Lost and Found

Miller (KN)

After the celebrations of Christmas, we start anticipating the prospect of a New Year – and inevitably that includes some retrospection as we remember what we’ve been through in the past twelve months, and, particularly at the Cat Sanctuary, who we’ve lost in that time.

HoneyBear  (KN)

In fact, 2022 has been a year in which fewer cats have crossed the Rainbow Bridge, but there have been some notable personalities among them. The list has to be led by HoneyBear, our blue-eyed charmer, whose neurological quirks caused both his incontinence and his “Ministry of Funny Walks” gait. Once visitors encountered our boy, we could be sure they would always ask after him again.

Marty, our love-bug  (LBF)

Lovers of the Single-Wide cats were particularly hard-hit in the summer, when we lost seven cats in less than three months. First was Bluebell, the Dowager who was transferred when the Moore House was closed; a week later we lost Siamese Presley. Little Marty put up a brave fight with a tumour, and was a central figure for some loving from both cats and humans; less than a month later we lost Mr Pink, another especially loving boy.  All too often cats hide their illness until it’s too late for any treatment.

Mr Pink (JS)

Cats with feline leukemia are almost always more prone to having something that seems small become fatal; their systems don’t have the resiliency needed to combat an infection. Since August we have said farewell to Nandor, Catalano, Banff, Brian and sweet Jane (who features in the 2023 Calendar which went to press just before her sudden passing).

Jane (LBF)

Rudolph & Salish (KN)

Bonded pair Rudolph and Salish in pen 5 have both gone. Rudolph had an anaesthetic reaction to dental surgery in January; Salish passed in June – she missed him so much.  Most of the Old Boys club in Newcomers has also gone; Albi and Woody passed on the same day, and Moxie less than a month later.

Ruff (KN)

We remember sweet Ruff with fondness – his extreme shyness when he arrived, his amazing floof, the way he bonded with Karen – and I still find myself looking for OJ when I enter Pen 4:  he was another feral boy who finally decided that humans were not so bad after all.  Onyx was one of our dowagers, at least 20 years old. Having been largely an indoor cat for years, she moved out to Pen 5 this summer, and then wouldn’t move back in when the weather turned. Med-staff Catherine took her home to fosterage for her last few weeks of comfort and loving.

Puck (BC)

And two other front-courtyard senior tuxedos have passed in the last month: little Puck was our beloved Marianne Moore's cat, and she has crossed the Bridge to be with Marianne again, and sweet Miller (at top) was beginning to age early in the fall, and became very frail and tottery in his last few weeks.

Oscar (LBF) and Gypsy (DW) - gone to new homes!

So we grieve their passing, even as we give thanks that the lives they lived were made possible by the love and care they received at the Sanctuary.  There are never enough homes for all the cats we take in – especially in a year like this one with a prolonged kitten season.  We are grateful to the people who have taken in Sanctuary cats like Oscar and Gypsy and given them hope for a new life, and also to all the supporters whose help allows us to give lifelong home-space to otherwise unadoptable cats like incontinent Jasmine or moody Jade or JJ, to the cats who come with Feline Leukemia, or the shy ferals who want nothing to do with us. Every life is precious, and RAPS will continue to offer Sanctuary to cats who have no other options.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, 

Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint, Debbie Wolanski

Pairs of Purrs

How can I pass up a Valentine’s Day posting without giving some time to all the cats who prefer each others’ company rather than being the stereotypical Cat Who Walks By Itself?

Semi-ferals cuddle under the heat lamp - KN

Most cats do tend to be solitary by nature;  some, like the “Garbo” cats, actively dislike the proximity of any other cats; others – the majority, I think – can take it or leave it. Many cuddle-puddles come into existence for the sake of physical comfort rather than any emotional attachment.

Walker and Capilano - MW

The Sanctuary has had its share of cat-magnets – some loved and now lost, like Mario, Salty or Daniel; some still with us. Blond Walker, in Pen 5, is loved by Capilano, and by Chinook (neither of whom cares particularly for each other), and is usually found in company with either one.  The trio share a cabin with two other pairs of love-birds: Rudolph and Salish, and Adam and May. Pen 5 is definitely Valentines territory! ❤️

Rudolph and Salish are always together - KN

Sweet semi-feral Tibet is affectionate with the humans he knows, but reserves his real love for feral girlfriend Judy; Judy has been at the Sanctuary since December 2011 and resolutely refuses human contact.

Tortie Judy loves to snuggle with Tibet - KN

The group of cats that came in to Pen 2 a couple of years ago still tend to hang out together, and many of them prefer to stay in the privacy of the cabin – so it was good to see this pair of good buddies have a mutual affection moment in the courtyard.

Tux Booty tells his buddy Chase how much he likes him - KN

In the Moore House, Shaggy and Spicer came in to us as a bonded pair, and their love is very clear; both enjoy human company, but they are most often found together.

Grey Spicer and the aptly named Shaggy - VL

The February page in our calendar features front courtyard BFFs Vesper and Fable. These two boys are less dependent on each other than when they first arrived, and both enjoy interaction with human visitors, but togetherness is still their favourite thing.

Vesper is very possessive of his buddy Fable - MD

Spike and Princess, in the Double-Wide, did not arrive together, and have come from very different origins, but these days, they are nearly always found together, somewhere near the med-cage. Princess is perhaps the more adventurous of the two, but she always gravitates back to her buddy.

Spike and Princess - ML

In the Single-Wide, Babylon is probably the nearest we have to a cat-magnet – he can most often be found cuddling with Presley or with Harvest, but many of the other cats gravitate to him for reassurance.

Babylon snuggles with shy Siamese Presley - MW

And the quintessential Sanctuary love-in, of course, is the Dryer Gang, who rotate in and out of position as the mood and the warmth takes them.

The "core" Dryer Gang - DW

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Melanie Draper, Moira Langley, Vicki Lo, 
Karen Nicholson, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

Sanctuary Black Friday

Black Friday has become the name for the day that follows US Thanksgiving – a day when the concern is less for thanksgiving and more for the bargains to be found in stores. I have a profound lack of interest in the commercial “bargains” to be found on Black Friday, but I love the company of my black feline buddies when I work at the Sanctuary on a Friday morning!

Lancelot is usually found in the papasan chair outside the Single-Wide (MW)

Pretty Layla has one clouded eye, but it doesn't prevent her from leaping from one shelf to another (MW)

Reefer loves to play - preferably with someone else, but if nobody's available, he'll find something to do alone.  (MD)

Cole wants attention, but is a little inclined to swat when he gets it (TV)

Pretty Miss Georgie still tends to hold court in the cage where she first lived - that is, when she's not lurking hopefully near the Single-Wide door. (MW)

Tubby Jay-Z knows all the best places to lounge! (MW)

Belligerent little Celia guards the tea-room from all other cats. (MW)

The sign says "towels only", but Cole doesn't let a little thing like that bother him! (TV)

Tyson is helping to get coffee ready for break-time (TV)

Handsome Rudolph, in Pen 5, is accompanied so often by his girlfriend Salish - just occasionally he needs a little alone-time... (MW)

Gigi and Kermit, in Pen 8, love to play together  (MD)

I think the best bargain of all is to be found in the love found at the Cat Sanctuary – love between cats, between humans and cats, and vice versa.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Melanie Draper, Tanisha Vincent, Michele Wright

Ménage à trois?

Walker & Chinook - MW

Pen 5 is best known for its two pairs of lovebirds (or should that be lovecats?) - Adam and May are usually to be found in each others company, and Salish rarely goes anywhere without her beloved Rudolph. But three other cats in that pen are hold-outs from the clowder that was brought in from the Shelter eight or nine years ago, and they are frequently found in different combinations.

Wary Capilano - KN

The centre of the group would seem to be Capilano. Cappy is a very large cat – at one stage he was really huge, but lost some weight due to dental problems, and has managed to keep it off since we dealt with his teeth. We used to call him “The Godfather”. He is not appreciative of humans on his turf; a visitor to the cabin is often greeted by ferocious hissing as he warns you away from the box or basket where he is resting.  Outside the cats’ home, he seems more relaxed, willing to lounge just out of arm’s reach, and he is almost daring enough to approach for a chicken tidbit, though he prefers not to risk being touched.

Walker - MW

He is most often found in the company of blond Walker, who is shy, but not aggressive like his friend. Walker is easily confused with Pumpkin, and he often ventures into the same areas of the back courtyard, though without his big black and white buddy – Capilano rarely explores beyond the area immediately outside the pen. 

Walker and Capilano loving it up - MW

But in the cabin or on a sunny day in the grass, the two can often be found together, either cuddled in a bed or playing together (though “play” for Capilano is pretty ponderous!)

Chinook - MW

The third member of the trio is grey and white Chinook. The most independent of the three, Chinook tolerates Capilano, but is often attached to Walker. 

Walker & Chinook - bookends - MW

The two of them are enthusiastic members of the “We Love Chicken” Club, and Chinook hauls himself up on the feeder’s knee with sharp claws that reflect the realities of his outdoor life.  He is also the most affectionate of the trio, and is quite happy to sit and be petted as long as you will allow.

 MW

None of the three are really candidates for adoption, having lived outdoors for so long – and even though you may never get to touch Capilano, all three are definitely candidates for sponsorship.  It’s very satisfying to know that they can live the lives that suit them under the loving care of RAPS.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson and Michele Wright

Love-birds: Rudolph & Salish

Rudolph & Salish in the garden - VL

Shortly before I came to volunteer at the Sanctuary, RAPS had a heavy-duty kitten year, and in order to make room at the Shelter on 5 Road, a large group of older cats was transferred across to the Sanctuary.  For some time the pen that is now Pen 5 was known as the Five Rd Pen, since they were all transferred together.  It was kept as a closed pen, with the hope that the inhabitants might eventually return to the Shelter for adoption, and that was a reality for some of them – Katie, Moe, Theo – all found their own homes in time.

MW

But a steady colony remained – cats who seemed to be comfortable with the space and with each other, and who didn’t appear to need a human in their lives. The core group consisted of two pairs and four singles, all very much in relationship with each other.  Rudolph and Salish, Adam and May, hissy feral Capilano, his calming buddy Walker, chubby Chinook and shy Hudson, all remained in the space even when the gate was opened and other cats came and went. We don’t know if the two pairs came in as bonded couples, and what their relationship is – mates or siblings. But it’s very evident that you don’t usually see either pair apart for long.

MW

Rudolph could easily be relegated to the “another black cat” status, but it’s evident that he’s one of the more beautiful individuals. His fur is always immaculate and glossy, and he has wonderful eyes.  He is very keen on Temptations treats, and vies with his buddy Adam to get the most. But he’s not a cuddly cat with humans – he will accept a little gentle petting, but he’s more comfortable at arm’s length.

MW

Salish is equally beautiful in another way. Seen alone, her magnificent coat makes her look enormous, and it’s only when you see her in company with the other cats that you acknowledge her smaller size, and also that there’s probably an even smaller body under all that fur.  We do need to keep an eye on her – she’s one of the cats that occasionally needs a little rear-end shave job!

MW

She’s also the shyest of the group; she’s wary of touch, and though she enjoys her share of treats, she’d much rather that the donor puts them down and retreats. Very often the others are clamouring for them, but she’s not so anxious that she’ll come out of her own volition.

MW

When she does emerge, it’s almost always in company with Rudolph – she seems to take courage when he’s around. She’s happiest in the Pen 5 area, but often in the evening the whole group emerges into the back courtyard and makes their way down towards the tea-room to see if supper’s being prepared.

KN

It’s very evident that she’s the active lover of the duo.

KN

Adam and May might just be adoptable as a pair – though there’s no knowing how they would transition to an indoor life after life in the pen. Rudolph and Salish would probably not be adoptable – Salish is too shy and wary of humans; she’s happiest where she is, living with good friends, and with her Rudolph always at hand.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Victoria Lo, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

The 2017 Calendar's Coming!

As we’ve done for the last five years, a selection of the Sanctuary cats will be featured in a calendar,  – this year, it will appear on 22 October at our fall pub-night fundraiser  and, for the first time, will be accompanied by a dog edition from the City Shelter.

And as always, it was hard to make a selection of pictures, and inevitably, to say no to this or that one. I always try to choose a variety of cats – so I’m looking for a black cat, a calico, a tabby, a grey, a pair, a group... and so on. We made the decision to allow some new photos of cats who had been featured in previous years, but not of any cat who appeared in the 2016 calendar.

Here are some of the pictures that just missed being selected – not because they were less worthy in any way, but because they just didn’t fit with the sequence that emerged.

Albi - the first of a series of orange boys on the shortlist!

Boomer - in New Aids

MiuMiu was going to be our January 2018 cat
- but she may just possibly be adopted!

The light on our lovely Rudolph makes this a wonderful photo
 - but he's already in another picture!

Ian Tom sent us a couple of lovely photos.
This is Autumn, who was featured in the 2016 calendar

We discussed making this the cover - but decided that
being stared at with horror by a feral was not a welcoming image!

Buddy has the most beautiful eyes!
He's another one on the verge of adoption...

Henrik was on the cover of the 2015 calendar.
This is his brother Daniel, another of the orange guys on our list

The calendar will be available at the Sanctuary, the Shelter, the Thrift Store, and at several other venues around the city - for more information check the RAPS webpage  

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Ian Tom and Michele Wright