Little Black Cats in the SW

Taavi (KH)

For long-term volunteers, the SingleWide feels different. We miss the Dryer Gang toasting themselves by the door, succeeded by the Cuddle Crew who monopolized the comfy chairs. Nowadays Whiskers and Jinx dominate the dryer, Oscar and Winston add chonk and floof to the space, and Texas cats Sunshine and Syd Junior jockey for position.

But three newcomers are making themselves known, and each one has his or her own fan-club.

Taavi (KN)

The oldest of them is Taavi – she’s about seven and a half years old and came to us last summer. She was an owner surrender – a surrender that was very hard for both humans and cat. They had adopted her from the SPCA, and bonded, but it appeared that she had a tail pull injury and was largely incontinent. “Tail pull injury” may not actually be from the tail being pulled – it could be from a fall or having the tail trapped in a door – but the damage to spine and nerves affects bladder and bowels, as in manx syndrome cats. The incontinence did not improve, and Taavi’s owners reluctantly surrendered her. Initially she was in the Double Wide, caged, and then finding her way around tentatively. She is very much a Garbo cat with other felines, and was struggling with the proximity of other cats around her all the time.

Taavi hiding on her favourite draped shelf (BC)

The med staff moved her into the Single Wide – with fewer cats and lots of hiding places – and she has settled well, adopting one covered shelf as “her” territory, and being more comfortable since Noelle was adopted by a volunteer. Having her in an enclosed area also means the med staff can keep a more careful eye on her, watch for potential UTIs and express her bladder on a regular basis. She enjoys contact with the volunteers who seek her out, but she still lets the other cats know that they need to leave her alone.

Sweet boy Polar (BC)

Polar actually came to us before Taavi, but is younger; he was about two years old and feral when he arrived in the fall of 2024 as one of a trapped group from Boston Bar – in rough shape, with an abscessed wound, likely from fighting. . He became one of many Little Black Cats in the Back Courtyard, usually found somewhere round the Newcomers area. But unlike most of them, he didn’t remain terrified.  Wary, yes – but he gradually grew to accept that humans meant him no harm and often carried treats. Before long he was on the Kitty Comforters’ list and getting attention and then petting, and was considered as a possible candidate for adoption.

He was named all wrong – he should have been called Houdini.

Polar retreats to cage tops when visitors arrive  (KH)

In November the trail cams and arriving volunteers told of a small black cat around the parking lot. The Sanctuary cats were tallied, and all checked in. Someone said “it looks like Polar!”, but Polar was right there outside Newcomers. Finally, the outside cat walked into a trap; his ID was checked, and it WAS Polar!  The little sneak had found an escape route, gone out for adventures, and then come in for warmth and food! There was a concerted effort to check all the possible holes and close them up, and Polar was brought into the SingleWide to become an indoor cat.  He has actually handled it really well – he doesn’t try to get out and he gets a whole lot more people-attention, which is good for his potential adoption prospects.  But any adopter is going to need to be aware that this boy needs to be kept in!

Carla (KH)

Carla was the latest arrival in late summer.  She had originally come to us as a pregnant mom and was fostered for the birth of her kittens, who didn’t survive. With us, she was reactive and hissy in her Connor cage, and when released, was given a collar to warn visitors to approach with caution.  Like many cats, it became evident that most of the reactivity was a factor of cage aggression, and once out and about, she became much happier about human contact – in fact, so much so that it extended to leaping onto a passing shoulder for attention. 

Carla staying close to the door (BC)

That in itself was not really a problem; we’ve had our share of shoulder-sitters, and as long as the owner of the shoulder is OK with the proximity to claws, all is well. But to Carla, the shoulder was a step to higher things, and she took to using it to access the roof of the gazebo, which in turn could give access to a tree and thence to a roof.  After too many ladder-rescues of “Get that cat down!”, Carla was transferred to the indoor safety of the SingleWide, like Polar. She was not happy about the relocation, and is one of the cats to be aware of when entering and leaving the building. Door Dash to Carla does not mean food arriving, it means Time To Escape! 

Shadow guarding her BF Nikki  (BC)

Regular SW visitors know, of course, that there is a fourth Little Black Cat, living mainly on the Deck – Shadow had her own blog entry a couple of years ago; she continues to be Nikki’s possessive girlfriend, and is still fast with the claws. But she has mellowed considerably as she ages, and will come and share couch space with humans – especially if food is offered.

All little black cats – but with very different personalities!

Blog by Brigid Coult (with much thanks to Molly!)

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe & Karen Nicholson

Nikki Sixx-Toes - an update

Nikki Sixx-Toes  (KN)

Volunteer Bev has been with RAPS for years, and spends a lot of her time in the Single-Wide building. Her own cats (Twinks & Scooter) are adopted from the Sanctuary. She’s a regular evening feeder, and has been the Saturday host for visitors to the SingleWide (we’re now open on Sundays only for the winter months). Bev knew and loved many of the cats that have now passed; the Dryer Gang, Bossanova and Mr Pink, little Nova and many others. So when she came to me with a request for a Nikki-blog, it was something I was glad to indulge in.

Nikki living feral, when he first came to us (BC)

Actually, there was a Nikki-blog already in place – but it dated from more than five years ago. Nikki came to us from the Semiahmoo reserve; he and Annie, who came with him, were both feral and began their lives with us in one of the feral pens. Unfortunately, Nikki proved to be diabetic, and monitoring and medicating him turned out to be almost impossible. He had to be netted and caged so that his blood sugars could be kept even – and in the end, he took to the caged life with great enthusiasm, learning to love the attention and the extra food that came with the insulin.

Big paws! (BC)

I don’t know whose brilliant idea it was, but he was named for Nikki Sixx, the bass-player in Mötley Crüe –  our boy is Nikki Sixx-Toes. If you’ve not already met him, the first thing people notice is a wonderful pair of front paws that look like mittens. And like all good rock stars, he has his groupie – black Shadow adores him.

With girlfriend Shadow   (KN)

She has mellowed quite a bit from when she first attached herself to him; we had to be quite careful because she was initially inclined to attack people who got too close to him. And when diabetes means insulin injections and the accompanying food twice a day, we had to beware of the guard-cat.

Such a sweet face  (KH)

These days both Nikki and Shadow are getting on, and prefer to lounge about; Shadow thinks attacking people takes too much energy. She will come and “make nice” on the couch, especially if chicken is on offer, but petting needs to be her idea, and she still has razor paws. Nikki is very mellow – once he emerged from his cage back in 2020, he’s showed himself to be pretty easy-going, and now loves to come up for lap-time. Most of the year the two of them make their home on the back deck; as the weather gets colder they claim the heat lamp. Nikki may eventually move indoors; Shadow is less enthusiastic about that – or about encountering the other cats – but has a good floofy coat to protect herself.

Visiting indoors   (KH)

Bev tells me that Nikki is a favourite with visitors, as he enjoys every lap that comes his way. She was especially struck by his behaviour with an autistic girl who sometimes visits; they tend to come late in the afternoon, because she is loud and semi-verbal; she loves the cats, and both Bev and Kate monitor her carefully so the she doesn’t scare them.  She adores Nikki, and wants him on her lap.  

Gotta keep those toes in condition!  (KH)

Bev says “He never bites, scratches or hisses – maybe Shadow is doing his share. He loves chicken and treats. He is so easy to handle – I lifted him down from the shelf yesterday as the autistic girl always wants him, and he sat with her for ages. She squeezes him and snuggles; I watch nervously but he never minds.  When she left I moved him to the next lap and so on. Shadow sometimes jumps up beside him when he’s on a lap but she doesn’t get nasty when he’s such a calm companion.”  

Paws ticked under  (KH)

As always, when blogging a SingleWide resident, I had to go to Kim for photos – she comes every Monday on scoop-shift, and spends a lot of time with her SW loves. She says about Nikki: It’s funny to think that he was once a spicy feral boy. Nikki and I have lap time together every week after I finish my tasks. We usually sit on the couch on the porch, but if Nikki feels like I’m taking too long, he takes matters into his own hands (paws?) by coming inside and climbing on my lap wherever I am. Shadow always supervises our visits since she’s his #1 lady. She used to watch from afar but now joins us on the couch and accepts pets too. He is the sweetest, most patient boy and has such a gentle energy about him. No matter what’s going on beforehand, I always feel more at peace after a Nikki cuddle. 

Such a sweet old man... 

Blog by Brigid Coult, with Bev Johnston & Kim Howe

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe, Karen Nicholson

Solstice

Solstice  (BC)

The SingleWide is the building most likely to become a home to older cats who have been surrendered to our care for various reasons – an owner passed or with health issues, a cat with behavioural or health problems...  It’s an environment particularly suited to an animal who has been used to a loving home where they have been kept indoors – though cranky-pants like BeeBoo and Shadow have their own reasons for making it their home.

The necessary cage-stay  (KH)

Solstice came to us early this year  and was settled in one of the large cages to decompress. There are very few cats who actually enjoy the caging period, necessary as it may be; we all know that unhappy cats are likely to go and hide away, but they like to choose just where to hide, and those options are limited in a cage. We try, when preparing it for a new inhabitant, to give them a number of possibilities on different levels; Solstice was obviously a little uncomfortable physically and chose the easiest option, behind the drape on the main shelf. And there she stayed.

Initial suspicions  (BC)

When I first encountered Solstice, she immediately reminded me of Pandora, a SingleWide predecessor who arrived at the age of 18 with multiple physical problems and serious Cattitude. Solstice wasn’t quite as growly, but emanated a clear “Leave me alone!” message. She was matted and uncomfortable. But in fact she was less than 7 years old when she came to us. Apparently her owner had left town without her, and the family member who took on her care couldn’t cope with the angry, aggressive cat who was mourning the changes in her life.

Necessary grooming included very poofy feet!  (KH)

The Kitty Comforters stepped up. Regular visits, initially resented by Solstice, became more interesting to her. Care from the med staff left her feeling better and more receptive to human attention. Her UTIs and occasional peeing became less frequent as she became calmer – in fact, it’s likely that they were stress-induced when her owner left.  A little grooming and some tasty treats improved her mood. By the time she was released, she’d decided that these humans were OK – though  the other cats, perhaps not so much.

Making herself at home  (BC)

In the last six months, Solstice has become a more active member of the SW population. From hiding away, she now claims her comfy spaces right in the open; she loves attention and lap-time, and is ready to defend her territory to cats like Shadow, who think they have a right to the couch!  She explores everywhere, enjoying mountaineering on the cage-tops and snoozing on a shelf.  

Cage-top queen of all she surveys  (BC)

Visitors often ask how I know so many of the cats – and mostly it’s because of writing this blog, and because I work in most areas of the Sanctuary. But if I really want detail on a cat, there is usually at least one volunteer in any specific area who spends significant time outside scooping/cleaning/feeding. In the SingleWide, I know I can always turn to Kim for background and more photos.

No longer confined - so now she likes her cage!  (KH)

Kim says:
I love Solstice so much, and I hope it’s mutual.  I think she had a spicy tag on her in the beginning, but I found she was really sweet from the start as long as you took a soft approach. She loves head pets. She has the softest fur that is prone to tangles, but isn’t a fan of brushing. She was mad at me for two weeks after I tried brushing her. She’s become really comfortable exploring since Bella took over her cage. Every Monday when I arrive, I find her in a new napping spot. Sometimes, she climbs on my chest/shoulders and wraps herself around me — I joke that she’s trying to become a scarf.

No longer the angry girl who came to us...  (KH)

I’m with you, Kim – she’s a really sweet girl. She’s not officially on the adoptable list yet, but she might do very well with someone that she knows and trusts.

Blog by Brigid Coult, with Kim Howe

Photos: Brigid Coult, Kim Howe

October 2025 - I am delighted to say that Solstice has found her forever home with the family of one of our staff; we hear that she has settled right in as queen of the household.

Settling In

Shy Rosie  (KN)

Quite a number of cats have come to join us in the last six months or so. It feels as if we’ve lost a lot of our older cats in the last few years – we’re grieving the loss of sweet skinny Calvin just last week, and Quinn just before that; both casualties of kidney disease, which is one of the most common factors in feline health issues. We rejoiced when Sara Lee and Onyx achieved their 20th birthdays, but cats that live that long are like human centenarians – some people (and cats) have longevity genes, and others age much earlier, or are susceptible to health issues, especially when they have come to us from a feral background, possibly with poor nutrition in their past.

Burt Reynolds looks good in a tux  (BC)

But as much as we miss the golden oldies, our doors remain open to cats who need us – cats from other shelters, cats brought in by our own trapping team, cats with health issues...  This week’s blog is an overview of some of the cats as yet unprofiled, cats who are showing personality, but not yet ready to interact with us to the point where I have the material for a kitty-bio.

Monty is the senior newcomer  (BC)

The newest boy is probably also the oldest; Monty is in his holding cage in the SingleWide, and is around 17 years old. Sometimes people will surrender an older animal in order to get a younger one – this is not the case with Monty; he was much loved by his owner.  But a move necessitated by work would have been a big upheaval for the old cat, who is already fragile and dealing with kidney disease, and rehoming is not always easy. After a tour of the Sanctuary, the owner felt that Monty would probably do better in a quiet Sanctuary space, and arranged something with Sanctuary Manager Valerie that would reflect the care Monty will need, and the support of RAPS.  He’s a very sweet cat, and loves attention from the volunteers; it might be that someone would give him a home for his retirement years.

Darjeeling is not very sure about human contact   (BC)

Two cages away from Monty, there’s a 10-year-old grey girl who has been with us several months, but who has remained caged. Darjeeling is from Campbell River, a tufted-tail cat (the result of an injury, rather than natural) who is still not very happy with human visitors, and is most likely to react with a smack. She has remained caged because she came to us with what we believed were dietary allergies;  the vets have now decided to wean her off the novel-protein foods in the hope that she could come out of her cage and share with the other cats.  It may in fact be seasonal allergies rather than dietary ones, or stress issues, but without extensive and expensive testing, all we can do is to trial different things and see how she does.

Burt Reynolds, sharing all the love  (BC)

A walk over to the DoubleWide brought me to a reunion with now-uncaged Burt Reynolds. He came to us from Cats Cradle Rescue in Sidney, and was originally sent to us for his angry feral behaviour, but either tamed very quickly, or remembered a former life with humans.  He began his time with us going through a range of dental procedures, and has emerged in good spirits and settled well into life in the DoubleWide – it’s quite likely that his behaviour was a result of living in pain, and now pain-free, he has blossomed into Mr Personality. He is happy to remain an indoor cat, rather than venturing outside; he can now often be found on the cage-tops, but is ready to come down and interact with the people he knows. Possibly another boy who might find a home... 

Stetson is VERY suspicious   (BC)

Still caged is a cat who came from SARC (Surrey Animal Rescue Centre). like growly Root Beer. This boy has been much slower to respond to the Kitty Comforters overtures towards him. His name is Stetson, and he is making full use of the drape in his cage to stay out of sight.  When the drape is lifted, he huddles in the corner, with his big eyes full of anxiety;  I find that he responds well to NOT being looked at, but being offered little tidbits.  He disdained a taste of Churu, which is a favourite for so many cats, but he loved bits of cooked chicken, finally accepting them gently from my hand.  I suspect that “little and often” will be the trick with Stetson – and we may have to deprive him of his drape occasionally so that he learns that being visible doesn’t make him less safe. He reminds me of big Neko, with the leukemia cats, who took several years to accept and enjoy the attention of Sanctuary humans.  We’ve got time with this newcomer – he’s only a couple of years old.

Rosie shares her space with shy Daffodil  (BC)

Out in the Back Courtyard we have three “flower” girls who are beginning to settle into the larger community. Blonde Rosie has been here since the spring, but is pretty shy; she’s come to us from the Humane Society as the last of a Barnston Island colony; she’s around 8 years old. She hangs out around the Newcomers area and can often be found in company with Daffodil, who came to us from Kamloops a couple of years ago, but who has never joined the other Kamloops cats. Rosie seems to feel safer indoors, but can often be seen peeping through the stair railing into the courtyard when chicken tidbits are on offer. Both little girls are beginning to explore more.

Rosie's "roomie", Daffodil   (KN)

Their counter-cat is Primrose, whose pretty name belies her nature (for now, at least) – Primrose was dumped at our gate and spent a scary night in a carrier; her cage time to get used to us was also in the Newcomers area, but she was very picky about who she would allow to socialize with her; we had warning notices on her door for unsuspecting volunteers.  Once out of the cage, she made it quite clear that she disapproved both of humans and of other cats.  Like Shadow (girlfriend of Nikki SixToes in the SingleWide) Primrose is little and cute and dangerous. Staff member Karen somehow managed to get a warning-collar on her so we know not to confuse her with Nyx or Juno, and to watch out, but between Primrose, Gwen (who is increasingly venturing off the DW Deck and into the courtyard), and our Iranian Princess, there are some significant divas to keep on our radar!

Primrose is identified by her moods, and her collar!  (KN)

As the winter closes in and the weather gets colder, cats who are not already indoor residents begin to discover the advantages of Sanctuary life – warm rooms, fresh water that doesn’t freeze, and more indoor visitors bearing tasty treats. They may come in as scared cats, but they soon discover that there are big bonuses that come with life here.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Update: Feb 2025  -  Sadly, we lost sweet fragile Monty in mid-December.. Darjeeling has gone to fosterage, in order to be able to control her diet AND give her freedom from cage-life.  Stetson vanished into the back gardens when released, but is now much more relaxed, enjoying his explorations, and beginning to allow touch and treats,

Our Sweet Diabetics

Careen (MW)

November is Diabetes Awareness Month – but not everyone may be aware that cats, too, can suffer from diabetes.

Nikki and his Shadow  (KN)

There are two types of diabetes in cats. In Type I there is a decrease in insulin production, and therefore blood glucose concentrations are high. In Type II diabetes, glucose levels are high because cells in the body do not respond appropriately to insulin. In both types, the body cannot access the sugars needed, even though there is plenty of sugar in the blood, because insulin can’t transport the sugar from the bloodstream into the cells that need it.  Type II is the more common variety, and though it cannot be cured, it can be controlled with injections of insulin, and in some cases, with dietary management. 

Mojo is one of our larger cats  (BC)

Currently we have five cats with diabetes at the Sanctuary: Luke and Careen in the DoubleWide, and Nikki, Blaze and Meepos in the SingleWide. Two other cats are watched: big Mojo lives in the offices, where we can control his diet; his diabetes is currently in remission, and as long as we don’t let him overeat, we can probably keep it that way.  And newcomer McGregor (in next week's blog) came into our care with possible diabetes, but also seems to have it in remission – we watch him carefully for signs of recurrence. In his case, elevated blood sugars may have been a sign of stress.

Nikki holding court - look at those big
polydactyl feet!   (KN)

Nikki Sixx-Toes was diagnosed diabetic when he came into our care. He was a semiferal cat, wary about being handled, and the pen where he was living did not allow the med-staff to treat him without additional stress to his system. Reluctantly, we brought him inside and caged him – and unlike most feral cats, he grew to love it, and the attention it brought him. He got lots of fussing in his enclosure near the staff office, and received visitors with regal enjoyment.  Four years later, his throne has moved to be the papasan chair on the deck, where he is attended and guarded by his girlfriend Shadow.

Shy Meepos (KN)

Also on the deck, but usually hidden away, is fellow-diabetic Meepos, whose condition is of more recent diagnosis. Meepos has been with us for more than eleven years; he was trapped as a feral on Mitchell Island in the company of his buddy Bossanova, and the two of them were initially pretty shy, and took great comfort in each other. Meepos was initially the friendlier of the two, but never became as sociable as Bossanova – he will emerge and accept gentle attention if it’s quiet, but he prefers to stay out of the way. His is late-onset diabetes – most of his time with us, he’s been fine, but he’s not an active boy, and between his inaction and aging, his system quit processing blood-sugars properly.

Blaze (MW)

Sweet Blaze is the sister of fellow-tortie Toes, who lives in the front courtyard. The two were separated when Blaze developed skin problems and was brought inside where she could be treated more easily. She can usually be found on the shelves backing on to the big cage, and loves to have attention so long as she can remain in her own space. Like the other diabetics, she’s something of a chonk – it’s hard to balance the need to give them extra food at the same time as they get their insulin injection, with not overfeeding them. Their extra is mostly protein, with a few treats, but with so many cats around, there’s no way of stopping them eating more of the crunchies that are out for the cats who prefer to graze. With food and insulin every 12 hours, they have no reason to be hungry, though, or to raid the crunchie-bowl.

Luke (BC)

In the DoubleWide, Luke is the younger of the two diabetics. He is part of the Tuxedo Club that hangs out on the deck, and he has also suffered from dental problems, which have necessitated occasional caging while he heals. He’s an active and social cat, both with humans and with other cats, and just loves attention – which makes it much easier to give him his doses.  The other diabetic in the building is Careen. Careen was an outside cat for some time, and shared cuddle space with sweet Willow in Pen 5. When we recently noticed her changed habits in terms of eating and peeing, she was brought in for testing, and remained caged for a bit longer. As an outdoor cat, there was some discussion about her release – she’s friendly and handleable, but trying to find a grey cat on a dark night to give her insulin could well be a problem. However, Careen decided that having been moved into the DoubleWide, she might as well stay in warmth and comfort. She can usually be found peering down from the cage-tops, and her one bad habit is that when it’s meds time, she moves herself to the most inaccessible spot, and takes some coaxing to come and enjoy her special plate of goodies (and the minimal needle prick that goes with it).

Careen on the DW cagetops (BC)

Diabetes in a cat is a long way from being a death sentence, and doesn’t need a vet to do the injections; the insulin needle is very fine, and the dose is very small – the only disadvantage is that the cat-parent needs to schedule their activities in order that the dose is regular. And getting special plates of food – they must feel as if they are being treated as the royalty they consider themselves to be.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Black Spice

Shadow (KN)

Shadow prefers to be out on the Single-Wide deck – even as the temperatures drop. She’s not the only one, of course – tubby Mya prefers it too, and Nikki Sixx-Toes; shy Jimmy tucks himself away on a shelf. But Jimmy and Mya will come indoors; Shadow relies on her floof and on Nikki’s company under the heat lamp.

Sharing with Nikki (BC)

Shadow arrived with us a couple of years ago from the Williams Lake area.  She was found as a kitten in a feral colony, and was adopted. However, she never really tamed even though she remained an indoor cat; her behaviour was aggressive, and when she came to our care some ten years later, it was clear that fear fed the aggression.  We discovered that she had a lightning paw, and razor-sharp claws.

She’s twelve years old now, but she’s little and cute, and the unwary visitor is easily fooled into reaching out too quickly! She arrived around the time we lost Belinda, who looked very similar, but was radically different in personality.  Shadow's body language is confident; she holds her tail like a flag, and she’s active in movement rather than cowering in any way.  I’ve shed my share of blood, coaxing her into allowing contact.  Like most cats, she prefers her own agenda;  jumping up for lap-time is fine, when it’s her idea, but nobody tells Shadow what to do!  Some days she will leap onto a lap and allow herself to be petted, and other days she will stand her ground and just dare you to touch her.  

OK - I'm on your knee; now where's the chicken?

The only possible way out is bribery. A number of the SingleWide cats are chickaholics – Bossanova and Sarah Paylan lead the way – and Shadow is quick to react when the treat bag is opened, and even gives up on swatting, if food is on offer.  

Face-off with Bossanova for tidbits  (BC)

Like many black cats, she is hard to photograph;  with her it’s not only because of the density of her colouring, but because she is so much in motion – she’s not a restful girl!  Her “quiet time” is mostly with her buddy Nikki Sixx Toes – and frankly I think the attraction is mainly that he sleeps under the lamp over the papasan chair, and he’s a diabetic, so gets given extra food when it’s time for insulin shots. Shadow approves of extra food!

On the move, with tail plumed!  (BC)

We’re never going to turn her into a tame cat – but she’s a different cat from the one who first came to us. I was going to title this blog Black Pepper, but it has implications that she’s always angry with us, and that’s not so – spicy is definitely the right word for this little black cutie. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson