The Feline Sedins are not retiring from the Sanctuary!

Back in 2006, RAPS founder Carol Reichert trapped two handsome ginger boys under an east Richmond shed, and brought them to the Sanctuary.  And what else can you do with a pair like this other than name them for the Canucks' most famous redheads!

Henrik

Daniel and Henrik (feline version) were a pretty feral pair, and joined the rest of the front courtyard crowd of cats who prefer to steer clear of humans. The majority of those cats hang out in what’s known as the old Rabbit Area, where the shelves are all covered, giving lots of secure hiding spaces for the wary inhabitants.

Henrik hiding

In the years around their arrival the Sanctuary was particularly busy;  there was a big influx of cats who were displaced by construction around the city, and more and more places where feral cats had been hiding out were either no longer available to them, or the human caretakers felt that cats would be safer elsewhere.  Photos from round 2006-2008 make it clear that we were swamped with feline residents, and it was very easy for cats like these two to vanish into anonymity.

Daniel 

By the beginning of the second decade the tide was turning, prompted mainly by an ageing population. Cats who had arrived in the early years of the Sanctuary as mature adults were beginning to fail, and many were lost to the inevitable onset of kidney disease, cancer and other conditions.  Sad as this was, it meant that many cats who had previously managed to stay invisible were now being tracked, both for their health and for possible socializing. A blood test during a vet check showed that Henrik had tested positive for feline leukemia.

Henrik

This was the period in which the Val Jones corner of the courtyard was cordoned off and attached to the Old Aids area, housing the leukemia cats. Henrik was settled there, and made himself at home with friends like Esme, Mocha, Savannah and GusGus.  All have now passed, but Henrik is still in good condition – the virus has affected his immune system in the form of mouth ulcers, and they can be treated with medication, though that in turn causes him to put on weight (and he is NOT a small cat!)

Daniel & Cloverleaf

Classic Daniel cuddle-puddle

His brother Daniel has continued living with the other ferals.  He is more sociable than Henrik, and usually has a buddy or two (or three) following him around, head-butting and snuggling happily.  Cloverleaf is usually the favoured friend, but Sarah, Jamie, or newcomer Figaro also like to be in on the action, either out in the courtyard or in the Hill House.  In the last while Daniel has also become more sociable with people;  Henrik continues shy, though he will accept attention when offered – especially when treats are part of the package.

Daniel & Sarah

Our two ginger brothers are beloved inhabitants of the front area of the Sanctuary; Henrik’s life is a little quieter these days, but Daniel shows no sign of retiring from action.

Blog by Brigid Coult

All photos by Michele Wright

 

 

October 2018: Sadly, we lost Daniel to acute anaemia quite suddenly. His friends - human and feline - miss him!

Jamie

There are certain areas where you can usually meet certain cats.  Jamie is a boundary cat!

MW

The Hill House is something of a cat co-op, with lots of beds and plenty of shared space. Often you can go straight to a specific bed when you want to find Faline, for instance, and Treacle always had her own little corner. Other cats will migrate from bed to bed, and there is often a puddle of mutual adoration on the top of the trolley that divides the room.

MD

The trolley also abuts the window into what we call the Old Rabbit Area (it’s a long time since there were any rabbits there!) which is usually the home for the feral cats. In contrast to the open beds in the Hill House, this area has all its shelves draped with sheets in the summer and with blankets in the winter, so that timid or shy cats can find a space to hide.

MW

Jamie can’t quite make up his mind where he belongs. Sometimes he’s tucked in a basket with the other ferals, other times he’s rubbing and bunting and purring with the other cats in the Hill House – especially when food is in the offing.  For some time he’s been a very shy cat, but the last year or so has seen great progress, and Jamie has some devoted human fans who always spend time with him.

MW

Leslie tells me that he came to the Sanctuary in 2008 when Carol Reichert trapped a mama cat, who was named Caroline, and her three babies. Mama-cat disapproved of the whole thing, and excavated her way out via a vent in the Hill House (which has since been securely blocked). Two of the three kittens were recovered, but Caroline and baby III made a clean getaway.

MW

Jamie was named for Leslie’s daughter Jaime, and initially it was thought he was a she, but the inevitable vet-check straightened that out and the spelling was adjusted.  Jamie’s sister is the pretty little grey and white Janine, who was featured in the 2015 calendar.

Janine - MW

The love-puddle in the Hill House is usually led by ginger boy Daniel, who seems to be very popular. A variety of other cats get into it – tabby Cloverleaf, black Shady, grey Sarah. But Jamie is always there in the middle of the action, and accepts caresses from cats and humans alike with great enthusiasm.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Melanie Draper and Michele Wright; video by Carol Porteous

Two Grey Girls

On Sunday afternoons, many of the visitors that come in bring treats for the cats, and in fact some of our furry friends are so blasé about food by the end of the day that we have to restrict the canned food we put out. Rather than commercial dry treats, I prefer to have a little bag of chicken bits in my pocket, and before I leave, they get shared around.  Many of the cats love chicken more than anything – “chickaholics”, I call them – and they’re desperate to get their share. Cheetah and Jake lead the charge, but Paulo and Latte are right there, Tommy and Dirky, shy Gilbert and Diamond, and many others.

Often I will hear a little chirp from behind me, and find a small grey cat hopping from one foot to another in anticipation. For some time I didn’t know her name, until Leslie identified her for me as PETUNIA. It turns out she’s one of the egg-farm cats in the single-wide – from the crowd that includes April and Simone and Bantam, and she is probably a litter-mate to more than one of them.  At some stage she made a dash for the door and established herself in the front courtyard.

She’s a shy girl – she won’t allow more than the slightest touch – but is more than ready to take chicken from the hand. But the fact that she’s so food-motivated makes it more likely that the Kitty Comforters will eventually be able to tame her a bit more, and she certainly sees that there are good things that come from being around humans.

Another grey girl occasionally in the chicken crowd is SARAH. It’s interesting to me that Sarah actually used to be more active in the cat-crowd, and around people, and has now taken to hiding away in the feral cat area.  She is also very keen on chicken, and had no hesitation in swatting another cat out of the way if she thinks she can get away with it. 

Sarah was one of a group of cats brought to us by volunteer Mary He from a feeding site she tended – others in that family included Fern, Fabio and Cyrano.  It may be that Sarah’s withdrawal from a more active courtyard life is part of staying connected with her “family” who also inhabit the feral area.  She’s still a very wary cat, and like Petunia, she shies from fingers that don’t hold food, but I think she’s another cat that, with a bit of work, could become more comfortable with humans.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Michele Wright

From Swatty to Sweetie

The majority of the cats we have at the Sanctuary are ferals, coming to us from having been living wild, or born of a feral mother. The “tame” cats that call the Sanctuary home are usually here because of behaviour problems: pooping or peeing in the wrong places, or occasionally for biting.
The number of ferals surprises visitors, who see the welcoming committee on Sunday afternoon, and can’t believe that these cats aren’t all dying to find their own homes. Our experience, however, is that semi-ferals are easily spooked by a change in surroundings (see Esme’s story). They’re happy to accept pats and treats and occasionally a good cuddle – but the Sanctuary is home and unknown territory is scary stuff!
That being said, there are degrees of feral – and one of the joys of working with the cats comes when a previously scared, angry cat seeks a volunteer out for head-rubs and stroking.

Bossanova

Bossanova was a pretty scary cat when he first came to us. His cage in the double-wide was to be approached with caution; offering food took a certain amount of nerve; angry growls and hissing welcomed any intruder. And then gradually he realised that we weren’t going to harm him; he progressed from allowing scratches with a back-scratcher to pats from a hand, and eventually to head-rubs.  He now hangs out on the single-wide deck, where he recognises the voices of his favourite people and comes looking for attention. He’s still wary, and a stranger will send him back to his high-up corner, but a familiar hand will bring him down the ramp, drooling in delight as his head is rubbed.

Sarah

Sarah hung out for a long time in the feral area of the front courtyard. A delicate little grey cat, she hovered on the edge, fascinated by action, but not willing to join in. Sarah’s tipping point was that she’s a chickaholic – when chicken was offered, she wanted in on the action, and increasing exposure to humans handing it out has convinced her that we’re not so bad – she’s become brave enough to be a lap-cat on occasion.

Gilbert

Claire also reported on ginger Gilbert who was first coaxed by Ann into becoming much more sociable and is now positively assertive when food is being offered.  He stands his ground with some of the pushier cats, and will occasionally come for a cuddle for the people he counts as friends when things are quiet.

Orlean

Orlean is one of our little ginger females in the double-wide. Claire’s blogs have noted her progress from a scared and hissing feral to an attention seeker that enjoys (with the right person) being carried over the shoulder, and who, like Josie, seeks bottom-slapping attention with great delight.

Georgina

In the back courtyard, sweet Georgina, who used to run away from everyone now waits in the mornings to get petted by Phaedra – and is coming to accept that other people may have gentle hands as well. 

OJ - "What have you got for me?!"

OJ, in one of the feral pens at the back, now comes towards the gate to greet a visitor instead of hiding and swatting.
And our greatest success-story, in the pen opposite, is our beloved Dell, who was once impossible to handle and now waits anxiously at the gate for his friends to pay attention to him.

Dell

There are still many ferals in the RAPS Sanctuary population – and some of them may never accept that the humans only want to help them. But it is one of the great joys of working here, to gain the trust – even if for only a few moments – of a formerly scared and suspicious cat.

Blogger: Brigid Coult

Photos: Michele Wright