Tyson

I have written before about Black Cat Syndrome, and how it doesn’t play out at the Sanctuary.

MW

Sure, there are a lot of black cats, but they all have personality, and it only takes a little individual attention to establish how that personality fits into the community.  And I think many of those black cats have at least one human who knows that cat really well, and to whom the cat responds.

MW

Tyson has been with us for the last couple of years. Rumour has it that he was an illegal immigrant – caught in a truck that had arrived from the USA.  He was brought in to the City Shelter, and his fear-aggression led them to send him over to the Sanctuary as a likely feral.   With us he continued aggressive for a while, until he realised that nobody was out to harm him. Since then he has relaxed into be a big loveable cuddle-boy, who gets along with practically everyone.

In the suspicious early days - PH

Mostly he hangs around the Tea-Room area – which means that there are a few other black cats with whom he can be confused. I have to confess that I don’t always ID him correctly in photos, but when I see him move, or with other cats, he’s easy to distinguish.  Cole is taller (Cole is taller than all the other black cats!). Jay-Z is tubbier (ditto) and has green eyes. Ninja is closest in body type, but a quick ear-sniff tells us that Ninja is the one getting medical care for his ear. Steele has longer fur, and won’t allow himself to be touched. Celia is smaller and swatty.

Tyson loves his toys - KN

Tyson’s a sort of in-between boy. He loves attention, allowing himself to be picked up and cuddled; he will happily follow around with whoever is cleaning the back pens.  Unlike Ninja, who likes to sneak through gates, Tyson is happy to go off and do his own thing, and then return when the human is free to pay attention again. He likes to play – a ball or a wand toy will keep him occupied for a while, and in the recent snowfall, he enjoyed chasing after snowballs, and destroying them by grabbing and kicking.  He is one of the few cats who seems to enjoy being held on his back, and it’s often the best way to clip his nails.

Tyson gets a pawdicure - BC

Tyson illustrates the clear difference between a stray and a feral. A stray usually knows that humans are a source of food and comfort; a feral only knows that they are to be feared. A stray may exhibit feral fear/aggression, but will often revert, like Tyson or like our big boy Dell in Pen 3, to the behaviour of a domestic cat; a feral may tame down to the point of being petted, but is rarely relaxed and comfortable with many people. Ferals Hillie and Merran have learned that humans are a Good Thing – but they remain wary with the people that they don’t really know. For Tyson, everyone is a friend; life is a party for him, and with us, he’s truly landed on his feet.

MW

Blog: Brigid Coult

Photos: Brigid Coult, Phaedra Hardman, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Nicknames

My “new” (recently adopted) old girl rejoices in the name of Madame Hooch (the flying instructor at Hogwarts); it was a name given by her late family, and I wasn’t about to change it.

This is Madame Hooch's "begging" face - MD

But I find myself also calling her Madame Mooch (for her begging habits), Mrs Mumbles (for her tortie grumbling) and Pixie-Cat (for her cute little face) – and it left me thinking about our other Sanctuary cats, and which ones have also acquired nicknames to suit their personalities or situations.

Ollie likes to be up high - LP

Many of them are affectionate diminuitives – I hear JayZ being referred to as BabyJay – or extensions – Ollie is often OllieOllieOllie.  Sometimes they’re particular to one person; Mel calls Skittles in Pen 6  “Forest” - he reminds her of a Norwegian forest cat.

Big and fluffy - that's our Skittles - KN

I call him Mr Big, after the candy bar, because for a long time, the Candy Cats didn’t have individual names, but he was definitely the biggest boy in there. Anne calls one of our little Manxes “Plum Pudding”

Miss Kitty is a suspicious old lady....  TV

Our Sanctuary Manager shares her office with three senior girls who have problems getting along with other cats (they also have problems getting along with each other, but they’ve mostly been able to work out some sort of territorial agreement). Their names are Tammy, Kitty and Mindy, but they’re collectively known as The Cranky Old Ladies (though I call them the Weird Sisters)

Celia looking for someone to slap    MW

One of the little black cats in the Tea-Room is Celia. She is one of several who dislikes the company of other cats, and rejoices in the nickname of “Slappy” for her bad habit of batting other cats out of her vicinity.

If Louise is not around, Horatio's next best thing is sleeping - MW

Tubby orange Horatio worships Med Staff Louise. Mostly, it’s reciprocated, except when he’s being a brat, slipping into cages where he’s not welcome, or mountaineering up people’s legs instead of jumping into  a lap. Then, he becomes Horror Show!

MW

Everybody knows Honey Bear of the beautiful blue eyes.  Now that it’s colder outside, he’s spending more time visiting in the DoubleWide.  Anyone sitting on the couch quickly discovers why Louise refers to him as The Scarf.

Emery says "Protect me!" - ML

The Hug-Bug, of course, is Emery – he hides away from the other cats, but when he sees one of “his” humans, he quickly positions himself to climb up and be held;  eyes closed, (so he can’t see any other felines), he butts his head under your chin, and if he’s feeling particularly needy, his paws go round your neck.
The quirkiest nickname I've come across belongs to black-and-white Kirstie in the SingleWide - our handyman Doug calls her FIFA, because he says her back looks like a soccer ball!

Most of my Kirstie pictures are of her on her back, being cute.
This was the nearest I could find to her fabled ball-pose.   -  MW

CB Lincoln is so named for his Cinnamon Bun-shaped tail, and to distinguish him from Handsome Lincoln. Shadrack is Mister Chickoholic for his favourite food. I'm sure there are others out there....
If you're a Sanctuary volunteer or visitor, do you have a descriptive nickname for a favourite cat?

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Melanie Draper, Moira Langley, Karen Nicholson, Lisa Parker, 

Tanisha Vincent, Michele Wright

....

Sanctuary Black Friday

Black Friday has become the name for the day that follows US Thanksgiving – a day when the concern is less for thanksgiving and more for the bargains to be found in stores. I have a profound lack of interest in the commercial “bargains” to be found on Black Friday, but I love the company of my black feline buddies when I work at the Sanctuary on a Friday morning!

Lancelot is usually found in the papasan chair outside the Single-Wide (MW)

Pretty Layla has one clouded eye, but it doesn't prevent her from leaping from one shelf to another (MW)

Reefer loves to play - preferably with someone else, but if nobody's available, he'll find something to do alone.  (MD)

Cole wants attention, but is a little inclined to swat when he gets it (TV)

Pretty Miss Georgie still tends to hold court in the cage where she first lived - that is, when she's not lurking hopefully near the Single-Wide door. (MW)

Tubby Jay-Z knows all the best places to lounge! (MW)

Belligerent little Celia guards the tea-room from all other cats. (MW)

The sign says "towels only", but Cole doesn't let a little thing like that bother him! (TV)

Tyson is helping to get coffee ready for break-time (TV)

Handsome Rudolph, in Pen 5, is accompanied so often by his girlfriend Salish - just occasionally he needs a little alone-time... (MW)

Gigi and Kermit, in Pen 8, love to play together  (MD)

I think the best bargain of all is to be found in the love found at the Cat Sanctuary – love between cats, between humans and cats, and vice versa.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Melanie Draper, Tanisha Vincent, Michele Wright