Gone in 2018 - but still loved

Merlin (Jan) was a resident of the leukemia area   (MW)

One of the things that always seems to come with a New Year is a retrospective of the one just past – and inevitably that includes recollections of the big personalities and celebrities who have died during the year.

Jake (Aug) waiting anxiously for visitor attention   (MW)

At the Sanctuary we try to focus on the positive – to think of the love that has been shared with our cats, and of the fact that many of them have lived longer and healthier lives with us than they might otherwise have done.

Gunther (Feb) was one of our sad-eyed tabbies     (MW)

But we grieve their passing, even when we know that that final trip to the vet is the most loving gift we can give them at the end.  And that journey is always made with a loving hand to ease the last moments and let them know just how much we cared for them.

Romeo (Jan) liked to be in the tea-room where he might beg human food.   (DW)

There are many conversations full of memories – remembering Romeo and the Timbits, Splotch and his shift from feral to lover, Gregory and how bonded he was with our beloved Dell....

Abby (June) was a small cat with a big personality  (MW)

Here are just a few of the friends we lost in the past year.

Orange Daniel (Oct) is greatly missed by his buddy Cloverleaf    (MW)

Bengal Jinx (Feb) was surrendered for peeing - but we loved her  (MD)

Front courtyard Jinx (Dec) loved her sunbathing    (MD)

Handsome Simba (Aug)  took every opportunity to snuggle  (PH)

Kiddie (Nov) has gone to be with his sister Sadie    (MW)

Bonnie Boy (Nov) knew how handsome he was!   (MW)

Emo Pickles' (Sept) flattened ears belied his loving nature   (PH)

Sweet Peppercorn (Oct) loved to have attention from humans   (MW)

We don’t have a finite amount of love to share – every cat that walks into our hearts leaves a little bit of itself there, but there is still much love to be given to the newcomers who continue to come into our care.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Melanie Draper, Phaedra Hardman, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

Ollie

This beautiful flame-point ragdoll came to us from a home where he was dearly loved, but where he persisted in leaving his signature in all the wrong places!

MW

Sometimes a cat-pee situation can be tracked down to some sort of stress at home: a new baby, a nearby dog, a new person (as in little Bengal Jinx). Sometimes it’s a medical problem, which is why a vet visit is always a good idea when the behaviour starts.  Sometimes it’s as simple as changing the size or quantity of litterboxes.  And sometimes it’s because the cat just likes to do it!

DW

Ollie likes to pee outside his litterbox – and after seven years of cleaning floors and replacing furniture, his family finally admitted defeat and Ollie came to us. Initially he was in a cage in the Connor, where he instantly endeared himself to all the volunteers, begging for attention.  He was moved briefly to a Double-Wide cage, and since release, has made himself thoroughly at home in the back courtyard area.

JK

His favourite perch is the one he has stolen from Eli, on top of the canned-food cupboard in the Double-Wide, but he has little fear of exploring, and can be found in a variety of hideouts.

PH

Unlike Jobie, who was brought to us labelled as a ragdoll cat, but who had very different ideas about what that might mean, Ollie is very happy to receive human attention.  He’s a typical cat – when he wants to be petted, he wants it Right Now, if you please!  If he’s perched up on the cupboard it’s because he’s in his “I want to be alone” mode – but not in any sort of nasty sense; he just wants quiet time.

MW

We’re very happy to have him with us!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Phaedra Hardman, Jennine Kariya, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

Jinx times two

front Jinx - MW / back Jinx - BC

Marianne recently introduced us to Jinx in the front courtyard, in the course of a blog called The Silent Meow.  Jinx has become a familiar figure to us – comfortable with her space, not interacting greatly with the other cats, but not aggressive with them, either. There’s a little heartache for some of us when we see her, because her colouring is so much like that of our beloved Paulo, who we lost last year. Paulo’s meow was anything but silent, however, and our little girl is much more gentle in how she requests our attention.

BC

Another Jinx joined us more recently and is living in the DoubleWide. This one was one of a pair of Bengals who came to us as pee-ers – sadly, a failing of Bengals. Jinx, with her companion Jersey, took a dislike to their owner’s fiancée, and when peeing on belongings became peeing on the person, they were surrendered to us with great sadness.  Unfortunately Jersey’s reported sensitive stomach turned out to be cancerous, and he was not with us very long.

PH

11-year-old Jinx was obviously hit hard by the loss – first losing her home and coming to the Sanctuary, and then losing her buddy. She was already a small cat, and lost further weight, worrying us all. Kitty Comforters made a point of visiting with her;  she wasn’t much of a lap-cat, but would sit in her bed and listen to visitors, though she didn’t always want to interact with them. Volunteers cleaning her cage needed to be careful, because she was anxious to get out and explore.

BC

As with all new cats, she was kept caged for about six weeks, to give her time to assimilate the new smells and the human and feline visitors. Once her cage was opened, other cats promptly moved in. She wasn’t very happy about that, but shifted her base of operations to an adjacent cage.  She has been discovered to be a chick-aholic;  offerings of chicken-breast are greeted with great eagerness, and she has no hesitation about pushing other larger cats aside if she thinks they have a choice morsel. Providers of tidbits need to guard their fingers; she has sharp teeth, and doesn’t distinguish between chicken and the hand that offers it. And she’s very vocal about her appreciation, greeting each mouthful with loud Nom-nom-noms...

PH

Since emerging from her cage, she’s put on a bit of weight, and is looking good. We’ve been pleased to see her out and about a bit more; she’s discovered the cage-tops and the runways that connect them, and has started to explore her way into the back courtyard.  She’s an amusing contrast to our other Bengal, Dandelion, who is twice her size, and as sedentary as she is active. In true Bengal style, she is not very social with other cats; with humans, if food is not on offer, she will occasionally sit beside an offered lap, but not on it.  If there's food, all bets are off!

Nom nom nom...    BC

Losing a home is tough for any cat – and you can’t tell them it was all their own fault. All we can do is offer her an alternative home, and as much love as she will allow us to give.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Phaedra Hardman, Michele Wright