Comet

Long-time volunteer Stephanie is no longer able to give the time she once committed to working hours at the Sanctuary, but those hours (and more) are still devoted to rescuing cats. Armed with a car full of traps, tasty bait food and other cat-appealing things, she waits patiently at various sites, hoping that a stray cat reported to RAPS may venture into her trap and come to experience the love shown to so many of our Sanctuary cats.
Most of her sites are away from human homes: recycling centres, warehouses and the like, as well as the occasional lost cat reported to us. Comet was different. Comet was spotted last December near a Richmond veterinary office, with houses all around. It was on a main road, so there was some concern for her safety, especially as it was suspected that she was pregnant. Regular traps were ignored (or occupied by the occasional raccoon), but gradually hunger got the better of her and the tuna plate was moved further and further into the trap.

Comet at trap - SR

Finally – success! – as a very annoyed little cat ventured too close and the trap door was sprung.  Yes, indeed, she was pregnant – and so was packed off into the hands of Kati, one of our most experienced foster-moms.

Carol & Stephanie have Comet safe at last

Comet was a real spitfire.  Cleaning her cage was a tough job, and she managed to bite Kati through thick gloves. Kati was already caring for Parker (also trapped by Stephanie) who calmly gave birth to a litter of seven kittens just before Christmas.

Comet's "roomie" Parker with her kittens - KD

On New Year’s Eve Comet’s labour started and it became apparent that there were problems. With her second kitten stuck in the birth canal, a C-section was called for, and the third and fourth were safely delivered. Comet was not a happy mom, and refused to nurse any but the first natural-born kitten; the second had died at birthing, and Kati was left to save the two remaining mites.

Once the two littles were well on the way, Kati decided she might as well feed all three, and Comet was brought to the Sanctuary. The kittens continued in foster, and then went for adoption.

Uno & Uri               Uno, now Mortimer (Morty) at 3 months

In her Sanctuary cage, Comet had a grudge against the world. She hated the people who came to feed her; she hated the cats who passed by – even though she couldn’t see them.  For a while, we thought we might have another Jingles on our hands.

Comet behind her drape - PH

But our med staff are the best, and gradually she got used to human contact – though for a while it was contact via a back-scratcher instead of a hand.  Then the cage door was opened and Comet was allowed (under supervision) to venture out, and to deal with the occasional feline visitor. Gradually she blossomed – she started accepting petting from volunteers, and even allowed herself to be picked up.

Allowing herself to be held by Lenaia! - PH

She’s not yet very sociable with other cats, but she’s made great strides from the angry feline who arrived in December.

We think it’s likely she was someone’s cat, and either escaped or was dumped – the fact that she was found near the veterinary office is, after all, a little suspicious.  She, and all her kittens, would certainly have died if Stephanie hadn’t been so determined to rescue her, and if Kati hadn’t had the knowledge and experience to get her through birthing. Instead of which, three handsome kittens have good homes, and Comet has a place where she will be loved and cared for.  Way to go, ladies!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Kati Degraaf, Phaedra Hardman, Stephanie Ross, Michele Wright

Garbo cats - back area

One of the first blogs I wrote, back in the summer of 2014, introduced a number of the front courtyard inhabitants as The Garbo Cats, who want to be left alone by other felines, though they may more readily accept human attention.  The back courtyard and double-wide cats seem to tolerate each other much better, but there too we have our share of loners – cats who prefer to avoid the company of others. 

 MW

The queen of these antisocial felines has to be Jingles. When I first came to volunteer at the Sanctuary, I was warned about one cage in the double-wide which was labelled as Jingles’ home.  It had formerly been the med-cage until our medics got moved to a much lighter, slightly more spacious area, and then it became the safe haven for (and from) an angry little black cat. Claire introduced her in 2009 as The Cat Who Hates Everybody, and she had herself quite a reputation for lashing out at the unwary.

 MW

These days Jingles no longer confines herself to a single cage, but she still remains a Cat Who Walks By Herself (or more accurately, lies – she’s not a very active girl!).  She’s much more accepting of petting from human passers-by, but you have to keep an eye open for other cats who think that it’s their turn for attention – at a moment’s notice Jingles will decide that someone’s in her space and she’ll swat whatever is nearest.

 Baby - PH

New volunteers are routinely warned about orange Baby, in the tea-room.  He’s been labelled a Jeckyll & Hyde cat, because his personality can change on a dime, and when Baby bites, he bites hard. Interestingly, I don’t think he’s a nasty cat; he’s very wary around other cats, and his personal space is important to him.  Most people, he just ignores, but  he’ll accept careful petting from the humans he likes.  It’s been a while since he’s actually attacked anyone, and we’re hoping he’s grown out of it, and is more accepting of his surroundings.  But we all read his body language very carefully!

 

Piper - PH / Jody - MW

Baby shares the tea-room bathroom space with two other antisocial cats, and it’s amusing to watch them jockeying for space on the three shelves by the sink. Piper, who is usually at the top, is quiet about her dislikes – she just removes herself from the space (unless occasionally she comes face-to-face with another cat).  Much more vocal is elderly Jody, with her worried face, often found on the middle shelf. When there’s a vocal protest going on, it’s usually Jody telling someone to get the h*** out of her way. She adores human attention, however, and loves to lick the caressing hand.

BC

My own favourite Garbo cat at the back is Emery. This tabby Manx boy probably has a bit of Bengal in him, with the same long legs and athletic build as Lucky.  He avoids all contact with other cats and prefers not even to look at them if he can help it.  I find that he’s quite often one of my greeters at the gate, if it’s quiet, and he will occasionally ask to be picked up and cuddled. More often, you will find him tucked away on a shelf inside an open cage, where he will often reach out and climb onto a shoulder.

 MW

 If he’s in a particularly relaxed and loving mood, he reaches up to put his paws on my shoulders and snuggles his head into my neck – totally guaranteed to melt the heart!

ML

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Phaedra Hardman, Moira Langley & Michele Wright

Calendar time!

The new RAPS Cat Sanctuary Calendar for 2016 is out - and it's beautiful!  First copies will be seen at the Halloween Gala, and it will be available at all three RAPS locations - the 5 Rd Shelter, the 6 Rd Sanctuary and the Thrift Store.

In order to see the photos that were selected, you'll need to get a copy (or more than one - they make great Christmas gifts!), but today's blog offers some of the pictures that didn't make it - always a very hard decision, but we try to select a good cross-section of cats, and preferably cats that haven't been featured in the calendar before

handsome Bear lives in the Leukemia Room

Birdie has gone from being a wary cat to being everyone's friend

Michele's wonderful picture of Bobby was *almost* this year's cover...

Dodger was interrupted in the middle of his yoga exercises

This lovely picture of EngTeng went head-to-head
with the picture of the black-and-white cat that was eventually chosen

We never know whether handsome Jingles will purr or growl

Head-tilt Kenya always makes us smile

Sweet King George lives in the New Aids pen

Everyone loves Latte

Fluffy MiuMiu is one of the "gericatrics" in the Moore House

Yale is known to his friends as "crazy eyes"

 

 

As always, thanks to Michele for the wonderful pictures!

 

Now - go and buy the calendar and enjoy the pictures that were eventually chosen.

 

 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Pictures by Michele Wright

Paws to Admire

Have you ever noticed how really exquisite cats’ feet are?  I’ll come clean:  I have a huge foot fetish – or maybe it’s more accurate to call it a paw fetish.  But I’m mesmerized by the beauty of the feline foot.  As I write this, I’m trying to put my finger on exactly why.
Mostly, I think, I’m in love with the shape – often there’s such an elegant length of graceful leg, ending in a lovely big blob of furry roundness – the leg like a dancer’s, the paw like a powder puff.

Jingles just “happened” to have her foot out as I went by – probably knows about my paw fetish and is taunting me

Dancer’s legs.  Note – two background cats trying to get their paws in the picture

Sometimes just the powder puff itself is enthralling. 

Check out Gina’s feet, maybe the poofiest EVER.  Could she possibly have blow-dried them??

 Perhaps Gina has been inspiring the other cats, as someone else is clearly trying to compete with her for the poofiest feet.

Sometimes what I love is the angle of their paws, the way their hind feet jut out from those lovely round haunches at a cheeky side-ways angle.  Did you ever see such exquisitely poofy caramel perfection??

One of the cats in Old Aids – maybe Chip?

Sometimes a cat’s paws stick out enticingly from under a furry flap of tummy, like those of an Emperor penguin protecting its egg.  I also love the way the paws are so often white on an otherwise non-white cat, as if nature had taken a moment to highlight this exquisite detail.

Ben aka McGyver, new guy in the Moore Trailer.  “Love me, love my feet.”

It’s clear (at least to me) that the cats know how beautiful their feet are, and often display themselves to advantage.

Mr. Pink’s Toes

Unknown cat’s bottom I mean foot

And last but not least, there is sweet sweet Cookie, who knows that paws can be useful too.  When I’m sitting on the stairs giving out treats, he’ll sit behind me and use his paw to tap me on the shoulder every time he wants another one.  I don’t have a picture of his feet, but here he is learning to take selfies.  Clever boy, that Cookie.

 

Blogger: Moira Langley

Photos: Moira Langley and Michele Wright

Checking in with cats of blog posts past

Something a little different for today - rather than introducing a new cat, I thought it might be time to check in on a few of our friends from past posts.
Click on the title for each cat's section to read the original post about them.

Rita

When I wrote about poor grouchy Rita last August, this overstuffed kitty was so obese she had to struggle to get up if she fell over. To make matters worse, she hated other cats so much that they had to be kept from her sight.
Well, she's not as large as before, and will accept human cuddles with much less likelihood of a sudden switch into grumpy swats, but she still hates cats. And so she still has a room of her own. Now we just need to find a way to get her out and about for a little exercise without meeting any of the hundreds of cats living at the sanctuary...

Jingles 

Jingles, another enthusiastic cat-hater when she arrived, has adjusted somewhat better. She still doesn't like other cats getting in her face, but it's now possible to approach her and enjoy a cuddle without her eyes darting back and forth to see if anything furry might possibly be thinking about coming near. 

Shadow 

Shadow posing in front of his "Poo Record"

Shadow's medical condition (severe constipation) has caused him to spend a good deal of time in a cage these days, so staff can monitor his bowel movements. If he manages some, he gets to come out for a while; if there's a concern, back in he goes.
Of course, any time he's out and about when I come for my shift, there he is waiting to "help" me at the table where I dish out the cans. Purring away, I might add.

Aurora

Aurora still likes her cage as much as she did when I met her last September, though she did try something new and exciting by moving into the cage next door to her usual one for a time... to the surprise of anyone who noticed the change.
Now she's quite content with expanding her horizons by sitting on the bottom shelf of her cage rather than the top.

Greyson

Greyson was having a pretty tough time of it for a while there after his arrival in November. He was stressed out by the other cats, started having skin problems, got sick off his medication... more stress, more skin problems. But now that all seems to be in the past. His fur looks good, his eyes are bright, and he's very responsive to anyone who wants to have a visit with him. All in all, very content and well adjusted.

Squeaks

When I first met Squeaks, I had to take the reason for his name on faith, as he almost never spoke to me. Perhaps he just needed to get to know me, since now, far from me having to seek him out, he often follows me around and squeaks loudly at me until I pay attention to him.

Nevada

Nevada is now back outside with his buddies. He will, if in the mood, allow himself to be approached and even enjoy rubs and tickles like he did when he was in his cage. He's less willing, unfortunately, to allow staff anywhere near him when it's time to give him fluids that keep him healthy enough to be able to enjoy sitting out there and visiting with people...

Cow

Cow was let out of his cage back in February and seems well on his way to being one of the self appointed greeters of the front courtyard. Apparently no big adjustment problems for this one - he's a happy boy.

Update: Jingles

When I introduced Jingles last month, she was doing her best to act the part of The Cat Who Hates Everybody. I'm pleased to report that, for the moment, her disposition seems to be improving.

... somewhat.

She still hates having to deal with the multitude of other cats at the shelter, for example. She's out of her cage, finally (shelter staff had tried to get her used to being out before, but it just didn't stick), and will accept or even ask for a little attention... just as long as there are no other cats nearby.

I did a strange dance with her last week -  She'd call me over to pat her, I'd do as she asked until other cats wanting similar attention would start moving in, at which point I'd have to jump clear just before she switched into hissing-clawing mode, the interlopers would scatter, she'd call me over to pat her again, I'd do so... and so on.

This week she'd found herself a nice soft perch and was acting so normal, mellow even, that for a moment I wondered if it was even her. I continued to wonder if I'd mistaken her markings until another cat reached up to see if there was room left on the perch and was promptly and sharply rebuffed. 

As for me, far from being rebuffed, I was allowed to soft her at length. I suspect she thought about swatting me once or twice, just for old time's sake, but in the end it seemed she couldn't be bothered. Instead, she slowly relaxed into a contented purr followed by a contented nap.

Jingles

Some cats, like Cookie or Zulu, thrive in a shelter environment. Some cats, like Jingles, do not.

This much is known:

What does this give us? One angry-at-the-world kitty.

Staff and volunteers try to spend a little extra time with cats who, for one reason or another, need to be confined to a caged area rather than allowed to roam around the grounds. While the other tame cats generally look forward to the attention with great pleasure, Jingles just has too much pent up frustration to give up the opportunity to blame her predicament on the nearest swattable limb.

Hence the "be careful" on the sign...
Right now, Jingles hates just about everybody.

Interestingly, everyone seems to understand that she's not really a mean cat at heart. She's just the kind of cat who's meant to be in a human family home and not a feline group home. It's sad and frustrating, though, that the more antisocial she behaves, the less likely a visitor is to choose to adopt her over other, more sociable cats.

I still visit her whenever she's the least bit amenable, determined to at some point get a purr out of her that's an indication of contentment and not just a reaction to the stress of her environment.