Little Black Cats in the SW

Taavi (KH)

For long-term volunteers, the SingleWide feels different. We miss the Dryer Gang toasting themselves by the door, succeeded by the Cuddle Crew who monopolized the comfy chairs. Nowadays Whiskers and Jinx dominate the dryer, Oscar and Winston add chonk and floof to the space, and Texas cats Sunshine and Syd Junior jockey for position.

But three newcomers are making themselves known, and each one has his or her own fan-club.

Taavi (KN)

The oldest of them is Taavi – she’s about seven and a half years old and came to us last summer. She was an owner surrender – a surrender that was very hard for both humans and cat. They had adopted her from the SPCA, and bonded, but it appeared that she had a tail pull injury and was largely incontinent. “Tail pull injury” may not actually be from the tail being pulled – it could be from a fall or having the tail trapped in a door – but the damage to spine and nerves affects bladder and bowels, as in manx syndrome cats. The incontinence did not improve, and Taavi’s owners reluctantly surrendered her. Initially she was in the Double Wide, caged, and then finding her way around tentatively. She is very much a Garbo cat with other felines, and was struggling with the proximity of other cats around her all the time.

Taavi hiding on her favourite draped shelf (BC)

The med staff moved her into the Single Wide – with fewer cats and lots of hiding places – and she has settled well, adopting one covered shelf as “her” territory, and being more comfortable since Noelle was adopted by a volunteer. Having her in an enclosed area also means the med staff can keep a more careful eye on her, watch for potential UTIs and express her bladder on a regular basis. She enjoys contact with the volunteers who seek her out, but she still lets the other cats know that they need to leave her alone.

Sweet boy Polar (BC)

Polar actually came to us before Taavi, but is younger; he was about two years old and feral when he arrived in the fall of 2024 as one of a trapped group from Boston Bar – in rough shape, with an abscessed wound, likely from fighting. . He became one of many Little Black Cats in the Back Courtyard, usually found somewhere round the Newcomers area. But unlike most of them, he didn’t remain terrified.  Wary, yes – but he gradually grew to accept that humans meant him no harm and often carried treats. Before long he was on the Kitty Comforters’ list and getting attention and then petting, and was considered as a possible candidate for adoption.

He was named all wrong – he should have been called Houdini.

Polar retreats to cage tops when visitors arrive  (KH)

In November the trail cams and arriving volunteers told of a small black cat around the parking lot. The Sanctuary cats were tallied, and all checked in. Someone said “it looks like Polar!”, but Polar was right there outside Newcomers. Finally, the outside cat walked into a trap; his ID was checked, and it WAS Polar!  The little sneak had found an escape route, gone out for adventures, and then come in for warmth and food! There was a concerted effort to check all the possible holes and close them up, and Polar was brought into the SingleWide to become an indoor cat.  He has actually handled it really well – he doesn’t try to get out and he gets a whole lot more people-attention, which is good for his potential adoption prospects.  But any adopter is going to need to be aware that this boy needs to be kept in!

Carla (KH)

Carla was the latest arrival in late summer.  She had originally come to us as a pregnant mom and was fostered for the birth of her kittens, who didn’t survive. With us, she was reactive and hissy in her Connor cage, and when released, was given a collar to warn visitors to approach with caution.  Like many cats, it became evident that most of the reactivity was a factor of cage aggression, and once out and about, she became much happier about human contact – in fact, so much so that it extended to leaping onto a passing shoulder for attention. 

Carla staying close to the door (BC)

That in itself was not really a problem; we’ve had our share of shoulder-sitters, and as long as the owner of the shoulder is OK with the proximity to claws, all is well. But to Carla, the shoulder was a step to higher things, and she took to using it to access the roof of the gazebo, which in turn could give access to a tree and thence to a roof.  After too many ladder-rescues of “Get that cat down!”, Carla was transferred to the indoor safety of the SingleWide, like Polar. She was not happy about the relocation, and is one of the cats to be aware of when entering and leaving the building. Door Dash to Carla does not mean food arriving, it means Time To Escape! 

Shadow guarding her BF Nikki  (BC)

Regular SW visitors know, of course, that there is a fourth Little Black Cat, living mainly on the Deck – Shadow had her own blog entry a couple of years ago; she continues to be Nikki’s possessive girlfriend, and is still fast with the claws. But she has mellowed considerably as she ages, and will come and share couch space with humans – especially if food is offered.

All little black cats – but with very different personalities!

Blog by Brigid Coult (with much thanks to Molly!)

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe & Karen Nicholson

A Quiet Corner

Billy Ray enjoys the winter sunshine  (BC)

On visiting days at the Sanctuary there are some areas we block off because we don’t want scared cats to be under pressure, or where safety requires no contact for visitors (the Leukemia area). But there’s one quiet corner where we’d love to have visitors, but often have to keep closed because we don’t have enough volunteer Ambassadors to have someone posted there.

Virginia (KN)

The Val Jones pen is in the southwest corner of the Front Courtyard. I blogged about its creation here  – originally it was simply a quiet corner for cats and people to retreat; then it was closed off when we had an increase in numbers of our leukemia cats; some years later it was extensively scrubbed out and became an FIV cat enclosure. It was decided that the cats to be located here would be the more outgoing and friendly ones, so they would be more visible to visitors.

Merran  (KH)

The next change happened when friendly orange-and-white Dango from New AIDS was diagnosed with urinary issues – specifically the formation of crystals in his urine. When this happens for a cat, it is very painful for them to use the litter-box, and particularly for male cats, whose urethras are very narrow. Shy Merran from the SingleWide received a similar diagnosis and there were several other cats with risk factors. It was decided to keep the Val Jones area as primarily, but not exclusively, for FIV cats, but to keep them all on a diet that helps prevent the formation of crystals. The necessary prescription food is effective but also expensive, so can’t be fed to the general population.

Jim is the watcher at the door  (KH)

The Val Jones cats continue to be fed with the others from the main courtyard, but they only receive their special food, and when they have visitors, the treats offered to other cats have to be left between the gates. It’s particularly important that visitors here are supervised so that all these cats get is petting and grooming, and food is not part of the currency. I don’t think it bothers them too much – either they love the attention offered, or they prefer not to be part of it at all!

suspicious Virginia (BC)

Currently there are only six residents in the Val Jones area – a few were adopted, others have passed. We particularly miss sweet Jerry, whose mouth and skin problems never stopped him lapping up all the love we could offer. Virginia is the shyest; she’s cat-social, but hissy and scared around people. She used to hide away all the time, but she’s more likely now to be found sharing a bed with one of her boys, Merran or Jim. Minuet has come a long way;  she was another hider, but now likes to be out in the open, and will often appear at the gate when company comes. She likes to be petted in her bed – she rolls and wiggles and does happy bum-raises.

Minuet (BC)

Handsome Billy Ray is a little aloof; I find he’s ready to accept limited pets, and then just moves away without too much reaction. He’s not a cuddler with me, though he will come and sit beside me for a short while. He likes to be up on something – ideally, the shelf attached to the VJ external fence, where he poses, as if to say “Aren’t I beautiful?!” Indeed he is, but sadly, not adoptable – not because of his FIV+ condition, but because he’s a pee-er, as the med-staff have experienced!

BillyRay enjoys the cabin warmth
and watching the birds  (JS)

Merran was one of the cats that gave the VJ its urinary care status; he was shy in his old home in the SingleWide, and he’s shy here, though he’s become used to humans being around and is no longer quite so spooked. He’s as handsome in his floofy tabby way as Billy Ray is in his sleek blackness, and is very cat-social, often found cuddling with Virginia or Minuet.

Captain Jack aka CJ  (BC)

Captain Jack (CJ) is the newest and the youngest – he came to us from an Island rescue, and may in fact be part of the colony that brought us Marble and Biggie, Simon, Smalls and Junior. He came to us in spring of 2024, and initially showed himself to be something of a bully to the other cats, though I suspect that some of that was just being adolescent – teenagers of all species are inclined to push the limits!  Now he’s a little older and a little less inclined to throw his weight around.  He’s discovered that he quite likes people, and is one of the cats who happily enjoys lap-time with Justin.

Justin offers the BEST lap-sits
- and all the RAPS cats know it!  

I think a lot of his acceptance of life in the VJ has come from Jim, who is the oldest of the cats and the most loving – in fact, his loving gets a little carried away, because he thinks everyone wants it. Jim came to us as a lover, with his friend Frank (the two were known as FrankenJim) and when his buddy passed, Jim just picked himself up and went on loving. He was a big part of getting Minuet from being a terrified hideaway to being part of the greeting club, and when he cuddles with Virginia, it is possible to pet her as you pet him. It’s been funny watching him convince CJ that togetherness is good; he grooms CJ with enthusiasm, even when CJ pushes him away. You can practically see the resigned sigh as the younger boy says “Whatever....”  Sadly, both of them have chronic colds, so their germs are shared too.

CJ & Jim  (JS)

For volunteers and regular visitors – it’s worth washing up and going to spend some time in the Val Jones corner with this lovely group. You may not get anywhere with Virginia, but all the others respond to attention, and though they’d really like commercial treats (not allowed!), the SO kibble gives them the feeling of having something special from your hand.

Cuddle-puddle - Merran, Frank, Virginia  (BC)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe, Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint

Charlie

Charlie (KC)

Charlie came into our care almost a year ago – he found his way into the garden of one of our volunteers. She saw that he was a stray rather than a feral – shy, but not terrified. She was tempted to take him in, but she already had two cats of her own, and when she brought Charlie to RAPS for checking, it was found that he was FIV positive. FIV cats can live with non-FIV cats, but it requires no aggression, and she wasn’t sure it could be made to work – so Charlie came to us, living in the New Aids pens.

An affectionate moment with Vinnie (BC)

Initially he was wary; he preferred to live in the second Prince of Wales pen, right at the back, with the shyer cats like Vinny and Rocket. But Rocket is no longer as scared as he used to be, and there are several volunteers who regularly spend time with the back-pen cats; Charlie was reminded that humans are Good Things, and enjoyed receiving petting and loves. The back cabin has become the favoured base for three good buddies – Charlie, white Vinny, and orange Junior, and they can often be found hanging out there together.

Three roomies: Vinnie, Junior, Charlie  (BB)

Charlie’s a really sweet chonky boy; lap-time is much appreciated, and if you don’t spend enough time with him, he will follow you around – though his “following” consists mostly of getting under your feet. I have a very soft spot for him because he’s a near-twin of my McCormick.  I wonder whether they might be related;  McCormick was a detective-cat who found his own way to the Sanctuary in November 2023; Charlie was found three months later, about 3k away from us, so it’s quite possible...  The vets put McCormick as being older than Charlie – but once cats are past kittenhood, estimating their age is mostly guesswork. Their detailed markings are different, but their body-type and attitude have a lot in common.

McCormick  (BC)

Charlie - possibly a brother?  (AM)

Charlie has one big handicap (well, two, actually) – he suffers from entropion, which is an eye condition in which the eyelid turns in, bringing the eyelashes in contact with the eye, causing painful irritation. Surgery is possible – the problem is scheduling it, since the Sanctuary cats have to be scheduled into the rare quiet times at the hospital.

Wearing a collar as entropion eye #1 heals  (HM)

Charlie’s right eye was done earlier in the year, but it’s taken till now to get the left eye done; currently he’s wearing a collar, looking sorry for himself, but healing well. As with all the FIV+ cats, we monitor them very carefully so that their immune systems don’t have to fight off any infections.

Caged for the initial healing of left eye  (BC)

Whether caged or not, Charlie loves to have attention from visitors. It is quite likely that he will be one of our FIV+ cats to be adopted; he’s a general favourite with everyone, and one couple has been back several times to have cuddle time with him.  Heal up quickly, Charlie – a new home awaits you!

Charlie inverted  (KC)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Britt Burant, Katy Cobb, Brigid Coult, Anne Marchetti, Henrie Morgan

Spud

Spud Buddy - new to the Connor  (AM)

A lot of our kittens in the last year, mostly trapped by Ken and Lisa, have come from Surrey and Langley, where the feral cat problem is a continuous struggle for rescue organizations.  But we still have cats coming to us from closer to home.  Four of them arrived this past June – listed as “owner surrender” with the owner moving out of town, but I think there was also a litter of kittens found at that site under a bush, so there may have been elements of hoarding; certainly there was carelessness.

Watching activity in the room (JS)

The four cats came in to the Adoption Centre with the names of Meg, Brian, Lois and Buddy – the first two were adopted out very quickly; Lois is still in the AC, but we hope will go soon. Buddy was renamed Spud (we’ve had a number of Buddy-cats) and he had been largely an outdoors cat; he did not handle AC life well – he was very fearful, and cage life was very stressful for him. It was decided that he might do better in the Sanctuary and he was transferred to the Connor building. 

Solemn boy  (BC)

It took very little time for Kitty Comforter coordinator Anne Marchetti to fall in love with him and alert the KC team to give him some extra attention, and Spud handled living in the larger cages of the Connor much better than the Adoption area – and positively blossomed when allowed access to the courtyard.

Waiting by the gate for visitors  (AM)

Spud is a medium sized tabby boy with a proportionately large head - possibly a late-neuter. He has added himself to the greeting team, and can often be encountered at the gate, looking for attention. We were concerned about his health initially; he has a rather stiff-legged walk and was occasionally observed to be limping – cage rest did little other than frustrate him, but when the vets checked him, he was found to have bone spurs, and there’s little to be done about that other than pain meds when needed.  Spud’s probably no more than four years old, so if there’s osteoarthritis involved, as is common, it’s not age-related but possibly genetic.

Enjoying the winter sun  (KH)

He looks like a very serious little cat, but he loves attention from humans, and likes to come up for lap-time with the right people. In fact, the lap is less the target than the chest – Spud is one of those cats who prefers to be held upright, with his head at face-level. And that in turn requires an awareness of his body-language;  he is very happy to be petted until suddenly he isn’t... I suspect that his rear end is sensitive, and too much stimulation is painful. 

Come sit with me?  (KH)

Spud is OK with a few cats around him, but when the crowd gathers, he takes himself out of the way until things are quiet again. He tolerates other peaceful cats like Reef, but we have recently been joined by more assertive ones like Mayday and Sparrow (blogs to come) and Spud prefers to avoid them. Unlike them, he’s not strongly food motivated, and prefers a quiet one-one-one with his favourite people.

Spud  (AM)

Watch for this sweet boy when you visit, and make the most of a little Spuddle-cuddle time!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe, Anne Marchetti & Justin Saint