Foster to Adopt

Mango will be wearing an "I am adoptable" bandana  (KN)

As its name implies, the RAPS Adoption Centre is the place to go when you’re looking for a cat. Kittens come from fosterage when they’re old enough to get all their immunizations, and both foster-parents and Kitty Comforters have made sure that they’re well socialized.  Other older cats come in – sometimes from trapping strays who then make it clear that they’re tame and home-able; sometimes when someone surrenders a cat because of their own illness or age. There is never a lack of cats looking for a home.

Elvis has his favourite people for cuddles  (LBF)

...which is where the Sanctuary comes in. There have been occasions when the Adoption Centre is just too full, and cats have been transferred into our care.  Some of our older cats – the Pen 2 cats in particular – came to us that way, and just never went back.

Sam loves attention - as long as there are no other cats around  (LBF)

Other cats don’t do very well in the Adoption Centre surroundings – I suspect it’s just too intense for them. They have to be caged at night, and for those that are out during the day, it’s not easy to avoid personality clashes. Sam, Elvis, Mango and many others, all moved to the Sanctuary to give them some relief from a situation in which they demonstrated cage aggression. Many of them are cats that would do really well in a home with space to explore – especially if they were The One and Only Cat.

Cornelius & Holly  (LBF)

A third category of cats is those who have come to us as ferals or semi-ferals, and who have proved to be very friendly and adaptable. The thing with most of these cats is that they’re used to having the run of the Sanctuary, and we can’t always track their bathroom habits. Many cats prefer to use the litter boxes we scoop twice daily – but others prefer the garden, and are not necessarily indoor-adaptable, even when they’re friendly. With some of the shyer cats, we would prefer that they are adopted in pairs, so that they continue to live with another cat they already know.

Dango needs diet-specific living....  (KN)

The last category of adoptables is the cats with a manageable health issue. Our sweet Dango, for instance, throws up bladder crystals and really needs to be on a carefully restricted urinary diet – but that’s difficult to achieve in community living without making him live in a cage. Right now, Dango’s been moved into the Val Jones pen, with a smaller number of cats – and they’re ALL on a urinary diet, whether they need it or not.

FeLV cat Adria is young, playful and sociable (BC)

Cats with FIV or FeLV - feline AIDS or feline leukemia virus - may also be adoptable, though there are more stringent restrictions around care. Cats with FIV can do very well in a home, even with non-FIV cats, as long as there is no fighting among them.  Cats with FeLV can live with other FeLV cats, or alone. Both conditions need more awareness of health-checks and of the cat's immune system, though in both cases, the virus can go into remission.

Sweet old Akiva is really unhappy around other cats (KN)

We’ve always been wary about adopting out Sanctuary cats – there have been bad experiences with former ferals who have reverted when put into new surroundings. But increasingly we’re looking at the more sociable cats and how they react to or bond with a visitor, and asking ourselves whether this might be a possible adoption.  With the Adoption Centre cats, we know that they can go into a new home and settle easily; with the Sanctuary cats we are more cautious. So the focus moves to “Foster-To-Adopt” – an adoption is not confirmed until we know that both cat and adopter are happy, and that the situation is working all round.  In some cases – perhaps with an older cat like Akiva, or one who needs more medical care – it might remain a fostering situation indefinitely.

Tabby Hunter is picky about his human company  (KN)

So, if you come to visit us this summer – Sunday afternoons, starting April 16, and then Saturdays as well from mid-May – do ask the staff about the possible foster-to-adopt cats, and take some time to sit with them and make their acquaintance.  There are many who love life in the Sanctuary – but who would love even more to have a home of their own.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson

Choosing a Laptop

Bill, in New Aids, loves his laptime with Mel  (MD)

So you’re thinking about getting a new laptop? What’s important to you? Weight? Flexibility? User-friendly? There are so many models from which you can choose – and they’re all at the Cat Sanctuary!

The Single-Wide lapful  (JS)

As the song says (and we all know the pain) – “I can’t right now; I’ve a cat on my lap!” - lap-sitting with a cat is the perfect way of doing nothing and getting all the feels for it! But there are many different styles of lap-sitting.

Magnus says, "Come and sit with me NOW!"  (MW)  

There are cats like Magnus who climb into your lap and just settle there – no twitching or wriggling – just letting you know that you are now their comfy place, and you are NOT TO MOVE.

Adria LOOOVES lap-time - though it may not be restful   (BC)

There are the cats who want to be on your lap, but who wriggle and squirm to make sure they have all your attention; they want petting, but they don’t necessarily want to be held.

Oh, that smile....    (JS)

There are the cats like Roe who are advanced lap-sitters, blissed out by caresses, even allowing belly-rubs – and who will happily hog all your time. Roe is jealous if anyone else gets Justin’s attention before her.

"Can I come up now?" Bossanova is needy  (KN)

There are the lap-standers – they want to be up, but they don’t want to relax. Our sweet late Sara Lee was another lap-stander – and even when old and creaky, made determined efforts to struggle into volunteers laps at coffee time, though without ever settling. Bossanova can be coaxed into lying down with a bit of a belly-rub.

Cuddles with Jasmine need planning   (KN)

There are the cats with whom it’s wise to have a towel as padding – our leaky manx cats are loving and seek attention, but plan ahead to protect your clothing!

Sitting VERY still with JJ   (BC)

There are the cats who leap for your lap, but who do NOT want much in the way of touch! At coffee time, the human frozen postures tell who has JJ or Sophie sitting on them – both girls are reactive around hands, and stillness is appreciated.

KitKat is less interested in laps  (JS)

For some, laps are less an attraction than shoulders - KitKat is a determined shoulder-sitter!

Huey doesn't want Daphne to move  (DJ)

For others, the idea of the lap is nice, but they don’t actually want to be on it. Huey likes it best when he can sit on the couch beside you, and keep a possessive paw on you lap so that nobody else will claim it.

Elvis leads the lap-loading - 
Selena and Bear want in on it as well  (BC)

And for cats like Elvis, the lap is only the foundation to get as high on the chest as possible, so that he can gaze into your eyes, put his paws around your neck, and tell you how much he loves you.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Melanie Draper, 

Daphne Jorgenson, Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint, Michele Wright

Lots of Leukemia Cats

 

Jane   (BC)

In “the bad old days”, when a cat was blood-tested with an FeLV+ diagnostic result, that was Bad News; most shelters would put the cat down immediately.  Both FeLV and FIV were conditions that cannot be “cured” but only treated empirically.  There are vaccines for both, but they don’t help the cat who already has the condition.

Hutch in hiding  (KN)

We know much more about both viruses now, and neither has to be a death sentence.  Many of our FIV cats live quite long lives, and can find loving homes if they are either solo cats or if they get along well with feline companions. Leukemia cats should only live with other leukemia cats – but with care, they can live well and happily.

Krinkle  (BC)

But there are still many shelters who simply don’t have the space or the facilities to hold a cat for any length of time till a home is found, and there is still much ignorance about what is entailed in having a cat with either condition.  For cats in that situation, there is RAPS Cat Sanctuary. Since we opened, we have consistently had groups of cats brought to us from other jurisdictions, and the numbers come and go. Sometimes we have more FIV cats; sometimes there are more with leukemia. The former condition is common among feral males, depending on how much fighting there is;  the latter may occur anywhere, but is less common, though more deadly.

Wilco  (BC)

Feline leukemia eventually kills most persistently infected cats within three years of diagnosis. The virus most commonly causes lymphoma or anemia, but because it suppresses the immune system, the cats are susceptible to other infections – hence our care with sanitizing before working with them.  Some cats may test positive on blood tests when they are young kittens but test negative later on if their immune system has been able to eliminate the infection. Similarly, some cats may test negative at one point and test positive later on, as the virus progresses through various stages in the body. We have had leukemia cats who have lived quite long lives with us (I’m thinking of Ooly, who lived to the age of 18); some cats have body systems that manage to suppress the virus, and that is always our hope, especially with the younger cats.

Pewter  (LBF)

Currently, we’re at an upswing in numbers with new leukemia cats coming in to us. Pauline introduced us to Banff and Creston not long ago, and they have settled well and made themselves at home; a visitor is instantly welcomed and lap time demanded.  Other arrivals are out and about in the leukemia area, but are very wary about contact with humans.  Krinkle and Pewter prefer to stay high up and out of reach;  blond Hutch is an expert at finding hiding places;  Khaya is timid, but approachable; Furgie is comfortable running around with the other three black cats. Recent arrivals include a trio who have come from Calgary – Adria, Wilco and Jane are all young and friendly and will do well when they are released from their introductory cage-stays.  

Adria  (BC)

There may be no cure yet for FeLV, but with constant monitoring and quick reactions by the medical staff, who watch for signs like weight loss, fevers, eye and mouth conditions, we will do our best to keep these sweet newcomers in the best condition we can manage, and give them lots of love as we do so.  And we’ll look forward to profiling them as individuals, so that through the blog, you can love them too.

Khaya    (CP)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Carol Porteus, Karen Nicholson