As Cats Age....

This is Adopt A Senior Pet Month....

Anxious Tikki, when he first came to us - LBF

Any month is a good one to adopt a senior cat, to my mind.

All over the Lower Mainland (probably all over the world) we’re dealing with the aftermath of kitten season, and shelters – the RAPS City Shelter as well – are full of kittens. And as we all know, kittens are CUTE, and people respond to them easily.  What cat-parent neophytes don’t always realise is that they have to get through the equivalent of the terrible teens to emerge with a cat who you can settle down and live with for the next 15-20 years.

Rufus, enjoying the sun - MW

When you adopt an older cat, you know what you’re getting, personality-wise; you’re past the destruction-just-for-fun stage that kittens rejoice in, and you can be pretty sure that if your cat “misbehaves”, it’s either for health reasons, or it’s because something in your life is stressing it. Most older cats have settled to the sleep-most-of-the-day pattern that is so common to cats, and are happy to sit quietly with you – though play-time is welcome (and necessary, to keep your indoor cat active).

ZeeZee has health issues we need to watch - MW

What constitutes “senior”? A cat of 7-10 years is considered “mature” - the equivalent of someone in their 50’s, perhaps. Seniors are those over 10, and a cat of 15+ can be considered a Super-Senior. And like humans, some senior cats are active and engaged into their golden years, while other are getting frail and need more tending.

Kiko's distinctive bass voice can be heard in pen 6;
she can still be a bit cranky! - KN

At the Cat Sanctuary we have several categories of senior cats, some of which are adoptable, while others will continue to do better in our care. A lot of our seniors have grown old with us; they are cats who came in as young ferals, who have gradually acclimated to human care and attention, and are now friendly – but also regard the Sanctuary as their home. They are not cats that we would adopt out unless they made the decision to bond with someone, and even then, a transition to a new home can be stressful.

We recently marked what we think is the 20th birthday
of our sweet Jody - MW

The cats who have come to us as owner-surrenders are often with us because they’re poop-ers, pee-ers or biters!  But we also have cats come in because their owner is no longer alive, or has gone into a care-home – and the transition can be very hard on a cat. Sweet Krissy took a whole year to emerge from hiding, and is only in the last year becoming really sociable with people in general.

Krissy actually loves attention now! - MW

Tikki is still grieving the loss of his home, and the owner who loved him and had to go into care; Tikki is now starting to respond to staff and volunteer approaches, though he does not like other cats coming into his space. It’s good to see him finally venturing out of his “safe” place, and enjoying cuddles with the people he likes.

From being scared and shut down, Tikki now enjoys cuddles - LBF

Baby is an elegant lady in the Moore House, who came to us very angry at the disruption of her life, but who has now settled down to be admired and petted.  She is a little arthritic, but there is medication for that, and she is feeling much better about life.

We love Baby's casually elegant pose! - LP

Also in the Moore House are Rufus and Wink;  each came in as one of a bonded pair, and then had their partner pass.  Wink is still a little wary around people;  Rufus loves attention and he loves to eat!

Tootsie on the prowl - KN

Two other cats in the DoubleWide are senior adoption prospects – both tuxedos. Tootsie had actually been adopted and was returned because she showed a persistent skin infection which is now well under control; she’s a very sweet girl who loves attention and reponds well to petting.  And Survivor – now known as “Sir”, has a sad back-story; his owner died, and nobody in the family was a cat-person. Sir was left in the apartment, with someone coming in to feed him every few days. Unfortunately, the feeder was also not a cat-person, and just tossed food at him and left. As funeral time approached, the family decided to euthanize the cat and put him in with his owner. Luckily one of our contacts was able to say, “Sign him over to us; we’ll care for him”, and Sir came to us.. The poor boy was pretty shut down for a while, but time in an open cage with the undemanding company of Tugboat and Oliver, and he’s now exploring and responding to human contact.  Sir would love to find someone to be his person again.

Survivor - now known as "Sir" - KN

In taking on a senior cat, of course, you take on potential heartache;  anytime we adopt a pet, we know that heartache will come because they live shorter lives than we do, but with seniors it also comes sooner. But balance that against the love they give, and what we can give to them in their final years, and it feels to me like a great bargain.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Karen Nicholson, Louise Parris, Michele Wright

When My Person's Gone

One of the most heartbreaking things at the Sanctuary is when we welcome a new cat in because their owner has died, or gone into care, or just abandoned them.

Our new boy, ZeeZee - BC

For a cat who has had the experience of “their” human, to find themselves in a shelter full of other smells and noises and no familiar comforting human presence has to be difficult indeed.  And many cats will react badly at the City Shelter, and end up coming to the Sanctuary where we can give them more space and time to adjust.  This is particularly true for the older cats.  And since we are now in kitten season, potential adopters tend to look first at the younger felines.

Rufus & Fluff comforted each other - BC

Sometimes cats will reconcile themselves more quickly when they come in as a pair. Shaggy and his late buddy Spicer, Wink and his late buddy PomPom, Rufus and Fluff, and our newcomers, Frank and Jim all had a friend to snuggle with when they got scared, and a little mutual grooming goes a long way to ease the kitty blues.  But for a cat who has been The Cat in its home, and who only knows its human, it’s a very hard adjustment to make.

It took a while before Krissy was comfortable with us - MW

Krissy came to us in 2015 when she lost her owner, and for most of her first year with us she remained in her cage, hiding behind  a drape. All the coaxing and patience of staff and Kitty Comforters was no consolation for being without Her Person.  It’s really only in this last year that Krissy has not only started being more active around the courtyard, but also approaching people and looking for attention. And even so, she’s not bonded with anyone, so we wouldn’t consider adopting her out and putting her through another traumatic transition.

Debo says, "MY chair!" - DW

Debo came to us with his brother Santos when their owner went into care, and the two had an “I love you / I hate you” relationship with each other, insisting on adjacent seating in the Single-Wide.  We lost Santos about a year ago, but Debo has actually adjusted pretty well. He is king of the main room now, having adopted both his own chair and that of Santos. Humans are welcome to sit in either chair – whereupon Debo will usually move over into the lap provided – but other cats are not appreciated.

Smokey is waiting to swear at volunteers;
Jimmy, above her, just wants to chill  -  DJ

Smokey also lost her owner.  She had probably had little contact with anyone other than that one person, and the transition has been very hard on her (and on us!). Smokey is in the Moore House, though she’s not really an old cat – however, she is a very cranky cat, and the decision to place her there was made because the Moore House is so much quieter. In her first cage, a corner one, she retreated to a dark corner except to launch attacks on unwary volunteers coming to clean and feed her. She’s now been moved to a cage that’s more open; she has a place to hide, but she’s more aware of movement around her. Her cage is open – but she really prefers it closed. And her swearing leaves us in no doubt of her disapproval of humans in general – though the Saturday evening volunteer reports something of a truce.

ZeeZee waiting for dinner - BC

Our latest senior orphan is ZeeZee, whose owner had to surrender him when caring for him became impossible from a wheelchair. ZeeZee needed as much care as his owner: medical issues and dental care are a fact of life for this lovely boy, who was immediately willing to interact with people. But there was a sadness to him – even when his cage was opened, he often returned to hide away in his cat-tree.  He has now begun to acclimatize, he is now out and exploring the Hill House and the courtyard, and making friends with staff and volunteers - though he certainly doesn’t want to make nice with the other cats around just yet.

Back to his favourite perch - like any cat;
"Sometimes I sits & thinks; and sometimes I just sits"  - BC

We can’t replace the people they’ve lost, but we can love them as much as they will allow, and hope that they will finally come to trust us.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Daphne Jorgenson, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

Four Golden Oldies

Nearly every cat that comes to us, comes with a sad back-story.

Tugboat was surrendered for his bathroom habits - ML

Sometimes it’s as simple as being a feral cat, and therefore not suitable for adoption.

Smithy hisses at everyone - PH

Sometimes it’s a cat with a physical or medical problem, like our incontinent Manx Syndrome cats.

Sweet Plum's rear end is not so sweet! - MW

The saddest are the cats that have had a good home, and are obviously upset by its loss.  Krissy’s owner died and Krissy took more than a year to come out of her cage and investigate life at the Sanctuary.

DW

Krissy’s not a young cat, but she’s now part of the general front courtyard population. More frequently, a cat whose owner has passed or gone into care may also be getting up there in age, and these cats often end up in the Moore House – often known as GeriCatrics.  The Moore House was the gift of long-time volunteer Marianne Moore, who we lost last year. She was responsible for the creation of the Kitty Comforters, and she had a particular love for the older cats, who often do better in a quieter environment than one of the larger areas.

Rufus and Fluff - BC

In the last few weeks four “new” old cats have come into the Moore House. Like all newcomers, they are caged for the first few weeks to allow them to assimilate the move, and then the cage door is opened to allow them to investigate their new surroundings, and establish their place with the other cats.

PomPom loves attention - BC

Wink and PomPom are the slightly older pair, at 18 years each. Their sign tells us that they were “surrendered for allergies” - we don’t know whether they came into the hands of a new owner who wasn’t aware of his/her sensitivity, or a new person with allergies moved in. But at 18 years old – probably equivalent to late 80s in human terms – they find themselves surrendered. And people coming to a shelter to adopt don’t easily look at cats of that age, especially when they're a bonded pair. In some municipalities they would just be put to sleep, but RAPS’ no-kill promise means they will have a home with us as long as they need it.

Wink - BC

Wink, as his name implies, is one-eyed, and when I visited he had just finished dinner, and was mostly keeping that one eye closed in a cat-nap. His buddy PomPom was much more interested in visiting, though not sure about lap-sitting; he was very happy to sit beside me and be adored.

Fluff says "Up! Up!" -  BC

The other pair of boys are almost as old, at 17 years; the owner of Fluff and Rufus died, and they have come to us from a rescue in the Kootenays. Many shelters would not be able to give space to two elderly cats who are unlikely to be rehomed, at that age – with the added complication that Fluff has hyperthyroidism, and will need daily medication. Once again, our links with other rescues around the province mean that we can give these two a home. Rufus is very placid, with a soothing rumble of a purr; Fluff is more  restless (a hyperthyroid characteristic). Both were happy to have a visitor, and I think they will integrate well into the Moore House population.

Rufus is begging for belly-rubs - BC

We don’t allow Sunday visitors into the Moore House – having strangers around is often stressful for these old cats. But they will get regular visits from the Kitty Comforters, and staff and volunteers alike will often find their way to the Moore House for an hour of senior cat love.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Phaedra Hardman, Moira Langley,
Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

Krissy

MW

We often joke about the problems of distinguishing between all the little black cats in the Sanctuary – the same is occasionally true for the tabbies – especially now that Pen 2 is open, and Calvin, Celeste and Chase are making the rounds!  In the front courtyard, most of the tabbies are a little easier to identify, but there are a few that we have to take a second look at, to be sure we have the right cat – specifically Baloo, Cricket and Krissy

Baloo (L), Cricket (C), Krissy (R) - MW

Krissy came to us about three years ago. Her owner had gone into care, and Krissy was very obviously a one-woman cat, because she was deemed unadoptable. She may well have been a feral who had bonded to her owner, but being moved into a new space was a very difficult experience for her

Krissy hiding - DW

As with all our new cats, we had her in a cage for some time, hoping to acclimate her to the sounds and scents of other cats. Krissy did not approve, and spent most of her time hiding.  When the cage opened, she still hid, and in fact for the best part of a year she stayed in the Connor building.  Other cats were not welcome in her space – she wasn’t actively aggressive, but made it quite clear that this was reserved seating only, and she wasn’t interested in social interaction.

MW

As you will see from Baloo’s blog entry, she’s also not a social cat – and nothing has changed there since she arrived! Cricket, on the other hand, is now a social butterfly, with cats and humans alike – having come to us as a feral kitten with her brother Beetle. Krissy is moving between the two – increasingly often she’s found out and about in the courtyard, and is starting to solicit petting and attention from volunteers and visitors.

MW

Krissy’s outstanding features are her beautiful smooth coat and her striking green eyes – eyes that have watched us with wariness for some time, and are now beginning to warm to us. She is listed with the adoptable cats at the Sanctuary, but would probably need to bond with a potential owner for an adoption to be a comfortable experience for her. Until then, she has a safe home with us, and many patient humans to let her know that she is well loved, and can relax and enjoy her time here.

MW

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Debbie Wolanski & Michele Wright

Cats' Eyes

Just as a cat’s coat pattern and colour is dictated by genetics (see here and here) so also is eye colour. Most kittens are born with blue eyes, and as they mature, the melanocytes also mature to give the eyes the adult colour.

Autumn - MW

Jake - MW

The majority of our Sanctuary cats have eyes that are in the yellowish end of the spectrum. Depending on where the cat hangs out, the colour may be very obvious, or overshadowed by an enlarged pupil – many of the indoor cats with less natural light may appear to have dark eyes that are actually mostly pupil showing, with a thin rim of coloured iris.

Mad Max - MW

Marmalade - MW

With some, the colour is very vivid – especially when the yellow eyes belong to a black cat.

Colin - MW

but our beautiful Dell has wonderful eyes too!

Dell - MW

The more melanocytes, the more intense the colour. Pumpkin was named less for his fur colour and more for his eyes.

Pumpkin - MW

Orange Hannah’s eyes are also very intense in certain lights.

Orange Hannah - MW

With some cats there is patterning of the iris. This may be true heterochromia, in which a cat may have two different coloured eyes (usually one blue and one another colour) or colours within the iris that may make the eyes appear different colours. When Sara Lee and Sara Lou came in together, the only way to tell them apart was Sara Lee’s darker-coloured right eye in contrast to her left one, which is blue/green. However if you look closely, you’ll see that the basic colour is the same; it’s the brown patterning that makes the eye look brown.

Sara Lee - MW

Freckles is another cat with patterned eyes – named for the speckles around her nose, it’s a name that also suits her eyes.

Freckle - MW

Luigi is one of our many black cats, but easier to identify when you can see the markings in his right iris.

Luigi - PH

With some of the cats the yellow shades over to green that can appear quite intense in certain lights.

 Sophie - MW

Krissy - DW

Lucky - MW

Blue eyes are characteristic of certain pure-breeds, and the only cats of that description that we get at the sanctuary are with us because of bathroom habits.  Both Bluebell and Jobie have the right eye colour that says they were probably bred for pedigree – but neither is a cat that you would really want in your home!

Bluebell - MW

Jobie - MW

But we love them anyway!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Phaedra Hardman, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright