Captain Jack

Captain Jack - "CJ"   (BC)

In the spring of 2023 we took in a group of cats from Foster Critters in Duncan who were all FIV+. We thought it was likely that they were, in fact, all related: one-eyed mama-cat Marble, Simon and Smalls, and Biggie, who might have been son or sire. Smalls was black; all the others were orange tabbies. About a year later we added two more orange boys from the same rescue; it’s likely there were family genetics there. Junior went to join his cousins/siblings in New Aids;  Captain Jack went to the Val Jones pen.

Courtyard snoozing  (BC)

So why split them up? Sadly, Captain Jack (or CJ, as he is commonly known) is one of those cats who has been discovered to have bladder crystals. This is predominantly a male-cat thing; the feline urethra is so narrow that any obstruction can totally block the bladder, and unless it’s spotted in time, the cat dies in great pain. Surgery is expensive; luckily the typical crystals that make the blockage can be dissolved with the right diet. So the Val Jones has become the Urinary corner even though some of the cats pre-date that designation; Jim has lived there since 2019; Minuet and Virginia, as females, are not as likely as the boys to have bladder blockages,  but everyone eats the special food that will keep a few of them safer. Merran was moved over from the SingleWide when his problem was diagnosed; the Val Jones is an FIV+ pen, but FIV+ and FIV- cats can cohabit easily enough. We separate the FIV+ ones so we can keep an extra careful eye on their health, not because we need to protect the other cats from them.

Life is serious...   (BC)

Unlike the other felines in the Sanctuary, the Val Jones cats don’t get all excited when visitors arrive because the red cups containing treats have to be left in between the gates. There are some special treats allowed for bladder-crystal diets, but in fact the cats are quite happy to have petting/grooming attention with no extra food.

CJ, when he first came to us  (KN)

Captain Jack was about three years old when he came to us in April 2024. Initially he was a bit of a bully with the other cats – he’s the biggest of the VJ residents, and maintained the dominance. We will sometimes see this in the early years – teenagers pushing boundaries, which includes bugging the people/cats around them. If the calculations about CJ’s age are correct, that would make him late 20s in human years – and we all know that some young men like to maintain that macho attitude.  We know that he’s not had an easy time;  the life of a feral cat is rarely a long one, especially for the un-neutered males who are driven by their hormones. CJ’s records from the previous rescue noted that while cleaning up a facial abscess, they had to remove lead from his jaw and suspected that he had been shot in the face. 

Playing with his buddy Jim  (BC)

Now no longer at the mercy of his hormones, CJ has come to tolerate the cats around around him.  No small part of this is the work of Jim, who is a relentless lover.  Jim came to us with his beloved Frank (we called them FrankenJim), and when Frank passed, Jim mourned, but didn’t shut off his love. He was often found snuggling with Minuet in her early scared days with us; he befriended shy Merran: he cuddled with Magnus (now passed) even when it was the last thing Magnus wanted. And when CJ came along, Jim had a new target. The two of them play-wrestle, they snuggle under the lamp and they share a chronic cold which seems to pass from one to the other and back again. I think most of the cuddle-drive still comes from Jim, but CJ now enjoys it.

Loving laptime with Justin  (JS)

The Val Jones area remains a lovely quiet place to visit some favourite cats. CJ has his own favourite humans, and though he is not commonly a lap-cat, he is quick to claim time with Justin, the volunteer who has many of the other cats queueing up for comforting snuggles. After scary teenage years in a feral colony, with humans shooting at him, CJ is discovering that Sanctuary life is the best thing ever!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson & Justin Saint