Steady Sweetness

Huey  (MW)

Huey was one of the cats I met in my early days at the Sanctuary. He had come in with his “sister” Hannah from a situation in which their owner had moved and was no longer able to keep them with her. Both cats (and several others we’d had from her) were originally ferals, tamed by her determination and love. 

Donni and her fan-club; Huey gets groomed  (BC)

Following their arrival at the Sanctuary, she visited them weekly, bringing treats and grooming tools, and giving her love to a big fan-club of felines. Huey and Hannah were always front and centre in the crowd.   Donni died in 2013, and over the following few years, the population of “her” cats gradually aged out. Hannah, who loved people (and particularly loved leaping on them) was adopted out; quiet Huey remained with us.

Venturing on the occasional outing  (KN)

He has a stumpy little rump-tail – whether a manx-style mutation or the result of an accident, I don’t know. He tends to be very much a Double-Wide cat, with occasional ventures into the courtyard. Huey loves attention, with no strings attached – he’s not particularly interested in treats, he just wants to know that you’re paying attention to him. 

Stop scooping and talk to me   (KN)

He is quite often found on the Double-Wide couch; he likes to be petted, but he’s not a lap-cat, preferring to remain within touching reach. Especially favoured people get leaned on – and drooled on, as well. 

Couch cuddles   (DJ)

Huey is recognized as a supervisor around the cleaning crew; he will follow the person scooping litter-boxes from cage to cage, making sure that the job is done properly. He appears to like people more than other cats; you’ll occasionally see a little interchange with another loner, but mostly he’s the Cat Who Walks By Himself.

Sharing a little loner advice with Ringo   (LBF)

If you’re used to being in another area of the Sanctuary, please make time to spend with this sweet boy. His beautiful eyes will thank you for the effort.

(KN)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, 

Daphne Jorgenson, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Onyx

At last Saturday's pub night in support of RAPS (thanks to all who attended!), Louise was telling me about two black cats, Onyx and Topaz, who like to hang out in the tiny room in the doublewide where we keep the water heater.

When I went to investigate this evening, Topaz was off doing cat stuff elsewhere, but Onyx was there, comfortably installed on top of the water heater. She wasn't too excited about getting up close and cuddly with her uninvited human visitor, though, and soon scooted up to a shelf safely out of reach.

Louise had warned me that she's found Onyx isn't really into being touched, so I wasn't too surprised. If anything, I was grateful that Onyx was relaxed enough that she didn't seem to mind me being there just as long as I stayed out of arm's reach.

Onyx came to RAPS from the same place as Cara, Princess, Elmo, Huey, Hannah, Whiskey, Paris, and others. Like Paris, Onyx started off as a feral. She certainly is curious enough about people to enjoy a good stare. Perhaps she can be convinced that people cuddles aren't so bad either.

Paris

Paris is a feral who came to RAPS in 2003 from the same house that brought us Cara, Mooshie, Elmo & Princess, Huey & Hannah.

She might originally have been named Doll Face on account of her unusual face, but this was not a name she was widely known as, being so shy that she immediately scampered off into the back when she was let loose at the sanctuary and disappeared into the general shy black cat population.

Staff got to know her a little when she was brought inside for observation because she'd gotten quite skinny. She was given the name Paris at that time.
These days she'll let a person get close enough for a photo op, but still has that invisible feral boundary very much intact: come any closer and she runs off to reinstate the proper distance.