Who Lives In The Moore House?

Volunteer Pauline Chin offers the blog this week.
The Moore House, a.k.a. GeriCatrics, a.k.a. the seniors’ home, has seen many new residents in the last several months.  We’ve had to say goodbye to some dear kitties and hello to some new ones.

Jack - MW

Black Jack is usually the first one seen, snoozing on the chair by the door, or parading around on the counter-tops.  He’s one of those cats whose mood depends on the amount of attention he receives.  The more he gets, the happier he is.  If his attention tank is empty, he will tap, grab, and block your path to the exit until he gets what he wants. Jack was edgy and aggressive when he first came to us; thanks to the work of the Kitty Comforters, he's now a happy lap-cat!

Pretty bob-tailed Chanel - CP

Sophia has an intense stare - MW

Chanel and Sophia are more selective about company.  If they feel comfortable, they will quietly approach and accept a bit of petting.  Other than that, they prefer to remain on higher ground and observe. Sophia's fur mats easily and she doesn't much like being groomed; once the summer comes she will get a lion-cut and feel much better about being pettable!

Shaggy in his favourite place - MD

Shaggy, Marble, and Bluebell are drawn to the couch.  On good days, the trio can be found sunning themselves on the deck.  Shaggy and Marble are gentle giants.

Marble holds court - MW

Marble is the nicest tortie girl I’ve ever met and is never pushy.  I recognize her by the orange lightning bolt mark on her forehead.  I must admit, it feels empty without the furry presence of Spicer, Peng Peng, Princess, and Nalah all jockeying for the seat next to me, with big girl Orio beckoning me over to her shelf. 

Lou claims the heater - PC

Orange Lou is the quietest resident.  This 15 year old arrived last autumn and has claimed the heater for himself.  Just like late Momo, Lou also has his own bed on the floor, so he never has to walk far for food or navigate shelves.  He’s thrilled to receive human attention and takes pleasure being brushed.  He’s a cat who wears a permanent smile on his face.

Smokey glares from the safety of her cage - DJ

Smokey’s owner had to move to a care home and couldn’t take her along.  Smokey is still a work in progress.  She is known for being aggressive towards humans.  She has been released, but hasn’t quite opened up yet.

Blanche keeps an eye on the outdoor area - KN

Blanche, who came to us as a cat who couldn't get enough of being outside, has been transferred from the Double to the Moore for her lack of mobility - she has three torn ACLs.  But that doesn’t keep her from jumping on shelves! When she’s relaxing in a bed, she’s open to pets and belly rubs.

Sweet Jimmy is very shy - PC

Grey Jimmy is a foster-turned-resident.  He arrived with his buddy, Boots.  Both were wildfire refugees from Cache Creek.  After months in our care with no response from their human, a SNAP test was done, revealing Boots to be FLV+.  Boots joined the Leukemia crowd and Jimmy stayed in the Moore.  I find Jimmy likes to peek out from the cat tree.  Sometimes he’s friendly.  Sometimes he seeks refuge atop the cage.  Boots gave us plenty of purrs and cuddles during his short stay.  He loved to say hello during visits to Leukemia, but we had to say a final goodbye in March.  Just goes to show quality time ranks higher than quantity!

Bluebell is queen - MW

Four more Golden Oldies - Rufus, Fluff, PomPom and Wink - were introduced in the blog about a month ago (sadly, we've just lost PomPom).
For us volunteers, the Moore House is an endearing place.  We know time with some of these senior felines is very limited.  Time spent is precious and gratifying for everybody.  For cats suddenly separated from their humans, we step in to heal their heartache and accompany them for the remainder of their journey.  When it’s finally time to cross the Rainbow Bridge, there’s love and kindness on both sides.

Blog by Pauline Chin

Photos by Pauline Chin, Brigid Coult, Melanie Draper, Daphne Jorgenson, 

Karen Nicholson, Chris Peters, Michele Wright

Large Ladies Looking for Love

For most of our existence, we have categorised the Sanctuary cats as being unadoptable – and for the majority of them that is still the case. A series of blogs several years ago  (Jan 2015) introduced the unadoptable categories – the ferals, the behaviour problems, the health problems, the semi-ferals – and also introduced some potential adoptables.  Many of those have lived at the Sanctuary long enough that we are reluctant to uproot them to the 5 Road Shelter, and still more reluctant to let them go to any but the perfect home for them – i.e.to someone with whom they have truly bonded.  But every now and then that perfect person comes to visit, and cat and human fall in love with each other.  Often the human is a regular volunteer, and the bond has grown over time. But sometimes it’s just a visitor who comes every Sunday to spend time with the cat they love.

Cookie 

Recent discussions have led to increased willingness to be open to adoptions, or to fostering in some cases, and there is now a list on the RAPS website at rapsbc.com under the shelter & adopt menu. Sunday visits to meet possible cats, an adoption approval from the City Shelter (all the paperwork happens there) and then discussions with the Sanctuary Manager and the med staff mean that the process may take a bit longer than a regular adoption, but we hope the end result will be happy.
The cats I’d like to introduce you to here are all adoption prospects, they all have their quirks, and they could all do with a loving home, a little dietetic control and some encouragement to exercise!  One of the problems at the Sanctuary is that cats have different style of eating, and we have to have some dry food out all the time – which is not necessarily good for cats that put on weight.

Marble

Marble is one of our older girls; she has lived in the Moore House (“gericatrics”) for about six years, and we reckon she’s probably around 14 years old. She’s much less cranky than she used to be; a recent encounter with a visitor saw her lying on the floor to cuddle his boot, and loving the attention she was getting.

Heidi

Her next door neighbours are in New Aids. Most of our Aids cats are male; Heidi and Tia are two of the  four females. Heidi’s tortie colouring is almost as dark as Marble’s but she has quite a lot of white, which qualifies her as a calico. What we now know about Aids in cats is that they can live full lives, and in conjunction with non-Aids cats, as long as there’s no fighting. Her room-mate is tabby Tia, quiet and shy. Tia came from a shelter on Vancouver Island, having lost her home when her owners moved. Anne, who heads up the Kitty Comforters, says Heidi and Tia are both real dears. They just don't like the close company of the other cats (Heidi even more so than Tia, maybe because Tia has had longer to get used to the rest of the kitties?) Heidi is affectionate, loves to have you sit with her and pet her forever. Although she does enjoy her nap time, she'll get up to greet you when you arrive or if you call to her. She's not shy with any visitors, and willing to meet anyone who wants to give her some lovin'.

Tia was not amused being a Christmas decoration prop! 

Tia is also a sweet affectionate cat, friendly and fairly quiet, trying to find some space of her own away from the other cats. She enjoys being pampered and having lots of human attention. Both cats would like nothing better than being doted on by a favorite human. They would both make lovely companions and family members, just not in the same family - only one cat per household would be best.

Carla 

Carla and her sister Cookie came in together, and they have to qualify as the largest cats we have.  The med staff regularly take Carla on walks, much to her disgust – she’d much rather find a quiet shelf and curl up.  When she first came she was really cranky – the crank is now considerably dialed back and she’s willing to accept attention (as long as it doesn’t immediately involve exercise!).  We think that with the right home, she might become a loving companion.

Cookie - with summer highlights 

Cookie is much sweeter, but equally sedentary – we’re holding off on her adoption prospects for now till she gets some treatment for her ear polyps. Her favourite thing is lying in the sun - and by the end of the summer her brown fur has reddish highlights.

Mookie

Mookie was adopted out from 5 Road and came back super-sized!  This sweet girl is picky in the humans she likes, and has no hesitation in letting us know she hates ALL cats.  She has claimed a cage in the Double-Wide, and lets the other cats know very clearly that this is her territory.  She does explore a bit, but always returns to her turf. Mookie needs someone who will take time to earn her trust, and who will promise her a loving home with no other intruders – a bit of grooming, a promise of snuggles, a careful diet, and you’ll have a wonderful companion. She reminds me of a less aggressive version of Buster, who was adopted a couple of years ago, and is the complete cuddle-cat nowadays.

Mookie being cute

These are all cats who really need attention and love, and who struggle with communal living at the Sanctuary. For most of our cats, Sanctuary life is a joy; sadly, these ladies are not cut out for it and need a home where they can be the centre of attention from their very own human.

Blog by Brigid Coult

All photos by Michele Wright

In Praise of Older Cats

On New Year’s Eve, we’ll probably sing, or at least hear, Robbie Burns’ poem “Auld Lang Syne”, which begins with “Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?”  It may make us think fondly of old friends, and perhaps a grandparent or elderly neighbour who’s enjoying their golden years.    

Moore House residents Marble & Bluebell - MW

There are societies that venerate the wisdom of their senior citizens but sadly this devotion doesn’t always include the family pet.   It can be difficult and expensive to continue to give an older cat the love and care it deserves and, like older humans who’re past their prime, old cats are sometimes turned over to the care of others.   Worse, an old cat may just be abandoned to the streets, where it no longer is able to fend for itself.  Staff and volunteers at RAPS’ Cat Sanctuary are most most likely the last family these old darlings will ever have so we give them as much love and comfort as we possibly can to make up for the trauma of losing “their people” and their familiar surroundings.  We love being able to do this for them!  After all, like many older humans, senior cats have an abundance of personality and character.  If only they could talk and tell us of the adventures they’ve had in some of their previous lives – remember, cats have nine lives and we know the exciting ways in which some cats have used up a few of them. 

Moore House residents Venus & Smokey - MW

Most of our older cats live in the Moore House, known fondly as the GeriCatrics, where a quieter life and less stress suits their occasionally cranky ways.  But many of the cats at RAPS’ Cat Sanctuary have been there a long time and were adults when they first arrived so they’re getting on in years. Siblings Kiddie and Sadie are among the original residents, having arrived as youngsters, so we know that they’re at least sixteen or seventeen years old now. They certainly don’t look it but they have been slowing down a bit these days, no longer tearing around at top speed as they did in their prime.

Sadie & Kiddie - MW

Everyone keeps a special eye on our senior cats for anything that might indicate failing health or discomfort.  For example, they can easily become dehydrated and require regular sub-cutaneous fluid replacement.  Pretty blue-eyed Skye in the Single-Wide is one of these – she gets the restorative fluid and then lots of cuddles and ear rubs.

Skye - MM

Sometimes, during the cold weather,  a cozy sweater will be provided for the skinny cats or ones whose fur is a bit thin.  Here’s old Fitz, in New Aids, relaxing in his preppy sweater.  

Fitz - MM

Mikey, who’s almost entirely blind, is allowed to spend most of his time safely inside the Animal Care Staff room, being spoiled with special food and attention there.  The rest of the time, he happily but slowly walks around the areas that he’s familiar with.

Mikey - MM

For cats who are already senior citizens when they come to us, there’s a whole building set aside just for them: the Moore House.  It’s a quiet area, away from the comings and goings of the larger areas and not open to visitors.  Here, the old darlings can snooze on the softest beds or bask on the sunny deck, where they can watch the action on the nearby bird feeders.  Frail little Noni spends most of her day relaxing in “her” favourite spot in here.

Noni - MM

Despite their sometimes ragged appearance, older cats are able to enjoy life to the fullest at the Cat Sanctuary.   Here, these “auld” friends are cherished, and not forgot.   Happy New Year to all!!

Blog by Marianne Moore

Photos by Marianne Moore & Michele Wright