Adopted!

 For many years, the Cat Sanctuary has been a home for cats that could find no other home.  

Not adopted: Beautiful Ollie just pees wherever he wants.... (KN)

Sometimes this was because they were feral, or very easily spooked; sometimes because they had been surrendered to us for bad bathroom habits; sometimes because they had health issues – but, for the most part, they came to us when they had waited too long in the City Shelter, or a shelter somewhere else, and space had become an issue.

Not adopted: Portia is both semi-feral and leukemia-positive (MW)

Things have changed. The single biggest issue has been that in this pandemic year, people confined largely to their homes have been looking for animal company, and not only the RAPS shelter, but other rescues have been finding it much easier to find adopters. So without the constant inflow of “unadoptable” cats, our numbers have been reducing.

Not adopted: Kin is a feral who prefers to stay well out of reach   (MW)

Sanctuary philosophy has been changing too. From having had a pretty hard-line “these cats are unadoptable” approach, we have increasingly been moving cats into homes.  Initially, this has been largely to staff and volunteers – the people who already know the cats in question, and are aware of potential issues and what may be done.  Because we had early bad experiences with adopting out shy semi-ferals (see Jenny's story), there was a reluctance to do so – but when the semi-ferals in question already know and trust their adopter, and that adopter is alert to the problems, we have seen some marked successes.

Larkin & Peony are now Scooter & Twinks
- and very happy!  (BJ)

Sanctuary cats are not for novice cat-owners, and the usual RAPS adoption requirements about no outdoor access are more important than ever for cats who have been used to a lot of Sanctuary freedom.  I hope that in the course of the next few months we may hear occasional reports from adopters about cats who have moved to a new home and settled in.  For now, here are a few of our happily-rehomed feline alumni:

Horatio (KN)

Horatio, former feral, finally decided that humans were OK, and that one of our med-staff was the best of the best!  She had given palliative home-care time to angry Frankie who couldn’t handle other cats; when Frankie’s heart-condition at last got the better of her, Horatio became her next home-cat, and he is ecstatic! 

Earl Grey (LBF) and Puma (KN)

We have worried about our seniors, as the Moore House has been gradually emptied in preparation for removal. Some of them have settled happily into life in the Single-Wide, but we were delighted when Earl Grey found a home, and even more delighted when his adopter returned to take Puma to join his buddy. The two old guys are happily settled together without other cats to bug them.

Leona claims the couch  (ACA)

Little Leona shared pen 6 with our McLeod clan of cats – but never really belonged with them. Almost always a loner, she waited by the gate for attention – both wanting it and dreading it. We finally moved her into the Double-Wide so that all the staff and volunteers working there would have a chance to help her get used to being petted. One of our volunteers fell in love with her, and now reports that Leona has settled very happily in her own home.

Darius & Mischa  (JB)

We are missing Darius these days, but are so pleased that another of our med-staff has taken him home. Former Sanctuary cat Mischa was already with her, and we hear that he has taken Darius under his wing and shown him around his new digs; the two of them have settled very happily together. Both are cats that spent a lot of time outside at the Sanctuary, and the ‘catio’ is a favourite place for the boys.

Her Majesty Queen Smokey is very comfortable
in her new digs (DJ)

Anyone working in the Moore House in the last couple of years has had to tiptoe around Smokey – a very angry grey girl who didn’t like either cats or people.  One of our volunteers was sure there was more than just “I hate everyone” going on, and has consistently made time for Smokey, establishing her boundaries, and spending extra time with her. Following the loss of her beloved Otis, she has offered Smokey a home, and is turning her into a lap-cat. We are so excited to hear the progress that is being made. Lots of patience and love...

There are a few other Sanctuary cats who have made their way to our Adoption Centre – for more information on who's available there, please check https://www.rapsbc.com/raps-adoption-centre/

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Ana Carolina Albuquerque, Jess Breitkreitz, Lisa Brill-Friesen, 

Bev Johnston, Daphne Jorgenson, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Farewell to the Moore House

Many of the staff and volunteers are feeling sad.  But it’s not a cat we’re grieving over – it’s one of the cats’ houses!

Selena's portrait of Marianne Moore
with all her favourites

In the early days of the Sanctuary, when RAPS was dealing with the worst of the feral cat problem in Richmond, the Moore House was the home of the kittens.  When we took on the running of the City Shelter, most of the kittens were transferred there, for easy adoption access, and the building was repurposed as the home of our senior cats – a special and beloved project of Marianne Moore, an anchor volunteer for many years, and creator of the Kitty Comforter concept, which has become such an important part of encouraging cats to feel more at ease when they come here.

Kitten room exterior, with Leo,
Pistachio, Caleb & Mozart - KN

One room in the building was put aside for occasional kitten use, for “teens” who needed more hands-on attention, or for cats who needed some separation from the others.  Front courtyard inhabitants Beetle and Cricket, Mozart, Benny, Leo and Caleb have all had kitten room time there; Banshee and Domino lived there while waiting out their leukemia isolation (and eventual adoption); Sage and Silky, Mya and Kirsty, Dawn and Twilight are all kitten room “grads”

Twilight &Dawn, now adopted - KN

But the primary purpose of the Moore House was to provide a home for a very special group of felines. Typically, Moore House cats came to us from owners who had died, or gone into care, and whose old cats had nowhere else to go. Very few people are willing to take on an elderly cat or two, and especially one who is cranky because of a forced relocation.  The homeliness of the Moore House was intended to give them comfort, and keeping the numbers limited meant that the inhabitants didn’t get on each other’s nerves too much.

Earl Grey enjoying deck time - MD

The addition of a closed deck was a blessing on hot days (and even sometimes on cooler ones) and many of the cats enjoyed the fresh air and the view from the variety of seats and beds scattered around.

Chanel doing morning cat-yoga on the deck - BC

However, the trailer was not new when it came to us, and because we live on the edge of farmland, there is a constant rat-problem. The combination of rotting wood, and the rats accessing the crevices – never actually getting into the interior, but making their way into the surrounding structure – all this has contributed to a building that is no longer healthy for cats or people. Already many of the Moore House cats have been adopted, fostered or relocated to other areas in the Sanctuary, and it won’t be long before the building itself is removed. We hope that a replacement can be found, because the need has not gone away – we still need to be able to offer stressed, elderly cats a safe place where they can settle.

Moore House interior - DJ

The Moore House itself will be gone soon, but the memories will remain. Many of the Moore House cats have been featured in earlier blog stories, some of them by Marianne herself:  Eng Teng and Peng Peng; little Pauline who preferred to hide in her box; fragile Noni whose body never really recovered from having being fed a vegan diet; persians Bluebell, MiuMiu and GracieMae (who went on to her own home). We’ve had our share of angry cats, and volunteers who fell in love with them, giving them a reason to be angry no more – Jack, Venus, Buster, and most recently Smokey, who is blissfully happy with her new family. 

Smokey - happy lap-cat - DJ

Thanks to the vision for these old cats, many volunteers have spent quiet hours cleaning, feeding, and most importantly, loving them, so that coming to RAPS no longer feels like their family has rejected them, but that they have found a new family with us. We are working to make the last of our Moore house cats comfortable in a new space – whether elsewhere at the Sanctuary, or with a new home, we don’t know yet.  We hope that when the current building is demolished, it can be replaced with a new structure that can house more generations of cats who need the quiet surroundings and loving care that their predecessors found with us. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Melanie Draper, Daphne Jorgensen, Karen Nicholson

Portrait by Selena Marchetti

Live Long and Prospurr – the SuperSeniors

The RAPS Sanctuary has been situated here for more than 20 years, and many, many cats have come into our care.

Sara Lee (19) - KN

Because most of them were deemed unadoptable, and yet get the best care we can offer them, there are a considerable number of inhabitants who have lived with us most of their lives, and are now in their senior years.

There are various measurements of age, but most generally accepted are

    • birth to 6 months  - Kitten 
    • 7 months to 2 years – Junior 
    • 2 to 6 years – Prime
    • 7 to 10 years – Mature – equivalent of human mid-40s/50s
    • 11 to 14 years – Senior – takes the cat up to the equivalent of 70 human years
    • 15 years and older – SuperSenior – and like some senior humans, cats can just keep going!

Little Debbie (nearly 17) - MW

Most of the Moore House cats have come in to us as seniors, and in a warm quiet place, they are doing well. Earl Grey is around 19 years old; Rufus, who was adopted out, is about the same age.  Just as some senior humans remain fit and active well into old age, so for some cats; other younger cats may be visibly frailer as they appear to age earlier.

Jolene wears her 17+ years well - KN

Many of our cats have grown into their senior years in different areas of the Sanctuary, and we will not be moving them into the Moore House just because of age. We notice them slowing down a bit, often sleeping more, or seeking out the warm places, but most of them have their own territories and their cat-friends, and they are comfortable in their home. 

Onyx (nearly 20) - KN - misses her sister Topaz

Occasionally we will notice that an older cat appears confused about where it is or what is happening; it may begin yowling for attention, and needing more comfort. Senile dementia is a feline as well as a human condition. And as with humans, we find it’s usually best to allow the cat to remain in its comfort-zone, even if that is one of the outdoor pens. Sweet Gabby, who we lost a few years ago, was a cat like this, and we're now hearing it in his girlfriend Tara.

Princess (17.5) - KN

Other cats suddenly become more vocal, and the pitch of the voice changes. We think that this is often because hearing loss has set in, and the cat is not aware of the sound of its own voice. Old Kiko, who lived in pen 6, had a particularly penetrating voice in the months before she passed, and we're hearing something of the same in Tugboat's demands to be picked up and cuddled.

Tugboat (18) - JC

Greying hair is also noticeable, especially among the darker cats. Little SaraLee – formerly black with a smoke undercoat, has now become flecked with white fur. In spite of her 19+ years, she is able to jump up for lap-cuddles, or for quality control of gravy at mealtimes. Former feral Ruff has always had grey in his fur, but it has become more grey than black, giving him an elder-statesman aura.

Ruff (14) - KN - doesn't quite qualify as a SuperSenior
but his years as a feral cat have been hard

As cats get older, we have to watch them more carefully for all the things that affect senior humans as well – digestion and bathroom habits, mobility, weight loss and grooming. The Med staff have a list of cats who are checked every day, and both staff and volunteers may draw attention to a cat whose behaviour has changed. Often, a cat will be more demanding of attention – though it’s never a hardship to sit down and give extra cuddle time to cats like Tugboat.

Earl Grey (19) - KN

Because these cats have aged in our care, they don’t have the trauma of being surrendered into a new situation if they become incontinent, or noisy because of deafness. Sweet Earl Grey is happy now, but was depressed when he came to us. For him, it was like putting Grandpa into Assisted Living – he didn’t want a new place or new people (and cats) and it took a while for him to realise that it was actually a pretty good deal.  None of our resident seniors will be traumatized in this way – they can choose to go on living wherever they want.  And happy cats with good health care can live long lives – we have many who are SuperSeniors, and several who enjoy life into their twenties – the equivalent of reaching their century!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Jackie Chappell, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Note: having written this, we have learned that the Moore House is showing extreme wear, and we are probably going to have to move the Moore cats while it is being replaced. If you can give an old cat some love in his SuperSenior years, please contact Valerie Wilson, our Assistant Manager.

Puma's World

 Pauline Chin takes us to the Moore House

Puma - KN

The Moore House is intended as a quiet retreat for our senior cats where they can live without constant activity and change.  However, some happy changes took place took place there in the last month or so.  Bluebell received treatment for her ears, got a lion cut, and she spends most of her time camping in her tent.  Shaggy and Chanel have become a close couple.  Earl has claimed the box bed and armchair by the back window.  Most importantly, Smokey got moved into the side room.  Now she has an entire room to herself and she can still watch for intruders.  With Smokey out of sight, Puma has greatly expanded his world.

Puma hiding from the world - PC

This nice, but nervous 16 year old was surrendered in the summer.  He spent extra weeks hiding in his cage, despite the door being wide open.  Volunteers would go in to brush and invite him outside, but it was a no go.  At some point, he decided the neighbouring cage was nicer to live in.  Every little while he would take a few steps away from his home to check things out.  

Bluebell & Earl Grey - PC

Coming out onto the deck was a major step for him.  He’d approach the door and look around.  Sometimes, he’d walk out.  He’d stay for a minute, then retreat.  The deck regulars (Shaggy, Chanel, Earl, Bluebell, Rufus) didn’t mind his presence; there was always space to sit down.  It was the eagle-eyed stares from Smokey above the cagetops that sent Puma packing.  Smokey is not an explorer; she only comes down to floor level for food and waste elimination.  Chances are, they had an unpleasant first impression.  Ask almost anyone and they’ll tell you about their unforgettable encounter with her.

Smokey now has a room all to herself - PC

Since Smokey has her own room now, Puma has been walking all over the trailer without worry.  The only thing I’ve seen spook him is the sound of heavy footfalls.  He’d flee and return as soon as the thuds disappeared.  The vibrations travelling through the wooden floor make it feel like the beginning of an earthquake.  Can’t blame him for hiding.

Smokey says "someone's watching me..."  - KN

I find he seems overly curious about the grey cat.  I wouldn’t say infatuated, but no one gets in close proximity to Smokey without good reason. Like good (or nosey) neighbours, Puma and Earl have decided to take turns checking on Smokey.  Sometimes, they would sit outside her door for a bit, while Smokey gladly ignores their caterwauling.  A blanket on the lower half of the door gives her privacy.

Puma and his best friend - DJ

With winter temperatures in full swing, Puma has discovered another joy – the heater!  Forget the cage.  He loves the appliance so much that he spends 95% of his time next to it.  Blankets have been placed around the heater for his comfort.  

the best warm nap...  AR

While the other cats favour swarming any human that sits on the couch, Puma gleefully stays by the heater.  Should he approach, he would appreciate gentle pets and grooming.  He’d be grateful if you could keep the other cats at least a couple feet away.  (Sorry, Shaggy.)

Shaggy, Bluebell and Chanel are all encouraged
to stay well away from Puma's heater  -  PC

Like many elderly cats, the extra dose of heat makes an incredible difference in their world.  Ask well-aged humans how the cold feels on them - it makes their joints ache, there are challenges of staying warm, and general malaise.  It’s very much the same for cats.  Some senior kitties refuse to get out of bed. They spend all day by a heat source to keep warm, have a shorter fuse, or pass on physical activities.  Puma has hit his stride and has newfound confidence.  If heat makes him so happy, in another 5 months, he’ll be ecstatic when he gets to sunbathe on the deck.

KN

Blog by Pauline Chin

Photos by Pauline Chin, Daphne Jorgenson, Karen Nicholson, Anne Rainbow

Aristocracy Among Us

KN

We have a great many cats at the Sanctuary who are senior because they have lived much of their lives with us, but most of the cats in the Moore House – also known as GeriCatrics – have come to us as seniors, and often from a situation that indicates that they might not deal well with a bunch of other cats.  Some are clearly made for this situation. Tuxedo Joey, who we have just lost, was blind. Baby is very arthritic.  Jimmy was a Cariboo fires survivor and is still nervous around people. Smoky, though not elderly, hates all other cats and most humans.

Jimmy & Baby - KN

But some cats come to the Moore House and blossom. Bangles has become quite sociable. Rufus looks wonderful for his age. Shaggy is everyone’s love. 

LBF

Earl Grey is a blossomer.  He came to us last year, feeling sad and rejected – at around 18 years of age, his family surrendered him for “inappropriate urination issues”. The sad fact is that as we get older, we all get less bladder control, and peeing in the wrong place is common with senior cats. Sometimes there is a physical problem, sometimes the cat is feeling stressed, sometimes it’s just being old. Most people, faced with an elderly family member, don’t rush to put grandpa into care – they try and find out what’s wrong first. Sadly, Earl Grey didn’t have that sort of family.

DJ

Given time in the big corner cage, he accepted attention from staff and volunteers, he allowed himself to be coaxed to eat, and would occasionally come down to sit on a lap – but he was a reserved cat, and obviously mourning what he’d lost.

KN

A year later and he is relaxed and at home. He likes to be out on the deck when it’s warm, and enjoys the attention of visitors. He tends to establish himself on the back of the couch in a raised position that indicates clearly that you are a level below him; he likes a little petting and grooming, but will settle in the lap of only a selected few.  

MD

He doesn’t interact much with the other cats – he’s not aggressive in any way (well, he doesn't like Baby much!) , it’s just that they’re not worth noticing. He is clearly among the aristocracy of cats, whether he was named for the Earl Grey who was a British Prime Minister, or for the tea named after the Earl. 

KN

Many of the volunteers end their day with quiet time among these sweet senior cats. It won’t be in fancy china, but I must remember to take my cup of Earl Grey tea over to the Moore House next time, to share it with his Lordship.  

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Melanie Draper, Daphne Jorgenson, Karen Nicholson