Large Ladies Looking for Love

For most of our existence, we have categorised the Sanctuary cats as being unadoptable – and for the majority of them that is still the case. A series of blogs several years ago  (Jan 2015) introduced the unadoptable categories – the ferals, the behaviour problems, the health problems, the semi-ferals – and also introduced some potential adoptables.  Many of those have lived at the Sanctuary long enough that we are reluctant to uproot them to the 5 Road Shelter, and still more reluctant to let them go to any but the perfect home for them – i.e.to someone with whom they have truly bonded.  But every now and then that perfect person comes to visit, and cat and human fall in love with each other.  Often the human is a regular volunteer, and the bond has grown over time. But sometimes it’s just a visitor who comes every Sunday to spend time with the cat they love.

Cookie 

Recent discussions have led to increased willingness to be open to adoptions, or to fostering in some cases, and there is now a list on the RAPS website at rapsbc.com under the shelter & adopt menu. Sunday visits to meet possible cats, an adoption approval from the City Shelter (all the paperwork happens there) and then discussions with the Sanctuary Manager and the med staff mean that the process may take a bit longer than a regular adoption, but we hope the end result will be happy.
The cats I’d like to introduce you to here are all adoption prospects, they all have their quirks, and they could all do with a loving home, a little dietetic control and some encouragement to exercise!  One of the problems at the Sanctuary is that cats have different style of eating, and we have to have some dry food out all the time – which is not necessarily good for cats that put on weight.

Marble

Marble is one of our older girls; she has lived in the Moore House (“gericatrics”) for about six years, and we reckon she’s probably around 14 years old. She’s much less cranky than she used to be; a recent encounter with a visitor saw her lying on the floor to cuddle his boot, and loving the attention she was getting.

Heidi

Her next door neighbours are in New Aids. Most of our Aids cats are male; Heidi and Tia are two of the  four females. Heidi’s tortie colouring is almost as dark as Marble’s but she has quite a lot of white, which qualifies her as a calico. What we now know about Aids in cats is that they can live full lives, and in conjunction with non-Aids cats, as long as there’s no fighting. Her room-mate is tabby Tia, quiet and shy. Tia came from a shelter on Vancouver Island, having lost her home when her owners moved. Anne, who heads up the Kitty Comforters, says Heidi and Tia are both real dears. They just don't like the close company of the other cats (Heidi even more so than Tia, maybe because Tia has had longer to get used to the rest of the kitties?) Heidi is affectionate, loves to have you sit with her and pet her forever. Although she does enjoy her nap time, she'll get up to greet you when you arrive or if you call to her. She's not shy with any visitors, and willing to meet anyone who wants to give her some lovin'.

Tia was not amused being a Christmas decoration prop! 

Tia is also a sweet affectionate cat, friendly and fairly quiet, trying to find some space of her own away from the other cats. She enjoys being pampered and having lots of human attention. Both cats would like nothing better than being doted on by a favorite human. They would both make lovely companions and family members, just not in the same family - only one cat per household would be best.

Carla 

Carla and her sister Cookie came in together, and they have to qualify as the largest cats we have.  The med staff regularly take Carla on walks, much to her disgust – she’d much rather find a quiet shelf and curl up.  When she first came she was really cranky – the crank is now considerably dialed back and she’s willing to accept attention (as long as it doesn’t immediately involve exercise!).  We think that with the right home, she might become a loving companion.

Cookie - with summer highlights 

Cookie is much sweeter, but equally sedentary – we’re holding off on her adoption prospects for now till she gets some treatment for her ear polyps. Her favourite thing is lying in the sun - and by the end of the summer her brown fur has reddish highlights.

Mookie

Mookie was adopted out from 5 Road and came back super-sized!  This sweet girl is picky in the humans she likes, and has no hesitation in letting us know she hates ALL cats.  She has claimed a cage in the Double-Wide, and lets the other cats know very clearly that this is her territory.  She does explore a bit, but always returns to her turf. Mookie needs someone who will take time to earn her trust, and who will promise her a loving home with no other intruders – a bit of grooming, a promise of snuggles, a careful diet, and you’ll have a wonderful companion. She reminds me of a less aggressive version of Buster, who was adopted a couple of years ago, and is the complete cuddle-cat nowadays.

Mookie being cute

These are all cats who really need attention and love, and who struggle with communal living at the Sanctuary. For most of our cats, Sanctuary life is a joy; sadly, these ladies are not cut out for it and need a home where they can be the centre of attention from their very own human.

Blog by Brigid Coult

All photos by Michele Wright

Update from Pen 6

Last summer I introduced a group of cats who had come in to us and had taken up residence in Pen 6. There has been quite a bit of in-and-out from that pen, and I thought readers might like an update.
The two big black girls, Cookie and Carla, came out of the pen. Crabby Carla was making everyone else’s life miserable, and it was hoped that we might be able to get their weight under control.  They were caged together for a while and then released. Sister-love did not prove a dominating force, and the two split up. Carla has established herself on the double-wide deck with the semi-ferals there; she continues as crabby as ever.

Cookie - MW

Cookie can usually be found in the volunteer tea-room, and appreciates human attention. Both are still large – it’s very difficult to restrict food in the Sanctuary set-up, and we rely mostly on getting large cats moving a bit more. Carla apparently likes to play, so volunteers are encouraged to use wand-toys with her.

Laredo - BC

Old Tana passed in the fall., but in happier news, a few of the original inhabitants have been adopted: Mrs Trotzki, Doodlebug and Rebecca have all got their own homes now, and we couldn’t be happier for them!   We were told that Rebecca and Laredo were a bonded pair, but saw no sign of it, and she was such a sociable people-cat that splitting them up wasn’t hard. Laredo is cautiously friendly with people, but is also known to swat occasionally, and he seems to have settled in with the rest of the Pen 6 inhabitants.

Sophia - MW

Grey and white Sophia went to the Shelter too, but had health problems, which have taken a while to deal with; medical attention has not left her happy to receive other attention, and she does not welcome the prospect of a good grooming, which she needs! She’s now living in the Moore House with the oldies!

Blue - MW

Still with us are Blue, Simba and PawPaw. Blue is not sociable with the other cats, but enjoys human attention on his own terms. He likes to be above and behind me when I am sitting with one of the other cats in my lap,  and he plays in my hair. He’s a lap-cat in a limited way; you can have him on your lap, but don’t touch too much!

PawPaw - MW

Simba - MW

Simba continues to be a greeter and a lover; he adores attention, except for the grooming kind, which, like Sophia, he needs. Some cats just matt very easily, and I suspect Simba may be sporting a lion cut when the weather warms,  Sweet PawPaw proved to be diabetic; now we have his insulin under control he is no longer looking so fragile.

Faith - BC

Other cats from the same source have joined them; they include white Faith, who tends to be the cat who walks by herself – for the first few months of her time with us she preferred to live in one of the outside kennels rather than mingle with the other cats. The cold weather has driven her in, and she’s tolerating them now.  Crackers is a calico, but one with a lot of black in her fur patterning, and cautiously friendly. The two tuxedos are handsome Troy, and the rather older and less glamorous (but very cuddly) Mabel.

Crackers - MW

Troy & Mabel - MW

All these cats came to us from a private shelter which is now closing down, and another six of them have just arrived at the Sanctuary, with the promise of at least a dozen more to come. We’ll be working to make more space for incoming cats – and more space to introduce them in the Neko Blog

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Michele Wright

January 2018 - Crackers, Troy and Mabel all went for adoption in the past year and are happily settled in their fur-ever homes. We were saddened to lose Laredo suddenly and unepectedly

Feline Weightwatchers

Cats, like humans, come in all shapes and sizes. We have our share of little cats (like Marilee, Shady, Emily…) all of whom are far from being kittens; they’re just small slim cats.  But we also have our share of the plus-size cats, and just like humans, we need to consider whether the plus-sizing is a health issue, or just the way the cat is.

Capilano & Chinook - MW

When we had Pen 5 closed, it was more noticeable how many of those cats were large-size varieties. Chinook, Adam, May, Capilano – none of them were shrimps. With some concern for their size, their food was changed to a higher-protein variety, but they liked it so much, they just ate more of it and seemed to gain more weight!  We soon reverted to the ordinary variety...  Now that Pen 5 is open, some of them are getting around a bit more, and with the constant stream of feline visitors, the concentration of large cats in there is no longer so obvious.

Sid - BC

Being overweight, in cats as in humans, can lay them open to a variety of health concerns. Both Sid and Marmalade are plus-size and are also diabetic; med-staff monitor them carefully to make sure their insulin levels are under control.

Carla & Cookie - BC

As with humans, there are two important parts to weight-control: diet and exercise. At the Sanctuary, there is always dry food out for the sake of the shyer cats who don't want to eat at mealtimes, or who don't like the wet food. So the only way to control intake is to cage the cat – and that obviously then cuts out the possibility of exercise. Newcomers Cookie and Carla are decidedly tubby – Carla can be a bit crabby with cats and sometimes with humans, but she likes to play, and volunteers are encouraged to get her moving as much as possible.

Deety - MW

Any visitor to the double-wide trailer knows Deety; this boy likes to stay on his shelf in the laundry-room, but it was noticed that his size increased and his ease of movement decreased. Med-staff Catherine would take him down to the back gate and encourage him to walk back; Deety now not only comes down by himself, but occasionally comes out and visits in the back courtyard (especially when he feels that the dinner service is a little late)

Eiffel - BC

Another newcomer is Eiffel – this 26-lb boy is not just tubby, he’s a LARGE cat (and a very sweet one); currently caged while he’s in the settle-in phase, he should be out in the general population soon.

Autumn & Lorelei - MW

Sometimes with the long-haired cats it’s hard to tell whether it’s fluff or pounds. Looking at Lorelei and Autumn in the front courtyard, you could be excused for thinking we have too many tubby tabbies; a little petting quickly establishes that a lot of Autumn is fluff and Lorelei is solid!

Buster: preparing for the Westminster Cat Show - ML

When volunteer Maureen blogged about her beloved Buster recently, she also wrote about Buster’s size issues.
Buster was contacted by his vet’s office with a proposal to join their “Biggest Loser” contest.  We of course accepted as he is weighing in at 10.85kg (24lbs) and he is not getting any younger.  I have had Buster on a grain-free diet for a year now but to no avail.  We have found this food makes him hungrier and of course I succumb to his demands when he is hungry!  Knowing that Buster was an unwilling participant and disliked trips to the vet he participated by Skype. I brought him in  to have all of his tests done (which of course he had to be sedated for) get his nails clipped and a nice little haircut for the summer. After the full stats were analyzed Buster’s goal was to lose 13lbs over a 37 week period. 

"I am lovin' my new haircut..." - ML

We started Buster on his new food – which contains more fibre to allow him to feel fuller longer and he seems to be okay with the transition. We do of course reach his quota by 2:00pm though…baby steps, baby steps...

A phone-call recently from the vets told us that Buster was their “Biggest Loser” for the July/August period, having lost an astonishing 12% of his body-fat (1.3kg/2.9lbs) and I went down to collect his prize.

(the next update will be Buster showing off his new Speedo)

Blog by Brigid Coult & Maureen Lahaise

Photos by Brigid Coult, Maureen Lahaise, & Michele Wright

Pen 6 Newcomers

Usually the Sanctuary cats come in to us in ones and twos – whether as trapped ferals or as owner-surrenders. The last time we had a significant group was back in the spring of 2012 when the ten Heinz cats came to us – all of them older cats from a gentleman who had gone into hospice care.  All those cats have passed over in the intervening years, with the exception of Bellestar, who was always the most fragile, but who is still hanging in there!

Pen 6 entry - BC

We’ve recently taken in another group from an owner going into care. Again, they’re mostly older cats, and therefore don’t have great adoption prospects, but it was felt it was better to bring them into the Sanctuary together and only move them to 5 Road if space opens up. This is a delightful bunch of cats. They are (mostly) sociable and enjoy interacting with humans; some are a little shy and many needed dental and grooming attention.  Today’s blog will introduce them, and I hope as we get to know them better that we may have some individual profiles.

PawPaw - MW

PawPaw immediately decided that we were a Good Thing – especially when he was offered chicken!  He was a little heartache for some of us – he looks so like (semi)feral Rusty in Pen 4, who died a few months back.

Tana - BC

Tana is probably one of the oldest of the cats; she was very matted and didn’t allow more than a patchy shave-job. This little girl undoubtedly needs more dental care to feel comfortable.

Carlie (on guard); Cookie - BC

There are two short-haired black cats in the group, similar in general body-shape (i.e. tubby), but very different in personality. Cookie has a shorter tail and is shy but quite friendly; Carla, with white whiskers, is not a happy camper and has decided that attack is the best defence. She wanders round grumbling to herself when she can’t find another cat to growl at; she’s taken to sitting at the gate and swatting at curious cats peeking in. I think it was Fred’s fur in her claws last.  We suspect it’s mostly because she feels unsettled.

Simba - MW

Simba is the most friendly of the bunch and is eager to leap into a visitor’s lap. He lost an eye to a sharp twig while on a leashed walk with a former owner, and apparently has experienced some abuse, but you wouldn’t know it to meet him. However, he’s a cat that likes to be outside, and pees when he can’t get out, so the Sanctuary may be the best place for him, however adoptable he is in other ways.

Sophia - BC

Sophia is another cat that likely has dental problems, and we’ll need to have that seen to before anything else. She’s quite shy – she reminds me in both personality and appearance of Samantha, and also of May, in Pen 5.

Mrs Trotzki - BC

The tortie in the group is named Mrs Trotzki, for a friend of the owner – she’s a delightful little girl, chatty and sociable, but typically tortie, is quick to establish her space.

Blue - BC

Blue (not sure where he got that name) is a big black and white boy who doesn’t really like the other cats very much – he’s the cat who walks by himself, unless there’s a human around to fuss him.

Doodlebug - BC

The long-haired black boy in the group actually doesn’t have long hair right now – he was very matted and needed a pretty drastic lion cut. We can remember both poor Matt and Henrik who had the same problem in previous summers and looked very sheepish for a while – they can reassure Doodlebug that it really does grow out, and that he will look handsome again!

Rebecca - BC

The last two are something of a bonded pair, and though adoptable, would really need to go together. Both are very friendly with people, and love attention.  Pretty Rebecca is tabby; her boyfriend Laredo is much larger, and obviously enjoys posing.

Laredo - MW

As with all the closed pens at the back, we ask that Sunday visitors don’t just go in, but request entry with a tour guide or a staff member. Not only is it easy for a cat to slip in or out if we’re not careful, but we always need to remind visitors that not all cats care for a lot of human attention, and many don’t like being picked up.  However, this group does love attention, and many are potentially adoptable, even if they are older, so we’re glad to make visits possible.
Welcome to the Sanctuary, guys!

Blog by Brigid Coult
Pictures by Brigid Coult & Michele Wright