Lulu

Lulu  (KN)

Looking over the crowd gathering for chicken-tidbits-dessert last week, I was surprised to realize that I’d never blogged little grey/white Lulu, who is another of our chickaholics.

Lulu  (MW)

Like Woody, who I introduced in August, Lulu came to us from Kitty Cat P.A.L.S. (Prevent a Litter Society) in the Comox Valley. Woody and Heidi came because they were FIV+ cats. Lulu and her buddy Scooter came a year later – they weren’t FIV+ but they were neither so feral that all that could be done would be to release them to a barn-cat program, nor tame enough to adopt out. We hoped that time with us would give them options.

Lulu exploring  (KN)

Lulu and Scooter had the usual caged period with us, giving them the chance to get to know the humans who would be caring for them. Once the cage door was opened, Scooter went to the cage tops and joined the look-but-don’t-touch semiferals there; she would smack at hands offering petting and treats, and it took some time for her to accept that she liked both.

Scooter on cage-tops  (KN)

Over the past few months, Scooter’s confidence blossomed with the encouragement of Kitty Comforters Mel and Scott, and I am delighted to report that not only did she relocate to the back courtyard, but that her confidence increased to the point that she has been adopted by them, with shy black Bagheera. Watching Scooter enjoy cuddling with Scott made us all so happy!

Tyson & Lulu - BFFs  (KN)

Lulu, from the beginning, was more of a flirt with cats and humans alike. She made herself at home in the DoubleWide and then in the back courtyard; she accepted gentle petting, though she was never willing to lap-sit or to be picked up. She adores black Tyson, who is one of our adoptables, and we hoped that his calm ways might rub off on her, but she remains arm’s-length flirty with most of us. For a while, she and Tyson were often found together; now it seems to be just occasional visits.

Lulu (KN)

Around a crowd of cats she remains a little wary, hovering at a distance, but quick to venture forward if she sees an opening to claim a tidbit. She will allow a little stroking, though like many cats, prefers head and chin-rubs to full body petting. She’s probably six or seven years old, and technically probably past becoming adoptable – but then, we might have said the same of Scooter, so there’s always hope!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson & Michele Wright

Formerly Feral

Many of the cats at the Sanctuary have come into our care as ferals.

Pen 8: Selena, Hailey & Johnny - KN

Some of them will remain feral in behaviour all their lives.  Many of the cats in Pen 8 are examples of this – as you enter the pen, they take a horror-filled look at the intruder, and make a beeline for the closest cover. It is clear in their eyes that they want nothing to do with humans, and when, in areas like pen 4 that cover may be in a free-standing kennel or in the bushes, they present a significant challenge for the med staff who need to check on them.

Pebble (front) and Sandy (rear) - DW

In this pen, only OJ and Pebble are comfortable being touched (the links take you back to their early days, but a little searching by name will yield updates); both enjoy petting, but you can see the wariness in their body language. Pebble’s sister Sandy is almost identical but sends out a very clear “don’t touch me!” vibe.

Yma prefers to climb out of reach - MW

These cats, together with many though not all) of the ones in Pen 3, and a good number of those from other open pens, were born wild, missed being socialised at the optimal time, and have it well ingrained that humans are The Enemy – we may be a source of tasty food, and of occasional touch, but we are not really to be trusted. We occasionally worry when an old feral suddenly becomes friendly and handleable; it’s often a sign of a kitty dementia, as the cat forgets that it should be scared, and it may be an indicator that it’s coming to the end of its life.

Little Calista only became touchable in her last months - MW

Common cat-handling wisdom has it that a kitten should be socialized by the age of 3-4 months, or it won’t socialize at all. In fact, those of us who have had semi-ferals in our homes know that they can become very handleable to their own people, though they may always be wary of strangers in their space. At the Sanctuary we have tried to keep some of the younger ferals together around the back deck of the Double-Wide, and the Kitty Comforters have worked with them as much as possible.

Bubbles loves to play - BC

Gradually we see behaviours changing:  hissy Luke is now allowing us to touch him; Bubbles is enjoying interactive play;  shy Ruff is coming out of his hiding place; beautiful Scooter, who hovered just out of reach on the cage-tops, smacking at us when we coaxed her closer, is now coming down to an accessible shelf and enjoying being petted.

Scooter original (L) and relaxed & happy (R)

In pen 3 former feral Napoleon has decided that humans are worth cultivating – both regular volunteers and Kitty Comforters have charmed him to the point where he will approach, asking for petting. His buddies at the back of the pen are not ready for much contact yet, but Napoleon is happy with human company.

Napoleon - LB-F

My own former-feral triumph has been with Skittles, formerly of Pen 6. That pen has now been vacated in preparation for another group of ferals coming in, and Skittles and his friends have the run of the back pens. Most of them are now based in Pen 2, where there are other semi-ferals, and lots of places to hide. But Skittles, who was always the bravest and most social of them, has decided that he likes to be around people. Chicken tidbits help – he’s always been a chick-oholic.  But he recently decided that since I was a source of Good Things, he might try something new, and he hauled himself up on my lap.

Loving a lap - DW

This was not just cupboard love – he wanted petting and attention, not just feeding. It’s a little painful on the legs – he’s a big solid boy and doesn’t jump much, so lap-climbing is mountaineering!  But it’s happened often enough now that we can really feel Skittles has earned the former-feral label. And he is now transferring that trust to other people.

Skittles - MW

All these cats may some day become very used to human touch, but they will always remain cats that we will hesitate to adopt out because of their background, and because new experiences will likely cause them to revert to the fear-filled wild creatures that originally came into our care.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright