Luka

Luka  (KN)

Usually my Neko-blogs come into existence when I find I have a nice collection of pictures, and decide to write a cat-profile around them.   In Luka’s case, I was asked for a picture for a potential sponsorship certificate, and discovered I didn’t have any!

Posing nicely   (JS)

Luka is one of our many black cats in the front courtyard. I am grateful that I don’t have to know every black cat by name, as the med-staff do – for them, it really matters that the right cat gets the right meds. For me, if I can’t identify a cat, I can call it Black Cat 42b, and not worry too much about it.

You can turn it on now   (KN)

But everyone working in the front courtyard knows Luka – because she’s one of our collared cats; reactive, a little spicy, with her favourites.  She is best known for her habit of hanging out in the sink; she doesn’t want to be wetted down, but she likes to have water available.

If the sink's taken, a drain will do  (CP)

Luka has been with us for two years; her original name was Luna, but we’ve had several Lunas, and one letter change set her apart from the others. She came to us from from a family that was moving, and who were not prepared to take this little diva with them; I believe there was a new baby and Luka was feeling displaced, and acting out with pee, as well as with her claws. With us, she has settled down in her own way – the collar is mostly a warning, but in the right mood, she’s pettable. She’s mostly a loner; she doesn’t interact much with the other cats.

On the prowl  (JS)

So I went in to do a Kitty Comforter shift, and said I’d get a photo of Luka at the same time.  And of course (typical cat) she was nowhere to be found.  Not in or around the sink. Not in the Connor, which was still being cleaned. Not in the adjacent seating area. Nowhere around the SW entrance. Oh, well, I thought, later...    Two hours later I returned to the front courtyard. No Luka – checked everywhere. Nothing can disappear like a cat that doesn’t want to be found.  I touched bases with Carol and Justin, coming on shift as I left, and asked them to look out for her.

No sink - but a box is acceptable   (KN)

Karen, of course, had a photo of Luka on file. Then I got messages from both Carol and Justin, and a regular collection of photos – lots of choice for her sponsor!

Luka and the grass treat  (CP)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson, Carol Porteous, Justin Saint