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Kojak (MW)
- and many other leukemia cats I've loved and lost |
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love spreadsheets – not necessarily for financials, but to keep my life organised. I use them for choir, for resources and planning, for past repertoire and reports. I use them to log my own library, to track gifts given and received, to plan holiday trips. And of course, I use them for a whole lot of Sanctuary stuff, especially around my writing work.
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Dell & his beloved Gregory (BC)
- follow all the sub-links for Dell's early story |
When I took over the blog from Claire in the summer of 2014 I didn’t imagine I’d still be doing it more than eleven years later. Claire began the Neko Files blog five years before that, and it played an enormous part in helping me get to know the cats I was working with. It was based on her skills as a photographer, and formatted as three or four short vignettes each week, with pictures and small profiles of the cats who were her models. Photography was not my skill, but I hoped that I could maintain the blog with one weekly offering, with the assistance of other volunteers both in writing and images.
Marianne Moore was a blog contributor till 2018; Pauline Chin from 2018 to 2021; more recently Anne Marchetti has been offering profiles of cats she loves. I have co-written with other volunteers, transcribing or editing their work. But the majority of the work has been mine. The online Blogger tally stands at 1,283 blogs since Claire began, and my spreadsheet indicates that this is my 500th solo blog, with another 100 or so being by other contributors or co-written.
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Sissy (BC)
- I never knew her well, but I can't resist that face! |
I still return to some of the earlier ones, for memories of cats I’ve loved. My Facebook profile pic remains one of Sissy (above), who I met in my first year, initially through Claire’s blog. Clicking through cat profiles can lead from one link to another – the story of Dell’s arrival, and how much of a lovebug he became; the many Leukemia cats like Kojak and Panther, Bingo and Bubba who had lives that were too short, but rich in our love; the memories of the Moore House and both the seniors and the kittens who lived there.
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The magnificent Skittles (MW)
- feral to lap-cat |
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| Sylar - always so shy... (KN) |
I am so grateful to all the photographers whose shots have brought Sanctuary cat images into people’s homes, and especially to the folks who I can message to say “I’m profiling this cat; do you have pics?”,The pictures in this week’s blog are those of Sanctuary heart-cats I have particularly loved. I couldn’t do this without the med-staff (especially Molly) to whom I go to ask for back-stories or details. I love to hear from visitors who tell me they look each week to see who’s been profiled, and from volunteers who let me know that it’s really helped them to get to know the cats. And I especially love it if someone wants to blog a cat they particularly love, for the series.
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Mario and Shrek (CF) - Mario was a cat-magnet
and beloved by all, including hissy Shrek |
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Handsome Bello (KN)
- so scared when he came to us; happily in his own home now. |
I realised recently that there were very few cats left who were here when I began in 2010. Strays and ferals come to us from hardship; sometimes malnourished or injured, and exposed to possible toxins. It’s always hard to lose them. But for every cat we lose, there are probably dozens more, all over the province, who still need sanctuary. Some just need a reset point, like Elvis or Bello, who have gone to safe homes. Others have a home here as long as they need. I am grateful to be part of the work of a great team of volunteers, of our dedicated staff, and of RAPS as an organization. We may not be able to save all the cats, but for every cat saved, our work means everything.
Blog by Brigid Coult
Photos by Brigid Coult, Claire Fossey, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright
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