Athena and Neptune

Volunteer PAULINE CHIN has been visiting with the Leukemia cats...

Athena - KN

Little Athena was originally part of the godly Pen 6 crew.  A few months ago, she tested positive for FeLV, so off to the Leukemia playground she went.  (The rest of the pen was quarantined for testing and it was only her results that showed positive.)

Trying to get Neko's attention - PC

In the first few weeks, she tried very VERY hard at making a feline friend.  As expected, her efforts were rebuffed by many of the cats - as we all know, cats loathe being forced into doing anything.  Keanu would walk away.  Dexter, Smoochie, and Bear are a tad too old for her taste.  And Portia made herself scarce.  Athena seemed to like Neko the most.  She’d greet him with a headbutt or body rub.  His reception was lukewarm at most.  Does she like him for his coat colour?  Or because he conveniently hangs out by the cat flap door?

Neptune - BC

After all her efforts, she was finally befriended by big black Neptune.  Poor Neptune has lost so many friends in less than 2 years (Henrick, Voodoo, Zanda, Ooley, Chateaux) that it’s fitting he would welcome her.  They’ve become cuddly buddies and constantly stick close to each other, like velcro.

Athena & Neptune - PC

With humans, Athena is vocal and demanding.  She expects gifts, but is very finicky about them.  She’ll take some small toys, catnip, grass, and the laser.  Wands are little too scary for her.  Unlike her feral brethren, she’s actually fussy about meat and treats.  She could enjoy a flavor one day, and ignore it the next.  Oh well… More yummies for the other kitties!

Athena - PC

While we work on Athena to welcome human touch, Neptune is mostly pettable now and sleeps less.  I look forward to petting his ultra soft fur.  It’s similar to Ninja’s plush coat.  Prior to Athena’s arrival, Neptune spent his time hiding in high places.  He’d only hang out by the couch if one of his buddies was present, acting like a shadow of sorts and mirroring their actions.  It’s funny to see him eating from the same bowl at the same time as another kitty.  

Neptune staying out of reach - PC

Ironically, Neptune is the largest cat in the area, yet still one of the shyest. What does he have to fear these days?  If anything, it’s FOMO on treats and playtime.  I used to have to lure him out with food.  If he didn’t appear fast enough, the other cats would devour his share.  Nowadays, he’s often in the main room.  If I pet him without an offering, he likes to nip my hand.  Then again, if I don’t give him attention right away, he also nips me.  (Did you learn that from Neko, Neptune?) Best thing is to leave a treat and step back.  If he wants seconds and thirds, he’ll keep approaching.  Same idea with pets.

Neptune - KN

Just like Athena, he’s a bit nitpicky on food and wands also send him flying out the flap door.  Unlike Athena, I haven’t heard a single meow out of him.  I have yet to find a toy he consistently likes.  He’ll bat catnip toys around until he gets them wedged in a corner.  Grass is worth a sniff.  He has no interest in non-moving toys.

Neptune & Athena - PC

What seemed like an unfortunate surprise actually proved a blessing.  Both Athena and Neptune wanted a cat friend.  Their bond has made them happier and less hidey.  Besides companionship, their confidence has grown.  That extra courage means all the FeLV cats can gather simultaneously in the main room for a felicitous visit, like a big family reunion.  Let’s hope this bond lasts a lengthy lifetime.

Blog by Pauline Chin

Photos by Pauline Chin, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson

Under the Radar and Overhead – part 1

Pauline sent me the foundation for this blog last month, and it’s taken me way too long to get posted! In fact, she blogged about so many cats, that I decided to split it into two sections...       BC

The majestic Pax - BC

With National Black Cat Day, Black Cat Awareness Month, and Halloween all in the October rear-view mirror, spotlighting some furry black friends is way overdue.  Many new black cats have arrived this year.  They tend to be under the radar and relatively shy or feral.  These are the ones who will likely be seen on a Sunday afternoon.

A Beetle in a Box - PC

Beetle has been making more appearances in the front courtyard this year.  Recognizable by his lynx ear tips, he arrived with his sister, Cricket, in 2017.  He hides much of the time.  Now, he will hang around nearby, socializing with other cats, but just out of reach. Occasionally he takes “out of reach” very seriously, and climbs from the front courtyard glider onto one of the struts that hangs out over the courtyard. He can’t get any further, but he seems to delight in looking down on the rest of the cat-world.

Layla showing her good profile - MW

Inside the Connor House, you might see black Layla - one of several cats that came to us from a hoarding situation.  Her fluffy appearance is alluring and she’s open to pets sometimes.  Layla is quite polite.  Unlike other cats, she won’t get upset if she gets overlooked, nor swat when over-stimulated.  Too many humans and she will look for higher ground and hang out with feral Frisky.  All-black Frisky, with very few defining characteristics, spends all day on the cage top and has zero interest in humans.

Zeus on arrival and after surgery - PC

Beautiful Zeus, fully recovered - KN

Zeus is a quiet fellow picked up as part of a massive trapping effort.  He has a large fluffy head and prefers the cage top.  Zeus didn’t particularly socialize with anyone.  Approach slowly, with your hands visible, and he might allow touching.  He’s still adjusting to his new life in the Val Jones corner, but doing much better since having surgery for entropion – inward-growing eyelashes. Life as a feral cat must have been very scary for him when he couldn’t see properly, and his eyes hurt. His surgery left him looking a little like a werewolf for a while, but now he’s out of pain, he is accepting attention from the volunteers with much less fear.

Handsome Pax - MW

Found in the same area was medium-haired Pax.  Pax is labeled as semi-feral, but has a positive opinion about people.  It didn’t take long for him to purr and enjoy the comforts offered up to him.  He’s an energetic boy, who sometimes earns a timeout for roughhousing other cats. There are some strong personalities in that pen! Pax has a distinctive shaped head that leads us to believe that he is the baby daddy for a number of the kittens trapped in the same place.

Neptune - PC

FeLv+ Neptune came in with Portia and Voodoo all the way from Portland, Oregon.  Portia, who is the calendar cover star this year, is comfortable in the baskets around the outside area of the leukemia area.  Voodoo (now gone) had a tipped ear and preferred the high rafters.  Big black Neptune is still cautious around people.  Sometimes, he’ll allow me to pet his soft coat.  He might choose to sit near me or chill out overhead.  These days, he won’t go anywhere without his BFF, Henrik, and he is also very friendly with his lookalike, Chateaux.  Both black cats are shy around humans.

Cheateaux - MW

Shy and feral seems to be a theme for black felines.  Hopefully, this will help ID the small panthers you might find.  More black cats to be spotlighted in part 2!

Blog by Pauline Chin

Photos by Pauline Chin, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright