Kamloops Catz 2: Lots of Orange

Persimmon  (JS)

In last week’s blog, the bonded cats from the Kamloops colony were introduced.  That's not to say that the other cats don't show bonds with each other;  there's a lot of crossing of groups, and assorted cuddle-puddles, but those five cats are the most consistent in their choice of company.

Persimmon  (VW)

Of the other darker orange cats, the dominant personality has to be Persimmon.  Right from the beginning, she was the brave one; though not tame, she was ready to approach us and allow contact. She’s probably the most identifiable of the long-haired oranges – the largest of them in both size and build. She exudes a matriarchal presence, though as far as we know, they’re all similar ages. She is probably also the most comfortable with being on her own.

I'm big, and I'm cute!  (KN)

Persimmon is ready to interact gently with visitors at the weekends, either from the cuddle-puddle in the Tea Room, or from a favourite perch on the cat-tree outside. She enjoys petting, and is not wary of strangers if they’re clearly cat-people.  Every now and then she will join the other cats in a wander down to Pen 5 for a little visit there, and then she’ll make her way back to her cosy bed.

Billy  (KN)

Short-haired Billy is her orange opposite.  He is something of a fraidy-cat. He prefers to avoid contact with humans, and manages by staying mainly in Pen 5, which especially in the summer becomes a playground for many of the Kamloops cats. 

Billy in his own home  (KN)

The shelves in the cabin are well-occupied, and Billy tends to be outside, sleeping in one of the straw-filled dog-kennels nearby. He is an observer rather than a participant, but can occasionally be drawn into play with a wand toy.

Cheeto looking judgemental  (KN)

The other two long-haired orange boys are Cheeto and Kumquat. Cheeto has the same sort of pointy face as dark brown Chaga – possibly they’re brothers. He’s all orange with a white tail-tip, and he has a tiny dot on his nose.  For me, Kumquat, who’s a little smaller, is “the other orange cat” – if I can’t positively ID him as one of the others, it has to be Kumquat. 

Kumquat (MW)

He’s a part-of-the-group boy, usually found in company with the other cats and often looks anxious, like Mercury (another orange boy but from a quite different colony, living in Pen 1).

There was one other orange girl – Ginger – but sadly, she passed suddenly last September.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint, Valerie Wilson, Michele Wright

Most of the other orange cats are much paler in colour, so I’ve grouped them together in next week’s blog, which I’ve called Blondes have More Fun.

Oodles of Orange

Billy, Buffy, Kumquat (LBF)

Pen 6 has become an important area of transition at the Cat Sanctuary. It’s a fairly small pen, but right at the beginning of the back pen complex – so there is lots of activity around.  Five years ago it was designated as the home for a colony of cats who had come to us from a Sunshine Coast shelter that was closing. We remember those cats with love – especially sweet Simba, and PawPaw

Simba and PawPaw (MW)

As they acclimated, or were moved to other areas, or adopted, we were able to move them out, close the pen for a clean-out, and prepare it for the Candy Cats’ arrival in the fall of 2017. With the exception of sweet Skittles, who has passed, these cats are still with us.  No orange cats in this bunch – the closest we have is the hint of gold in the agouti colouring of shy Hershey.

Hershey (LBF)

Two years later, the Candy Cats were moved out to make room for another influx of cats when RAPS trapped a total of nearly 60 cats and kittens from one colony.  Most of the kittens were fostered and adopted, but we had a group of teens who were too old to tame easily.  Most of them were black or tortie, but orange Mercury proved to be a very shy twin for Sprocket, living in the back courtyard.

Mercury (LBF)

These cats were very skittish for some time and it wasn’t until the following year that the determined work of the Kitty Comforters began to pay off. Most of them have relocated to Pen 1, and will likely remain semi-feral, and wary, but Aphrodite, the boldest of them, has found her own home where she can be tortie queen.

Aphrodite (KN)

And now Pen 6 is full again – and this time it’s an influx of (mostly) orange kitties from outside Kamloops, from a situation where TNR was needed, but in the end, the rescue felt that the cats really needed rescuing – and so they have ended up in our care.

Kelvin & Billy (LBF)

For the first few weeks there were just seven of them – Persimmon, Kumquat, Billy, Kelvin, Buffy, Goldie and a lone tabby, Juniper.  

Persimmon (KN)

Persimmon is the bravest of them, coming to investigate a visitor, talking and flirting. She’s something of a show-off on the shelf along the front wall.   Where Persimmon is, Kumquat is not far behind. Though he’s not ready for me to touch him, I know he’s allowed ear scritches from other volunteers. Kelvin will come and sit beside me, as long as I don’t reach out.  

Goldie, Kumquat & Billy (KN)

The others are all still very wary; they can be touched when they're tucked away in their cabin beds, but they now prefer to take cover in the many hiding places we’ve left in the pen. They particularly like the playhouse in the southeast corner of the pen, and are equally charmed by the prospect of playing on the tarp that protects the playhouse roof

Buffy (and Kelvin) camping on the tarp (KN)

They have just been joined by another five from the same colony: Cheddar, Creamsicle, Chamomile, Barley and Chaga (two more oranges, two greys and a black) - more introductions to follow in a subsequent blog!
We're all looking forward to getting to know them better as they become more relaxed in their new home.

Persimmon is already relaxed! (VW)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Karen Nicholson, Valerie Wilson, Michele Wright