Supper on the Deck

Happy anticipation! - Bodhi, Luke & Denzel  (BC)

The back Deck of the Double-Wide building is both a home for a colony of semi-ferals, and a transition area for felines expanding their comfort-zone to include the back courtyard.  In the winter the residents snuggle together on a mattress under the comfort of a heat-lamp, while the rest of the “room” is protected from the elements only by plastic screens.  The “red light area” is the home to the core-group, and every other cat-bed around the upper area is occupied.  Now that warmer weather is with us, natural body-heat replaces the need for the heat-lamp, and more cats pop in and out of the cat-door in the corner.

Classic tabbies Ziggy and Hickory  (LBF)

One of my regular shifts for the past fourteen years has been to feed in the Double-Wide building on Saturday evenings – usually working with Molly, who began as a volunteer, then a staff cleaner, and is now the med-staff person on Saturdays, mixing up the necessary medications and delivering them all across the Sanctuary.  Operating from the Laundry Room sink, I plate up wet food for the building, including smaller dishes for caged cats. And usually I do the clean-up and wash the cans before I take the last three plates through to the Deck, so that, with a clear conscience, I can sit for a little while with the cats there.

Lotsa tabbies on the mattress   (LBF)

One plate gets delivered to the upper level in front of the mattress; one to the main area inside the door, and one to the back of the deck, where the shyer cats can eat without feeling too close to a human.  I will usually sit on the steps inside the door, and am quickly surrounded by feline friends who are so certain that I have something even tastier than the assortment of cat food flavours being offered.   

Gwen says "Gimme!"  (BC)

At my feet, Gwen hovers hopefully, smacking any other cat within reach. 

Crinkle looking hopeful (BC)

Crinkle comes down to the shelf beside me; she is still inclined to swat food from my hand rather than accept it, but the swat now comes without claws. The other tabbies prefer to get first dibs at the plate before coming to beg for tidbits; Hickory, Mitzi and Ziggy wait at the top, while the black boys, Denzel, Luke and Bodhi swarm closer. Bodhi doesn’t actually care much for the chicken tidbits, but he wants to be part of the crowd.

Nootka remains in loaf-pose  (BC)

Other cats hover at a distance; they are still wary around humans, but visits like this can help them to learn that we don’t need to be feared, and that if their companions can approach easily, they may do so as well. Little Nootka remained comfortably on her chair without feeling she had to hide; she came to us with black and white Tofino who prefers to wander the back courtyard;  Nootka prefers to stay indoors.

Madonna (BC)

Pretty Madonna has moved from hiding on the upper-level shelves to remaining on the other side of the room; she is cautious but no longer feels she has to hide.

Two little oranges  (BC)

I had two small orange tabbies hovering hopefully. They’re from a quartet that came into our care a few months ago, and were named Mandarin, Tangelo, Valencia and Tangerine. Mandarin is the single male and the only one I can identify from a little white patch on his chest; he is also the bravest of the four and the most food-motivated.  

Mandarin   (BC)

He has made himself at home in the Double-Wide, preferring to roam the cage-tops, but has also begun to explore the back courtyard. The three girls are much shyer, but at least one of them has become more confident in being around people on the back deck. I will look forward to getting to know them better in the next few months.

Ivy  (BC)

At another time, I will come to the deck without food, but with a wand toy or something to chase, and spend time to coax the shyer cats to interact with me. Pretty Ivy is getting braver all the time, and Marshmallow will accept petting and gentle grooming if there’s not too much action around.  Food is a useful motivator, but we need not rely on it.

Marshmallow prefers cat-food to treats  (BC)

The cat radar is working outside the deck – they know when tidbits are being offered. Before long Fletcher and Fonzie have joined up; Fonzie prefers the plated food, but Fletcher is watching the chicken bag with full attention. And then of course Lindor and Jasper arrive  – Lindor in particular doesn’t need more food; he’s been accepting treats from visitors all afternoon. Jasper and Gwen get into a swearing match, and then Jasper moves into “cute” mode and offers a high-five as incentive for something tasty, while Gwen retires under the stairs to lurk and mutter darkly.

Supper-time (BC)

Once the feline sharks gather, it’s time to wind up the treats visit, and return to the rest of my shift – checking and changing water-bowls as needed, and topping up kibble.  I need to visit the DW deck again on one of my Kitty Comforter shifts and take quiet time for some one-on-one with these delightful cats without food being too much of a factor! 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen & Brigid Coult

Magic Moments

Shy Ivy   (KN)

Many of our Sanctuary cats have come into our care with a feral label, and that’s fine – we are one of the few places that feral cats can live their feral lives safely as long as they need. But it is always exciting when a cat takes the first steps in building a relationship with humans, and for the humans in question, there is no feeling quite like it.

Princess is smack-ready!  (LBF)

Princess has been with us for three years now, and has established her quirky personality firmly in the back courtyard. Her upbringing was as a feral cat in Iran, and she was sponsored here to RAPS when her caregiver’s health failed.  For a couple of years she didn’t like anyone – cats or humans – and would only react with interest if a visitor came and spoke to her in Farsi. She was active around the pens, and would follow working volunteers, though not allow contact. She still reacts to most cats with hisses, or a quick swipe, but she chooses to live in Waldie’s Hut with a bunch of other cats that she has learned to tolerate. Occasionally she can be found playing with orange Sprocket, who also lives there. She is tidbit-motivated, but wary when the other cats crowd around.  

Accepting pets from Marty (MC)

Volunteers Brad and Marty are both cat-whisperers, and make a point of visiting with her in the hut with tasty treats. Both have coaxed her into allowing petting – not just little touches, but firm, full-body strokes. I suspect that Princess will mostly remain a loner, but it’s so good to see that she is now accepting contact with us.

Guacamole getting used to this "lapcat" business  (BC)

Black Guacamole is a more recent arrival – a three-legged cat from Surrey, with an amputation that was probably the result of being caught in a leg-hold trap. Initially he was very wary and spooked around us; he preferred to hang out around the back of Waldie’s Hut and in Pen 8.  Gradually he has become more comfortable with his surroundings, and has joined the crowd looking for handouts. He is not particularly interested in the usual chicken tidbits, and I have to remember to bring dry crunchies if I want to coax him closer. It’s pretty clear that this boy is a stray who has known human touch, rather than a feral; it doesn’t take much to get his attention, and he will flop over on his back for petting – which has the effect of making him one of the dirtier cats in the courtyard!

The great inspection  (HR)

Sweet Ivy is another cat who I’ve been trying to coax into contact, with no luck as yet. She hangs around the back of the DoubleWide trailer, and on the deck, and is often found with her friend Tabitha, from the College Cats. Kitty Comforter Hélène has lots of quiet patience, and persuaded Ivy that she was safe to approach at the end of a play-session with a wand toy.

Don't you touch my blanket!  (JK)

Anyone who works in the DoubleWide laundry room knows that it is necessary to do a careful assessment of the shelves before folding and restocking clean laundry. Blonde Parker is very possessive about her sleeping places!  Parker is one of those cats that visitors reach to touch, but they often don’t notice the warning collar until too late. We warn folks that there are bandaids in all the bathrooms – but it’s not only the visitors that need bandages. When new staff member Chloe came to us, Parker slashed her hands when she moved too close; I am always extra wary when Parker comes to help me do the evening feeds.  So it was lovely to see Parker making up to Chloe this weekend – flirting and asking for attention. Chloe has gone slowly and steadily to win Parker over, and though others may have to leave her shelf alone, she is ready to move when Chloe asks!

Stetson investigating the great outdoors  (KN)

I introduced our handsome Stetson when he was still in his cage, and not wanting any company. Not long after, he was released, and quickly made his way to the back courtyard, to hide out from all those scary humans.  It wasn’t long before he decided that FOMO was definitely a thing, and everyone else was having way too much fun; more and more he became part of the crowd looking for attention and tidbits. Initially, he was ready to hard-smack the treat from the offering hand, but became better and better mannered about accepting it. 

Being a lapcat is not so bad!
(especially when you have a cold, and want a little TLC)   (AM)

Anne Marchetti discovered that as long as you stroked him without him being able to see the approaching hand, he would accept petting with great enthusiasm. And this week, Stetson graduated to being her lap-cat!

A common view of a very wary Sylar (KN)

My own little magic moment this week was with my long-term sponsor cat, Sylar. He has been with us for 14 years, and the only times I have been able to touch him have been when he’s been caged for medical care. His primary language is of hisses – fearful, not aggressive. He has learned that when I’m around there are tasty treats, and he knows my voice and comes running with his plaintive little meow. But it’s a good day when he accepts food from the hand; he’s wary of the other cats as well as of humans, and is easily spooked by them.  Currently he’s in for a health check, and I went to visit him with treats in hand. We went the usual round of hisses and bribery, and I looped his drape out of the way so we could see each other. He was looking very scruffy-old-cat, and I spent some time with grooming tools getting loose fur out of his winter coat. I don’t think he’s ever really allowed grooming, and he leaned into it and purred, and enjoyed his dinner as I worked. 

All that fluff off feels so much better!   (BC)

Sometimes the only time we can handle these old ferals is towards the ends of their lives, when they forget that we’re so scary, and discover that the humans are not so bad after all. We accept it as the gift it is, and try to put aside the possible future. Sylar may not remember, when released from his cage, that we had this moment, and we will probably go back to the just-out-of-reach relationship that was our pattern.  But I’ll remember what we had this week, and it’ll be a precious memory.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Martyn Corey, Brigid Coult,
Jennine Kariya, Anne Marchetti, Karen Nicholson, Hélène Rybol