Encountering Figaro

Figaro  (MW)

This handsome boy with the distinctive markings has been with us about seven years, and has established himself as a central figure in the front courtyard.

...tucked away safely  (MD)

He came from a Sunshine Coast shelter that had to close, and when he arrived he was wary and not ready to come for coaxing. Arm’s-length was tolerated, tossing treats was appreciated, but petting was not something he was ready for. What he did enjoy was the company of other cats.  

Figaro and Reefer snuggle together  (KN)

There were several others who came from the same place, and many of the older ones have now passed: Wickem, Gidget and HunnyBun all lived in the front courtyard;  old-lady SweetPea is still with us. She too is a semi-feral, but on the shyer end of the spectrum.  Figaro’s friend Reefer likes to play, but he also is not much into being petted.

The favourite wall pose  (MW)

Figaro, though, has become very social. He’s always been part of the Boys Club in the front area, and can be found with a variety of feline buddies, but he’s also settled to being handled by humans.  He likes best to be up a level, and mooches shamelessly from the coping around the small trees, dancing in place to attract attention.  He will hop up on the benches and beg for treats, occasionally settling in a lap, though he prefers to be snuggled beside the volunteer or visitor in question.

Playing "king" in the gazebo   (KN)

He roams the whole front courtyard area, and may be found in any of the shelters, though recently I’ve been finding him with the papasan chair crowd at the top of the stairs. If there are handouts, Figaro will be out there – getting hyped on cat-nip, nibbling on cat-grass, chasing a rolling dental treat and playing with it before crunching down. 

pensive...   (KN)

Figaro is the perfect example of a cat that might be adoptable, but who is definitely happier where he is – feline friends, room to roam safely, treats and attention – but not ready to bond with anyone or to give up all the advantages of what I’m sure he feels is the ideal life at the Sanctuary.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Melanie Draper, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Front Courtyard Sweet Pea

Sweet Pea (MW)

In 2016 we were contacted by workers at a shelter on the Sunshine Coast that was closing down. Like many such organizations, it was set up privately, and was mostly a labour of love for the founder.  It focused on rescue, but was not organized for continued funding or for succession planning.  As the owner’s health declined, it became obvious that things couldn’t continue, and her friends called us. Over the course of the following year we took in more than twenty cats.

A wet-day excursion  (KN)

In the back courtyard we established the first colony in Pen 6; we knew their records and that they knew each other, so they didn’t have to be caged initially – the pen was their cage till they settled. These included PawPaw, Simba, Blue, Laredo and many others. Also from there was the one-and-only Honey Bear, a snowshoe Siamese with electric blue eyes and a neurological problem. In subsequent months more cats joined the front courtyard, this time via a short cage stay. These included Sparks, Wickem, Gidget, Figaro, Reefer, HunnyBun and Sweet Pea.

Hiding out in a cat-tree  (GA)

Many of them were already seniors when they came to us and have since passed; Sweet Pea is one of the last cats of that group of refugees; she, Reefer and Figaro still roam the front courtyard. She was a September 2017 arrival, and is now about 14 years old – she arrived at Happy Cat Haven as a kitten. All three cats came to us as ferals, but the two boys have become used to petting and treats, and have merged well with the general population. Sweet Pea remains on the feral end of the spectrum, but she doesn’t really like to be alone and needs other cat companions. 

Cuddles with friend Libby - now gone  (LBF)

She’s our third Sweet Pea – the first was a well-loved messy little manx with a sweet trill of a voice; the second was one of the Kootenays cats who was recently adopted out. In a courtyard with a lot of black cats and tuxes, it’s easy to identify  this Sweet Pea by her thin white moustache marking. 

On the climbing frame on a wet day  (KN)

She can usually be found around the covered courtyard that is known as the Old Rabbit Area, but when there are visitors, she emerges to hover around the climbing platform – especially when volunteer Allison is there on Sunday afternoons. She is still wary of touch, but she trusts Allison and will come to her for petting and treats, and she has a few other volunteers she will approach for attention.

Sweet Pea  (MW)

She’ll often be found lurking under cover, watching everything that goes on. A little patience, a treat or two, and she will dare to emerge for her share of petting.  I suspect she’s never going to be really comfortable with contact, but she now knows that nobody will hurt her, and she’s seeing some of the benefits of life at the Sanctuary.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Graham Akira, Lisa Brill-Friesen,
Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Winter Kitties

 

Cornelius & Gemini enjoying snow and sunshine (LBF)

Ten days of snow in the Lower Mainland is pretty unusual; most of us need to head to the mountains to get the white stuff. So when it happens, everyone is taken by surprise - cats included!

Leo seems to love being outside  (KN)

Most humans and cats tend to fall into one of two categories; we turn our backs on what's going on outside and cosy up for the duration, or we get outside and enjoy winter sports.

The Pen 6 cats would rather stay in a warm floofy pile  (LBF)

This happened during the holiday, when we had volunteers missing, and covering the extra shifts was complicated by the need to dig out paths to access the various buildings.

Sunshine on (piles of) snow.  (BC)

The majority of cats seem to prefer their comfort, and stayed safely in their buildings. There was, after all, no point in putting plates of food in their usual places outside; frozen catfood is not appealing to anyone. 

Chai is much more an indoor kitty than she used to be;
she stays carefully in the shoveled areas (KN)

In the front courtyard there was some serious hibernation, with only occasional visits outside to investigate the conditions. 

Autumn loves the snow, and her thick coat keeps her cosy  (MW)

But there are always a few intrepid explorers.

Kenji is another floof with no fear of the cold   (LBF)

Something under the snow attracts Figaro's attention  (KN)

The pen 3 cats are from Alberta.  They probably have no actual experience of an Alberta winter, having come from a hoarding situation, but they have been eager to get out and investigate.

Cornelius leads the way (LBF)

but encourages the others to join him!  (KN)

The pen 6 cats are from Kamloops and have undoubtedly survived winter cold. Their thick fur is good protection, and though they'd rather cuddle up and stay warm, some of them are willing to brave the cold to get a bit of fresh air.

Cheeto  (LBF)

For some reason, the tree is especially attractive in this weather, and there have been several little black climbers surveying the Sanctuary from above.

Jackie O is the chilly queen of all she surveys  (KN)

Not everyone is happy, though.

Jasper's paws are cold!  (KN)

In the evening, they all return to their cabins, and leave it to the volunteers to tramp through the snow to deliver dinner.

Sanctuary at night (JS)

It's beautiful - but it never lasts long.  And nobody - cats or humans - enjoys the rain that inevitably washes it all away. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, 

Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint, Michele Wright

Winter Kitties

Darius is making a snow-angel-kitty  -  KN

The Wet Coast has for this week become The White Coast, and as usual, coastal BC reels under what is normal weather for much of the rest of the country!

Snow piled high in the front courtyard - BC

Having a cat sanctuary in BC is normally no big deal – many of the cats spend their time outside, and dedicated volunteers come from as far away as 50k to scoop or sweep or snuggle their feline friends. But when the snow hits, most of the cats vanish inside, the roads become skating rinks, and staff and volunteers struggle to get in to do their shifts.

Thanks goodness for shovelled walks - DW

It’s all very pretty-looking – till you have to slog along in it. Working in the trailers is cosy enough, but feeding the back pen cats on a snowy evening takes real determination. Thank goodness for Ken, who shovelled paths everywhere – and then had to go back and shovel them again.

Cagney and Petunia are staying out of the white stuff! - BC

 Most of the cats take the sensible path and snuggle up with some buddies;  leave it to the humans to get through all that white stuff.  Other cats seem to like the contrast.  I was greeted at the gate by Kiwi, who has come to us from Alberta – obviously snow holds no fear for her!

Kiwi enjoys the snow - BC

Figaro wasn’t quite sure if he liked it, but he was ready to chase a snowball or two.

Throw another one, please!  -  BC

Some of our kitties have Norwegian Forest Cat genes – lots of fur, big paws, and no fear of snow.  Little Autumn, in the front courtyard, was having a wonderful time; her big floofy coat was coated with snow crystals, but she didn’t care!

Autumn likes her snow bathing  - BC

Leonardo diCatprio was just enjoying lying there all by himself in the snow. Leo often enjoys his own company, but I didn’t know he was a snow lover.

Sometimes I sits and thinks....    BC

Pretty Sprocket, too, has a coat that will hold off the snow.

Sprocket - BC

Once Skittles saw I was out for a walk-about, he followed me.  This boy definitely has some “weegie” in him, and snow holds no fears.  He was, however, a bit annoyed by the fact that I wouldn’t cuddle him!

Skittles  -  BC

Ploughing through snow almost at his own height, he was getting pretty well coated!

Wylee is not a snow cat and looks on all this white stuff with a certain disapproval.  He likes to be out, but he has no desire to get any wetter and colder than he has to!

Wylee wants it to go away - BC

Just like people - some like the change in the weather and are active in snow-play; others cuddle up in their beds until it's gone again.  And this is the Lower Mainland - it won't last long, and we'll soon be back to the usual wet stuff!

Cadbury and Yma have cold paws!  -  LBF

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

The Feline Sedins are not retiring from the Sanctuary!

Back in 2006, RAPS founder Carol Reichert trapped two handsome ginger boys under an east Richmond shed, and brought them to the Sanctuary.  And what else can you do with a pair like this other than name them for the Canucks' most famous redheads!

Henrik

Daniel and Henrik (feline version) were a pretty feral pair, and joined the rest of the front courtyard crowd of cats who prefer to steer clear of humans. The majority of those cats hang out in what’s known as the old Rabbit Area, where the shelves are all covered, giving lots of secure hiding spaces for the wary inhabitants.

Henrik hiding

In the years around their arrival the Sanctuary was particularly busy;  there was a big influx of cats who were displaced by construction around the city, and more and more places where feral cats had been hiding out were either no longer available to them, or the human caretakers felt that cats would be safer elsewhere.  Photos from round 2006-2008 make it clear that we were swamped with feline residents, and it was very easy for cats like these two to vanish into anonymity.

Daniel 

By the beginning of the second decade the tide was turning, prompted mainly by an ageing population. Cats who had arrived in the early years of the Sanctuary as mature adults were beginning to fail, and many were lost to the inevitable onset of kidney disease, cancer and other conditions.  Sad as this was, it meant that many cats who had previously managed to stay invisible were now being tracked, both for their health and for possible socializing. A blood test during a vet check showed that Henrik had tested positive for feline leukemia.

Henrik

This was the period in which the Val Jones corner of the courtyard was cordoned off and attached to the Old Aids area, housing the leukemia cats. Henrik was settled there, and made himself at home with friends like Esme, Mocha, Savannah and GusGus.  All have now passed, but Henrik is still in good condition – the virus has affected his immune system in the form of mouth ulcers, and they can be treated with medication, though that in turn causes him to put on weight (and he is NOT a small cat!)

Daniel & Cloverleaf

Classic Daniel cuddle-puddle

His brother Daniel has continued living with the other ferals.  He is more sociable than Henrik, and usually has a buddy or two (or three) following him around, head-butting and snuggling happily.  Cloverleaf is usually the favoured friend, but Sarah, Jamie, or newcomer Figaro also like to be in on the action, either out in the courtyard or in the Hill House.  In the last while Daniel has also become more sociable with people;  Henrik continues shy, though he will accept attention when offered – especially when treats are part of the package.

Daniel & Sarah

Our two ginger brothers are beloved inhabitants of the front area of the Sanctuary; Henrik’s life is a little quieter these days, but Daniel shows no sign of retiring from action.

Blog by Brigid Coult

All photos by Michele Wright

 

 

October 2018: Sadly, we lost Daniel to acute anaemia quite suddenly. His friends - human and feline - miss him!

A Front Courtyard Trio

Figaro - MW

From time to time we still have cats coming in from a privately run Sunshine Coast shelter that is reducing numbers in preparation for closing. One trio that arrived together ended up caged together in the Hill House, and, a year later, they can still be found in the same area, now that they’re out and about.

Figaro (L) & Spirit (R) - MW

The most striking one of the three is Figaro, introduced a few weeks back. Figaro is sometime confused with Spirit, also a handsome tuxedo, but Figaro’s facial markings are much more defined, and he is definitely more shy with humans.

Figaro hiding - MW

He is interested in us, and will accept treats if they’re thrown his way, but he’s usually not ready for more than the odd fleeting touch; he's very selective in the people he will approach, and from whom he will accept petting.  What he does like is to be touched by other cats! He has shown himself to be something of a cat-magnet in the front courtyard, and has a following of friends to rival Daniel’s.

Reefer loves to play - MD

Many of them are little black cats – I’m still trying to sort out Beetle and Frisky, Cyrano, Shady and Reefer.

Handsome boy! - MW

Reefer was the second of the trio in the Hill House cage. He’s less shy than some of the others, and is one of the cats that seems to have a constant low-grade cold – at least, he can mostly be distinguished by a slightly snotty nose, though it doesn’t slow him down at all. He and Figaro romp and play-fight, especially when egged on by a little catnip

Reefer & Figaro haing fun - MW

The third of the trio is a very different sort of cat.

Hunny Bun - MD

Her name is Hunny Bun, and we’re told she was found as a kitten in the same place as Honey Bear, the stunning Siamese cross in the back courtyard– it’s possible that they’re litter mates, despite their very different appearances, because female cats in heat are quite indiscriminate about their partners, and litter-mates may have more than one sire.  Honey Bear came to us before the other three, presumably because he has a neurological problem and was therefore easier to catch!

You can't see me! - MW

Hunny Bun is very shy, wary of humans, and quick to find herself a hiding place when approached. Like Reefer and Figaro, she spends most of her time in the feral cat area we call “The Old Rabbit Area”- a section of the courtyard that is covered but has an outdoor feeling. All the shelves in it are draped so that feral cats can feel safely hidden – unlike the beds in the Connor or the Hill House, which are uncovered.

Hunny Bun on the guarded prowl - MW

We have a number of cats who arrived as ferals and now are quite relaxed with human contact – Jamie, Gilbert, Pogo, Latte... to name just a few. We hope that with time and patience, these three may join the “I Love Humans” club at the Sanctuary.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Melanie Draper & Michele Wright