Loved and Lost in 2025

(March) Sweet leggy Akiva had been declawed before he came to us;
he was always wary around other cats (KN)

The between-gates entry to the back pens of the Cat Sanctuary is also a storage area – cleaning supplies, transfer cages and carriers, the sign-in book, the board showing volunteer vacancies and temporary assignments – and a RAPS calendar. The latter is not there so much to keep track of dates as to keep an open record of cats who have passed, and you will often see an incoming volunteer checking to see that all is well in the area in which they are working. Kitty Comforter coordinator Anne Marchetti emails the KCs to let them know when we have a loss, and includes a little tribute and a photo that helps us to mourn privately – thank you, Anne! It’s hard to do a shift, and realise that you’ve not seen a specific cat – only to check the calendar or with one of the med staff, to find that cat has passed.

(March) Cole came to us with aggression issues, but quickly 
discovered that laundry-room life offered lots of good attention, 
first tastes of food, and warm towels for sleeping on.  (TV)

Some months we go long periods with no losses – and then we may have a dozen cats pass in a few weeks. This year we got through to May with 2-3 each month – and then we lost 25 in the next three months – especially hard on the med-staff, for whom compassion fatigue has to be an issue. Sometimes we know it’s coming – the cat has been on medication and under a watchful eye; sometimes it comes out of the blue – perhaps a cancer that the cat has been hiding, or a sudden stroke. This year I am all too aware that practically all the cats I encountered when I came to the Sanctuary in 2010 have gone – I think all that are left are May and Walker in Pen 5, and sweet Orlean in the DW.

(May) Named for his beautiful golden eyes, Pumpkin 
was very much the social leader of the Boys Club  (MW)

55 cats have passed in 2025; some that visitors may never have encountered because of where they lived; others who were beloved favourites, sought out for special lap-time or petting. I wrote about our Sweet Gericatrics in April, all of whom have now passed - and I memorialized some the July passings in a later blog called July Rainbows.  

Here are a few of the others.

(June) Beloved by all, Willow was known as Spider-Cat
in her early days. After a bout with vestibular disease and a cage-stay,
she became very friendly with humans.  We lost her sister Amelia in March (BC)

(June) Sylar was my sponsor cat, and my challenge; 
 when caged, he would  reluctantly enjoy petting;
 out in the back courtyard he was usually very shy  (BC)

(June) Handsome Adam was a core member of the Pen 5 crowd,
and is greatly missed by his sister May (MW)

(Sept)  From arriving as a plain tuxedo, pretty Holly's colouring looked like she'd
had an expensive balayage treatment. She loved lap time with visitors (MW)

(Oct) Bricklyn was a fearful feral through much of her life with us, but this
sweet old lady  experienced feline dementia in her last year, and forgot to be
so scared. She made many human friends and loved petting and treats  (KN)

(Oct) Rookie was a former feral boy brought to us by volunteers
Barb and Waldi, more than ten years ago; he loved their visits  (KN)

(Oct) Hannah (also known as Hannah-Banana) was the small queen of the
back courtyard, and, for the last year, the oldest cat in the Sanctuary.
Hannah enjoyed Sanctuary life; she just didn't care much for other cats! (MW)

(Dec) Dazzle was another girl who held to her wary-feral status for years;
she would come and leg-rub, or accept arms-length petting - and then
she suddenly made breakthrough and adored lap-time with Justin  (JS)

(Dec) Cricket was always known as one of the kittens, though she'd been with us
more than 10 years. She came to us as a feral and resisted taming, but she became
one of the best greeters, standing on her back legs to get petting  (KN)

ALSO: Jan: Mojo, Venus / Feb: Tang  / Mar: Amelia, Kip  / Apr: Skye, Lil / May: Taylor, SweetPea / June: Charlotte, Kirby, Flash, Marble / July: Jerry, Neko, Denzel, Autumn, Juliette, Chumley,  Lloyd,  Paula, Kimpton, Higgins, Nova, Fletcher / August: Mystery, Licorice, Peaches, Luna, Sierra, Crinkle  / Sept:  Kilkenny, Buddy / Oct: Della, Salem, Tux, Ringo, Neptune, Dave / Nov: Laszlo / Dec: Billy, Karisa, Skittles, Runti

We have many sweet memories of furry friends whose lives would probably have been shorter and harder without the Cat Sanctuary. We grieve losing them - and are grateful that we can continue to offer shelter to others who come to us in need, and who find a place of safety, care and love with us.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson,
Justin Saint, Tanisha Vincent, Michele Wright

Kamloops Catz 3: Blondes Have More Fun

Goldie  (KN)

There used to be a fallacy that most orange cats were male. We now know that that percentage is considerably less – usually cited as 80% - and I would venture to say that at the Sanctuary it’s even less than that.  The gene for orange coloration is linked to the X chromosome, and males only need one copy of the gene to be orange, while females need two. Having said that, it’s clear that in some colonies, the genetic odds for orange females are much higher, and that’s certainly the case with the Kamloops colony.  

Rapunzel & Buffy  (BC)

It may not be immediately obvious, through, because some of our orange females are so pale in colour that “orange” is not the word that leaps to mind.

Buffy  (LBF)

Buffy is the darkest of these – the same sort of colour as the late Pumpkin and Walker, who I tend to describe as “champagne”.  Goldie and Rapunzel are paler still.  These three little girls prefer to base themselves out of Pen 5; when the others migrate back to the TeaRoom for winter warmth, the blondes prefer to add their body warmth to the cosy Pen 5 cabin, sharing with Adam, May and Walker, as well as with some of their non-orange family.

Rapunzel  (KN)

Buffy and Goldie are both still very shy; they will allow themselves to be watched, and are sometimes interested in wand toy play, but they would prefer to be left alone. You can sometimes pat Buffy, if you can do so without letting her see the hand; once the petting has started, she will allow herself to enjoy it for a bit, and then scoot away. Goldie is a don’t-touch-me girl. She and Rapunzel look very similar, but one step towards them will tell you which is which - Goldie backs away quickly but her buddy is a little braver. Rapunzel sports a white bib with her blond fur, and she is the only one of the three who will approach humans to solicit attention.  When she’s in the mood, she’s a total flirt – with weekend visitors as well as with volunteers.

Daffodil   (KN)

A fourth light orange cat called Daffodil is technically part of this group; she came from the original colony and was fostered in Kamloops, but it was decided that she might do better with access to her family. In fact, she has never merged back with them; she prefers to remain in the Newcomers area, and sometimes wanders over to the DoubleWide, but she never seemed to recognize the others at all, and has made her own “family” with her Newcomers buddies. That family has been hit by the passing of Pumpkin, who Daffodil loved – we’ll see who she might bond with when her mourning is over.

Daffodil  (KN)

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

Next week: Not orange!

The Old Boys Club

Moxie  (MW)

More than a year ago I blogged about the Boys’ Club that much of the Back Courtyard has become – the little “families” of male cats that constitute their own small colonies, and how they interact. There are a number of females to be found there as well, but many of the latter seem to prefer the solo life. However there is one group in particular that I specially love. Strictly speaking, they’re a “Newcomers” group (not because they’re new, but because that’s what we call the area between the SingleWide trailer and the courtyard). Now that we’re finally getting warm days, they’re deciding that being out in the sun is a much nicer place to be.

Woody enjoying the warmth  (BC)

Woody was an adult when he came to us in 2006, so we estimate he’s around 17 years old – perhaps more. He is one of those ferals who doesn’t hide in terror, but just prefers to stay out of the way; he’s pretty sociable with other cats, and now tolerates humans – especially the med-staff, who bring him his medications in tasty food disguises.  He used to spend all his time in the Newcomers, but we now see him appearing in the courtyard on a regular basis.

Best buds - Moxie & Pumpkin  (KN)

Moxie is the last of his family; his brother Willi and sister Samantha have both passed. He's been at the Sanctuary since 2009; we think he’s more than 17 years old. I remember him as a dapper tuxedo gentleman, bonded with a little tortie called Vienna; in his senior years he’s looking a little more scruffy, and he prefers the company of his own gender, though he is tolerant of Alexandria’s tendency to do yoga inches from his nose.

Moxie is reluctantly willing to share space...   (KN)

Dark orange Albi was named for the sociable husband of a former staff member – but feline Albi was anything BUT social.  He arrived in the Sanctuary in 2012, and we think he’s now around 14 or so. At first he was a very shy boy, preferring to hide away, though allowing occasional petting - we think he was likely a stray rather than a feral.  In the last few years he has begun coming to us, looking for contact – he is one of those submissive cats who almost immediately rolls on his back, trusting his vulnerability to our hands. 

Sweet Albi - ripened to perfection  (MW)

All three senior gentlemen have slowed down considerably; they like a quiet pace of life, with occasional treats and petting, and a lot of sleep, cat-style. They are often chivvied out of it by the younger and more energetic Pumpkin.

Pumpkin  (KN)

Pumpkin came to us as a youngster in 2015, so he might be 8 or 9 years old. He was found near the 5 Road Shelter;  we don't know if he was dumped off or made his way there. At the Shelter he was very resistant to human contact initially, and brought to the Sanctuary as a feral, but work with the Kitty Comforters, and some serious food motivation have changed his outlook on life. Pumpkin is one of those cats who hears the chicken bag before it ever comes out of my pocket, and he is focused and athletic in intercepting treats intended for other cats. I love the Pumpkin blog that Kitty Comforter Moira wrote about him the year after his arrival.

Woody & Moxie, watched by Pumpkin  (KN)

Pumpkin adores the three older cats, and can often be found bunting and rubbing and tail-weaving with them – in fact, he is so enthusiastic about it that his strength sometime pushes them off balance. He can also be found sharing sleeping space with them in the Newcomers area, and I suspect his energy helps to keep them going. When the old guys appear in the courtyard, Pumpkin will not be far away, and we all love to see the affection among them.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

August 24: 2022 - it's been a hot summer, and the heat is hard on old tired bodies.  Woody and Albi passed the same day in July, and though Moxie appeared fine, he was missing his old buddies. What looked like an ear infection turned out to be a mass, and he followed them over the Bridge last week.

Pumpkin has moved his social activities to include Sylar and Quinn - the Boys Club is still in action!

Boys' Club

Luke, Bodhi, Guthrie - KN

 Because RAPS came into being through the efforts of founder Carol Reichert and her supporters to get all our Richmond feral cats spayed and neutered, that vital operation happens for every cat that comes into our care at the Sanctuary.

Pax - KN

Sometimes it comes a little late – handsome Pax has no doubt sired many of the kittens that have been adopted out in the last year, and may be father of some of those currently in residence. Every kitten that leaves the Shelter leaves with the promise of spay/neuter when they are old enough. And gradually, other than in hoarding situations, we hope that the feral population is dwindling.

Tuxie Frank and his grey buddy Jim are known as FrankenJim - KN

So sexual instincts don’t come into play with our cats. We certainly have our bonded pairs – Frank and Jim in the Val Jones area, Adam and May, Rudolph and Salish in pen 5, and many others – but the essence of the attraction is comfort and familiarity. 

Boy buddies now gone: Ridley, Salty & Sid - MW

We also have our cat-magnets – our beloveds now gone across the Bridge: Mario, Salty, Daniel – and several other cats that draw other cats to them. This can be very clearly seen in the back courtyard, near the Newcomers area.  

Sprocket, Woody & Pumpkin - KN

Tabby Woody has been with us for many years, and has always been popular with other cats, but increasingly we’re seeing groups gathering around him.  His best buddy seems to be tuxedo Moxie, but recently he’s been found cuddling with Pumpkin or with Sprocket, and the latter, who began his time with us as Tiger’s buddy, has also found a following. The deck of Newcomers is their usual area.

Steele, Smithy & Quinn - KN

Six or seven yards away is another similar group – Quinn and Sylar, who hang out around Waldi’s Hut, with Smithy from pen 8.  On the fringe of that group is long-haired Steele, and Midnight, who began in the front courtyard and made his way to the back. Quinn and Sylar are tempted by food and long to get closer to tidbits, but are easily put off by braver, more assertive cats. The others know they’re being coaxed and they’re not interested! There are lots of good hiding places behind the bed-shelves and they like to stay out of sight. Other boys are less specifically a part of either group, but like to hang around in the same area – Albi, Rookie, Moxie, Skittles and several others. 

Moxie, Smithy, Quinn & Albie (Steele hiding at back) - KN

There's a similar group centered on Pen 1, and led by tabby Zivko, who can sometimes be heard calling his buddies to a Very Important Meeting

Pavel, Kevin, Zivko & Booty - LBF

It’s noticeable that the females - with the exception of Balak - tend not to hang around with these males. The Love-Birds in Pen 5 and the pen 8 girls are also inclined to stay in the area where they feel safe.  Other females stay closer to the Tea Room and the path to the back pens. It sometimes feels like the Newcomers and courtyard has a sign that says NO GURLZ ALOWD. There is no aggression – it’s just very clearly a feline Boys' Club..

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

Pumpkin Cats for Halloween

Tradition holds that black cats are the symbols for Halloween – but with an abundance of pumpkins around, this Halloween I’d rather think about the Sanctuary's crop of orange cats.

Pumpkins - DW

Pumpkin is obviously a great name for an orange cat – in fact, I’m surprised we have had only two Pumpkins at the Sanctuary – one a feral leukemia cat, now passed, and our current Pumpkin, who was actually named more for his orange eyes than for his pale orange colouring

Pumpkin - MW

This Pumpkin is mostly an inhabitant of the Newcomers area; he’s an excellent example of a semi-feral cat who appreciates humans bearing food, but is not really happy about all the touchy-feely stuff – he will allow a little stroke here and there, and he’s a long way from being the angry feral that came in to us, but he prefers to stay at arm’s length, other than with specially favoured visitors like Moira.

Simba - DW

The intense orange of a good pumpkin is better echoed in the colouring of a cat like Simba. This sweet boy came to us as one of the first from a closing shelter on the Sunshine Coast; since the pen he was in has been opened, Simba has enjoyed the chance to wander and make new friends. 

Simba - MD

He excels at finding laps and making himself comfortable – and as all cat-lovers know, there’s no better therapy than a purring cat in the lap. Apparently he was initially surrendered as a pee-er – probably a protest against not being allowed outside. Here at the Sanctuary he has outside privileges in safety, and lots of friends to love him.

Simba lap-cat - MD

OJ is not only pumpkin-coloured, he’s also pumpkin-shaped! He is one of the few cats in pen 4 (ferals) who will allow touch, and it usually needs to be accompanied by treats. 

OJ - DW

We recently opened pen 2, all the inhabitants of whom had come to us last year from the Five Road shelter. Some of that colony have stayed safely in the area they know, but others have enthusiastically ventured out to explore. Parry is one of those cats, happily visiting with volunteers in the tea-room or poking his nose into the double-wide. His orange friend Pavel is much more wary about passing the gate...

Parry - BC

A long-time back courtyard feline pumpkin is Albi, though his solid-orange coat is a darker shade than Parry or Simba. Another semi-feral, Albi will cautiously allow touch, though he’s obviously not that enthusiastic about it. 

Albi - MW

Another pumpkin-shaped orange cat lives in the Single-Wide; Paylan came in with Mom Marisa (now passed).  After several years living with us, a vet-visit informed us that “he” was “she” and the renamed Sarah Paylan can usually be found tucked away on a shelf. She belongs to the school of cat behaviour that calls for as little exertion as possible – hence the shape! We do have several other orange female cats (statistically, 95% of orange cats are male) but most of them are orange and white, and only Blanche and Paylan are predominantly ginger

Sarah Paylan - DW

The front courtyard also has a good collection of orange cats – sweet Gilbert, shy Lucky, brothers Henrik (in the Val Jones area) and Daniel, as well as orange and white Tigger.

Fall in the front courtyard - DW

But a feature on our pumpkin-coloured cats wouldn’t be complete without a look at the not-so-small Little Orange, friend and protector of Merilee, worshipper of Sunday visitor Allison, and one of the softest-furred cats in the Sanctuary.

Little Orange - MW

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Melanie Draper, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

Cats' Eyes

Just as a cat’s coat pattern and colour is dictated by genetics (see here and here) so also is eye colour. Most kittens are born with blue eyes, and as they mature, the melanocytes also mature to give the eyes the adult colour.

Autumn - MW

Jake - MW

The majority of our Sanctuary cats have eyes that are in the yellowish end of the spectrum. Depending on where the cat hangs out, the colour may be very obvious, or overshadowed by an enlarged pupil – many of the indoor cats with less natural light may appear to have dark eyes that are actually mostly pupil showing, with a thin rim of coloured iris.

Mad Max - MW

Marmalade - MW

With some, the colour is very vivid – especially when the yellow eyes belong to a black cat.

Colin - MW

but our beautiful Dell has wonderful eyes too!

Dell - MW

The more melanocytes, the more intense the colour. Pumpkin was named less for his fur colour and more for his eyes.

Pumpkin - MW

Orange Hannah’s eyes are also very intense in certain lights.

Orange Hannah - MW

With some cats there is patterning of the iris. This may be true heterochromia, in which a cat may have two different coloured eyes (usually one blue and one another colour) or colours within the iris that may make the eyes appear different colours. When Sara Lee and Sara Lou came in together, the only way to tell them apart was Sara Lee’s darker-coloured right eye in contrast to her left one, which is blue/green. However if you look closely, you’ll see that the basic colour is the same; it’s the brown patterning that makes the eye look brown.

Sara Lee - MW

Freckles is another cat with patterned eyes – named for the speckles around her nose, it’s a name that also suits her eyes.

Freckle - MW

Luigi is one of our many black cats, but easier to identify when you can see the markings in his right iris.

Luigi - PH

With some of the cats the yellow shades over to green that can appear quite intense in certain lights.

 Sophie - MW

Krissy - DW

Lucky - MW

Blue eyes are characteristic of certain pure-breeds, and the only cats of that description that we get at the sanctuary are with us because of bathroom habits.  Both Bluebell and Jobie have the right eye colour that says they were probably bred for pedigree – but neither is a cat that you would really want in your home!

Bluebell - MW

Jobie - MW

But we love them anyway!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Phaedra Hardman, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright