Westin has become braver and braver, exploring the range of the courtyard, and establishing his favourite places and people. He seems to recognize my voice, because he will often come and find me, and will occasionally do a little lap-sitting.

Wyndham preferred to stay out of reach  (KN)

In the New Aids pen, Siamese-mix Wyndham followed a similar path – staying out of sight at the back of his cage while he was in his initial neuter/vaccinate/assimilate period, and then on release, climbing to the cage-tops and the upper runs to avoid contact.  But like Westin, it didn’t actually last long;  we have some wonderful New Aids volunteers, and in no time at all Wyndham was making friends – human ones, at least – he’s still a little wary with the other cats. The Siamese runs clear in him, but he’s obviously got other genes – he’s long-haired in a shaggy sort of way, and has the same chunky body as Westin.

Like Westin, Wyndham loves leg-rubs  (HM)

There’s no question in my mind that these two boys are probably strays rather than ferals. We don’t know why they’re strays – did they escape? were they dumped? - but they obviously recognize that humans mean them no harm (Lisa is a little miffed that Westin thinks she’s a Scary Person because she trapped him!).  Right now they’re listed as non-adoptable, but given time to settle into Sanctuary life, they could well join the roster of adoptable cats. Yes, Wyndham is FIV+, but that’s not a barrier to the possibility of a long life in a loving home.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Henrie Morgan, Karen Nicholson

Rescue is not a Fast Process

Plantain, Tomatillo and Oxford  (KN)

Anyone who has followed activities at RAPS in the last couple of months is aware of the difficult situation our rescue team encountered at a home where there were too many cats, a totally inadequate living situation, lack of spay/neuter, and toxic chemical hazard.  I won’t go into it in detail – you can find it on the RAPS website HERE and HERE.

Bartlett is not happy with human contact  (KN)

Rescue is not a single event, important as that rescue day was, though.  Between the RAPS Hospital, the Adoption Centre, the Sanctuary and a dedicated team of fosterers, places had to be found for all the cats. Some have needed medical attention; all have needed spays and neuters, and cage space has been at a premium as they recover.  At the Sanctuary, the back of the SingleWide was turned into a Ward for quiet recovery; other cats were placed in single cages as available. As the patients recover from surgery, they have been transferred into Pen 6 to rediscover the feeling of being a colony, and to get to know the humans who are now part of their lives.

Opal  (KN)

Pen 6 has historically been a pen of transition into Sanctuary life; it held the cats who came from a closing shelter on the Sunshine Coast in 2016; it held the Candy Cats from Coquitlam in 2017; it held the McLeod cats who were a local out-of-control feral colony in 2019; and it held the mostly orange colony evicted from their farm home near Kamloops in 2021. It’s a bit small for all our hoarded 2025 refugees, but we hope that the ones who are open to contact with us may tame enough to be transferred to the Adoption Centre, and we will work on making space in other pens.

Bronx is venturing out  (KN)

Most of them are white with orange or blond markings; there are a few tabbies. Now that some of them are starting to settle, the Kitty Comforters are going in and spending time with them, showing them with tidbits and play and calming music that they’re in a good place, and all will be well. These are all unsocialized cats, so it’s a joy when we discover that one cat is responding to advances, and likes contact and play.

Tomatillo relaxed and happy  (KN)

As cats were trapped and sorted during the actual rescue, the rescue team gave them food names – starting with a whole lot of apple and pear varieties, and then moving on to grapes and other more unusual foods.  Our brave little would-be tame cat is called Tomatillo; another began as Muscat (grape) which transformed to Muskat, which has become Muskrat!

Muskrat has just moved to Pen 6  (KN)

Medical records show pictures of terrified cats – nobody looks their best when they’re scared, after all – and staff member Karen, who is also one of our best cat whisperers, has been spending calm time with them and also getting some really good pictures of Newton cats who are beginning to feel more comfortable with life, as they recover from burns and chemical fumes. They may always show marks on their bodies, or through their neurological systems, but now they have good food and clean water, safe places to curl up and room to climb and play, and the potential to learn trust and perhaps eventually go to safe homes of their own.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson

Cool, if not Classy

Mats necessitated a full body shave for Betsy

 

Betsy at her most beautiful - before she got matted

The Cat Sanctuary lies about as far north as it’s reasonable to consider placing a largely outdoor facility for felines.  Cats like their comfort, and most of them don’t care much for rain and wind and snow – and the rain and wind is something that we do quite well in BC winters, so cats and humans alike look forward with great anticipation to warm spring days.  Unfortunately, part of getting through cold weather, for cats, consists in growing more fur, and for some unfortunate felines, that means matting!

Kenji was not cooperative about having his much-needed haircut!

We see mats suddenly becoming more obvious in the spring, when shedding undercoats may be affected by humidity, and the hairs refuse to shed, clumping together.  This happens particularly in some of the long-haired cats, but short-haired cats can mat as well. The interesting thing is that one long-haired cat may have no problems at all, while another is a furry disaster – in the Front Courtyard Caleb remains fluffy and elegant, while Kenji is a mess (even after his haircut!)

At least Baker's back-shave is pretty smooth

Sometimes matting is a factor in feline shape – many cats will twist themselves into yoga-like postures to groom themselves, but when you’re a little on the tubby side, those contortions are just not possible.  Poor Baker is short-haired, but his stocky body meant that not only did he need a sanitary cut, so that he wasn’t walking around with a dirty bum, but he actually needed most of his back fur trimmed. Fortunately, he was due for dental surgery, and the vets did a very thorough shave job on him while he was fully sedated.

Adam & May just got spot-trims
- they look a little tattered, but the mats are gone.

With the elderly cats who are matting, we tend not to do more than make sure they are comfortable; if a mat is pulling on the skin it is removed, but otherwise, we don’t want to stress them more than strictly necessary. Some of them like being groomed; others prefer that the grooming is gentle and soothing, with a soft brush, rather than using any sort of de-shedding tool.  Volunteers are asked not to try and cut mats out – it’s too easy to damage fragile skin – but to report bad ones to the med staff.

Smithy managed to get his own mat off

The problem with mats is that they do pull on the cat’s skin, and if not spotted and removed, they can be quite painful or uncomfortable in the way they hang.  But simultaneously, we have to deal with the fact that we’re often talking about feral cats who resist human touch, let alone any attempt to groom them. In order to deal with fur problems, the cat may have to be netted and given sedation, and we have to balance that trauma against their grooming needs. When Hissy Smithy gets a big mat, we will sometimes just watch him, and see if he can get rid of it himself – and quite often someone will report finding “Smithy’s beardy bit” lying in the courtyard, without us having to intervene at all.

Bailey LOVES her haircut;
she rolls and wiggles, enjoying freedom of movement.

If the cat is handleable, there is generally someone who will take time with grooming tools to prevent most of the problems. But with so many of our cats being feral, or at the “you may look at me, but not touch” end of the spectrum, a list develops as the warmer weather approaches, and the med staff get to work. This spring, this has been particularly true of the group who came in from the Kootenays three years ago: the three little Himalayans, Betsy, Cleo and Zoe, and their larger companions Basil and Bailey. All of them have needed salon care; none of them are entirely comfortable with being handled by humans.

Cleo had a saddle trim to remove specific mats; the rest of her fur was fine!

It’s not a good idea to give full sedation to a cat without a really good reason – like necessary surgery – and most of the cats who need shaving get their haircuts while a little zoned out on gabapentin. And because this affects different cats to different degrees, some of the haircuts are a little erratic!  Some will receive a full shave, lion-cut style, given at the hospital – with others, just the mats are cut out and the remaining fur covers the gaps.  Some of them are obviously embarrassed by their sudden nakedness; others love feeling free to move without discomfort.  

Alfie always mats badly, and needs a lion-cut

With the tamer cats, we can take the opportunity to do some gentle brushing of the new short coats, reminding them how good it can feel. If they get out of the habit of grooming themselves, or refuse to allow it, the haircuts have to happen all over again next year!

Blog & photos by Brigid Coult

Supper on the Deck

Happy anticipation! - Bodhi, Luke & Denzel  (BC)

The back Deck of the Double-Wide building is both a home for a colony of semi-ferals, and a transition area for felines expanding their comfort-zone to include the back courtyard.  In the winter the residents snuggle together on a mattress under the comfort of a heat-lamp, while the rest of the “room” is protected from the elements only by plastic screens.  The “red light area” is the home to the core-group, and every other cat-bed around the upper area is occupied.  Now that warmer weather is with us, natural body-heat replaces the need for the heat-lamp, and more cats pop in and out of the cat-door in the corner.

Classic tabbies Ziggy and Hickory  (LBF)

One of my regular shifts for the past fourteen years has been to feed in the Double-Wide building on Saturday evenings – usually working with Molly, who began as a volunteer, then a staff cleaner, and is now the med-staff person on Saturdays, mixing up the necessary medications and delivering them all across the Sanctuary.  Operating from the Laundry Room sink, I plate up wet food for the building, including smaller dishes for caged cats. And usually I do the clean-up and wash the cans before I take the last three plates through to the Deck, so that, with a clear conscience, I can sit for a little while with the cats there.

Lotsa tabbies on the mattress   (LBF)

One plate gets delivered to the upper level in front of the mattress; one to the main area inside the door, and one to the back of the deck, where the shyer cats can eat without feeling too close to a human.  I will usually sit on the steps inside the door, and am quickly surrounded by feline friends who are so certain that I have something even tastier than the assortment of cat food flavours being offered.   

Gwen says "Gimme!"  (BC)

At my feet, Gwen hovers hopefully, smacking any other cat within reach. 

Crinkle looking hopeful (BC)

Crinkle comes down to the shelf beside me; she is still inclined to swat food from my hand rather than accept it, but the swat now comes without claws. The other tabbies prefer to get first dibs at the plate before coming to beg for tidbits; Hickory, Mitzi and Ziggy wait at the top, while the black boys, Denzel, Luke and Bodhi swarm closer. Bodhi doesn’t actually care much for the chicken tidbits, but he wants to be part of the crowd.

Nootka remains in loaf-pose  (BC)

Other cats hover at a distance; they are still wary around humans, but visits like this can help them to learn that we don’t need to be feared, and that if their companions can approach easily, they may do so as well. Little Nootka remained comfortably on her chair without feeling she had to hide; she came to us with black and white Tofino who prefers to wander the back courtyard;  Nootka prefers to stay indoors.

Madonna (BC)

Pretty Madonna has moved from hiding on the upper-level shelves to remaining on the other side of the room; she is cautious but no longer feels she has to hide.

Two little oranges  (BC)

I had two small orange tabbies hovering hopefully. They’re from a quartet that came into our care a few months ago, and were named Mandarin, Tangelo, Valencia and Tangerine. Mandarin is the single male and the only one I can identify from a little white patch on his chest; he is also the bravest of the four and the most food-motivated.  

Mandarin   (BC)

He has made himself at home in the Double-Wide, preferring to roam the cage-tops, but has also begun to explore the back courtyard. The three girls are much shyer, but at least one of them has become more confident in being around people on the back deck. I will look forward to getting to know them better in the next few months.

Ivy  (BC)

At another time, I will come to the deck without food, but with a wand toy or something to chase, and spend time to coax the shyer cats to interact with me. Pretty Ivy is getting braver all the time, and Marshmallow will accept petting and gentle grooming if there’s not too much action around.  Food is a useful motivator, but we need not rely on it.

Marshmallow prefers cat-food to treats  (BC)

The cat radar is working outside the deck – they know when tidbits are being offered. Before long Fletcher and Fonzie have joined up; Fonzie prefers the plated food, but Fletcher is watching the chicken bag with full attention. And then of course Lindor and Jasper arrive  – Lindor in particular doesn’t need more food; he’s been accepting treats from visitors all afternoon. Jasper and Gwen get into a swearing match, and then Jasper moves into “cute” mode and offers a high-five as incentive for something tasty, while Gwen retires under the stairs to lurk and mutter darkly.

Supper-time (BC)

Once the feline sharks gather, it’s time to wind up the treats visit, and return to the rest of my shift – checking and changing water-bowls as needed, and topping up kibble.  I need to visit the DW deck again on one of my Kitty Comforter shifts and take quiet time for some one-on-one with these delightful cats without food being too much of a factor! 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen & Brigid Coult