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