Marty

Recent time spent in the Single-Wide has reminded me that there’s one little cat who has somehow missed having a blog to himself.

Marty, in his younger days   (MW)

Marty is one of a group of cats that came to us from a farm in south Richmond in the days when we were still managing colonies of cats around the city, until they were forced out by development or changed ownership. Volunteer Mary He visited and fed them regularly, and when she saw a family of kittens there, she was able to trap them and bring them in.  Some of the adults later made it to the Sanctuary – Belinda, Marilee, Alec (who was adopted and loved by long-time volunteer Stephanie), Maureen, and others. But Mitchell, Mary, Mischa and Marty all came to the SingleWide, and never left; sadly, they were all too nervous to tame up well, and we were very wary about adopting semi-ferals out.  

Wary feral Marty  (MW)

They came to us in 2008; we lost Mitchell in the fall of 2011 and Mary a few years later; Mischa and Marty hovered in the background, reluctant to accept much attention until the past few years. Mischa likes to be around people but not necessarily within reach; Marty has recently become more and more a people-cat.  

Marty  (KN)

With me, he started by sneaking up from the back of the couch while I had lap-time with Belinda and Bossanova.  I became aware of this presence behind me, wanting in on the chicken treats, but not really wanting attention – so chicken bits would make their way over my shoulder where they would magically disappear. Gradually the couch back gave way to the arm, and then to a just-within-reach spot near me.

Chicken, please?   (BC)

Marty has been having eye problems of late; one eye is quite cloudy and we don’t know how much sight he has in it; the other seems to get a recurring infection which responds to drops, and then flares up again. He’s had quite a lot of cage-time for treatment, and has become used to being handled and petted – with the result that he is now one of the most enthusiastic lap-cats in the room.  Both he and Mischa are obviously aging – at around 14 years they qualify as seniors, and as with people, some cats seem to age earlier (whereas others, like Sara Lee, go on like an Energizer Kitty).

Sharing a chair with Dodger & Mr Pink  (BC)

When the weather’s not so cold, the couch on the deck is a good place to have a feline love-in. Boxing Day cuddles this year had to be a how-many-cats-can-you-hold affair in the main room, with Marty front and centre (and active) in my lap with Mr Pink, Bossanova over my shoulder, Dodger, Paylan and Presley all hovering hopefully.  Marty, you’ve come a long way from the scared feral kitten you were!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

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Chimo has changed!

When we met Chimo  he was NOT a happy camper!  He arrived with us last August, and, as usual with new cats, spent a while in a cage to allow him to get used to the sights and smells of other cats around.  Many of the volunteers were very wary with him even when the “Med staff only” notice came off his door; Chimo was liable to dive at an intruder, and legs were fair game.

PH

Marianne wrote the blog about him in September; she heads up the team of Kitty Comforters, and she has endless patience with cats like this. As she said, it was obvious that though trapped outside, his was not feral-cat behaviour; he appeared to be eager to engage with humans, but just didn’t know how to do so in an acceptable way. She played with him gently, teaching him that feather toys and the like were fine for grabbing, but fingers were not!

MM

Towards the end of September the door of Chimo’s cage was opened. Many of the feral cats in the Double-Wide head for the back deck, and a quieter life among other similarly wary cats.  Chimo sat in his cage for a while and then made a break in the other direction, heading for the back courtyard. There was some consternation – the Sanctuary is as cat-proof as we can make it, but as little Amber taught us, a determined cat can sometimes find a way out.  It was soon clear that Chimo had gone to ground behind the building we call Waldie’s Hut, and was hanging out with ferals like Quinn and Maureen.

There were several evenings when Leslie could be seen hunting round in the corners with a flashlight, and eventually reporting that Chimo would occasionally show his nose. And then he started appearing of his own accord; usually at the end of the day when things got quieter, he would materialise and have a little visit and then vanish again.
I was away for a couple of weeks after Christmas. On my first Sanctuary shift I passed though the double gates to the back courtyard, expecting to be greeted by the usual committee – Hannah, Fat Lucy, Emily and so on.  My greeter was a little pale orange cat who weaved around my ankles, demanding attention. It wasn’t until I noticed his tail that I realised this was Chimo, totally comfortable with human contact.

Chimo has become a regular sight between the gate and the tea-room; he can be found holding court up on the table or doing his best deluxe cat-wriggle on the doormat.  He’s occasionally a little pushy with other cats, but we have to remember that he’s still quite young and full of energy; he’s ready to play physical games, while the older guys prefer to be couch potatoes. With humans he still prefers the ankle-rub technique, though careful stroking is permitted.

There are few things as rewarding as watching a formerly wary cat relax into being a comfortable part of life at the Sanctuary!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Phaedra Hardman, Marianne Moore & Michele Wright

Maureen

Maureen was one of the first cats trapped on the Richmond farm that Alec, Marilee, Mitchell and Mary came from. Human Mary who'd been looking after the feral colony called Maureen "the auntie" to the kittens there.

Maureen has an old front leg injury that gives her a noticeable limp, but she's had it for so long that Leslie says there's not much point in us messing with it now. Still wary enough to flee when a human comes too close, Maureen doesn't look to be in favor of us messing with her leg either.

Even without embracing the idea of human buddies, she has no cause to feel lonely at the sanctuary and is particularly fond of cat magnet Jet.