Sweet GeriCatrics

Senior Hannah still looks young!  (KN)

Volunteers and staff working in the Adoption Centre are used to a steady flow of cats and kittens coming in from fosterage, and leaving when the right adoptive family comes along.  We can celebrate these departures, knowing that they are going to loving homes, and more kittens will always come along.

We've just lost Amelia Earheart  (KN)

But the volunteers and staff in the main Sanctuary area get used to checking the calendar when we sign in, looking for names of cats who have crossed the Bridge that week – sometimes very suddenly (because cats are so good at hiding what is wrong) and sometimes inevitably, as we watch the med staff increase the care for a failing body. Sometimes the losses go in waves – I remember a particularly hard couple of weeks in the spring of 2021 when we lost a dozen cats in a very short time – and sometimes we have weeks of peace and hopefulness.

Under all that fur, Autumn is getting very old-cat-bony  (BC)

The cats I always worry about are the old ones. Age, of course, is relative;  like humans, some cats continue into chronological age like Energizer bunnies, and other are frail at 14 or 15. Early aging may be a factor of the adolescent years; a cat who has been malnourished as a youngster may not have the same stamina as a cat who has enjoyed good health all its life, and many of our seniors are little old ladies who may have used their early growth in nourishing their first (and last) litter of kittens.  Appearance is not always the tell-tale of age; our oldest cat in the Sanctuary at the moment is little orange and white Hannah (sometimes known as Hannah-Banana) who is regularly assessed at being half her age. In fact, she has lived here more than fifteen years, and the vets estimate her as being about nineteen!

Queen Hannah rules  (BC)

Recently we lost little Amelia Earheart from pen 4; Amelia lived most of her life as a touch-me-not feral cat, and only made a sudden U-turn to being handleable two years ago when she had to come into a cage for some medical care.  Amelia’s sister, sweet Willow, is still with us, but is definitely more fragile.  She had a bout with vestibular disease awhile ago, and remains a little tottery, though she doesn’t let it stop her from visiting around the back pens. Usually she can be found on one of the shelves in Waldi’s hut, and we have to be careful to leave furniture where she can safely make the ascent to her favourite bed.

Little Willow gets snugs with her buddy Basil   (BC)

Sometimes aging can produce a change in behaviour. I don’t think we’ve got anyone currently exhibiting vocalizing, but we’ve had a few oldies who wailed when they were confused about where they were, where their friends were, where they should go....  Sweet old Vesper in the Connor building is more vocal, but in his case, it’s probably because he is getting very deaf, and can’t tell how noisy his voice has become. His two much younger girlfriends (Dominique and Butterfingers), keep him active, and don’t seem to object to his loud voice.

Flash is slowing down  (KN)

Flash, in the SingleWide, is sleeping more and more; typically cats will sleep 12-16 hours a day, but that figure increases for both very young and very old cats.  Flash used to live up on the cage-tops, but her disability (she had been attacked by a dog), made it harder and harder to manage ascents and descents, and she made the transition to floor-level last year, and can usually be found sleeping comfortably on one of the lower shelves, or, if she can get there before anyone else, on one of the easy-chairs.

Sweet Pea is interested in contact from "her" people  (KN)

Currently there are two little old ladies on my Front-Courtyard radar – both of them around 16 years old, but looking more frail than the older Hannah. SweetPea came to us as a semi-feral at the far end of the spectrum – “you may look at me but not touch!” Over the years she has become accustomed to us, and especially loves Sunday volunteer Alison Murphy who has taught her that good things come from humans; the trust she gave to Alison now extends to many other people. 

At last, Bricklyn is seeking petting from us  (CM)

The other senior is little Bricklyn who for years could only be seen at dawn and dusk, and hid under the drapes in the Old Rabbit Area. In the last few years she has become braver, and more ready to hover close enough to field her share of tidbits – though only if tossed to her; hand-feeding has not been a possibility, and actual touch was no-go.  In the past month I have found that I can sit beside her and pet her. This situation always gives me conflicting feelings: gratitude that she is allowing contact at all, and sorrow that this is mostly a factor of her senility – she has forgotten that humans are scary creatures.

The boy who allowed grooming in the cage... (BC)

There’s very much the same sort of situation with my sponsor-cat Sylar – I’ve spent more than nine years offering treats and coaxing him into accepting attention, but generally the only time I’ve been able to touch him has been when he’s been caged, and as soon as he’s released, he forgets all about what it feels like to have a human friend. Recently he was again in cage-care to receive meds, and rather than greeting me with hisses, he was more inclined to meow when I visited.  He rubbed and bunted against me, and allowed me to groom him – and I wonder how much of that was because he had moved past feral behaviour, and how much was being old and forgetting his fear. Now that he's out, he is hiding again - though less from me, than from the other pushy cats, who also want treats. When tucked away on his shelf in Waldi's Hut, he allows petting and talk. He’ll probably never be fear-less, but I think his age has much to do with his change in behaviour, and I hope that he will continue to allow physical contact. from the people who love him.

...is now back to hiding in the courtyard  (KN)

We’re always sad to see these signals of aging – but grateful that they give us a chance to make loving moments to hold in our memories when the favourite old cats finally pass.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coulr, Courtney Milburn, Karen Nicholson

November 2025 - Barely 6 months later, and they've all crossed the Bridge. Why do the pets we love have such short lives...?

Tofino

Tofino (KN)

The Cat Sanctuary is the centre of our own feline universe, but throughout the province, and beyond, there are many wonderful rescue organizations working to alleviate the suffering caused by careless or abusive pet owners. We have strong links to Kamloops because of the contact through Sanctuary Manager Valerie, but whenever possible, we try to respond to urgent pleas, wherever they come from. Many of the smaller rescues don’t have the facilities to offer a permanent home to feral cats; they depend on the big hearts of volunteers to provide fostering. And while that can have wonderful results, when a colony of cats is brought into care, that’s a big ask for a small organization.

Wary Tofino...  (KN)

One of the rescues that calls on us occasionally is Cats Cradle rescue, on Vancouver Island. Based in Sidney, they actually serve all the municipalities around Victoria, focusing their work on fostering and adoption. When they have a group of ferals come in, we are one of the resources to whom they turn. Last May I introduced a group of the cats who came from one of their colonies: black Velma and grey Ryan, Bugle and Veruca Salt have all settled pretty comfortably with us. They’re not “tame”, but less wary of contact, and we think slow-and-steady will do the job. Veruca Salt has decided to remain in the Double-Wide; Bugle has relocated to the Newcomers area; Ryan and Velma are pretty free-ranging.

Enjoying the sunshine   (KN)

Others, from different colonies, have scattered: Indigo and River (Styx), Campbell and Nootka are all more feral, and mostly black, so they are hard to identify. Sweet Burt Reynolds has given up all thought of being a feral and has settled into comfort in the DoubleWide. We have a new group of orange tabbies (Tangelo, Valencia, Mandarin and Tangerine) who are still caged. The cat that stands out from the Cats Cradle refugees is a quirky-looking little black-and-white girl called Tofino.

Mmmm..twigs...  (KN)

Tofino is still feral, but she’s more at the “you can look at me, but don’t touch” point on the feral spectrum, rather than like the still-spooked Cranbrook cats. She’s a back-pens girl, tending to hang around pens 3 and 5, and she’s pretty cat-social with most of the others. Her blotchy black and white colouring makes her easy to spot, and she has long ears for the size of her head, with a large ear-tip removal identifying her as a spayed feral.

Always curious  (KN)

She can most often be found with calico Sarah, from another rescue, but Sarah has moved in to the cosy warmth of Pen 3 hut recently, and is no longer quite so available to Tofino. She doesn’t seem to care much; I’ve found her dancing with a leaf near the back gate, doing quick sprints from one pen to another, rolling and playing by herself. Food isn’t much of a motivator, and she ignores the other cats waiting for a handout – which may make it harder to coax her into coming closer; it’s definitely been a strong factor in making other ferals more accepting of our attention.

Endless wonder...  (KN)

But this is where the Cat Sanctuary has an advantage – most rescues have to hope that ferals will tame enough to find homes, or they’re taking valuable foster-space. At RAPS, we can allow ferals like Tofino to be ferals as long as they need; to ease their way into communication with us, or to hold their distance. Cats like Amelia in Pen 4 have spent years refusing our attention, and now, in her old-lady days, she has blossomed into a cat who loves petting and treats. We hope Tofino won’t take that long, but we won’t force it; she’ll come to us when she’s ready, and till then she’ll have our love at a distance.

Blog by Brigid Coult
Photos by Karen Nicholson

Caging Cats

Plum caged for one of her Manx-syndrome bladder infections (MW)

One of the things that visitors love about the Sanctuary – well, we do, too! - is the way that cats roam freely. They can choose whether to be in or out, hidden or in sight, alone or cuddled with a buddy.  There are limitations, of course, the Leukemia (FeLV) cats need to be kept isolated from the general population for everyone’s good, and we keep the AIDS (FIV) cats separate for similar reasons, though, strictly speaking, it’s not essential.

For BB, being in a cage is sanctuary; she's not a fan of other cats  (KN)

But the concern that so many people have before they experience the place is the thought of dealing with cats in cages – and that’s simply not the norm with us.  In fact, some of our cats have come to us from the Adoption Centre because they don’t handle the inevitable cages in that smaller space, and show shelter aggression – as happens to many animals in confined spaces. Elvis, Hunter, Mango, Lunette and many others have settled well now that they are no longer shut in, and can take their time to find the person who is right to adopt them from the Sanctuary, rather than returning to the Adoption Centre.

LittleCat & Menjosie have claimed their cage in the SW,
and do NOT want to be moved   (BC)

Cages are necessary, though. Most of our cats are caged when they first arrive. The caged period gives them a chance to settle, to hide behind a drape if they need to do so, to encounter first the highly cat-savvy med staff, then the calm, encouraging Kitty Comforters, and then the other volunteers, and to learn that no harm will come to them and they’re getting food and care.  This is the period when they get their vaccinations and health checks, and when we get to work out whether we have a scared stray on our hands or a fearful feral. Many scared or angry cats choose to stay in their cage once it's opened; it becomes a place of security for them.

Ariel took a long time to move out of her cage after it was opened (GA)

Cages are also necessary when cats need specific medical attention. For many receiving care, it’s a matter of getting a little plate of something tasty with meds in it, and you will often see the med staff around with a tray of little dishes, watching that a cat eats all its dose (or turns its nose up, because the food is chicken and it wanted fish!). But there are many cats who will not take their meds that way, or who need it syringed into the mouth, or who need eye-drops or cage rest for an injury – and each of the main buildings has cage space, so that cats who need caging can at least have it in a familiar area.

Luke and Bodhi were photographed for Valentines,
while Luke was being caged for insulin adjustments  (LBF)

Sometimes there’s even an advantage to caging. When big tuxedo Luke was diagnosed diabetic, he was one of the semiferals on the DoubleWide Deck. Because he needed twice-daily insulin, he was initially caged so that the med staff could monitor his intake, work out what his favourite foods were and give him his “treat” plate along with his insulin shot. From being a wary boy, Luke decided that he was definitely on to something, and when the cage was opened he decided to stay – after all, that was where the good food was!  And with all those humans who came and fussed over him, Luke became a lap-cat, and persuaded his pal Bodhi that he should join in too. Luke now loves lap-time and fuss – he doesn’t need food-bribery, just love.

Amelia in Pen 4 - anxious eyes, ready to swat  (LBF)

I just spent time this evening with Amelia, similarly caged. Amelia is interesting, because she’s a feral farmcat from Pen 4;  she came in many years ago with her sister Willow and was named Amelia Earheart for her flattened aeroplane-ears. Most of the Pen 4 ferals want nothing to do with us – it takes the patience of Lisa or Catherine to make any headway at all, and it’s measured in inches.  But both Amelia and her friend Annie had to come in for medical care, and while Annie preferred to hide behind the drape, Amelia would emerge at mealtimes and let us know what she thought of this restaurant and the service.  Annie is now back in Pen 4 and still hiding, but Amelia is bunting and preening and talking in a way that makes us wonder how she’ll be when she’s returned to her home pen – will she forget all about her enjoyment of human company and go and hide with her cat-pals, or will she be more like Ranger, and come looking for attention? 

Amelia loving cage-pets  (BC)

The general rule is that if you don’t tame a feral cat within a specific window of time, you probably won’t – but general rules are made to bend, and sometimes a feral will decide that humans are OK, after all.  We do often see it with the old cats – when an old feral becomes friendly, it’s often a side-effect of senility.  But though Amelia’s no spring chicken, she’s got plenty of life in her still, and we would be delighted if the rest of that life was spent enjoying more contact with humans at the Cat Sanctuary.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Graham Akira, Lisa Brill-Friesen, 

Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Ranger

Another traveller from the North-West, Ranger, like orange sibs Titan and Dixie, came to us through the good offices of Masset Animal Helpline

Ranger - KN

The Masset rescue folks know all the local cats - which is why they were so surprised when Ranger appeared one day, in a trap set for another cat. They guess that he was dumped or escaped from a boat that was docked there. He has the sort of muscular build and big jowls of an un-neutered tomcat, and that was the Masset rescue's first job, to get him "fixed". It was clear that he distrusted humans and he was not adoptable, and so he was flown down to us.  Deeply suspicious of us and of this place in which he’d arrived, Ranger crouched in his cage behind a drape and let us know that he did not want to be disturbed.  Gentle approaches from the staff and Kitty Comforters were scorned, and  the decision was finally made that he would join the feral cats in Pen 4.

Don't disturb me! - KN

Most of the cats in Pen 4 take one look at an arriving human, and scatter for cover. Only OJ (always hoping for treats) and Pebble (sister of feral Sandy) will normally allow contact, and both are increasingly willing to approach and interact with a visitor. The others hide in the shrubbery or at the back of the pen.

Only leaves here...   KN

When Ranger joined the group he was equally wary at first, but the dominant tom-cat inside quickly established that this was his territory, and we began to encounter him more often at the gate, letting us know that we were stepping on his turf. He wasn’t actively aggressive, but he was obviously watching us very carefully.

Advancing with suspicion - LBF

In these days of pandemic shut-down, the Kitty Comforter program has been on hiatus, but Ranger became a project for several of the staff and volunteers. Suspicious glaring gave way to curiosity, and closer and closer approaches. Tidbits were gradually accepted directly from the hand, and then he discovered the joys of petting, and of a good ear-rub.

LBF

Grass-stalks became the summer go-to toy for many of the cats, and Ranger was no exception. Despite his stocky body, he plays with the best of them, and he plays hard.  He's becoming more sociable with the other cats, and he and Pebble can often be found hanging out together

Pebble, Ranger (& OJ in the background) - KN

Many of our feral cats end up with us because they’re simply not tameable, and we don’t force them to accept contact with us – that’s why we have pens 3 & 4.  But it’s so satisfying when a cat like Ranger - feral or mistreated - decides that they can trust us. Obviously his earlier experiences with humans were not happy ones, but with us he's discovered that we let him go at his own pace and decide when he want to make contact.

Play with me, please... - KN

It’s starting to look like his confidence is rubbing off on some of the others, because cats who formerly avoided us, like Amelia Earheart, are beginning to join in the grass-stalk play. But
Ranger leads the way – ankle-rubs and petting that would not have been possible six months ago are now the norm – perhaps he’ll decide to try being a lap-cat next!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Pics by Lisa Brill-Friesen & Karen Nicholson

Careen & Willow

Pen 5 is largely inhabited by big cats.
Big floofy cats....

Adam & May - DW

Solid muscular cats...

Rudolph - MW

Cats who definitely could do with losing some weight.

Capilano - MD

And then there are Careen and Willow.
These two sweet grey girls are of the small-but-solid variety.  They came from very different situations, several years ago. Careen comes from the same site as many of the No 8 Pen cats – the Lafarge cement plant in Richmond – but unlike most of them, she was ready to be friendly with humans.  Unfortunately, by the time she came to us, the main shelter was in full swing of kitten season, and there was no room for Careen.

Careen - MW

Because we wanted to keep track of her, she was put in Pen 5, which was closed at that stage, and she quickly settled with her new cat family, though she became much shyer, once away from constant human contact.

Pet me now! - MW

She enjoys wandering the extent of Pen 5, and is much happier now about coming out to meet visitors, and indulging in human attention.

Careen naps - MW

She became the buddy of another little grey girl also from east Richmond.  Willow was a former farm-cat who came in as a typical scared feral who didn’t want human attention.  Her sister is Amelia Earheart, who hides out in Pen 4 with the ferals.

Young touch-me-not Willow in 2013 - PH

However, Willow was one of the cats who developed vestibular disease – a condition of the inner ear which leaves the cat off-balance and nauseous – and the necessary course of cage-care to help her recover had the added advantage of proving to her that humans were less scary than she had thought.

Willow - JK

Like many of the cats with this condition, Willow has been left with a slight head-tilt, which doesn’t seem to affect her movement, but certainly leaves her looking cute!  (Fellow felines Babylon, Tara and Tibet all have a similar head-tilt – though Babylon can turn his head round more like an owl!)

Willow - PH

Both Willow and Careen enjoy gentle attention from visitors. As former ferals, we would be very wary about allowing adoption unless they were to bond with someone – and they might well not adapt well to becoming indoor cats after enjoying the freedom and safety of pen life.

Willow was Miss June in our calendar two years ago! - MW

Their favourite place is to be found on the front step of the cabin, where they happily share a chair and mutual cuddles.

Willow & Careen - KN

The idiom “it’s a dog’s life” is usually taken to mean that life is unpleasant or boring. There is no feline equivalent idiom, but a cat’s life, for Careen and Willow, feels pretty good!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Melanie Draper, Phaedra Hardman, Jennine Kariya, 

Karen Nicholson, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

Amelia Earheart

Amelia Earheart came to the RAPS sanctuary as a feral youngster with her sister Willow. Both were frightened of humans, but while Willow would climb like a spider along the mesh in the Teens area to get away, Amelia Earheart would express her fright with ears flattened defensively sideways -- what some call "airplane ears."

Later, both cats were moved to the BC Packers pen in the back yard. Willow made good progress and is now willing to accept strokes from human friends. Ann had been working on taming both siblings together, but this work was interrupted by Amelia Earheart's daring escape under the fence and into the neighbouring pen. This pen is home to ferals even shier than she is, and she seemed to be much happier there, so RAPS staff decided to let her stay where she was.

Amelia Earheart still runs away and stares from a safe distance if approached by a human, but seems quite content with her cat friends. Here she is with Lillian.