Tubbitha

Tubbitha  (KN)

Late in 2023 we became Sanctuary for a group of cats who were already an established colony at the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook. Their back story can be found in the blog in which I introduced them, but they have settled in and made themselves at home in their own feral way. They have very little liking for humans, but like the mostly-orange Kamloops cats, they remain a self-defined group within the Back Courtyard cats, moving around like a shoal of fish.  For the most part, they hang out in Pen 3; the Calgary cats have the cabin, and the College cats use the kennels and small structures nearby. They enjoy the sunshine from the pen boundaries and from rooftops. For the most part, they prefer to have little contact with us, but they will often be out and about in the early evening, and a few of them, like Lil’ Bit, will allow minimal touch.

Tubbitha with Twiglet, hiding in their
early cage days with us   (BC)

Most of them are long-haired and distinctly end-of-winter shaggy; grooming is out of the question, and when the mats are too bad the med-staff use a bit of gabapentin and the clippers. There are a few-short-haired cats among them – Bernadette, Purrl and Tubbitha.  The latter came to us as Tabitha, but her name evolved as her size increased.

The other College Cats happily sunning themselves
at the back of Pen 3  (BC)

Tubbitha stands out because she has exiled herself from the rest of the group. When they first came to us, they had their initial cage-stay time in the DoubleWide, and when the doors were open, most of them moved out to the Deck, before relocating in the spring to the back of the pens. Tubbitha preferred to stay in her cage; she was quite happy to share it with one or another (non-Cranbrook) cat, but she liked her comfort and resisted the temptation to move. Kin sometimes occupied one shelf where he was easily accessed by the med staff;  occasionally one of the four orange cats (probably Valencia) would share space.

You may NOT touch me!  (KN)

Tubbitha also resisted approaches by humans, but she was not so scared that she felt the need to be out of reach – she just hissed and smacked. She didn’t quite get DoorDash food service, but she never had far to go to find a warm supper – I guess you could call it a hot-and-a-cot.

Tubbitha and Guthrie  (BC)

At the end of last summer, the DoubleWide was emptied – first, of all cats, and then of all cages – and serious renovations began. The old cages were still needed, and they were moved – two to the Newcomers deck, one to the TeaRoom, and four to the DW deck. All the displaced cats had to find new homes, and the previously quiet deck got very crowded. Four cage-tops gave us more space for ferals who feel happier up high, and the deck cat-door began to get a whole lot more use.

The deck buddies, enjoying some fresh air 
Luke, Hickory, Iris, Tubbitha, Mitzi, Guthrie (BC)

Tubbitha was one of the cat-door users. She’s not the most enthusiastic climber, because of her size, and when indoors, is generally in one of the draped shelves near the exit. But for the most part, her preference is to be outside, on the small porch outside the cat-door. She will occasionally use the cat-tree there, but her favourite thing is to take the base of the tree and make herself comfortable. She tolerates the company of Mitzi, Guthrie, Hickory, Luke and the others, and continues to prefer hissing at any human who attempts to make contact with her.

Hickory (on L) with Tubbitha  (BC)

I don’t think she’s made any effort to reunite with the rest of her family; by her standards, they’re sleeping rough, after all – Tubbitha would rather stay in the hotel.  She does occasionally venture down the pathway, but not far; we’re more likely to find her investigating possible cage vacancies in the DW (not likely to happen!) or contemplating life at the top of the steps to the TeaRoom. She prefers the family of choice to the one of genetics.  But with the return of the sunshine, there is a lot more feline movement from one area to another, so we’ll keep an eye open to see if she prefers to remain in (comfortable) exile.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Hickory & Mitzi

Mitzi & Hickory  (KN)

For several years the DoubleWide Deck was known as tuxedo central, but in the last while the tabbies have been staging a takeover!  Luke, Bodhi and Denzel are still present, but they are also wandering more freely, and looking up at the furry pile on the mattress, there’s often more brown fur than black.  

Did you say chicken?  (BC)

Floor level is dominated by tortie Gwen, who doesn’t like other cats any more than she did at the beginning. They have learned to avoid her, and to stay outside her personal “bubble”. While the weather has remained fine, there is a steady flow of Deck cats out to the cat-tree by the New Aids entrance, and some of them venture further.

Hickory  (LBF)

Hickory and Mitzi are two of the most regular venturers.  They may well be litter-mates; they arrived four years ago from CATS rescue, in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. They are not particularly bonded, but may often be found together, since they both use the DW Deck as their base.   Hickory is a handsome dark tabby with the classic-tabby whorls on his coat. He is initially wary with humans, but ready to accept attention; he can often be found visiting cat-pals in Pen 1.  When the cat-door was first installed on the Deck he was one of the first to explore – and then got a bit panicked when he couldn’t find his way to return; he’s much more sure of himself now.

Luke with Hickory  (KN)

Hickory extends his social presence outside the Deck cats; if there is a courtyard gathering for chicken tidbits, he is often part of it. However, he’s not really interactive with the dominant boys of the Boys’ Club – Pumpkin, Walker, Quinn and their buddies. Hickory sits back and observes. Most of his socializing is with his tuxedo pals on the Deck.

Mitzi   (KN)

Mitzi is a big-eyed, stripy-variety tabby with a large white bib. She is very food-motivated, but not enough to make her act nice with humans;  she has a lightning front paw that is quick to smack. But the potential for tasty tidbits, brings her closer and closer, and though she’s not happy about being touched, she will tolerate it for the sake of an adequate pay-off.

Seeking a little sun-worshipping  (KN)

Like Hickory, she enjoys little excursions into the gardens, but tends to remain close to home-base; the platform with the cat-tree is her favourite place on a nice day; and she can dodge human attention easily.  Though the two of them mostly do their own thing independently, just occasionally we will see moments of affection (or possibly annoying-the-sibling moments) that signal a loving family connection.

Hickory & Mitzi  (KN)

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

Fabian

Fabian, hiding in the gardens  (KN)

Shy Fabian came to us last year. Many of our cats come through other shelters, but this boy was a feral who we helped to trap after he was found marking someone's front porch. He was terrified when he came in - so much so that the med-staff couldn't easily do an assessment, and it had to wait till the hospital had time for him, and it could be done under sedation. He was an intact male with many small wounds, presumably from fighting; he was lucky not to have FIV or FeLV. The hospital cleaned him up, neutered him (which helped with some of the aggression), treated his injuries and de-flea'd him before he came back to us.

KN

In common with most of our new cats, he had a period in a cage, offering the Kitty Comforters a chance to see if he could be socialised. He remained scared, was not to be tempted by food or petting, and on release from his cage, he joined the other timid cats on the back deck of the Double-Wide trailer.  There he was able to find the inaccessible (to humans) perches high up on the walls, and stare down on us with a carefully blank “I am not interested in anything you can offer” expression on his face.

Watching from above  (BC)

For years the cats on the deck had accessed the great outdoors by going through the main building and the laundry room – for many of them that was a scary prospect, only to be executed when minimal humans were around. Last summer handyman Ken installed a cat door in the emergency exit on the deck – and many of the residents took the opportunity for The Great Escape.

The DW deck heatseekers  (KN)

For many of them that amounted to lolling around in the sun close to the exit. A few, like Hickory, ventured further a bit too quickly and then panicked when they couldn’t immediately find their way home; he now happily ventures all over the place. But because cats tend to be territorial, they almost all continued to return to the DW Deck in the evenings for dinner and together-time.

Fabian snoozing  (KN)

Not Fabian...

Fabian ventured out with the others, but he recovered his sense of self as a feral cat who lived outdoors, and he decided that the deck was no longer home. He took up residence with the McLeod cats at the back of Pen 1, and they seemed to accept him easily enough.  

And he discovered Mercury.

Mercury was the shyest of that colony, and he welcomed Fabian as a fellow scaredy-cat. The two of them generally share quarters in one of the straw-filled dog-houses at the back, and can sometimes be seen enjoying the sun and their solitude.

Good to cuddle with a buddy on a cold day  (LBF)

Interestingly, Mercury has started to show his courage, and comes to hover on the edge of the chicken-treat crowd. He hears when I call and saunters towards the others as if it really doesn’t matter – but he’s quick to pounce when a treat comes his way, and sometimes he stands his ground when approached, and accepts the treat by hand.  Fabian has not joined his buddy. I came face to face with Fabian while scooping a box at the back of Pen 1 last week; he froze while I worked, and I tried not to make eye contact, but as soon as he felt I was a little too close for his comfort, he was up and out of there. Convincing this feral boy that we only wish him well will take much time and patience!

Hiding away  (KN)

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

Update: Very sad to report that less than a month after this blog, we lost Fabian to cancer. One of the problems with feral cats is that they hide their discomfort, and by the time it was discovered, it was too late.  Rest well, Fabian 😿

The Great Escape

Well, strictly speaking, it wasn’t an escape (or it was one carefully planned by the staff.)  But the cats think it was an escape.

Mitzi musing on the outdoor experience  (KN)

Visitors to the Double-Wide will find there are several barriers to access. The main door is quite heavy – but there’s a cat-door carefully situated there for the times when there’s no human to be butler.  The door between the laundry room and the main room is very light, and there’s a cutout in the frame at the bottom. Many cats have learned how to open the door from either side, and the cutout prevents any tails from getting caught. And then between the main room and the deck, there’s another door – and once again, a cat-flap allows access.

Loki learning to manage the door  (KN)

For years the cats who have gravitated to the back deck have been the shyest ones, the ones who are wary of humans, even when out of reach. In this safe space, some of them have learned that we’re not so bad – but they are still wary about moving out of their space and braving what must look like an obstacle course. And to be honest, that’s what it is – the laundry room door in particular is a real barrier to a very shy or feral cat, and often that’s a good thing, since the cat spends more time where we can keep an eye on it.

Ringo hovering by the deck door   (BC)

Ringo is typical of this sort of cat.  He spent most of his first year tucked into a Back Deck corner as high up and out of the way as he could manage. He froze around humans, and floor level was not comfortable for him.  Then gradually we found he was making his way into the main room, mostly at times when there were very few people around. He was learning that not only humans, but also other cats meant him no harm.  Eventually he made his way through the building, probably managing the laundry room door when another cat went through. He established himself outside the DoubleWide door, making little forays to explore.  These days he spends most of his time out in the back pens, either sleeping in the gardens or following his buddy Zivko around. 

Ringo relaxed in the garden (MW)

However, very few of the other Deck cats seemed to want to follow him. Finally this summer it was decided that we needed another cat-door, and one was cut into the emergency exit that opens onto the passageway by Pen 1.  It didn’t take much to have a general exodus. There were a couple of early panics when someone made their way into Pen 1 and then couldn’t find the gate to return – but once that was solved, there was quite a lot of visiting.

Hickory returning from an exploration (KN)

Hickory was the most ready to explore beyond the immediate vicinity.  But he also appreciated a comfy bed at the top of the stairs.

Hickory just outside the cat-door  (KN)

Bubbles prefers to stay fairly close to the door for now – but he enjoys being a sun-worshipper.

Bubbles  (KN)

Denzel too is not venturing far yet – but you can see from his happy tail that he’s good with the change.

Denzel  (KN)

Ziggy took her time – but a nice comfy chair was too good to pass up!

Ziggy  (KN)

Ursula is remembering her outside life as a feral kitten – and we hope she's preferring what she has now.

Ursula (KN)

And, astonishingly, Kin, who prefers to hide, (see the blog of two weeks ago) also braved the cat-door and found a little patch of green where he could sit and think.

Kin, out in the big wide world  (KN)

There are still a few who’ve not poked their heads through the door – but we all know about curiosity and cats – and there’s lots in the back courtyard for them to be curious about!  Watch for updates...

Blog by Brigid Coult
Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson & Michele Wright

Garth & Sierra

Garth  (KN)

It’s more than 10 years ago that the Merritt cats came to us from a cat population explosion to which many BC rescues responded.  We took in about a dozen cats initially, but the stresses of a feral existence can carry into later life, and all those years later, we now have only three of them left: Desmond, Michonne and Garth. When the reduced group was moved to Pen 3, for a while we had two clear colonies: the Merritt cats and the little tabbies. In the last year, the group became much more fluid, and there was more social interchange.

Garth (KN)

Garth is a laid-back gentle giant. Like all the Merritt cats, he’s wary of humans, and too quick an approach results in a rapid retreat to the hiding places. But he’s happy to lounge around in the back section and let himself be admired – and when the right human approaches in the right way, he will allow limited contact and the consuming of treats.

Garth in the middle of the cuddle pile
with Annie and Desmond  (LBF)

For a long time the anonymous little tabbies (I could never sort out who was who) were the other part of the population, presided over by our beloved Dell.  Then we added Annie and Nikki Sixx Toes, ferals from Semiahmoo, with Nikki, like Dell, being diabetic. Sadly, that didn’t work out – Nikki was feral enough that medicating him in the pen was almost impossible. Annie and Nikki were split up, and Nikki was brought into the SingleWide, where he is flourishing and no longer feral.  Annie took a while to decide whether she was in the tabby party or the Merritt one, but decided that the latter was more interesting, and can often be found hanging out with her new buddies.

Hickory, Mitzi, Sierra   (LBF)

Enter Sierra.  Sierra came to us last year from CATS rescue on Vancouver Island – she arrived with Hickory and Mitzi – though not from the same situation. The other two adapted fairly quickly – Hickory is the tamer of the two – and based themselves on the DoubleWide deck with the other semiferals. Sierra, however, was NOT going to be friends with anyone. She spent her time huddled in a corner of her cage, all her body language conveying that she didn’t want to be touched, or even acknowledged, despite all the Kitty Comforters could do to coax her.

Sierra in hiding (KN)

Sometimes you just get cats like that. There are places where they would say “she’s not able to be tamed or adopted; put her down”. At RAPS we have the space to be able to say “she needs to be a feral and take her own time”. Sierra was put into Pen 3 and allowed to make her own decisions. For a long time she huddled in a bed in the cabin, or found herself a cosy straw bed in one of the kennels. Very occasionally she would sniff at an extended fingertip before pulling away.  

Garth & Sierra (LBF)

But in the last few months she seems to have attached herself to Garth – perhaps recognizing a bigger version of herself, and a source of comfort.  Initially she hovered on the edge of the group, but increasingly she can be found with him, and since he will accept a little petting from feral-charmer Lisa, she is also accepting it, especially when she’s cuddled next to him. 

We're letting her take tiny steps, trying not to force her to anything before she’s ready. 

Recently we've transferred the Pen 3 cats into Pen 4 - the latter is a larger space, and we needed to make room for another group of young cats that shouldn't be kept caged, but who need to be limited in range until we find who might be tamable.  The original Pen 3 cats seem to be settling down, and Sierra and Garth are finding new places in which they can hide or hang out together.  Many cats need the comfort of a familiar space, and if we ever opened the feral pens, these ones would likely never come out. And so what? - the RAPS Cat Sanctuary is their home, as long as they need it.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen & Karen Nicholson

Video by Lisa Brill-Friesen

The Tuxedo Club - part 2: The Catsino

There are various areas around the Sanctuary where cats who prefer to live “outside” can find warmth and comfort.

Now she's getting frail, this is Calista's favourite spot
in the front courtyard - BC

Often the shyer cats prefer not to be inside one of the buildings, but are willing to compromise by living on an enclosed deck.  When the weather is chilly, they can find warmth on an enclosed shelf, or, if they’re lucky, in a basket or a papasan chair under a heat-lamp.  Once a new cat is released from its cage in the Double-Wide (DW), it will often make its way to the deck, for an area with good hiding places. Draped chairs and shelves, a walk-way around the wall, and the reassurance that there won’t be many visitors gives cats the chance to settle, and eventually allow contact.

The "regulars" are joined by Hickory and Aspen - BC

The favourite place on the DW Deck is on a mattress, built out in an area that overlooks the volunteer tea-room below. The heat lamp hanging over it gives a secondary name to the area – the Cats Red Light District.  Bodhi, Hamlet and Luke were introduced last week as the core members of the feline band PURR .  But volunteer Daphne Jorgensen has been visiting with them regularly, and feels they need to push the boundaries a bit more.   Daphne posts regularly for our Staff/Volunteers closed page, but with her permission, I’ll share some of her musings on the DW deck inhabitants...

You want into this Catsino? - DJ

from Jan 28...  Everyone out there was cozy under the heat lamp. They let me know that life is good in the “Red Light District.” Wow, that’s aptly named. Apparently, what happens in the Red Light District stays in the Red Light District; it’s like Las Vegas.
Hmm, I thought, see no evil, hear no evil; that’s not always good. That’s when I noticed that Jade had followed me out onto the veranda. Oh no, the slasher had arrived. She reminded me that whatever she does to me cannot be disclosed. I looked to the others for support but found a bunch of giant lazy Mafia looking cats with faces that registered nothing. Last week was the ladder incident and now she just drove me off the armchair.
Perhaps I shouldn’t linger too long in the Red Light District. I feel like I just escaped an illegal gambling den

Waiting for refreshments - DJ

from March 17 ...    I checked in with the occupants in the Red Light District in the Double Wide. I let them know that all casinos are shut down. I asked the Hamlet if his casino was closed pursuant to the government mandate. He was eating when I was asking. It looked like his in-house restaurant was still open, contrary to the government order for quarantine.

from April 14 ...   I was visiting the Mafia cats in the Double Wide. It’s business as usual for them. I asked what was new and happening and they let me knew that they are starting a band that will always front line at their Catsino.

Barb & her Boys

Slayers - with Baxter leading -  LBF

They showed me their debut album cover, which is posted. Their band is called the Slayers. Barbara is the lead singer, Hamlet is on electric guitar, Luke on bass, Bodhi on piano, and Bubbles on drums. I asked them if they had a title for their new album and they confirmed they do. It’s called Tails of the Red Light District. Nice and hard core!
These are the songs on their album so far:
- Pandemic Blues;
- Ain’t Got No Kitty Comforters;
- JJ’s Revenge;
- Feed Me Now;
- Don’t Crap On Me; and
- Cat Slaves Are My Bitch.
They’re still working on more material. I asked who their manager and promoter is. Hamlet said they don’t have one yet.

Working on the love ballad album - LP

Hmmm...opportunity for me? But I’m not sure if my values align with theirs. I mean singing about Cat Slaves Being Their Bitch? Well, I might (ahem) resemble that remark.

Quarantine is obviously producing a variety of cultural inspirations at the Sanctuary – we’ll have to see if performers and audience alike are able to maintain interest, or if, being cats, it’s simpler just to find somewhere quiet and enjoy the required hours of snoozing.

Blog by Brigid Coult and Daphne Jorgensen

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Daphne Jorgensen, 

Karen Nicholson, Louise Parris