Kamloops Catz 1: The Bonded Ones

Some of the Kamloops Crew  (LBF)

In 2021 we heard of a farm colony of cats near Kamloops who were threatened with eviction and/or eradication....   Sammy’s Forgotten Felines contacted us to ask, “If we trap them, can you take them?”, and Operation Kamloops was on!  

Creamsicle (MW)

Many of the smaller rescues around the province simply don’t have the resources to deal with a large number of cats at one time. Sammy’s works most often with fostering, but finding fosters for a whole colony of ferals is a big ask. A few of the cats found temporary or longer-term homes, but the initial group that was driven down from Kamloops numbered about seventeen – and many of them were orange!

Chaga  (KN)

They have appeared occasionally in this blog over the last four years – they are very photogenic, and they tend to travel together like a shoal of goldfish.  But I decided it was more than time to introduce a few of them in more detail. I needed to enlist staff help with identification – like many of the volunteers, I’m guilty of grouping “the orange cats” together, and there are several little tabbies I still struggle with identifying.  Over the next four weeks, I’m going to try to introduce the whole family.

Chaga, Chamomile, Creamsicle  (JS)

Though they tend to move around together, there are clearly two sub-groups of bonded cats.  The first is visually very obvious; pretty grey Chamomile always draws the eye, and she can usually be found either cuddling with or interacting with her buddies Chaga and Creamsicle.

Chamomile  (MW)

Chamomile looks very much like the other long-haired cats in the colony except for her colouring which is not a plain grey, but shows a lovely variety of dark and light patterns with the tabby facial markings. Chaga is a very dark brown rather than black, and slightly more pointed in face than many of the other nearby black cats. Creamsicle lives up to her name with her ice-cream bib setting off her orange fur.

Chamomile & Chaga (LBF)

The three of them – or any combination thereof – are nearly always found together. They like the table bed in the TeaRoom, and are ready to allow a little gentle contact with humans, though it’s important to read their body language, and back off when it’s a don’t-touch-me day.  They also like the courtyard crossroads, and can often be found on the ground there, showing off to visitors, and doing a lot of rub-and-snuggle with each other. They actually seem to be more comfortable with ground contact, and will interact with visitors who can show patience and gentleness.

Cheddar & Kelvin (KN)

If you find a long-haired and a short-haired cat together, the pair is usually Cheddar and Kelvin. Both belong to the “you may look, but not touch” school of thought, and love to find a tight space that they can snuggle in – one of the shelf cubbies; a basket on the counter-top; a chair on the deck of a cabin. Kelvin is braver than his short-haired brother Billy, and will allow a little contact, but he prefers Cheddar to be his comforter.

Kelvin & Cheddar  (LBF)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint, Michele Wright

Next week: More orange cats from Kamloops

Kamloops Catz 3: Blondes Have More Fun

Goldie  (KN)

There used to be a fallacy that most orange cats were male. We now know that that percentage is considerably less – usually cited as 80% - and I would venture to say that at the Sanctuary it’s even less than that.  The gene for orange coloration is linked to the X chromosome, and males only need one copy of the gene to be orange, while females need two. Having said that, it’s clear that in some colonies, the genetic odds for orange females are much higher, and that’s certainly the case with the Kamloops colony.  

Rapunzel & Buffy  (BC)

It may not be immediately obvious, through, because some of our orange females are so pale in colour that “orange” is not the word that leaps to mind.

Buffy  (LBF)

Buffy is the darkest of these – the same sort of colour as the late Pumpkin and Walker, who I tend to describe as “champagne”.  Goldie and Rapunzel are paler still.  These three little girls prefer to base themselves out of Pen 5; when the others migrate back to the TeaRoom for winter warmth, the blondes prefer to add their body warmth to the cosy Pen 5 cabin, sharing with Adam, May and Walker, as well as with some of their non-orange family.

Rapunzel  (KN)

Buffy and Goldie are both still very shy; they will allow themselves to be watched, and are sometimes interested in wand toy play, but they would prefer to be left alone. You can sometimes pat Buffy, if you can do so without letting her see the hand; once the petting has started, she will allow herself to enjoy it for a bit, and then scoot away. Goldie is a don’t-touch-me girl. She and Rapunzel look very similar, but one step towards them will tell you which is which - Goldie backs away quickly but her buddy is a little braver. Rapunzel sports a white bib with her blond fur, and she is the only one of the three who will approach humans to solicit attention.  When she’s in the mood, she’s a total flirt – with weekend visitors as well as with volunteers.

Daffodil   (KN)

A fourth light orange cat called Daffodil is technically part of this group; she came from the original colony and was fostered in Kamloops, but it was decided that she might do better with access to her family. In fact, she has never merged back with them; she prefers to remain in the Newcomers area, and sometimes wanders over to the DoubleWide, but she never seemed to recognize the others at all, and has made her own “family” with her Newcomers buddies. That family has been hit by the passing of Pumpkin, who Daffodil loved – we’ll see who she might bond with when her mourning is over.

Daffodil  (KN)

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

Next week: Not orange!

Creampuff & Malibu

Siblings Creampuff & Malibu  (JS)

These two gorgeous floofs were part of a trapped group from Surrey in the fall of 2023 – a situation that was partly hoarding, partly a badly-maintained colony.  Many of the cats were semi-socialized – not so much that they could be scooped up, but not so fearful that they refused to enter well-baited traps. And several other rescues were involved in the project, so that nobody was overwhelmed by numbers.

Creampuff when she arrived (AM)

Looking at these two, it’s very likely that they are siblings, though they’re not strongly bonded. Initially Creampuff was caged in the Connor building, as was orange Cornbread;  the two of them could often be seen together on the north side of the courtyard. Malibu was a Hill House cat;  I suspect the two of them were separated because neither had been spayed/neutered, and by the time they re-encountered each other, they’d forgotten family ties.  

Malibu's markings were clearer when he was young  (AM)

At first glance they’re pretty well identical – Malibu’s ears are a little more orange, and he has white markings on his face, where Creampuff’s fur is more even.  Currently it’s easier to distinguish them;  like many of the semi-feral cats, they dislike being groomed, especially given the mats that are common in long-haired cats, and they were among the first customers that Gracelyn tackled in the salon-project.  

Malibu's lion-tail is furring out again  (BC)

Unlike Alfie, who had a complete lion-cut, these two just had a remedial cut, zeroing in on the specific problems.  Their shaved patches are in different places, and the most useful identifier is that Malibu now has a lion-tail, down to the little tuft at the end, while Creampuff still sports her beautiful plume.

Creampuff enjoys lounging on a high shelf  (BC)

Weekend visitors are always struck by these two, and we are often asked about their adoptability. They still fall in the semi-feral category, which ranges through a spectrum from “look, but don’t touch!” to “pet me, pet me!”.  Neither one of the pair comes looking for petting; they will tolerate it for a while, but they’d rather not have much contact. As cats that have lived wild, their bathroom habits are erratic; some cats settle to using litter-boxes easily, but from the mess around the courtyard in the mornings, it is clear that some do not. We could probably have adopted out orange Cornbread, but she is definitely not bathroom-trained!

Malibu  (KN)

So until either cat demonstrates a strong bond to a human, AND is seen to be a consistent litter-box user, they remain on the unadoptable list – they get to enjoy life in the front courtyard with their feline buddies, and we get to admire their beauty.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Anne Marchetti, Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint

Anya

 This week’s blog is brought to you by our Kitty Comforter Coordinator, Anne Marchetti – thank you, Anne!

Anya  (KN)

I've always felt a little excited when a new cat arrives at the Sanctuary bearing the name of a friend or relative I know. Given that a large number of cats coming to the Sanctuary are usually feral or unsocialized, however, rarely does the cat's personality match that of the human. 

Anya spread  (AM)

My given name is very plain (“Anne”) and I had little hope a cat would ever bear my name. I am of Ukrainian descent and growing up my family would often call me “Anushka” (my mother told me it meant “little Anne” but Google tells me otherwise) or “Anya”. So when a feral cat named Anya arrived in late 2022 with her sisters, Bagheera and Gwen, I was thrilled and looked forward to befriending her. The feeling, however, was not mutual and despite my best efforts Anya spurned my advances and wanted nothing to do with me. This relationship continued until she was eventually released into Pen #7 which is a small pen of mainly feral cats, most of whom still need regular medical attention.  Her sisters have blossomed; Bagheera was adopted by former RAPS volunteer Mel (along with Scooter and Owen), and there's now a human baby sister to purr to.  Gwen has not given up grumping at other cats, but is doing really well in her contacts with people, flirting with visitors at the weekend.

Early suspicion: stay out of my space!  (KN)

Initially, Anya was very unhappy in her new location; she aggressively rejected all human contact, shunned feline companionship and sandwiched herself in a tight carpeted cat enclosure. She's effectively tail-less, but we don't think she actually suffers from Manx syndrome; however, not being one to indulge in self-care, her preferred hiding place very quickly became filthy and smelly, as did she. Her anxiety was obvious to all so she was given a short course of anti-anxiety meds and since her cat enclosure was now a health hazard, it was removed and destroyed. She took up residence in another outdoor cat bed where she and her bedding were more easily accessible for cleaning. 

The Anya rump (AM)

I visited her regularly, much to her chagrin, but she tolerated me since I always arrived bearing her favourite creamy tube treats. When working with cats like Anya, it's always “two steps forward, one step back”, and that's if you're lucky. I jokingly told the other Kitty Comforters that Anya must have been a nurse in a previous life because every time she lashed out at me with her razor-sharp claws, she managed to find a vein (and I would bleed and bleed...). Over time and with regular visits from Kitty Comforters who patiently worked with her, she eventually learned to trust humans. 

Any treats for me?  (AM)

She is a completely different cat now, although she still looks like a tubby little black bear with her thick fur and nub of a tail. I look forward to our weekly visits and I think she does too - when she hears my voice in the courtyard, she comes up to the locked gate and waits for me to enter. She prances on the spot and purrs when she's happy and enjoys lots of petting. 

A more confident outlook on the world.  (KN)

I overhear many people say that she's sweet (that certainly would not have been the word to describe her even a year ago!). It warms my heart when I see her having friendly interactions with other volunteers, no more fear and anxiety for her. And now I can say I'm friends with a cat who bears my (nick)name. I adore her, but if I'm honest, I'd love her no matter what she was called.

Blog by Anne Marchetti

Photos by Anne Marchetti and Karen Nicholson