Wasabi

Wasabi (KN)

RAPS visitors are often astonished to learn that there are many regions in BC with a serious feral cat problem – a problem that always begins with the carelessness of humans. The older folks among us may remember an upbringing where there were barn cats, or indoor-outdoor cats as a matter of course, and often there were the inevitable kittens. Nobody tracked the growth of cat-colonies, and spay-neuter was often considered an “extra”. Now, of course, we know just how vital spay-neuter is in controlling the growth of such colonies, but all too many regions and municipalities don’t take any responsibility for that, and it’s left to the efforts of local, mostly volunteer-led rescues, operating on minimal budgets.

Wary boy  (BC)

RAPS is a resource to many of those rescues. We can’t take great numbers of their cats, because each one costs us money too, but we can sometimes offer an option that means that a cat will live, rather than die.  One of the rescues we have sometimes worked with is Foster Kritters Feral Cat Rescue, in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island. They don’t have a website, but I am linking their Facebook page here.   As their name implies, they focus on finding at least temporary solutions for the ferals that come into their care. The primary predators on the Island are cougars and Vancouver Island wolves – unlike the mainland, where feral cats are a tasty treat for coyotes - and there are colonies of ferals near many populated areas. Cats living alone and unprotected have very short life-spans; cats living in a colony that has been spayed/neutered and that is supervised to some degree by human care may live more than 10 years.

Occasionally playful  (BC)

Wasabi came to us in 2024 from Foster Kritters. He was a feral boy either trapped during a TNR operation, or rescued from within an existing colony – they noticed that his leg was injured, and a local vet did a necessary amputation. The question then was what to do with this tripod/tri-paw’d cat. If released to his colony, he was at greater risk because of his disability. But he was sufficiently feral that keeping him as an indoor cat was not an option – he was very fearful of humans.  Option three was to send him to RAPS, and he arrived in June 2024, with an estimated age of around 8 years.

Caleb with Wasabi  (BC)

Initially, his fear meant that we rarely encountered him outside post-supper social time with the dusk drawing on. But he obviously enjoys the company of other cats, rubbing and rolling with them. He has a particular “thing” for handsome Caleb. Caleb came to us with his buddy Mozart back in spring of 2019, and was one of a group we ended up calling “the teens” – too old to tame easily, and in fact they all resisted it, and have become Front Courtyard fixtures. They are comfortable enough around us, but wary of too much closeness with humans. Wasabi adores Caleb, and follows him around the courtyard, moving in for a little bunting whenever possible. Caleb is tolerant, but I don’t think it’s a balanced relationship - it reminds me of Ringo and Zivko, five years ago in the Back Courtyard – one easy-going, and one very needy...

A little affectionate grooming - though it's
Wasabi who really needs grooming assistance!  (BC)

However, Wasabi has also discovered something that moves him out of Caleb’s orbit. Caleb is not very food-motivated, but Wasabi adores chicken, and when tidbits are on offer, he’s quick to join the crowd. Initially he was very cautious, with the result that his mouthfuls got stolen by other more determined cats; now he’s more ready to put himself front and centre, and to grab whatever’s offered. He’s not ready yet to accept it from the hand (though he will sometimes smack it out of that hand!), but he’s getting braver, and as long as he’s not in contention with Cuddles or Sparrow, he usually gets what he aims for.

Handsome Guacamole  (BC)

Of our four Sanctuary cats who have just three legs apiece, only Guacamole, in the back courtyard, is generally known to people. He is very popular on visiting day, and happy to demonstrate how fast he can run, or how well he can get onto a table without his missing back leg slowing him down much. He was adopted out last year, and recently returned;  while his adopters loved him, and did all the right things, he was not happy away from the Sanctuary, and since returning, has just slotted back into place.

Chutney & Marmalade  (BC)

The other three tri-pawds, all in the Front Courtyard, are much shyer. Tubby little Marmalade may occasionally be encountered on her bed in the Yellow Shed, but once disturbed, she is quick to vanish to a hiding place. Chutney is the youngest of the four, like Marmalade, arriving with us in 2022, and she prefers to be safely hidden behind a drape in the Old Rabbit Area during the day, though she emerges quickly at supper-time, especially when her favourite volunteer, Carol, is serving the food. 

Jumping onto a stool is manageable...   (KN)

Like Guacamole and Marmalade, Wasabi’s is a back leg amputation. Guacamole is strong and hasn’t let his disability slow him down; Marmalade is a good bit slower, probably because she’s a bit chonky! We know that Guacamole’s leg was amputated because of an infection caused by an injury, and that all his leg was removed – presumably to reduce the spread of infection. Wasabi’s amputation is lower down, and it’s obvious when you see him walk, that he is still trying to use the limb above the amputation site, which throws him off balance.  This was also true for two of our HIV boys – Trooper, who was adopted a couple of years ago, and Kicks, who is in fosterage – both are front-leg amputations, at the elbow rather than at the shoulder. Leaving a nub makes perfect sense for a human, who will need the limb to anchor a prosthesis. I don’t think anyone has made a prosthesis for a cat, though, and it would be interesting to know if there is any general veterinary protocol around how much of a limb should be amputated for maximum quality of life.

Big eyes, begging for chicken!  (BC)

We also need to keep an eye on Wasabi, who doesn’t seem to be able to groom himself very well, and like most ferals, doesn’t take kindly to contact with grooming tools. He was one of many cats this past spring who benefited from Gracelyn’s skills with the clippers – but it needed help from some gentle sedation. In Wasabi’s case, even though he’s short-haired, the fur on his back mats into clumps, and he ended up with a saddle-shaped shaved area that is now growing back. We’ll have to see if his sudden passion for chicken tidbits will help us coax him into accepting some grooming maintenance, or if he amasses enough clumps that he needs another shave next spring.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson