DoubleWide Divas - Act 2

A bundle of Gwen  (KN)

It’s interesting how specific areas of the Sanctuary develop concentrations of specific personalities. I don’t think there’s any other area where there are so many temperamental cats – and of course their temperamental outbursts feed off each other. Of course, there are many semi-ferals who prefer not to be touched, and who wear a collar as a warning to unwary visitors – Little Cat in the SingleWide, Cuddles in the YellowDoor shed, Nyla in the Connor House – but in the DoubleWide there are so many more of them. Last week I introduced Jade, Darcy, JJ and Sophie;  there are more divas, and divas-in-training.

Parker guarding the entrance to the DoubleWide  (MW)

There’s a very beautiful blonde girl who prefers the upper shelves of the laundry room, but has been venturing out onto the step to coax unwary weekend visitors within reach. Like the others, Parker wears a collar, but her long hair disguises it, and cries of “Oh, she’s so pretty!” are generally followed by “Ow!” Parker used to be exclusively a laundry room cat, but increasingly we see her surveying the courtyard and claiming more territory. When she's in the laundry room, she claims the most comfortable pile of clean bedding - and you take your life in your hands to put further laundry away in her vicinity. Occasionally she will constitute herself the quality control manager at dinner time, if she can claim the space before Cole gets there. With Parker “helping”, the feeder learns to dish up quickly, keeping hands out of her reach.  She has her moments of being sweet – but they are well outweighed by the spicy ones.

laundry only - and one particular cat!  (JK)

A lot of people will never meet tuxedo Comet, who rarely ventures outside the doors of the DoubleWide. She's not collared, because her reactivity is not tested by strangers reaching for her.  She’s not really fond of most humans, but she keeps her strongest antipathy for other cats, who have learned to avoid her. The cage-tops are her primary territory, and she will ambush unsuspecting victims, chasing them off “her” space. If Comet claims a cage, other cats stay away!  Even Delilah, who has her spicy moments, gets out of the way when Comet is looking for a victim.

Comet says "No closer!"   (KN)

Gwen aspires to be a diva. Most of her temperament centres around her love for food, and her certainty that everyone she meets is withholding tasty treats from her; she follows volunteers and staff around the building, swatting at ankles, getting underfoot and taking sideswipes at every cat she thinks is in her way. She really needs some grooming, but doesn’t like it; she can occasionally be touched when there is food to distract her. So far, I don’t think she’s ventured outside, either through the laundry room, or from the back deck cat-door. I suspect most of it is FOMO – missing out on food, that is. Other back deck cats enjoy the gardens and fresh air; Gwen’s afraid she might be cheated out of something tasty.

Watching for treats and competition   (KN)

I am including Bugle in the diva list, only because she might be a diva-in-training.  “Diva” is a Latin word for a goddess; it has also become a pejorative term for a temperamental female – which covers most of the cats in these two blog entries. But it’s a term that’s applied mostly to singers – and that’s certainly our Bugle. This feisty little girl has learned who the people are who carry tasty tidbits, and she sings for her supper – a high-pitched and surprisingly long-lasting wail of longing for the next offering  of chicken or tuna. She’s still at least semi-feral, and wary of new things; her buddies Velma and Ryan (Ryanne?) have long since found their way outdoors and explored the back courtyard, but Bugle prefers to stay inside, though she’s doing some interior exploration, and has discovered the joys of the upper levels. But in spite of her feral roots, she takes food gently from the hand without snapping, and then she waits and sings for the next taste.

Bugle - "Anything for me?"  (SM)

There are other cats in the DoubleWide who will shed blood if you come too close; unlike the ferals who just get out of the way, cats like Mitzi and Crinkle, on the back deck, DO want the attention and the treats – just not enough to tolerate any physical contact.  But that’s not diva-behaviour – it’s just an  “I’m not ready yet” signal, and they enjoy each other’s company (as Bugle does with her friends).  Most of the divas I’ve introduced here are anti-social with cats as well as with humans. They might be OK as a solo cat in their own home – but it’s quite likely that in other circumstances their aggression would have them being put down. Living at the Sanctuary, we can allow for the occasional psychotic episode, the preference for isolation – and be grateful when a cat like JJ or Sophie trusts us enough to ask for gentle attention. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Jennine Kariya, Selena Marchetti, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Up Is Best

Emery surveys the world - PH

As all good cat-owners know, one of the keys to a happy cat-home is offering your cat a choice of levels on which to rest. Whether that means clearing shelves, installing steps on a wall, or just bringing in a good-sized cat tree, your cat will probably enjoy being above ground-level. For many cats, climbing behaviour is instinctive – it gives them a vantage point to watch for potential danger, and often offers a warmer place to rest.

Towels are warm - so Cole ignores the sign - TV

At the Sanctuary, it’s also one of the means of keeping the peace – cats who might not get on with each other can find different levels on which to co-exist, and the feral cats, in particular, like to stay well out of the way.

Even our handicapped Terry likes to go climbing - MD

All the space is set up with this in mind. In each of the main areas, cages are built with an extensive cage-top surface, well-equipped with bedding – and part of the morning clean-up involves volunteers and staff climbing up to check and change bedding as necessary. Every area has at least one cat-tree – often more than one – and we are most grateful to the donors who bring new ones in. Uninhabited cages are left open and provided with boxes and beds so that shyer cats have upper levels where they can hide.

Comet ready to launch from one cage-top to another - MW

In both the Double and Single-Wide, runs are set up around the room so that cats can choose to stay off the ground if they prefer. Some of the more feral ones may rarely venture down; food and water, litter-boxes and bedding are all within their reach.

exploring on the gazebo roof - BC

When the gazebo was installed in the front courtyard, it didn’t take long before some adventurous souls made their way up through the central lantern and onto the roof; that access has now been blocked

KitKat likes to be on a shoulder - TV

Some cats don’t wait for shelves or cat-trees – KitKat is one of our gate-greeters, and is quite ready to do a vertical take-off to land on an unsuspecting shoulder; she likes to be higher up than all the humans around her. If someone taller comes into range, she’s quite ready to transfer to the higher vantage point.

Skittles loves to show off on his shelf - MW

In all the pens at the back, the cabins contain several sets of shelves, well-equipped with bedding, so that cats can choose their preferred level. And out in the open there are also places where they can climb, and look out over the area with a greater sense of security.

Magnus, Duke and Max sunning outside New Aids - KN

One of the other functions of a cat-tree, of course, is to offer a surface for scratching – both to exercise the claws and to give the cat a chance to stretch their leg and back muscles. In many places around the Sanctuary untreated wood is used for stair and door posts, and there are a few places where there are signs that it will soon need to be replaced.

Albi gets in a good scratch - MW

The best scratching post, of course, is the tree in the back courtyard, and it is well-used both for that purpose and as a vantage-point by a variety of cats.

For a big cat, Leo is an agile climber - MW

Yma feels safer up high - MW

Pico loves to explore heights - MW

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Melanie Draper, Phaedra Hardman,
Tanisha Vincent, Michele Wright

Meowvember

MW

Traditionally November is a month in which many men grow a moustache as a part of raising funds for issues around men’s health (Movember).  There’s no ‘tache-growing going on around the Sanctuary, but an interesting variety of facial fur markings can be seen.

BC

Digby is one of our relative newcomers, and his moustache marking suits his personality, which is dominant, to say the least!  He’s not afraid to tell other cats where to get off, especially when they encroach into his space.  Digby came in at the same time as Magpie, who has a similar ‘tache, but in reverse – white on black fur. Magpie is a pretty hissy feral, and has not cooperated over having his picture taken.

MW

Smoochie’s little Hitler-moustache belies his gentle nature.  Very timid for a while when he lived in the Leukemia area, he has now a wide variety of human friends. He hangs out with his buddies Bear and Hendrik in the Val Jones area.

Mya - MW

Feline moustaches are not, of course, confined to males. Mya, one of the ferals from the composting facility, has a most impressive Chaplin-type moustache marking. Her late sister, Teagan, was one of the cats with a half-tache, and shy sister Kirstie’s marking covers her entire nose. It’s too erratic to be called a moustache, but she does have a little black chin that might double for a goatee!

Brighton - CP

There’s obviously something genetic here – Brighton and Hillie also came from the same venue. Hillie’s nose is mostly black; Brighton has a much more impressive spread of coloured fur over her upper lip.

Woody - MD

Woody is one of the relative newcomers to New Aids, and like Brighton, his ‘tache has a good spread. Many men who grow their facial hair find that it comes in quite dark; it’s pretty rare to find someone with dark hair and a fair moustache. We do have a few white moustaches in the Sanctuary. Magpie, mentioned above, is a prime example, 

Salish - MW

but so is shy Salish, whose pencil moustache is just visible in her long fur.

Honey Bear - ChrisP

Honey Bear’s ‘tache is as off-balance as he is, with more white on the right side than the left

Comet (MW) & Rocky Slippers (DW)

And these two look almost identical, though as far as we know, they’ve never met. Comet is an assertive lady who dominates the cage-tops in the DoubleWide; Rocky Slippers is a nervous and shy feral boy who hangs out mostly in Pen 1 area and won’t allow anyone to touch him.

This is not taking into account all the cats who have half-taches on one side or the other – Chester, Mischa, and many others

But I think one of my favourites is an implied rather than an explicit moustache – Emily’s dark markings in all her tortie fur always look to me as if she has a little pencil-thin handlebar moustache, though to be sure, it’s stronger on one side than the other!

Emily - PH

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Melanie Draper, Phaedra Hardman, Chris Peters, Carol Porteous, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

Comet

Long-time volunteer Stephanie is no longer able to give the time she once committed to working hours at the Sanctuary, but those hours (and more) are still devoted to rescuing cats. Armed with a car full of traps, tasty bait food and other cat-appealing things, she waits patiently at various sites, hoping that a stray cat reported to RAPS may venture into her trap and come to experience the love shown to so many of our Sanctuary cats.
Most of her sites are away from human homes: recycling centres, warehouses and the like, as well as the occasional lost cat reported to us. Comet was different. Comet was spotted last December near a Richmond veterinary office, with houses all around. It was on a main road, so there was some concern for her safety, especially as it was suspected that she was pregnant. Regular traps were ignored (or occupied by the occasional raccoon), but gradually hunger got the better of her and the tuna plate was moved further and further into the trap.

Comet at trap - SR

Finally – success! – as a very annoyed little cat ventured too close and the trap door was sprung.  Yes, indeed, she was pregnant – and so was packed off into the hands of Kati, one of our most experienced foster-moms.

Carol & Stephanie have Comet safe at last

Comet was a real spitfire.  Cleaning her cage was a tough job, and she managed to bite Kati through thick gloves. Kati was already caring for Parker (also trapped by Stephanie) who calmly gave birth to a litter of seven kittens just before Christmas.

Comet's "roomie" Parker with her kittens - KD

On New Year’s Eve Comet’s labour started and it became apparent that there were problems. With her second kitten stuck in the birth canal, a C-section was called for, and the third and fourth were safely delivered. Comet was not a happy mom, and refused to nurse any but the first natural-born kitten; the second had died at birthing, and Kati was left to save the two remaining mites.

Once the two littles were well on the way, Kati decided she might as well feed all three, and Comet was brought to the Sanctuary. The kittens continued in foster, and then went for adoption.

Uno & Uri               Uno, now Mortimer (Morty) at 3 months

In her Sanctuary cage, Comet had a grudge against the world. She hated the people who came to feed her; she hated the cats who passed by – even though she couldn’t see them.  For a while, we thought we might have another Jingles on our hands.

Comet behind her drape - PH

But our med staff are the best, and gradually she got used to human contact – though for a while it was contact via a back-scratcher instead of a hand.  Then the cage door was opened and Comet was allowed (under supervision) to venture out, and to deal with the occasional feline visitor. Gradually she blossomed – she started accepting petting from volunteers, and even allowed herself to be picked up.

Allowing herself to be held by Lenaia! - PH

She’s not yet very sociable with other cats, but she’s made great strides from the angry feline who arrived in December.

We think it’s likely she was someone’s cat, and either escaped or was dumped – the fact that she was found near the veterinary office is, after all, a little suspicious.  She, and all her kittens, would certainly have died if Stephanie hadn’t been so determined to rescue her, and if Kati hadn’t had the knowledge and experience to get her through birthing. Instead of which, three handsome kittens have good homes, and Comet has a place where she will be loved and cared for.  Way to go, ladies!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Kati Degraaf, Phaedra Hardman, Stephanie Ross, Michele Wright