Second Chance at Love

Cats that prefer to be alone are a cliche for good reason, but at the Sanctuary we have many cats who truly enjoy each other’s company.

Plum (R)  just looooves her Tugboat!  - KN

A quick visit to the back pens reminds us that cats are well used to living together. The closed pens hold cats who are used to sharing space, but the open pens also hold colonies of cats who prefer to snuggle with each other, and who can always be found in the same cabins.

Spicer and Shaggy - VL

Cats will often have real attachments to each other – all have been spayed/neutered, but love is about much more than sex.  Often cats have come in to us as a pair, and the bond is apparent. And when one of the couple passes, there can be very real grieving.  Shaggy and Spicer came into the Moore House together, and settled very happily; an older couple, they comforted each other through the transition of moving to the Sanctuary. They were rarely apart; where you sat with Spicer, Shaggy would also come, and the deck was their favourite area.  

Shaggy with Chanel - MW

But Spicer was not well, and when she eventually passed, Shaggy was bereft. Volunteers and staff would make a point of visiting with him and giving him what comfort we could.  But comfort was also gradually offered by Chanel. She had come to us as a very scared girl, and preferred to spend her time on top of cages, though she allowed occasional petting. Increasingly, we found her in Shaggy’s company, and the two are now a settled pair. 

Samantha in her cover-girl days - MW

Samantha was, in her younger days, one of the most beautiful of the cats – you couldn’t get a bad picture of her. She’s still pretty, but a more senior lady now, sometimes a little more bedraggled – and she doesn’t always appreciate grooming.

Basket means coziness! - LP

Her guy was VanDyke, a very shy black boy with a double haematoma – both ears crinkled by burst blood vessels. He was one of our many cats with kidney disease, and it wasn’t always easy for the med staff to give him the Sub-Q fluids that made him feel better because he was so wary of us.The only times he seemed really relaxed were when he was with Samantha.

Eclipse with Samantha - how close can I get?  - KN

When VanDyke passed, Samantha retired to Waldi’s Hut, where she had the comfort of Chimo and his buddy PawPaw. She’s still there, even though PawPaw’s gone;  Chimo remains her best gay friend – but the cat she has come to love is another shy black boy, called Eclipse. Eclipse came from the same place as Jay-Z and may be his brother or his father; the two don’t interact, and Eclipse prefers his own company or Samantha’s.

Dusty with her beloved Salty  - DW

Long-term Sanctuary volunteers still talk about our Romeo cats in the back area – Mario, and Salty, both of which had a harem of both boyfriends and girlfriends.  After Salty passed, his best girl, Dusty, was bereft – like Mario’s Nelly, she seemed to be looking for him.

Ridley with Dusty - BC

Inasmuch as one cat can take on Salty’s mantle, it seems that it’s fallen to Ridley, who was also part of the Salty cuddle-puddle. Ridley is something of a magnet for our shyer boys like Ringo (who is now venturing outside more regularly). But he’s also become Dusty’s guy, and the two can often be found cuddled up together, or flirting at the Double-Wide entrance.

Lounging together - BC

At the Sanctuary they all have choice, just like humans – to be introverted and alone, to indulge a full social like without specific emotional links, or to find a soul-mate to love and be loved by. And when/if, sadly, their partner passes, if they’re open to it and lucky, someone else will fill the space in their heart.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Vicki Lo, Karen Nicholson, Lisa Parker, 

Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

The RAPS Calendar is Coming

The selections have been made; the captions have been written; the calendar charts are laid out; it’s just back from the printers now, and due to launch in the next few days.

Ollie was featured in the 2019 Calendar, so he has to miss a year.

I’m not going to spoil the surprise, but I’m going to give you a few of the photos that didn’t make it, for one reason or another. They are all by our volunteer Michele Wright, who freelances as Furry Friends Photography

This picture of sweet Pops was one of the ones considered for the cover.  We decided in the end that much as we loved it, the cover photo needed a "pop" more of colour,

Mischa missed his opportunity for the best of reasons - he got adopted!

I always ask Michele for "couple" and "group" pictures.  I love this one of Calista and Jamie - they love each other so much - but I wanted to see more of Calista's face.

The same is true of this one of Shaggy and Chanel, in the Moore House.  Shaggy lost his best buddy Spicer, and it's good to see him making friends with shy Chanel.

We had a lot of orange cats to choose from this year. Sprocket was definitely a contender, but someone else won!  I try to make sure that the calendar has a cross-section of colours and shapes, so that everyone can find a favourite cat somewhere!

There were several possible torby candidates too. Roe is a front-courtyard favourite, and always a greeter at the gates.

Chase appeared in a perfect autumnal photo. Unfortunately, he was also featured in another photo, so someone else got the autumn leaves in the end.

Skittles just missed as well - but these days this former feral spends more time climbing into people's laps than sitting and looking photogenic!

HoneyBear's incredible blue eyes were featured in 2018, so he was eligible for the 2020 calendar. But another blue-eyed boy sneaked in ahead of him...

I'm wary of including some of our fragile older cats, like little Debbie.

There will be three RAPS calendars: the Sanctuary Cats one, one of some of the Shelter dogs, and one for the RAPS hospital.  All of will be available from all our RAPS sites - The Sanctuary, the Shelter, the Hospital, and both Thrift Stores, as well as by purchase though our website. In addition they will be on sale at four of the fall craft fairs scheduled in Richmond.

Tubby Tiger was another adoption success!

Start making your Christmas lists now, and write "RAPS Calendar" by as many names as you can!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Michele Wright

Chanel

Who could ever look at this cute face, and not fall in love?

MW

That was certainly the case for this pretty girl, who came into the SPCA in Vancouver as a pregnant mom, and was adopted by a couple who just fell for her. Like many cats in a shelter situation, she was very shy, and they took her home and named her Pixie, confident that the shyness would wear off and she would warm to them.
Didn’t happen!

MD

They must have been very good cat-parents, because they were endlessly patient with her shyness, and her ability to hide herself away.  They didn’t push her to interact, but as any owner of a feral cat knows, you wonder how long you can live with a shadow permanently lurking under the bed.  By the sixth year of her time with them, she had progressed to sitting beside her human dad on the couch, and allowing just a little petting before running away to her hiding place again.

BC

Then something happened that made it necessary for them to move – and not just a single move, but one that would probably involve several transitions.  They loved her, and they knew that this would be very stressful for her. And so they brought her to us, seeking sanctuary for her, and a place where she might feel safe.

MD

Her original name of Pixie suited the scared, wary creature she was at the beginning, but Leslie thought she needed a name-change to suit the classy little cat she could be.  Her lovely dilute colouring reminds us somewhat of Princess Diva and of Latte - both of whom are very much their own personalities - and Leslie named her Chanel, hoping that she would grow into the confidence of her classy namesake. For the first while Chanel lived in the DoubleWide, in a quiet corner cage. She accepted visitors from the shelter of her box, but firmly stayed inside – the volume of her purring made it clear that petting was welcome, but her non-appearance also sent a very clear message.

MD

Finally she was moved over to the Moore House – the area also known as “GeriCatrics”. Chanel was not that old – probably no more than 7 or 8 – but the quiet life in the Moore House was much more to her taste.  For some time she preferred to hang out in a shelter of some kind – preferably one that was just out of reach. She didn’t allow for our determined Kitty Comforters, who were quite prepared to perch precariously on a chair in order to pet her and remind her that humans have their uses.

CP

In the last year or so she has improved in confidence, wallowing in caresses when offered, and interacting fairly peaceably with the other cats – in particular, with Sophia, with whom she can often be found snuggling. For Chanel, the Sanctuary is truly a place where she can feel secure.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Melanie Draper, Chris Peters, Michele Wright