Colourful ferals

Sarah (KN)

Sometimes it feels like we have a flood of new cats that come in from different rescues, and it may take awhile for them to settle enough that we can really get to know them.  One such inundation happened in late 2023 when we took in the colony that had lived at Cranbrook College of the Rockies, until the College demanded their removal. The feral colony came into our care, and is now well settled in pens 2 and 3 in the back courtyard; most of them remain fearful and avoid contact with humans.

Raya - newly arrived  (BC)

At about the same time, a trio of little cats came to us from Broken Promises Rescue, on Vancouver Island,  and were placed in a DoubleWide cage opposite the College cats. Like the larger group, the trio was feral, and spent all their cage time huddled behind their privacy drape. Efforts to visit with them were met by fearful hissing; they definitely didn’t want people around them.  They were a colourful little family – a short-haired calico, a long-haired tortie, and a long-haired pale one with raccoon eyes. The two long-haired ones were found behind a Port Renfrew restaurant, on the west coast; the calico came from a First Nations reserve near Ladysmith. Broken Promises works largely with fostering, and these three were in care together for some time, before it was decided that they were too scared to tame, and would be better at the Sanctuary.

Sarah, in Pen 3  (KN)

Typically the Sanctuary cage-stay is 6-8 weeks, allowing us to administer necessary vaccines, do spay and neuter when needed, assess health issues and dental care, and with luck, enable the newcomers to encounter humans and learn that we mean no harm. Practically, most ferals don’t change that quickly – and because they’re sharing cages, their proximity both gives them comfort, and reinforces that they’d rather be with their own companions. When the med staff feel we’ve done as much as we can, the cage doors are opened, and the cats can decide what their next move will be. The majority of the College Cats made their way out – first to the DW Deck, and then out into the pens; only Tabitha (also known as Tubbitha) remained indoors – and her attitude to people didn’t change much, though she appreciated the food service!  In the opposite cage of Broken Promises cats, little Sarah, the calico, summoned up courage and headed for the great outdoors;  since then she has mostly located in pen 3, where she has made friends with other small ferals, and with the Calgary colony who live there. I most frequently see her in company with black-and-white Tofino, who is very cat-social.

Madeleine & Raya were always together  (BC)

The other two little girls were definitely bonded, and decided to base themselves in the cage and refuse to move; their drape was left up, and I think many of us almost forgot that they were there. Occasionally little Madeleine would be seen scooting from cage to the Deck door, like a little grey ghost; tortie Raya was not to be dislodged. They must have come out at night to share from the wet-food plate – but only the evening med-staff might occasionally spot them.

Madeleine in the great outdoors  (BC)

Then big changes:  the 25-year-old DoubleWide trailer badly needed refurbishing: pee-sodden wood had to be torn out, wiring and insulation replaced, shelving installed, all the cages rebuilt. Much to the dismay of the regular inhabitants, everyone was moved out and doors closed behind them.  Madeleine took herself right out of the building and to pens 2 and 3 – I don’t see her much in company with Sarah, but she can sometimes be found hanging around Yma, who is still very shy.

Raya, out on the deck with the other ferals  (BB)

Tortie Raya vanished completely, but has been discovered hanging out on the DW deck with the other semi-ferals; like Madonna, she hides out in the beds that line the shelf above the windows.  When the work on the main room is done, it will be interesting to see whether she returns to it, or whether she prefers to stay where there are new friends. And as the weather gets colder, who knows if Madeleine will manage to make her way back to the main building to be with Raya, or if she will let Sarah show her how to manage, out in the gardens.  

Madeleine, still hiding out (BC)

All three remain fearful of human contact – unlike the Cranbrook cats, who are getting increasingly brave at being around humans (Li’l Bit actually spent Sunday visiting time out in the open – not interacting, but not running away!).  Sarah’s had a winter outside, and knows how things go;  once the DoubleWide renovations are complete, the med-staff will make a decision on whether to net Madeleine and return her to keep company with Raya, or whether to leave her to do her own thing with Sarah and the other ferals in the back pens.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Braden Burgess, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson

Tofino

Tofino (KN)

The Cat Sanctuary is the centre of our own feline universe, but throughout the province, and beyond, there are many wonderful rescue organizations working to alleviate the suffering caused by careless or abusive pet owners. We have strong links to Kamloops because of the contact through Sanctuary Manager Valerie, but whenever possible, we try to respond to urgent pleas, wherever they come from. Many of the smaller rescues don’t have the facilities to offer a permanent home to feral cats; they depend on the big hearts of volunteers to provide fostering. And while that can have wonderful results, when a colony of cats is brought into care, that’s a big ask for a small organization.

Wary Tofino...  (KN)

One of the rescues that calls on us occasionally is Cats Cradle rescue, on Vancouver Island. Based in Sidney, they actually serve all the municipalities around Victoria, focusing their work on fostering and adoption. When they have a group of ferals come in, we are one of the resources to whom they turn. Last May I introduced a group of the cats who came from one of their colonies: black Velma and grey Ryan, Bugle and Veruca Salt have all settled pretty comfortably with us. They’re not “tame”, but less wary of contact, and we think slow-and-steady will do the job. Veruca Salt has decided to remain in the Double-Wide; Bugle has relocated to the Newcomers area; Ryan and Velma are pretty free-ranging.

Enjoying the sunshine   (KN)

Others, from different colonies, have scattered: Indigo and River (Styx), Campbell and Nootka are all more feral, and mostly black, so they are hard to identify. Sweet Burt Reynolds has given up all thought of being a feral and has settled into comfort in the DoubleWide. We have a new group of orange tabbies (Tangelo, Valencia, Mandarin and Tangerine) who are still caged. The cat that stands out from the Cats Cradle refugees is a quirky-looking little black-and-white girl called Tofino.

Mmmm..twigs...  (KN)

Tofino is still feral, but she’s more at the “you can look at me, but don’t touch” point on the feral spectrum, rather than like the still-spooked Cranbrook cats. She’s a back-pens girl, tending to hang around pens 3 and 5, and she’s pretty cat-social with most of the others. Her blotchy black and white colouring makes her easy to spot, and she has long ears for the size of her head, with a large ear-tip removal identifying her as a spayed feral.

Always curious  (KN)

She can most often be found with calico Sarah, from another rescue, but Sarah has moved in to the cosy warmth of Pen 3 hut recently, and is no longer quite so available to Tofino. She doesn’t seem to care much; I’ve found her dancing with a leaf near the back gate, doing quick sprints from one pen to another, rolling and playing by herself. Food isn’t much of a motivator, and she ignores the other cats waiting for a handout – which may make it harder to coax her into coming closer; it’s definitely been a strong factor in making other ferals more accepting of our attention.

Endless wonder...  (KN)

But this is where the Cat Sanctuary has an advantage – most rescues have to hope that ferals will tame enough to find homes, or they’re taking valuable foster-space. At RAPS, we can allow ferals like Tofino to be ferals as long as they need; to ease their way into communication with us, or to hold their distance. Cats like Amelia in Pen 4 have spent years refusing our attention, and now, in her old-lady days, she has blossomed into a cat who loves petting and treats. We hope Tofino won’t take that long, but we won’t force it; she’ll come to us when she’s ready, and till then she’ll have our love at a distance.

Blog by Brigid Coult
Photos by Karen Nicholson