Alvin

Alvin (KN)

As a volunteer, it's all too easy at the Sanctuary to spend most of your time in specific areas, covering shifts, and then discover that there are a bunch of new cats you don’t know in another area. That is particularly so when it comes to black cats – and I especially struggle with identifying the front courtyard black ones.

Alvin (BC)

So I found it interesting that in the last couple of months, I’ve had three black boys coming and “making nice” with me – though all three of them are not in fact pure black, but what I call flecked cats – black with little flecks of grey or white among the black fur.

L: Puddin' (BC);  R: Odin (KN)

The first of the three is Puddin’, introduced a few weeks ago; Puddin’ mostly hangs out in Pen 3, but likes to follow me round the back pens on a shift. He remains very affectionate, but is cautious, because his place on my lap is being invaded by Odin.  Odin bases in Pen 1. He was very shy when he first arrived with us, but time with the staff (especially Alice) and Kitty Comforters has worked wonders, and now he comes running when he hears my voice, and demands lap-sitting and lots of petting.

Alvin (KN)

The third is a front courtyard cat called Alvin. We think he’s around 9 years old, and was brought in to us by a local Samaritan who found him as a stray. It would be interesting to guess his background; he’s a friendly boy, so has obviously known human care and attention, but he was unneutered when he came to us, so hasn’t had good care. He’s been living stray for some time; he had bad teeth and a pellet lodged in his belly, so life has been tough.

Water is GOOD, Alvin!   (BC)

Alvin is one of many cats in our care with CKD – Chronic Kidney Disease. It’s very common in cats, especially the older ones, and our med staff are careful to monitor those in early stages, and give fluids where necessary. Ideally, a cat with CKD should be on a special diet, but given our setup it’s not possible without caging him – what Alvin needs is a home where he can get the special food he requires.  He would actually be a good candidate for fosterage; his CKD is in the early stages, and the right food is all he needs. Assistant Sanctuary Manager Valerie says that he would be a good candidate for foster-to-adopt.

Busy about cat "stuff"  (KN)

Street life as a lone male has taught him to be a little wary around other cats, though he’s not aggressive; he is one of the cats who will often come running to greet me, and will jump up to sit beside me on the bench and then edge over onto my lap. He’s not a big boy, though like many other formerly unneutered males, he has chubby cheeks.  He loves to be petted, and to be scritched around his ears; if someone else approaches – even someone as gentle as Little Orange – he gives way and scoots off.

Alvin (BC)

You’ll generally find Alvin around the Connor House – snuggled into a bed at the back or on the porch – if he’s not on greeting duty. Now he knows and is comfortable with us, it will be interesting to see how he behaves when our Sunday visitors start coming – I hope he will make some new friends!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Puddin' and Butternut

Butternut   (KN)

Back in December I introduced a pair of Siamese who had, separately, come into our care. The female, Jasmine, was from the same Manitoba rescue where Picasso originated; the male, Strike, was a more local boy, and came to us with two other cats - we think, all around 4 years old.

Strike  (BC)

We understand that the three of them had lived at a home in Surrey and that their caregiver had passed, leaving them homeless. They were lucky enough to find a rescuer who feeds ferals in her back garden, and she recognized that these three boys were friendly and not your regular touch-me-not ferals. They might well be adoptable, but the Adoption Centre is full of kittens right now, and they’re better with us than in cages.

Puddin'  (BC)

On release from their initial cage stay with us, Strike decided that he was going to stay comfy, and he settled down to base himself in the Double-Wide. Puddin’, on the other hand, took himself as far away from the building as he could, and settled himself in Pen 3, at the east end of the Sanctuary. 

Puddin' out on a snowy day  (KN)

 Pen 3 is the one with all the Alberta cats, and they’re all pretty friendly; without plunging into a new social life, Puddin’ made himself at home there. He can usually be found by himself, but it’s less a “stay away from me” alone-ness, than just a tendency to be solo.

Puddin'  (BC)

Of course, another black cat to identify initially presents problems – but it doesn’t take long to see how different he is from most of the other blacks. In appearance he’s most like Odin, in Pen 1 – solid without being a chonk, with little grey flecks in his fur. His head is larger than Odin’s; the latter has a more pointed face. And like Odin, he has proved to be very friendly, anxious to jump up and lap-sit, and to give and receive attention.

Cage visit with Butternut  (BC)

The third cat of the trio is Butternut – a wonderful name for an orange boy. He also proved to be willing to be petted and fussed over while in a cage, but once released he got into a few too many fights with Jasper and Gizmo, and we ended up moving him to the front courtyard. Of course, there, it then put him face to face with orange Mango, so there was a bit more aggression to smooth over.

Butternut & Mango ignoring each other (BC)

I can tell who is who when I see them together – Mango is a bit larger and a bit younger; he has a lighter face and a lighter tail tip. But they’re almost identical in colouring, and now that Mango has calmed down, their behaviour is similar – meaning that they seem to like people but not other cats! Butternut seems to swat most when provoked – who can blame him? - whereas Mango is more inclined to go hunting for someone to swat. The big difference between them is that Butternut often seems to have really round eyes, unlike Mango, whose eyes are regular cat-shape.

Butternut playing at the tunnel  (BC)

Sadly, the affectionate Butternut of the initial cage days is no more; he’s friendly enough but not yet willing to come and solicit attention in the way that Puddin’ does. Some of that may just be caution, with Mango around.  But all three boys have known what it is to have a home and are quite adoptable; we can only hope that as they settle, they may bond with a summer visitor in the coming months. Till then, they can take their time and let themselves be comfortable with us at the Sanctuary.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Elvis Is In The Sanctuary

Elvis (KN)

We have a new heartthrob at the RAPS Cat Sanctuary – a big chunky tabby boy who takes “Love Me Tender” very seriously as his motto!

Elvis still a little worried - "who are you,
and what am I doing here...?"   (BC)

Elvis came to us from Bella Bella, in the Central Coast region of BC – he was discovered on the street, possibly having been hit by a car.  Luckily, the local rescue didn’t dismiss him as un-helpable, and he was shipped to Port Hardy for treatment. They in turn decided that he needed more than they could do, and he was relayed down-island by their staff and ours, and came into our care. He needed some TLC, being pretty stressed from his journey, but once he realised he was in a safe place he calmed down a lot. 

Elvis  (KN)

The hospital found he had several wounds from fighting – not surprising because he was an unneutered male. Following surgery (and a fair bit of dental work) he was moved to the Sanctuary. They think he’s between 3 and 4 years old. He has one slightly droopy eye and one slightly droopy ear that leave you with the impression that he's looking sideways and saying, "Seriously...?"

Very comfortable...   (LBF)

Now that Elvis is fully recovered, we can see that he’s a big sturdy boy who has calmly taken the line of least resistance and settled down in his new surroundings.  He was not happy with cage-living at the Adoption Centre, and anything involving a carrier means a battle, and bloodshed. He was wary of us at first, but quickly discovered that humans came with pettings and tasty treats. In good weather, he can be found wandering in the back courtyard, but he has discovered that his new Richmond home is cosy-warm in the winter and he has happily taken to snoozing on the Double-Wide couch – and when that’s too crowded with other cats, he will drape himself anywhere nearby.

No room on the couch, so I'll 
sleep on the steps....   (KN)

Some tomcats find it hard to break the habits of being dominating and aggressive even when neutered, but with testosterone out of the picture, Elvis is getting on well with the other cats, and not creating any problems. Last week I was visiting with the Alberta cats in Pen 3, and getting to know Puddin’ (mentioned last week as Strike’s former housemate);  Puddin’ has decided that he likes these guys, and has largely moved in with them. 

Puddin' making himself at home  (BC)

Elvis came to visit while I was there, and there was a lot of nose-bumping and comfortable socializing until he decided that he wanted to come up on my lap. Before I knew where I was, he had his paws up and round my neck, and I was getting the sort of hug I used to get from our late beloved Emery!  With Emery there was always the edge of desperation about his hugs; Elvis does hugs (and kisses) with total assurance that this is what you want as well! He adores attention, and his rumble of pleasure can be felt.

Such a love-bug!  (BC)

Right now, the Adoption Centre is very much taken over by the younger generation! - late-season kittens are melting everyone’s hearts, and until they’re adopted, the older cats need to live in the Sanctuary where they have room, rather than in the confined cage-space of the Adoption Centre. But some of our newer ones are certainly adoptable, and we hope that cats like Elvis will eventually have a chance at finding a new home of their own. Till then “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With Him”

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

We Are Siamese, If You Please...

Jasmine & Strike  (BC)

We have two newcomers to the DoubleWide trailer.
Strike was the first to arrive – very scared at first, spending all his time hiding behind a drape.  But he quickly discovered that food might arrive at certain times, and became vocal as only a Siamese can.  Strike is bob-tailed – what is sometimes called a “stumpy” manx. This is a reminder to us all that Manx is a breed name, with certain physical characteristics in addition to the lack of tail, but it is also a generic (and not entirely accurate) term for any tailless cat. Sometimes the genes that produce taillessness breed true (several of Percival Snugglebutt’s offspring are tailless, like dad), and sometimes it’s just a random mutation.  We don’t know Strike’s history, but his lack of tail doesn’t seem to bother him in any way.

Strike  (LBF)

What we do know is that he was one of a number of cats who lived in a home. Their caregiver passed and they were kicked out, but were lucky enough to be accepted into a colony that was being fed and monitored.  Strike, with his buddies Butternut and Puddin’ (introductions to come) were brought into our care. They may well be adoptable, but with so many kittens taking space in the adoption centre, they are better off with us for now. 

Jasmine  (KN)

Jasmine arrived a few weeks after Strike from the same Manitoba rescue that sent frostbitten Picasso to us.  Rather more blonde than her fellow-Siamese, she is totally tailless, but not for the same reason as Picasso; Jasmine has the characteristic Manx syndrome that often appears in tailless cats. Plum, Lil and many other beloved Sanctuary cats like PeeWee and SweetPea have also suffered from Manx syndrome, and need regular baths to deal with the aftermath of incontinence.  Jasmine loves people and attention, but it’s a really good idea to have a towel or other padding on your lap – she’s pretty leaky.

Jasmine exploring outside  (LBF)

When I met Strike, and later, Jasmine, I wondered whether they would have any affinity for each other – would we have a pair, like the Siamese cats who appear in the original version of Disney’s Lady and the Tramp? And then I checked the song from that movie, and realised what I’d not known as a kid – it’s pretty racist – probably accurate enough for the early 1900s, when the film is set, and even smile-provoking when it was produced in 1955, but no longer acceptable.  So in the 2019 remake, Si and Am are replaced with a pair called Devon and Rex, singing the blues.

Strike  (KN)

Strike and Jasmine don’t seem to be particularly drawn to each other – they’re both pretty easy-going with other cats, and live their separate lives. Strike is more of a loner than Jasmine, who really loves to be petted.  He prefers to hang out on the back deck of the Double-Wide where he can chose to mingle or find his own space; he’s no longer as scared as when he first came in, and is willing to approach for touch and treats.  Food is very important;  I was late to feed this week, and was met at the door by a very vocal complaint in fluent Siamese.

Jasmine asking for attention  (BC)

Jasmine is more adventurous, and can often be found exploring in the back courtyard; she will leap up on the table to be fussed and told she’s a lovely girl. Like Lil and Plum, you just need to be a bit wary of her rear end.  We are a permanent home for her; sweet as she is, there are not many people who will deliberately take on the adoption of an incontinent cat.  Here at the Sanctuary, Jasmine’s not the only messy one, and doesn’t add significantly to the laundry load.

Welcome to the Sanctuary, sweet ones – it’s good to see you settling in!

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

Fall 2023  Jasmine's manx incontinence proved too much of a problem for her, with constant uncontrollable infections, and we couldn't see her in pain any longer.

Strike encountered a visitor and it was love at first sight for both; he's gone to a new home.