Kamloops Catz 4: No Oranges Here

Barley (KN)

With the oodles of orange cats from Kamloops, the ones who aren’t orange stand out a bit more than most tabbies usually do!  

She may not look it, but Matcha is the bravest! (KN)

Genetics, of course, with cats, are a little difficult to discern. A queen cat may accept the advances of a number of males, and have a litter of kittens that look quite different from each other. We don’t know if this is the case with the tabbies who arrived with all the orange ones, or whether there was a tabby mama responsible for producing them.

Juniper  (LBF)

Like their orange siblings, they are liable to move around together – where you find one, it’s likely that the others are not far away. Barley is the most easily distinguished – she is a pretty grey tabby, and if you look at her head you’ll sees he has a little cows-lick of hair sticking up – not quite enough to call a Mohawk!   

Shy Violet (KN)

Juniper is the darkest tabby, and the largest of them (well, almost); Matcha is the most likely to be venturing further afield, occasionally followed by his smaller buddy Violet, though Violet and Barley really prefer to cosy up out of the way of people.  

Thorne  (KN)

When small Daffodil (featured in last week's blog) came to live at the Sanctuary, she came with one more member of the colony – the biggest one! Big Thorne is like Persimmon in majesty – but there’s even more of him. He has a wonderful thick multicoloured coat; his face shows clear tabby patterns, though this coat is so abundant that it’s hard to make out just exactly what the markings are. His mane can be quite lion-like. Unfortunately, like most of the Kamloops cats, he doesn’t welcome human touch – he will tolerate it briefly, but not enough to allow anyone to groom him – so he has to have the mats trimmed out, and he may probably be another customer for a summer haircut.

Thorne (KN)

Unlike Daffodil, who has found her own "family", Thorne had no hesitation in claiming his Kamloops buddies, and now that they've moved to their summer home in Pen 5, Thorne maintains a regal presence there,

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen & Karen Nicholson

Kamloops Catz 3: Blondes Have More Fun

Goldie  (KN)

There used to be a fallacy that most orange cats were male. We now know that that percentage is considerably less – usually cited as 80% - and I would venture to say that at the Sanctuary it’s even less than that.  The gene for orange coloration is linked to the X chromosome, and males only need one copy of the gene to be orange, while females need two. Having said that, it’s clear that in some colonies, the genetic odds for orange females are much higher, and that’s certainly the case with the Kamloops colony.  

Rapunzel & Buffy  (BC)

It may not be immediately obvious, through, because some of our orange females are so pale in colour that “orange” is not the word that leaps to mind.

Buffy  (LBF)

Buffy is the darkest of these – the same sort of colour as the late Pumpkin and Walker, who I tend to describe as “champagne”.  Goldie and Rapunzel are paler still.  These three little girls prefer to base themselves out of Pen 5; when the others migrate back to the TeaRoom for winter warmth, the blondes prefer to add their body warmth to the cosy Pen 5 cabin, sharing with Adam, May and Walker, as well as with some of their non-orange family.

Rapunzel  (KN)

Buffy and Goldie are both still very shy; they will allow themselves to be watched, and are sometimes interested in wand toy play, but they would prefer to be left alone. You can sometimes pat Buffy, if you can do so without letting her see the hand; once the petting has started, she will allow herself to enjoy it for a bit, and then scoot away. Goldie is a don’t-touch-me girl. She and Rapunzel look very similar, but one step towards them will tell you which is which - Goldie backs away quickly but her buddy is a little braver. Rapunzel sports a white bib with her blond fur, and she is the only one of the three who will approach humans to solicit attention.  When she’s in the mood, she’s a total flirt – with weekend visitors as well as with volunteers.

Daffodil   (KN)

A fourth light orange cat called Daffodil is technically part of this group; she came from the original colony and was fostered in Kamloops, but it was decided that she might do better with access to her family. In fact, she has never merged back with them; she prefers to remain in the Newcomers area, and sometimes wanders over to the DoubleWide, but she never seemed to recognize the others at all, and has made her own “family” with her Newcomers buddies. That family has been hit by the passing of Pumpkin, who Daffodil loved – we’ll see who she might bond with when her mourning is over.

Daffodil  (KN)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson

Next week: Not orange!

Settling In

Shy Rosie  (KN)

Quite a number of cats have come to join us in the last six months or so. It feels as if we’ve lost a lot of our older cats in the last few years – we’re grieving the loss of sweet skinny Calvin just last week, and Quinn just before that; both casualties of kidney disease, which is one of the most common factors in feline health issues. We rejoiced when Sara Lee and Onyx achieved their 20th birthdays, but cats that live that long are like human centenarians – some people (and cats) have longevity genes, and others age much earlier, or are susceptible to health issues, especially when they have come to us from a feral background, possibly with poor nutrition in their past.

Burt Reynolds looks good in a tux  (BC)

But as much as we miss the golden oldies, our doors remain open to cats who need us – cats from other shelters, cats brought in by our own trapping team, cats with health issues...  This week’s blog is an overview of some of the cats as yet unprofiled, cats who are showing personality, but not yet ready to interact with us to the point where I have the material for a kitty-bio.

Monty is the senior newcomer  (BC)

The newest boy is probably also the oldest; Monty is in his holding cage in the SingleWide, and is around 17 years old. Sometimes people will surrender an older animal in order to get a younger one – this is not the case with Monty; he was much loved by his owner.  But a move necessitated by work would have been a big upheaval for the old cat, who is already fragile and dealing with kidney disease, and rehoming is not always easy. After a tour of the Sanctuary, the owner felt that Monty would probably do better in a quiet Sanctuary space, and arranged something with Sanctuary Manager Valerie that would reflect the care Monty will need, and the support of RAPS.  He’s a very sweet cat, and loves attention from the volunteers; it might be that someone would give him a home for his retirement years.

Darjeeling is not very sure about human contact   (BC)

Two cages away from Monty, there’s a 10-year-old grey girl who has been with us several months, but who has remained caged. Darjeeling is from Campbell River, a tufted-tail cat (the result of an injury, rather than natural) who is still not very happy with human visitors, and is most likely to react with a smack. She has remained caged because she came to us with what we believed were dietary allergies;  the vets have now decided to wean her off the novel-protein foods in the hope that she could come out of her cage and share with the other cats.  It may in fact be seasonal allergies rather than dietary ones, or stress issues, but without extensive and expensive testing, all we can do is to trial different things and see how she does.

Burt Reynolds, sharing all the love  (BC)

A walk over to the DoubleWide brought me to a reunion with now-uncaged Burt Reynolds. He came to us from Cats Cradle Rescue in Sidney, and was originally sent to us for his angry feral behaviour, but either tamed very quickly, or remembered a former life with humans.  He began his time with us going through a range of dental procedures, and has emerged in good spirits and settled well into life in the DoubleWide – it’s quite likely that his behaviour was a result of living in pain, and now pain-free, he has blossomed into Mr Personality. He is happy to remain an indoor cat, rather than venturing outside; he can now often be found on the cage-tops, but is ready to come down and interact with the people he knows. Possibly another boy who might find a home... 

Stetson is VERY suspicious   (BC)

Still caged is a cat who came from SARC (Surrey Animal Rescue Centre). like growly Root Beer. This boy has been much slower to respond to the Kitty Comforters overtures towards him. His name is Stetson, and he is making full use of the drape in his cage to stay out of sight.  When the drape is lifted, he huddles in the corner, with his big eyes full of anxiety;  I find that he responds well to NOT being looked at, but being offered little tidbits.  He disdained a taste of Churu, which is a favourite for so many cats, but he loved bits of cooked chicken, finally accepting them gently from my hand.  I suspect that “little and often” will be the trick with Stetson – and we may have to deprive him of his drape occasionally so that he learns that being visible doesn’t make him less safe. He reminds me of big Neko, with the leukemia cats, who took several years to accept and enjoy the attention of Sanctuary humans.  We’ve got time with this newcomer – he’s only a couple of years old.

Rosie shares her space with shy Daffodil  (BC)

Out in the Back Courtyard we have three “flower” girls who are beginning to settle into the larger community. Blonde Rosie has been here since the spring, but is pretty shy; she’s come to us from the Humane Society as the last of a Barnston Island colony; she’s around 8 years old. She hangs out around the Newcomers area and can often be found in company with Daffodil, who came to us from Kamloops a couple of years ago, but who has never joined the other Kamloops cats. Rosie seems to feel safer indoors, but can often be seen peeping through the stair railing into the courtyard when chicken tidbits are on offer. Both little girls are beginning to explore more.

Rosie's "roomie", Daffodil   (KN)

Their counter-cat is Primrose, whose pretty name belies her nature (for now, at least) – Primrose was dumped at our gate and spent a scary night in a carrier; her cage time to get used to us was also in the Newcomers area, but she was very picky about who she would allow to socialize with her; we had warning notices on her door for unsuspecting volunteers.  Once out of the cage, she made it quite clear that she disapproved both of humans and of other cats.  Like Shadow (girlfriend of Nikki SixToes in the SingleWide) Primrose is little and cute and dangerous. Staff member Karen somehow managed to get a warning-collar on her so we know not to confuse her with Nyx or Juno, and to watch out, but between Primrose, Gwen (who is increasingly venturing off the DW Deck and into the courtyard), and our Iranian Princess, there are some significant divas to keep on our radar!

Primrose is identified by her moods, and her collar!  (KN)

As the winter closes in and the weather gets colder, cats who are not already indoor residents begin to discover the advantages of Sanctuary life – warm rooms, fresh water that doesn’t freeze, and more indoor visitors bearing tasty treats. They may come in as scared cats, but they soon discover that there are big bonuses that come with life here.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Update: Feb 2025  -  Sadly, we lost sweet fragile Monty in mid-December.. Darjeeling has gone to fosterage, in order to be able to control her diet AND give her freedom from cage-life.  Stetson vanished into the back gardens when released, but is now much more relaxed, enjoying his explorations, and beginning to allow touch and treats,

Location, location...

Some of The Crew  (LBF)

The group we call The Kamloops Cats (though we have many others from Kamloops!) came into our care from Sammy's Forgotten Felines more than three years ago and were initially established in a closed Pen 6 while they settled to a new situation.

Chaga, Chamomile & Creamsicle - best pals  (JS)

Many of them were orange, in various shades from deep gold to blond, but we also had a few non-orange ones – grey Chamomile and black Chaga were clearly related to the other floofs, but there were also a few shy tabbies, both brown and grey.  

Thorne has lots of floof to groom  (KN)

About a year later, we welcomed two more cats from the same colony who had been fostered out, but refused to tame; it had been decided that they would do better with their feline family. Big tabby Thorne seemed to recognize his former pals and settled quickly;  shy Daffodil, though clearly showing the orange floof genetics, stayed apart and found her alternative community..

Many cat-tree beds to choose from  (KN)

Most of the Kamloops cats like to be together. 

Kelvin & Cheddar are the devoted couple - always together,
though still a bit wary round people  (KN)

But unlike the Pen 3 cats from Calgary who visit around freely, but base themselves firmly in their own pen, this family tends to relocate as a group. In the summer of 2022 the hot weather made Pen 6 an uncomfortable place to be, and the whole colony moved out, preferring the cat-trees around the TeaRoom and in the breezeway;  in the winter they moved inside the tea-room TeaRoom itself, searching for warmth, and we frequently found piles of cat-cuddling on the table or the cage-top.

Room for a cuddle-puddle, high and out of reach   (JS)

When the weather improved, they relocated again – this time, not back to Pen 6 but to the much larger Pen 5 – some of them opting to base in the cabin, while others preferred the shelves around the back. The braver ones learned to interact with visitors here – pretty blonde Rapunzel loves to play and flirt, and comes looking for petting. Chamomile, Chaga and Creamsicle preferred to hold court with visitors right at the courtyard corner, where they could be admired; collectively, they are braver than when we encounter them separately. 

Evening conference - clearly drawing the other cats
into plotting larger dinner portions!  (JS)

I have often written about the Sanctuary’s Garbo cats – the ones who don’t like other cats, and prefer to be alone, or just in one-on-one interaction with humans. Our Kamloops cats are at the other end of the spectrum, and are very bonded with each other; colony is clearly a key concept, and they will often move around as a group – it’s like walking through a shoal of goldfish.

They're from Kamloops - they don't fear the snow!  (LBF)

Now, as we head towards the colder weather, we’re seeing a repeat relocation as the clowder returns to the warmth and food of the tea-room. They can still get warmth and food in Pen 5 – every cabin is insulated and has a heater on thermostat.  But the TeaRoom gives them the opportunity to sleep together in piles rather than on separate shelf beds, and they also know that it means they will likely be the first to be served in the evenings.

...but warmth and comfort comes first!  (BC)

It’s not so hard to live a cat’s life at the Sanctuary!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint

Calendar 2025 - out-takes!

Peaches - but she's more gloriously calico
than you can see here!   (KN)

‘Tis that time of year again, and the phenomenon of the annual RAPS Calendar pops up.  Actually, it pops up back in July, with the beginning of my calls to photographers and the requests for specific considerations – are there pairs or groups? - is there anything seasonal? - are there particular stories to link to our models?

One photographer taken by the other -
with model Jasper at his most endearing    (MK)

This year the calendar features the work of staff members Karen Nicholson and Mike Fossey. All the staff and volunteers at the Sanctuary are known to whisk cell-phones out for quick pics, and many of them are really good, and have been featured in blogs and on the website. But Karen and Mike take their big lenses really seriously, and both have that magic eye for the personality of a cat.

We lost Raisin as we were doing last proofs -
and her portrait was withdrawn   (KN)

The Calendar is launched this week with pre-orders here, but, as I have done before in a blog, here are some of the ones that didn’t get featured for various reasons – though quality was not one of them!

This is so typical of Biggie - but do we really
want to see closed eyes for a full month?  (KN)

What are my criteria for shortlisting? I’m looking for a spectrum of colours and breeds across the year, with not too much dominance in any area. I’m looking to learn something about the cat in question, about their personality.  I’m looking for a picture that I can have on my wall for a full month and still see interesting things in it. 

It's good to see Boston out and about - but he
looks like he's emerging from prison!  (KN)

I try to avoid pictures with cage bars or pen netting where possible – though sometimes it’s artistically valid. And I try to avoid selecting a cat who has featured in the previous year’s calendar.

Such affection in this picture - but Thorne (R) was featured
last year, and we lost Percival (L) recently  (MK)

It’s hard to turn the page of a calendar and be faced with the picture of a cat that we’ve all loved and lost – sometimes we know it’s going to happen (as in Percival’s passing) and sometimes it comes as a shock to us all.

We miss you, sweet Leonardo diCatprio   (KN)

and sometimes I look at a photo of a cat and think “you’ll likely not be with us next year...”

old-lady Bricklyn is looking increasingly fragile  (KN)

With both Sam and Cheeto featured this year as our orange cats, I was sad not to be able to justify this picture of sweet Daffodil. She came from Kamloops, but missed out on bonding with the other orange floofs – she divides her time between the DoubleWide and the Newcomers.

Daffodil is still very wary around us  (MK)

Artistically, I really like the photos in which the cats naturally frame themselves, or in which the colour or texture of the object that hides them is also interesting;  in the end, that was why we selected Gizzard’s picture, rather than Barbie’s – she hid herself a little too much.

Barbie did NOT want to be in the open for her portrait  (MK)

There were a number of photos of the Cranbrook College cats, and of the Pen 8 Kootenays cats;  Li’l Bit from the first group won the cover picture prize, and Zoey being squinty claimed a page, but both had serious competition.

Bernadette, of the College cats, is a tree-climber to find a quiet place  (KN)

Already, I’m starting to think about the next calendar – can we do more seasonal shots? - do we need shots that show more of the Sanctuary? - who are the potential models who’ve not yet had their moment in the sun? - Gwen?  Kramer?  Amaretto? Oscar or Winston?  This is the thirteenth calendar from the Sanctuary, and there is a continuous flow of refugees coming into our care and no lack of potential pictures for next year.

Sweet Skye is shyer than her other sisters  (KN)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Mike Kossey & Karen Nicholson

Now go and find the Calendar to see the photos that made it!
For online purchase, click HERE

Thorne & Daffodil

 

Thorne  (LBF)

We are sanctuary for so many cats who have no other options. But getting them into our care is often the work of other devoted rescuers.

Daffodil  (BC)

Thanks to our Assistant Manager, Valerie, we have close ties with a rescue in Kamloops called Sammy’s Forgotten Felines, who refused to accept that a large colony of cats should just be euthanized, and managed to trap, neuter and find places for all of them. For some of the cats, that was made possible by fostering, taming and then adopting them out; we accepted groups of the more feral cats and allowed them to proceed at their own pace.

Persimmon (JS) & Chamomile (LBF)

The cats in Pen 6 are all from Sammy’s; of them all, only Persimmon and Chamomile are really handleable, and the others accept us as providers of food, and the occasional touch, and otherwise regard most of us with some suspicion.

A dense coat like Thorne's can get very soggy -
but he loves to be out   (LBF)

The big trapping operation that formalised Sammy’s Forgotten Felines is over, but there continue to be feral cats in the Kamloops area who are brought in and cared for, and some of the originals have resisted taming. Two of the most recent that have come to us are Thorne and Daffodil – both from the original colony.  Daffodil is yet another of the orange fuzzies – small with lots of fluff; Thorn is a long-haired light tabby with a dense, darker outer coat.

Daffodil ready to escape upwards  (LBF)

In their initial cage-time with us, the Kitty Comforters and the cat-whisperers spent time with both of them, but it became obvious that this was going to need lots of patience.  Both can be touched, but don’t yet accept it with any real enthusiasm; Daffodil in particular tends to stay in her bed and will eventually allow petting, but every time, you have to begin the process over again. She is happiest when the petting comes from cat-whisperer Lisa, who she trusts.

Daffodil sharing ground-floor duplex with Winston (LBF)

Their cage time was in the Newcomers area, across the courtyard from Pen 6, where the other SFF cats hang out. Once released from cages, the two cats had very different reactions. Daffodil went upward to “safety”; she can usually be found on the cage top, or, preferably, tucked away behind a drape in her bed. In the latter situation, she can be accessed via a set of steps.  She has not yet left the safety of Newcomers, though increasingly she is coming down to lower levels, and when the weather allows leaving the doors open, we hope she will explore across the courtyard and re-encounter her family.

Pen 6 Ginger with Thorne (LBF)

Thorne found his way out of Newcomers, though he still returns to visit, and to enjoy the warmth; however, he also explores extensively, and likes to visit in Pen 6, where he obviously recognises his “family”.  He is harder to access because he moves around so freely, however, his curiosity about us is a real factor to give hope. He hovers when people are around; he can often be spotted under the courtyard table, and is ready to accept the odd handout – though cats like Pumpkin will frequently beat him to the target! He doesn’t yet have the confidence to push himself forward and snag a tidbit until he’s sure nobody else wants it. 

Visiting at Pen 6 cabin  (LBF)

But he seems to like the sound of a voice, and being talked to – and sometimes talks back – even though he backs away from actual contact, or allows it only when he feels he has no choice.  Having watched a recent breakthrough with Midnight, I am hoping that keeping company with the other backyard boys – Sylar, Quinn & Midnight – will help convince him that he doesn’t need to be so fearful with us. As Midnight does with me, Thorne will actually accept a treat and the odd caress from Lisa’s hand.

Thorne accepting treats  (LBF)

It’s OK by us if Sanctuary cats prefer to remain ferals – but it is SO satisfying when they push past those fears and into relationship with us!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Justin Saint