Oodles of Orange

Billy, Buffy, Kumquat (LBF)

Pen 6 has become an important area of transition at the Cat Sanctuary. It’s a fairly small pen, but right at the beginning of the back pen complex – so there is lots of activity around.  Five years ago it was designated as the home for a colony of cats who had come to us from a Sunshine Coast shelter that was closing. We remember those cats with love – especially sweet Simba, and PawPaw

Simba and PawPaw (MW)

As they acclimated, or were moved to other areas, or adopted, we were able to move them out, close the pen for a clean-out, and prepare it for the Candy Cats’ arrival in the fall of 2017. With the exception of sweet Skittles, who has passed, these cats are still with us.  No orange cats in this bunch – the closest we have is the hint of gold in the agouti colouring of shy Hershey.

Hershey (LBF)

Two years later, the Candy Cats were moved out to make room for another influx of cats when RAPS trapped a total of nearly 60 cats and kittens from one colony.  Most of the kittens were fostered and adopted, but we had a group of teens who were too old to tame easily.  Most of them were black or tortie, but orange Mercury proved to be a very shy twin for Sprocket, living in the back courtyard.

Mercury (LBF)

These cats were very skittish for some time and it wasn’t until the following year that the determined work of the Kitty Comforters began to pay off. Most of them have relocated to Pen 1, and will likely remain semi-feral, and wary, but Aphrodite, the boldest of them, has found her own home where she can be tortie queen.

Aphrodite (KN)

And now Pen 6 is full again – and this time it’s an influx of (mostly) orange kitties from outside Kamloops, from a situation where TNR was needed, but in the end, the rescue felt that the cats really needed rescuing – and so they have ended up in our care.

Kelvin & Billy (LBF)

For the first few weeks there were just seven of them – Persimmon, Kumquat, Billy, Kelvin, Buffy, Goldie and a lone tabby, Juniper.  

Persimmon (KN)

Persimmon is the bravest of them, coming to investigate a visitor, talking and flirting. She’s something of a show-off on the shelf along the front wall.   Where Persimmon is, Kumquat is not far behind. Though he’s not ready for me to touch him, I know he’s allowed ear scritches from other volunteers. Kelvin will come and sit beside me, as long as I don’t reach out.  

Goldie, Kumquat & Billy (KN)

The others are all still very wary; they can be touched when they're tucked away in their cabin beds, but they now prefer to take cover in the many hiding places we’ve left in the pen. They particularly like the playhouse in the southeast corner of the pen, and are equally charmed by the prospect of playing on the tarp that protects the playhouse roof

Buffy (and Kelvin) camping on the tarp (KN)

They have just been joined by another five from the same colony: Cheddar, Creamsicle, Chamomile, Barley and Chaga (two more oranges, two greys and a black) - more introductions to follow in a subsequent blog!
We're all looking forward to getting to know them better as they become more relaxed in their new home.

Persimmon is already relaxed! (VW)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Karen Nicholson, Valerie Wilson, Michele Wright

Remembering Friends

Back Pens - everyone loved  Chatter - MW

At the end of each December, we wish each other a Happy New Year – but we also look back at the year just past and remember the triumphs we've won and the trials we’ve survived.  And especially at the Cat Sanctuary, we’ll remember the cats we’ve lost.

SW - Georgie & her Christmas Mouse - MW

We actually memorialize them in the summer at a pot-luck event held at the Sanctuary and attended by humans and cats alike (it can be a little hard to keep them off the tables!)  And part of the event always includes the reading of the names of the cats who have passed in the previous year – a moment that is named for raggedy Chance who got a second chance of life when he came to us. We are reminded of the legend of the Rainbow Bridge, and the cats who are waiting for us to cross as well – and there are always tears and fond memories.

Front - Gilbert, much loved - MW

But remembering Big Personalities who have passed is more common in the media at the turn of the year – so here are just a few of the beloved cats who have been in our care, and have gone on to the Rainbow Bridge.

Moore - Spicer, missed by her buddy Shaggy - MW

In the Moore House, established by and named for our beloved Marianne Moore, most of the cats are seniors (it’s affectionately known as “geriCATrics”), and though we grieve their passing, we know that these are cats who have had their final days with much love from us

Moore - PomPom (BC) & Fluffy (MW) -   both came to us
when they were already seniors

Moore - Jack went from being a cranky aggressive cat
to one who loved being petted - MW

Our FIV+ cats may not ever develop full-blown AIDS, but many of them have lived feral, rough lives before they came to us, and their bodies are more fragile than in the general population

NewAids - Mr Moochie - BC

NewAids - Achilles - MW

The FeLV (feline leukemia) cats’ fragile immune systems mean that we tend them with great care for cleanliness. Of the cats we’ve lost this year, two stand out for me:

OA - Zanda loved to come and cuddle - PH

OA - Cleo was disabled, but gutsy! - MW

Those of us who work in the SingleWide quickly develop our favourites

SW - Zoe was a member of the Dryer Gang - MW

SW - Tammy hated other cats - but loved Shelter Manager Lisa - MW

Some really significant cats in the front courtyard have passed

Brothers Tommy & Pogo were well-loved by everyone - MW

We lost Daniel in 2018; Cloverleaf has gone to be with his buddy - MW

Many of the Double-wide cats who have gone are either seniors (Binky, Deenie) or the cage-top shy ferals (Pixie, Peanut, Mary). The cat that I still subconciously look for is Sativa, whose Manx-Syndrome incontinence brought her to us, and whose human family faithfully visited her every Sunday.

DW - we all got used to cleaning up after Sativa - MW

So many big personalities in small furry bodies in the back courtyard have passed.

PawPaw happily made the transition from an outside pen
to live inside with his buddy Chimo - MW

B/w WobblyBob and his grey buddy Yogi went
within weeks of each other - VL

Terry never let his disability stop him! - PH

And I can’t pass up the chance to memorialize the two I adopted from the Moore house, and had in my care for all too short a time – much loved and not forgotten.

Mr Bojangles and Madame Hooch - MW

Many of these cats came in to us as ferals, and as ferals they would have had short, hard lives. In our care they were loved by staff, volunteers and visitors. Their passing was grieved – but it also left space to accept other homeless cats – ferals, strays, rejects – all of whom are now discovering that life can be good at the Cat Sanctuary.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Phaedra Hardman, Vicki Lo, Michele Wright

Diabetics

November is National Diabetes Month – and not just for humans, but also for pets as well.

Bandit - MW

Just as in humans, cats (and other pets) may suffer from diabetes.  The body produces little or no naturally-occurring insulin and is therefore unable to regulate sugars in the blood. The only way to control it is by administering insulin by injection. In many cases, by the time diagnosis has occurred the cat is insulin-dependent.

PawPaw - MW

In some cases, the body creates some insulin, but not enough, or it may not be able to regulate it. An early diagnosis and prompt treatment can stave off dependency.  An older, more overweight cat is more likely to be a  diabetic than a younger one, and managing the cat’s diet, as well as balancing the administration of insulin, is necessary to maintain the cat’s health. Occasionally the onset of diabetes is linked to steroid treatment for another condition, and we quickly try to find an alternative; sometimes the diabetes will go into remission, and this is often linked to weight loss, or the speedy diagnosis and treatment of the condition.

Henrik - leukemia cat, diabetes in remission - MD

Currently only four of our Sanctuary cats are diabetic, though we have treated many through the years. In some cases it is a long-term condition, and is unlikely to change.  Bandit, who lives in the Single-Wide,  receives insulin injections twice a day. This can be a challenge – not because he objects to the injection (most cats don’t even notice it), but because he has to eat before he gets his shot, and he’s very picky about what he will accept. The med staff keep a cupboard of non-standard cat-foods to hand, and it will frequently take two or three different offerings before Bandit decides that he might as well eat.  Occasionally he has to be force-fed, which is not fun for either cat or staff!

Bandit waiting regally for medical attention - MW

Our beautiful Dell, in Pen 3, was diagnosed as a diabetic about 6 months ago.  The classic signs are weight loss, appetite, thirst and increased urination. We noticed that Dell was not looking in his usual good shape, and a visit to the RAPS Hospital showed that his blood sugars were up. Regular insulin had Dell looking much better, and the med staff keep a careful check on his progress.

Dell is looking so much better now he's on insulin - MD

Achilles lives in New Aids; his diabetes likely has no link at all with his Aids diagnosis, but it does mean that we keep a very careful eye on him for other things that might affect his immune system, and thus his general body condition.

Achilles - MW

Older and overweight – that fits for Shaggy, who came in to the Moore House with his buddy Spicer. Shaggy was one of the lucky ones; a rapid diagnosis and careful treatment enabled his body to re-balance, and his diabetes went into remission.

Shaggy no longer needs insulin - MW

PawPaw was one of the cats who came to us from a closing private shelter some years ago. He was diagnosed diabetic soon after he arrived, and is one of the cats that I think the med staff enjoy spending feeding time with, before he has his injections. He hangs out in Waldi’s Hut with his buddy Chimo, and making sure that the tasty food goes just to PawPaw and not to Chimo and their friends, takes a little careful management!

PawPaw - MW

Our diabetic cats are well-tended by RAPS med staff and the hospital vets.  Many people manage their own human diabetes as a routine thing, and there is no reason why we should not be able to do the same for our pets with the assistance and advice of a vet.  But there’s no denying that, with little experience, taking on a diabetic cat is not something most adopters will gladly do, and for those cats who are unable to find adopters because of their condition, the Sanctuary is there to maintain their health and safety.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Melanie Draper and Michele Wright

Best Buds - Chimo & PawPaw

Chimo & PawPaw - MW

People who are not cat people will tell you that cats are non-social, aloof – “if you want a friend, get a dog”, they will say... Cat-people know that cats are as varied as people – some are introverts, loving their own company, living life on their own terms – but others enjoy being around both people and other cats.  And nowhere do we see that more clearly than at the Cat Sanctuary.

Snuggling together: Babylon & Presley - MW

We have our share of “typical” cats – the ones I call the Garbo Cats (“I vant to be alone...”) - Leland and Timmy in the front courtyard, Blue,  Jingles and Emery in the back.  But we also have the cat-magnets – our dear departed Mario and Salty never went anywhere without their devoted followers, and Daniel in the front courtyard always has the company of Cloverleaf, Jamie or Figaro

Daniel & Cloverleaf - MW

For some cats, the presence of others is a strain, best expressed in a degree of aggression, and we now have have some of those cats, like Mindy and Spades, in a quieter area, where they will feel less challenged.  But for the most part, the majority of the cats get on very well – and in some places, “get on” goes to a whole new level.

Chimo - MW

Chimo came to us with a reputation for aggression.  His back-story will fill you in on his progress from an aggravating cat who had never learned to play nicely, to a mellow boy who rolls over to invite petting (belly-rubs, though welcomed by implication in his posture, are still too risky).  He has established the north-south wing of the back courtyard as his turf, and generally hangs out in what we call “Waldi’s Hut”, sharing space with other quiet cats: Morticia, Dusty, Quinn, and others who don’t usually welcome human attention.

Chimo - BL

PawPaw was one of the first cats to come to us from the closing shelter on the Sunshine Coast, and was part of the group established in Pen 6. Some of those cats have gone on to adoption through the 5 Road City Shelter, others are still with us. PawPaw has remained with us because he is diabetic, and needs monitoring for insulin.

PawPaw - MW

As the group settled into Sanctuary life, the pen was opened, and some of its inhabitants ventured out. Cats like Blue and Simba, full of confidence, claimed their own spaces; others, like Faith and PawPaw, preferred to stay in Pen 6 on familiar turf. But we can’t afford to keep all the pens as open ones, and with a new group coming in from another shelter, we had to evict the inhabitants in order to prepare the pen for the newcomers. Faith finally settled herself in the TeaRoom. PawPaw moved to the other end of the wing and discovered Waldi’s Hut and Chimo.

These two boys are almost always together. They snuggle and head-butt, and they both enjoy visitors (especially those bearing chicken)

Chimo is perhaps the more generally social of the two (and the more food-motivated), but together on their own shelf they will tune out the presence of Morticia and others, and revel in each other’s company.  Obviously deeply bonded now, they welcome attention from volunteers and visitors in a way that reminds me of the cats in Pen 5 – May and Adam, Rudolph and Salish – the cats that we tend to think of as pairs

Life is better when you have a friend!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Boris Lin and Michele Wright

Update from Pen 6

Last summer I introduced a group of cats who had come in to us and had taken up residence in Pen 6. There has been quite a bit of in-and-out from that pen, and I thought readers might like an update.
The two big black girls, Cookie and Carla, came out of the pen. Crabby Carla was making everyone else’s life miserable, and it was hoped that we might be able to get their weight under control.  They were caged together for a while and then released. Sister-love did not prove a dominating force, and the two split up. Carla has established herself on the double-wide deck with the semi-ferals there; she continues as crabby as ever.

Cookie - MW

Cookie can usually be found in the volunteer tea-room, and appreciates human attention. Both are still large – it’s very difficult to restrict food in the Sanctuary set-up, and we rely mostly on getting large cats moving a bit more. Carla apparently likes to play, so volunteers are encouraged to use wand-toys with her.

Laredo - BC

Old Tana passed in the fall., but in happier news, a few of the original inhabitants have been adopted: Mrs Trotzki, Doodlebug and Rebecca have all got their own homes now, and we couldn’t be happier for them!   We were told that Rebecca and Laredo were a bonded pair, but saw no sign of it, and she was such a sociable people-cat that splitting them up wasn’t hard. Laredo is cautiously friendly with people, but is also known to swat occasionally, and he seems to have settled in with the rest of the Pen 6 inhabitants.

Sophia - MW

Grey and white Sophia went to the Shelter too, but had health problems, which have taken a while to deal with; medical attention has not left her happy to receive other attention, and she does not welcome the prospect of a good grooming, which she needs! She’s now living in the Moore House with the oldies!

Blue - MW

Still with us are Blue, Simba and PawPaw. Blue is not sociable with the other cats, but enjoys human attention on his own terms. He likes to be above and behind me when I am sitting with one of the other cats in my lap,  and he plays in my hair. He’s a lap-cat in a limited way; you can have him on your lap, but don’t touch too much!

PawPaw - MW

Simba - MW

Simba continues to be a greeter and a lover; he adores attention, except for the grooming kind, which, like Sophia, he needs. Some cats just matt very easily, and I suspect Simba may be sporting a lion cut when the weather warms,  Sweet PawPaw proved to be diabetic; now we have his insulin under control he is no longer looking so fragile.

Faith - BC

Other cats from the same source have joined them; they include white Faith, who tends to be the cat who walks by herself – for the first few months of her time with us she preferred to live in one of the outside kennels rather than mingle with the other cats. The cold weather has driven her in, and she’s tolerating them now.  Crackers is a calico, but one with a lot of black in her fur patterning, and cautiously friendly. The two tuxedos are handsome Troy, and the rather older and less glamorous (but very cuddly) Mabel.

Crackers - MW

Troy & Mabel - MW

All these cats came to us from a private shelter which is now closing down, and another six of them have just arrived at the Sanctuary, with the promise of at least a dozen more to come. We’ll be working to make more space for incoming cats – and more space to introduce them in the Neko Blog

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Michele Wright

January 2018 - Crackers, Troy and Mabel all went for adoption in the past year and are happily settled in their fur-ever homes. We were saddened to lose Laredo suddenly and unepectedly