Rocket

Rocket (BH)

In late 2018, two little orange boys came into our care, trapped in North Richmond by faithful cat-trapper Stephanie Ross, who sadly passed earlier this year. Stephanie was responsible for bringing many cats to us – often from the Steveston area, where she lived, but she was also responsible for trapping the Cow Cats from an East Richmond composting facility, and for other colonies.

At a safe distance, in the back pen  (MW)

We still need to keep an eye open in North Richmond, where there is a green belt that results in many rodents that make for good hunting for cats who have strayed, or survived a feral upbringing. In the summer of 2019 there was a sudden population boom when a well-meaning cat-lover fed the local strays without alerting us to the need for some population control; only when kittens started having kittens did someone call us, and around 60 cats of all ages were brought in.  The two little orange boys of the year before were definitely from the same genetic pool; Sprocket, the long-haired one, is visually a twin (though probably an uncle) of orange Mercury; Rocket, the short-haired one, is an orange version of black Atlas.

There was a lot of hiding at first (KN)

Both boys were feral, and have largely remained so for years – but over seven years, they have become more comfortable with humans being around them. As we always do, the first thing to happen is a vet visit for blood-tests and neutering; the blood-test showed that Rocket carried the FIV retrovirus, and he was relocated to the New Aids pen. There, as for many ferals, his cage-time was largely hidden behind a drape; he wanted nothing to do with us, and when released, he got as far away as possible.  For most of the New Aids cats, that consists of either hiding on the cage-tops in the main cabin, or in going right to the back of the smaller cabins.

Being groomed by Cypress  (LBF)

Best buddies  (LBF)

When I sent the text of my blog to Sanctuary Manager Valerie for proofing, she reminded me of something I’d missed – I guess this happened when we were COVID-hit, and I might not have been around. She says:
Someone vandalised the fence, cutting it in the Prince of Wales section. Drake and Rocket got out. Drake came back right away - he was almost scared of being out there. But Rocket went on a murder spree! We had trail cameras set up and we were watching him climb in and under the Moore House (which is now gone, because it was in bad condition). And then we would find giant dead rats. Like the size of my shoe. My friend was rooting for him because he was living his best life. Then it started to rain a bunch in the fall and that's when he allowed himself to be trapped again.

A favourite place to look for petting  (KN)

Happy elevator bum!  (KN)

Rocket was initially antisocial with us – but NOT with other cats; he was a boy who liked feline company, and could often be found cuddled up with someone else. Though his early years with us were mostly at a distance, he obviously decided that humans who brought food, and offered treats and toys were worth taking a chance with; all his first contact with us was when he was up on a table or a kennel, and having us looming over him was still too scary. But when we were sitting by a table, it began to be a signal that he could come up and accept petting and treats, and he often approaches in the back pens by climbing on the waist-high side awning, looking for attention.

Blissful when he trusts  (KC)

His brother Sprocket hangs out in the back courtyard; like Rocket, he has remained wary, though he is ready to accept a little touch, and treats. His other-generation family in Pen 1 – Mercury, Juno, Nyx and Atlas – remain touch-me-not semi-ferals. And Mercury, too, is a hunter of any rats stupid enough to get through the fence.

Kuma & Rocket  (KN)

Other cats are still Rocket’s favourite thing. While Cypress was still an angry feral, he and Rocket would cuddle happily;  Cypress is now an attention-mooch and a lap-cat, and that’s a bit too much for Rocket to take. He likes to be with the smaller black boys – Kuma and Smalls – neither of whom are really ready for much human attention. (Kuma, incidentally, is from the same area as Rocket, and they may share genetics). Rocket takes himself out of the way when visitors arrive at the weekends - but he just loves it when the people he trusts come looking for him on a quiet day, and he revels in their care.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Katy Cobb, Brielle Hutchison,

 Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Sweet Siblings

Honeydew, Melon & Kiwi  (KN/LL)

At the beginning of this week, whatever Powers-That-Be that decree the names of specific days informed the world that Monday was National Siblings Day in the US and Canada.  We’d just been posting a bunch of other stuff to social media, so we decided that this week’s blog would give us a Belated Siblings Day at the Cat Sanctuary.

We don't KNOW that Cornelius & Scarlett are sibs
- but it's quite possible  (KN)

Family groups have always been a thing at the Sanctuary, and over thirteen years of volunteering here, I have known and loved many – now passed. Long-time volunteers will fondly remember one-eyed Val and her family: Savannah, Paulo, Silverfox and Latte. Pretty Hope, in the Connor, is the last of her family – brothers Domino and GusGus are gone now. We lost our beloved Miller – preceded some time before by sisters Fiona and Schatze.

Juno, Atlas & Mercury  (LBF)

But there is no lack of siblings around, because we are frequently a resource for other shelters who cannot accommodate large groups – usually family groups – of semi-feral cats. Our own most recent population explosion brought in what we call the McLeod cats, and though some were adopted, Juno, Nyx, Atlas and Mercury are regular occupants of Pen 1, and are in no haste to gain tame-cat status. Also in Pen 1, but from a different source, are orange brothers Chumley and Siskel – both fast to slap out at someone who comes too close.

Siskel & Chumley  (KN)

There have to be siblings in Pen 3, though there’s no knowing precisely who’s related to who.  My guess is that Reinhardt and Holly may be sibs – similar in build, though not in colouring, and with the same light green eyes, and Baker and Jenkins are look-alike tuxes (though Baker is now a chonk!).

Len & Lloyd  (LBF)

In Pen 4 we have two long-haired tabby boys who came from Kamloops. Lloyd and Len are practically always found together; they’re very shy (as most of the pen 4 ferals are), but they love each other’s company.

Orange floofs hang together (JS)

There can be no denying the family resemblance in Pen 6 – from the same rescue in Kamloops, though from a different colony, many of us struggle to tell the difference between Persimmon, Buffy, Kumquat, Creamsicle, Cheeto, Ginger and Rapunzel. At least Kelvin and Billy are short-haired, and though Chamomile and Chaga are floofs like the first group, their colouring makes them easy to identify among the sea of orange fur!

Owen, Zoey, Betsy   (KN)

Our newcomers in Pen 8 (now on the loose) are equally identifiable AND non-identifiable. SweetPea and Curious have different coloured eyes, and very different behaviour; Zoe, Cleo and Betsy all have the same dark faces and dark stockings. Whether they’re from one litter or more, they are undoubtedly related to each other.  They have settled to Sanctuary life really well – a measure of the care they got before they came to us.

Mozart, Caleb & Benny (LBF)

A very noticeable set of siblings are the “fruit girls” – calicos Honeydew, Melon and Kiwi in the front courtyard, and tabbies Dominique and Kahlua came in together with pretty Chai.  Floofy boy Mozart is probably the brother of shyer Caleb.  

Titan & Dixie  (MS)

Other siblings are around, but not so immediately noticeable. Solar and Mabel in the front courtyard no longer have contact with their brother Midnight who now lives at the back; Titan and Dixie are rarely found together – Titan prefers the comforts of the Connor, while Dixie would rather be with the ferals. Carly, Christina and Celine all came in together, and are probably related – but you couldn’t tell by the way they don’t interact. But then, that’s families for you – sometimes you love ‘em, sometimes you can do without them – though it’s usually good to know they’re there!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Leslie Landa, Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint, Molly Sjerdal

The Family

Zoey & Basil  (LBF)

You would think that in a Sanctuary for unadoptable cats, most of them would be unrelated to each other. Cats, after all, have a reputation for being loners. And while that may be accurate enough for many of our furry friends, we have always had cats in our care who are in fact family, or who have bonded to become family of choice.

Percival & SweetPea  (LBF)

Currently there are three colonies that are genetically “family”. Our newest group, introduced last year, are from the Kootenays, and there’s no denying the relationships between them.  Having come into our care as a very scared bunch, they are becoming increasingly social, and hurry to the gate for attention when their pen is approached. They’re not “tame” yet, but SweetPea is enjoying petting and even occasional lap-time, and many of the others are sufficiently food-motivated that touch is not far off.

Together is good  (LBF)

The cats in Pen 6 came to us from Sammy’s Forgotten Felines in Kamloops, back in 2021. As with the Kootenay cats, there is a strong family resemblance among them, and they like to be together, emerging from their pen like a shoal of goldfish. Of them all, only big Persimmon and pretty grey Chamomile are enthusiastic about human attention; by the others we’re accepted as a necessary evil, but one that does at least bring food on occasion.

Lucius, Shimmer & Sherbet  (LBF)

The biggest influx of cats at one time was the group that came from a hoarding situation in Alberta the same summer, and which has taken over Pen 3. Visually, they are less “family” than the other two groups, and there is definitely a variety of genetics at play, but there are also similarities in appearance.

Baker & Jenkins (LBF)

Jenkins and Baker are tuxedo near-twins, Holly and Reinhardt have identical pale green eyes; Cornelius’s short legs can also be seen in Dior and Jason.

Cornelius making up to Mercury  (LBF)

Cornelius is a social butterfly, and ready to be friends with everyone. He’s closest to his own colony, but he also snuggles with Cadbury, in the adjacent pen, and has an orange-boy-bonding with shy Mercury, who hangs out in the back of pens 1 & 2. Mercury tends to be a loner, so it makes us all happy to see him with Cornelius.

Juno, Atlas & Mercury  (LBF)

Mercury is also a family cat; he was part of a group of more than 60 cats and kittens trapped not too far away when someone’s feeding of feral cats got out of hand. His remaining family, Atlas, Juno and Nyx, hang out in the same area; they like treats enough to come running when chicken is offered, but they are not so keen on physical contact with humans. 

The family stare  (LBF)

The other group that comes to mind when I think “family” is mostly unrelated to each other. And to be honest, I think about them as The Family because fellow volunteer Daphne calls that back deck area of the Double Wide “the Red Light district” (for the heat lamp), and “The Catsino” with its inhabitants “the Mafia cats”. Tuxedos Hamlet, Luke and Bodhi (with occasional visits from Pancake) tend to be front and centre, with support from consigliere Denzel. But the metaphor loses power when the inscrutable stares give way to purring demands for attention and tidbits.

Best buds - Luke, Bodhi, Guthrie  (KN)

Many of our cats prefer to live in groups, whether blood-bonded, or just by affection. We love that Sanctuary life can offer them this option, and yet allow those who chose to be loners to live as feels most comfortable for them .

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen & Karen Nicholson

Fabian

Fabian, hiding in the gardens  (KN)

Shy Fabian came to us last year. Many of our cats come through other shelters, but this boy was a feral who we helped to trap after he was found marking someone's front porch. He was terrified when he came in - so much so that the med-staff couldn't easily do an assessment, and it had to wait till the hospital had time for him, and it could be done under sedation. He was an intact male with many small wounds, presumably from fighting; he was lucky not to have FIV or FeLV. The hospital cleaned him up, neutered him (which helped with some of the aggression), treated his injuries and de-flea'd him before he came back to us.

KN

In common with most of our new cats, he had a period in a cage, offering the Kitty Comforters a chance to see if he could be socialised. He remained scared, was not to be tempted by food or petting, and on release from his cage, he joined the other timid cats on the back deck of the Double-Wide trailer.  There he was able to find the inaccessible (to humans) perches high up on the walls, and stare down on us with a carefully blank “I am not interested in anything you can offer” expression on his face.

Watching from above  (BC)

For years the cats on the deck had accessed the great outdoors by going through the main building and the laundry room – for many of them that was a scary prospect, only to be executed when minimal humans were around. Last summer handyman Ken installed a cat door in the emergency exit on the deck – and many of the residents took the opportunity for The Great Escape.

The DW deck heatseekers  (KN)

For many of them that amounted to lolling around in the sun close to the exit. A few, like Hickory, ventured further a bit too quickly and then panicked when they couldn’t immediately find their way home; he now happily ventures all over the place. But because cats tend to be territorial, they almost all continued to return to the DW Deck in the evenings for dinner and together-time.

Fabian snoozing  (KN)

Not Fabian...

Fabian ventured out with the others, but he recovered his sense of self as a feral cat who lived outdoors, and he decided that the deck was no longer home. He took up residence with the McLeod cats at the back of Pen 1, and they seemed to accept him easily enough.  

And he discovered Mercury.

Mercury was the shyest of that colony, and he welcomed Fabian as a fellow scaredy-cat. The two of them generally share quarters in one of the straw-filled dog-houses at the back, and can sometimes be seen enjoying the sun and their solitude.

Good to cuddle with a buddy on a cold day  (LBF)

Interestingly, Mercury has started to show his courage, and comes to hover on the edge of the chicken-treat crowd. He hears when I call and saunters towards the others as if it really doesn’t matter – but he’s quick to pounce when a treat comes his way, and sometimes he stands his ground when approached, and accepts the treat by hand.  Fabian has not joined his buddy. I came face to face with Fabian while scooping a box at the back of Pen 1 last week; he froze while I worked, and I tried not to make eye contact, but as soon as he felt I was a little too close for his comfort, he was up and out of there. Convincing this feral boy that we only wish him well will take much time and patience!

Hiding away  (KN)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult and Karen Nicholson

Update: Very sad to report that less than a month after this blog, we lost Fabian to cancer. One of the problems with feral cats is that they hide their discomfort, and by the time it was discovered, it was too late.  Rest well, Fabian 😿

Everybody's Friend

Cornelius  (LBF)

We are used to thinking of dogs as social animals, and cats as the opposite, and there’s some truth to it. But at base, like all sweeping statements, there are many examples of exactly the opposite.  Just the way we describe a group of cats as a COLONY offers the reminder that many cats just love the company of other felines, and the fact that we have so many antisocial cats at the Sanctuary is not so much about the way cats are in general, and more about the specific cats who are here because they need us.

Cornelius with Holly  (LBF)

We do get cats who come in ones and twos, but as a Sanctuary, we are uniquely fitted to help when larger groups of cats arrive.  Sometimes a cat-loving owner passes or has to go into care; sometimes another shelter asks us to take in ferals; sometimes it’s a hoarding situation. That was the case last year when we helped an Alberta rescue out by taking a number of cats. In our usual way, the moms and kittens went into fosterage, and the young adults came to the Sanctuary and ended up in Pen 3.

Cornelius & Jenkins  (LBF)

It was evident from the first that these were not all ferals, like the Pen 6 cats, and some had clearly been socialized. Several cats were easily identified as potential adoptees, and in fact, the first pair (Shimmer and Finneas) have already gone to a loving home, and others, like Lucius and Jenkins, will not be far behind them.  But the guy who seems to be the ringleader of the bunch, Cornelius, is not quite ready for that.

Cornelius with Scarlett  (KN)

Cornelius is a cat’s cat. He’s a social butterfly, making nice with all the rest of his buddies, and getting to know some of the other cats as well. It was Cornelius’s determination to explore outside the pen (he was a determined gate-buster) that got the med-staff to open it for the whole colony, and Cornelius has led the way in exploring the whole of the back pen complex.

Cornelius  (LBF)

He’s not adoptable yet – he allows select people to pet him, but is still wary.  But he’s a flirt as well – even before he was allowing touch, he was walking in front of volunteers, stretching out his back legs in a sort of walking sploot, and rolling over as if to say “see how cute I am!” He is very food-motivated, and will come running from the back of the pens if he thinks there’s anything on offer. And he is the consummate ham; Lisa takes themed pictures for Valentines and St Patrick's and spring – and Cornelius is happy to pose and play.

Mr Springtime  (MW)

Many other social cats are social mostly within their own group – we think of the Pen 2 family, and the cats in Pen 5: mutually inter-dependent, but mostly ignoring the other cats. Cornelius is happy to make friends everywhere; I don’t think he’s ventured into the Tea Room yet, but I’ve found him in all the open pens at some stage. He can often be found with the other orange floofs in Pen 6 – though that’s tied in with being coaxed into a photoshoot!

Cornelius & Ginger  (LBF)

I don’t know whether he has had any influence on our shyest boy at the back. Mercury would normally do anything rather than be around humans, but in recent weeks he has started to join the crowd when treats are on offer – mostly lurking on the edge, but darting in for his share when it’s offered. A recent video from Lisa sheds a possible light on his appearances.

There are some cats who seem perfectly happy to make the Sanctuary their home. For Cornelius, it looks as if he’s a kid who’s found himself living in the greatest summer camp – why would he want to be anywhere else?  Party on, Cornelius!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Karen Nicholson & Michele Wright

Mercury

Mercury (LBF)

Mercury is one of the group we sometimes refer to as the McLeod cats, trapped during the summer of 2019 in a big operation that brought in around 60 adults and kittens. The young kittens were tamed and adopted out, the older adults remembered what it was like to be tame, and found homes – and what we were left with was a group of “teens” who only knew how to be feral.  Kitty Comforters spent hours with them, but in the end, only brave Aphrodite proved to be tame enough to be adopted out, and the others are just Sanctuary-tame – willing to appear, if there’s food motivation, but not ready for much in the way of contact with humans.

Mercury  (LBF)

The genes of this family are strongly set for black and orange colouring – no tabbies here!  The group has largely relocated to Pen 1 – initially to the perimeter kennels and undergrowth, and more recently (encouraged by cold winter days) to the Pen 1 cabin. All except Mercury – the archetypal “fraidy-cat” prefers to rely on his own warm coat, and on finding a snuggle-buddy, and prefers not to feel trapped inside a building.  

Juno, Nyx, Mercury, Fabian (LBF)
hiding behind the kennels

In the last while he has met up with another timid cat; Fabian was one of the DoubleWide deck ferals who discovered the new cat door last summer, and has never returned indoors. Fabian and Mercury spend a lot of time together, and are much more relaxed – unless there’s a human around, in which case there are identical expressions of horror on their faces. 

Mercury and Fabian  (LBF)

Mercury is practically a twin to Sprocket, another back courtyard cat. Sprocket came to us about a year before, but from the same area, so they’re likely related – cousins, at the least!  Sprocket is also a feral, but a more relaxed one than Mercury – you can generally tell from the expression on the face which cat it is that you’re seeing.

L: Sprocket (KN) - R: Mercury (LBF)

The McLeod sibs have discovered that some humans bring tasty offerings, and they will often join the enthusiastic group waiting for the next tidbit; black Nyx, in particular, is very keen on food and will hover hopefully. But increasingly, Mercury has become part of the group, though he prefers to stay in peripheral vision so that he can pretend you’re not looking at him. He is easily daunted by other more assertive cats, but having backed off, he sneaks back into range, hoping for another handout. If other cats move out of the way, he will occasionally brave the peril of accepting food directly from a hand.

A little ecstatic wriggling!  (LBF)

The "ready to run" posture occasionally gives way to relaxation;  it's good to see that he can play - though cat-toys don't seem to appeal. However, with some things he does not lack assertiveness!  You would think that a Cat Sanctuary would be high on the avoidance list for most rats, but there are obviously some stupid ones who think they’ll never be noticed.  Anyone doing the morning shift in the back pens needs to be aware of the odd dead body, but it’s not often that we see the hunt in action!  

The mighty hunter  (KN)

We love it when a formerly feral cat decides to allow touch, or even to become a lap-cat. But there are many cats here, like Mercury, who are likely to remain feral all their lives, and it’s important to us that we respect their comfort level, and allow them uncaged space. We are grateful to all the donors and sponsors whose support makes this possible.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen & Karen Nicholson

Gardens and Gattos

Mercury (LBF)

Many of our cats have come to the Sanctuary as untamed ferals, and the experience of being caged is very uncomfortable for them – necessary, initially, because we need to take time to assess them and have the Kitty Comforters work with them – but often not something that can be sustained.

Fabian  (KN)

These are the cats who, in other circumstances, would be deemed unadoptable, and euthanized;  they don’t want anything to do with us, and in the buildings, they try to stay high up and out of the way, or hidden behind a drape. In the gardens they can find hiding places in the greenery.

Chirpy supervising planting  (KN)

Lindor helping with choices   (KN)

The Sanctuary is truly a sanctuary for them, because there are so many places they can hide, especially if they are back-courtyard cats. We have several volunteers who are gardeners, and much work has gone into filling flower beds, so that they can also be safe cat-beds. 

Leonardo diCatprio  (KN)

Preparing the garden to do some new planting always brings a few feline helpers, and planting needs to be done quickly to avoid too many deposits in the fresh soil. 

Hillie  (KN)

Some plants, like lilies, are not good for cats to be around, and they have been carefully eradicated; roses rather than lilies have gone into the beds, as well as splashes of colour with red runner beans (tasty for humans) and nasturtiums.  Summer interns have seen to the regular watering of both front and back gardens, and emptied water-bowls keep things moist.

Rico  (LBF)

Charlotte staying out of reach  (KN)

There is netting all around the Sanctuary to keep the cats in and the coyotes out – but the mesh is hidden for the most part by shrubbery, which offers shy cats all kinds of place to hide. Japanese knotweed springs up very quickly around the edges, and needs constant cutting back – but the cats in the north pens like it for shade and sleeping places.

Kramer   (LBF)

Some of the pens are grassed, and it’s often allowed to grow to give comfy corners for snoozing; maintaining it is hard, though, since the little feline “gifts” in the grass make a standard mower impractical, and the weed-whacker is pretty noisy.

Racks  (MRJ)

Potted Holland  (KN)

In the pens that are largely paved, greenery is provided with potted plants, and climbing plants. And if the pots are large enough, they provide another comfy place for resting.

Chaga  (MW)

Pen 6 has both real and artificial grass – but many of the inhabitants like to be up on the waist-level walkway where they can have shade and hiding places in overhanging plants, or sitting on the window-ledge of their play-hut.

Sandy goes climbing (KN)

Trees have their place too – both to provide leafy hiding places, and to allow for some height. We were all concerned when feral Sandy needed a back leg amputation to rid her of a cancer; it’s good to see that it hasn’t slowed her down much, and she’s even trying a little tree-climbing.

Ollie  (LBF)

Even Ollie will abandon his bed on the clean laundry to go out and enjoy a little sunshine and smell the flowers - and Alfred will take time out from bugging other cats to enjoy the garden world.

Alfred  (LBF)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Marla Rae Jenkins, 

Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright