Two Beloved FIV Boys

Sweet Taz  (SM)

There’s a steady trickle of FIV+ cats who arrive to our care from rescues all over the province.  Where there are people doing TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release), you can be pretty sure that some of the cats trapped will be FIV+ because it’s almost exclusively a virus passed by unneutered tom-cats. Once the cats are neutered, the testosterone that drives the fight-and-bite instincts is gone, and like the rest of the Sanctuary cats, they usually learn to get on well enough with each other.

Dust Bunny  (BC)

Our FIV+ boys are either ferals or strays. The ones who have come in as ferals may or may not tame up, and if they do, it may take awhile. Cypress was an aggressive, angry boy when he arrived in 2018 and now he wants in on laptime and treats. Obelix was very shy when he came a year later, and now looks for petting and love. A feral cat may appear settled, but the stress of a relocation, if we were to consider adoption for either, would probably drive them back into a place of fear. A stray, on the other hand, has known a home and human touch. The strays often appear very scared initially, and then blossom under touch and attention.

DB  (BC)

In the last six months we’ve had two new boys come to us, and settle so easily that it’s pretty obvious that they are strays rather than ferals. They began in different areas of the Sanctuary; Taz was in the Val Jones pen, and Dust Bunny in the larger New Aids. Dust Bunny arrived in March, from Foster Critters rescue in Duncan. His rescuer tells us that he was an occasional visitor at a small colony where they were doing TNR, and it was supposed that he was a barn-cat from a nearby farm. It soon became obvious that he was probably more than just a barn-cat; though initially very scared, it only took a few approaches from the Kitty Comforters to have him asking for petting and love.

Summer lounging in the back pen  (BC)

Our guess was that he has been stray for some time; he had earmites and bad skin and broken teeth. Skin and teeth are a common FIV+ problem, and it didn’t take long for the vets to whisk him in for urgent dental care. He’s not lost all his teeth, but they’re greatly reduced. Cage time was hard for him – he SO wanted human attention, and now he’s out and about he’s loving petting and laptime from volunteers and visitors.

May I come up?  (BC)

Unfortunately, as the new kid in the schoolyard, he was something of a target for Angus, who in turn was out of sorts that his favourite bed had been taken over by Kicks. Angus started taking out his frustrations on Dust Bunny, and we made the decision to move DB across to the Val Jones area.  At time of writing, he’s in a cage (short term), going for a vet check, and then he’ll be out and about with the Val Jones cats.

Taz loves his humans  (SM)

He’ll soon get to know Taz, who came to us in early summer, and who has proved to be a real love-bug. When Taz first came to us, it was hard to visit him in a cage, because a visit was never long enough, and he would cry when left. He had been in fosterage, and his foster-mother loved him, but had other FIV- cats, and her vet recommended not mixing them. In fact, we know that FIV+ and FIV- cats can live together safely, but as we saw with Angus, personalities do come into play, and territorial issues in a multiple-cat situation led her to the cautious decision.

Whatever the weather, Taz loves the heat-lamp! (BC)

In fact, Taz is loving with humans, and even more so, with other cats. Jim is delighted; he has been the resident Val Jones love-bug and his love has not always been reciprocated (not that it put him off much!); Taz and Jim can often be found playing or snuggled together.
Taz may have some vision problems; he’s slightly squinty, and possibly had entropion surgery for in-turned eyelashes. I’ve found that he doesn’t always see just where treats are, though he is aware of movement. But he moves with confidence and doesn’t feel his way around like a blind cat.

Enjoying the sunbathing....   (SM)

Both Dust Bunny and Taz are entirely adoptable. The fact that they’re in the Val Jones area and therefore living with the bladder-crystal cats doesn’t mean that they have that problem, though they’re living with that diet for now – it just means we wanted them near the front courtyard and more accessible to visitors.
We are so pleased when visitors fall in love with the FIV+ cats. In the last couple of years, first Biggie and then his brother Simon found homes, as did handsome Goose, Hank the hunk, and brave tripod Trooper; this summer sweet Kicks has gone to a foster-home where they hope to get his skin itchies under control. They may carry the FIV retrovirus, but it doesn’t mean they’re sick; it just means we need  to take a bit more care in keeping them healthy – and thereby benefit from all the love that a cat like Dust Bunny or Taz is ready to share with the right person.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Selena Marchetti

Tri-paw'd Alert

Kicks  (KN)

Most of the cats that come to us from outside the Lower Mainland do so through contacts with a number of rescues around the province, but especially in the case of FIV+ or FeLV+ cats, we will take cats from further afield; there are very few places where there are specific facilities for them, and where they can continue to get ongoing medical care and attention. Mostly, they don’t need it – FIV+ cats can live long lives, and can also co-exist happily with FIV- cats, but keeping them separated means greater safety from anything that might compromise their immune systems.

Checking from the upper walkway  (KN)

Fans of the cats in the New Aids pen will probably remember Trooper, who survived a bad winter experience with a leg-hold trap in Saskatchewan, and who came to us with his right front leg amputated. We are delighted to welcome another tripod cat to join the other FIV cats – this time without his left front leg.   Kicks arrived from Manitoba – part of a large fostering situation that needed reducing. The original email from the rescue that sent him said, "Our vet thinks he lost his leg to a leg trap but it has healed over. How did he survive??? Only Kicks knows the answer to that." 

Favourite place to lounge  (BC)

Kicks came to us last fall. It was obvious that he was not a feral cat – he was certainly very timid, initially, but having overcome his shyness, he was quick to respond to petting and treats from the Kitty Comforters. Once out of his cage, progress was swift. Initially he would take himself into hiding up on the walkways, but rapidly realised he had little to fear from us. 

Slightly more wary at floor level  (BB)

Climbing the ramps is a bit of a challenge when you’re a cat with three legs, but Kicks worked out how to do it without much jumping, and he now spends much of his time lounging on the table by the big window. Angus is usually the inhabitant of one of the beds there, and can be a bit of a bully, but Kicks has learned to stand up to him without any actual fighting, and Angus will mostly stay out of his way. Other cats like Obelix are quite comfortable around him.

Sharing the table with Obelix (BC)

From his table-bed he summons his fan-club – he likes attention not only from volunteers and KCs, but is happy also to interact with weekend visitors.  When we have particularly crowded days, some of the cats may get stressed, and band-aids are produced for the unwary. It doesn’t take much petting for Cypress or Dahlia to let people know not to touch! Kicks has a much higher tolerance for petting hands, and when it gets a bit much, his reaction is to remove himself quietly up the ramp to the upper levels.

Enjoying the sunshine (BB)

FIV+ cats can make good adoption prospects; the retrovirus in their systems often affects them only  minimally, and several of the New Aids boys – including tripod Trooper – were adopted last year. I think we’re all hoping that the right person will come along for a mutual love affair with our sweet Kicks.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brit Burant, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson

FIV+... But Still Adoptable

Angus (KN)

One of the conditions under which people may adopt cats from RAPS Adoption Centre is that the cat they take should remain an indoor pet. Some people find this a very hard condition, and stretch it to teaching the cat to wear a harness and leash, or building a catio for “outside” ventures. But it’s a condition that we will continue to ask for, because outside life for a cat can be a risky business.

Obelix   (KN)

Not only are there perils like traffic, coyotes, poison (and poisoned prey) but other cats they encounter may be dangerous to them. This is because of two viral conditions which are common to ferals and strays. Both present no danger to humans, but to varying degrees, will compromise the feline immune system.  These are Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). There is no medication available to cure a cat once it is infected – all we can do is treat the secondary infections.

Dillon  (KN)

FeLV is the more dangerous of the two, severely compromising the immune system, and transmitted via the cat’s saliva. For that reason, our Leukemia cats are kept separate and we follow careful sanitation protocols with them – not to protect ourselves, but to prevent them from catching something we might bring into their enclosure.  FIV, sometimes called Feline Aids, is transmitted only through blood, and is often found among feral male cats, who fight each other over females, territory and food sources. Infected female cats may pass the virus to their kittens in utero; of our 40 or so FIV cats, only four are female.

Minuet's sister was adopted,
but this girl is still too scared  (LBF)

There are three stages to FIV: an initial acute phase as the virus replicates rapidly, an asymptomatic phase which may last for years, and a progressive phase in which secondary infections occur – skin, mouth, eyes, respiratory or urinary problems are all common in this stage.  Visitors are often surprised to see this healthy bunch of cats being kept apart, but it’s easier for the med staff to keep an eye on them for secondary issues when they’re all together like this.  Accepted wisdom holds that FIV+ cats should not have contact with FIV- ones, but in fact when there is no aggression between cats, there can be no transmission. The story of Simba and Jack is a good reminder that FIV doesn’t need to divide good buddies.

Angus snuggling with his favourite blanket  (KN)

So, though not kept in the Adoption Centre, there are several of our FIV cats who are eminently adoptable – and who, if they bonded with resident cats, could live in a mixed household.  Tuxedo Angus has been on Petfinder for some time; he’s a sweet boy, living in New Aids, and struggling a bit with some of the strong purr-sonalities there. You will often find him buried under a blanket as he shuts out the world, and he’s happy to come for petting and love if he can do so without Domino getting in the way. He's a happy lap-sitter/bread-maker! Sleek black Obelix came to us several years ago, and is related to the calico crew in the front courtyard.  He was very shy for some time, and still tends to hold back until he knows and trusts you – at which point he is excited to come for petting and treats.

Obelix is wary at first, but loving when he trusts  (KN)

The cats who live in the Val Jones corner are also FIV+, and most of them are friendly and sociable. There are three that are immediately adoptable, and they’re all black. Dillon came from the same source as Chai, Kahlua and Dominique, in the main courtyard. He’s pretty cat-friendly, and is definitely pro-human – willing to come out and visit; his buddy Charles was quickly adopted. Longer-haired Gizmo looks is a very different Gizmo from the grey Back Courtyard guy – this Gizmo is friendly and sociable and there’s been no hint of grey-Gizmo’s erratic temper. Unfortunately he is already showing some mouth problems, and it may be better to keep him where he has quick access to RAPS medical attention.

Gizmo loves to come for petting  (BC)

One other boy in the Val Jones is a shoo-in for adoptability - he's the first to climb into a lap, and give love - but he's also the most loving cat to other cats in the pen. Jim arrived with his beloved buddy Frank more than two years ago; we lost Frank last year. Jim now snuggles with everyone - even grumpy Magnus plays with him. He has been the comforter for scared Minuet, and helped bring her to a point where we can touch her. For the health of the Val Jones community, Jim may be a permanent fixture!

Jim  (LBF)

The third black boy is new, and much younger – Raymond is about four years old, and has only recently arrived at RAPS from another rescue. He is an outgoing and very affectionate boy with lots of love to give. Shelter Manager Shena says, “He truly is a real sweetheart and would love a family of his own. He loves chatting and has a lot to say. He is very easy-going and enjoys laying sprawled out across the window ledge looking at all the sights. He is polydactyl which means if you love toe beans, he has an extra one for you to love.” 

Raymond  (LBF)

All our black boys also suffer from black-cat-syndrome – they are easily overlooked for more colourful kitties.  But any black-cat lover will tell you that it usually takes only a little time to uncover the purr-sonality behind all that black fur – and that you will be the lucky one indeed if you take one of these guys to your heart, despite their FIV+ diagnosis.

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

RAPS and the Cats of Many Colours

After a summer when it seemed that we were being overrun with little black kittens, it’s good to be welcoming an assortment of coloured cats.

Kiwi - MW

The Last Chance Cat Ranch in Lethbridge AB faced a crisis when the owner had health issues that necessitated a move back to her family in Edmonton. The shelter had been in existence since 2003, and over the years she had helped save more than three thousand cats.  Sadly, nobody was willing to take over her shelter and she reached out to other rescues to relocate as many cats as possible.  We have nine of them with us, and all are settling down to various degrees.

Melon - MW

Seven of them were initially put into the Connor building.  Tabby Ziggy was given a cage to herself. She was not happy about the move, about the other cats around, about life in general....   

Ziggy - LBF

Now she's out, she still mostly hides behind a drape and growls, and she objects to other cats looking in on her. She’s going to be quite a project for the Kitty Comforters – we don’t know her background, but she’s very distrustful.

Honeydew - MW

The other six knew each other well, and were paired for mutual comfort.  Black cats Salem and Obelix initially shared space, but Obelix was discovered to be FIV+, and was relocated. Three of the others were calicos, coming to us as Melon, Honeydew and Kiwi; the fourth was Siamese-mix Shiver.  Salem, Honeydew and Kiwi were released first and ready to explore; they’re a little wary about humans, but sufficiently food-motivated that they will come and feed at the table where the wet-food plates are being prepared.  Kiwi is the darkest of the three – a very pretty girl who is interested in the area around her. She appears to be tolerating the other cats, and has settled comfortably on one of the shelves as her base.

Kiwi - LL

Her buddy Honeydew also appears relaxed, and was quick to discover the above-cages area, scaling the mesh to find her beloved Salem – the two can be found snuggling together. The cage-top cats – Layla, Celine, Spooky and the others – are all a pretty easy-going bunch, and the newcomers have settled in with them in no time.

Salem getting a little lovin' from Honeydew - KN

Melon and Shiver were caged a little longer for some dental attention, but are now out and about in the front courtyard.  Shiver appeared the most wary of the group, but is no longer looking as spooked as when he arrived, and he and Melon chirp happily at each other.  Caging cats in pairs may give them less room (though our cages are pretty roomy) but it often gives them comfort and confidence in a new situation. Melon and Honeydew look pretty similar; we’re guessing that the three girls are litter-mates.

Shiver is another handsome blue-eyed boy - MW

Two other cats came with them, but like Obelix, they have gone into the New Aids pen, since they are FIV+. Sadly, too many people don’t understand that the FIV virus doesn’t make cats any less adoptable – and these two are prime candidates for a home. Orange & white Dango is insatiably curious – he wants into everything, and is constantly on the move. He’s very friendly with people and at ease with the other cats.

Austin & Dango - KN

Black Austin is definitely a people-cat; he loves to lap-sit, and he has the characteristic erect tail of a happy and confident cat.  We would love to see more of our FIV+ cats go to their own homes; unlike the FeLV virus, which does affect the cat’s health, FIV is a virus that causes AIDS in cats; however, there is a long asymptomatic period before AIDS occurs and care can prolong this period. Many of the FIV cats live long lives, and may never actually develop full-blown AIDS.

Austin - KN

Austin and Dango are used to living together, but since they are relaxed and happy, they might do well with a non-aggressive FIV- cat or with a dog; like all RAPS cats , we would want them to be indoor-only pets. Black Obelix is very shy and will not be an adoption candidate.

Dango - KN

There are many privately-run shelters across the country, often set up by cat-loving people who may not have a succession plan for their beloved cats when health issues intervene. There aren’t many shelters who can take on nine cats at a time, but RAPS is glad to be able to welcome these newcomers to the Sanctuary family.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Leslie Landa, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright