Mister Valentine

Just as we have what I call the Garbo Cats (here and here), so we also have our share of cats who enjoy each others’ company. Sometime that’s no more than a tendency to stay in the same area; sometimes it’s obviously a family thing. For many years Mr Popularity in the Sanctuary was our beloved Mario, who attracted a large following of ferals who relaxed around him. We lost Mario to cancer a few years ago, and some of his ferals have followed him, most recently, Nellie, who I like to think about as being reunited with him at the Rainbow Bridge.

Couch cats

But Mario’s mantle has fallen to another gentle giant. When Salty came into the Sanctuary, he was deeply bonded with his sister Shelley, but the magic wore off, and the two now live independent lives. Shelley’s a roamer – you’ll find her all over the place. Salty, on the other hand, can usually be found in his favourite place on the double-wide couch, surrounded by a crowd of other cats.

Cinder, Salty & Ridley, Dusty - MW

Salty obviously gives off the pheromone that says “Love me! Trust me!” It’s not quite to the extent Mario had it – with Mario, sometimes everyone wanted to lie on him, and all you’d see of him in the cat-pile was a little orange and white fur at the bottom. Salty likes a little more space around him – but it’s often the same cats who are sharing the couch with him. Cinder is a regular occupant, as is Luigi, and Watson, who was adopted and who we will soon be hearing from, loved his cuddle-buddy.

Watson with Salty - PH

However, the most favoured companions are Ridley, Colin and Dusty. All three are ferals, and all three have become more approachable through their association with Salty.

Holding paws - MW

Ridley can be distinguished among the black cats in the cat-pile by a little patch of white on his chest.

Cuddling in tandem - BC

He’s still a little wary around humans, but with a not-too-full couch, it is possible to sit with the two of them and stroke Ridley without being swatted.

Salty with Colin - MW

Colin’s one of our all-black boys, distinguishable mainly by the elegant lynx-tips to his ears. He has become much more friendly overall; he’s usually underfoot at feeding-time, rising on his back legs to rub against the feeder and make sure he’s not overlooked.

Salty & Dusty snuggles - BC

Dusty and Salty could be mistaken for litter-mates – especially now he’s put on some mid-life weight. She is very wary of human contact – especially when she’s alone – but like Ridley, petting is possible when Salty is around to give her confidence. She follows him around with adoration in her eyes.

Dusty & Salty - BC

Just occasionally, all this togetherness gets to be too much for Salty, and he has to go and sit on the top of a cat tree or in a corner somewhere where nobody else can lie on him.

Salty goes solo - MW

 A little time to himself – and then he heads back to the couch and to his adoring retinue

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Phaedra Hardman and Michele Wright

A Tale of Several Tails

The Sanctuary plays home to more than 400 cats of a variety of types – and has been home to probably a thousand more in the course of our 16 years in Richmond. They come in all sizes and shapes, purebreed and moggies – if you want to find a cat of any description, it’s probably passed through our gates at some time. The purebreeds – cats like our Persians and Bengals – are usually here because of their bathroom habits, but those are habits that keep a number of cats from being adopted, unfortunately.

A variety of cats come with a variety of tails – everything from the long and elegant tail of Bengal Lucky, usually carried low, or the similarly slim tail of tabby Hannah, usually erect...

Lucky - MW

Hannah - PH

to the magnificent bushy fluff of Puffin or Owl

Puffin - MW

We have our share of tail-less felines, usually known as Manx cats. These vary from the totally tail-less cats like Sweet-Pea, Kilmer and Emery, (known as “rumpies”) to the cats who actually have a tail, but one which is shorter than normal, and has the last few vertebrae fused together. With the latter it’s not always possible to tell without an X-ray whether the tail deformity is genetic or the result of an accident.  Depending on the length of the tail, these are known as a “rumpy riser” (Huey), a “stumpy” (Blue, in pen 6) or a “stubby” (Abby)

Abby - MW

Sweet-Pea is at the end of the Manx spectrum, suffering as she does from what is known as extreme Manx syndrome, in which the shortness of the spine creates a form of spina bifida, making it impossible for the cat to control its bladder and bowels. Those of us who love our little trilling calico mop up after her, and cuddle her in a thick towel from time to time; she gets a daily bath, as does Kilmer, who has a similar problem – though not quite to her degree.

Sweet-Pea - PH

Sometimes we know that the shortness of the tail is not genetic. Little Marilee was one of a family of cats who were trapped, neutered and released back to the farm where they lived. Unfortunately, Marilee managed to get her tail trapped in a bit of farm machinery. The tail had to be amputated, and it was decided that the Sanctuary was the safest place for Marilee. The picture of a wary Marilee from her early days with us is in contrast to the relaxed girl she is starting to become.

Marilee - PH

Do you recognize any of these tails?

One thing you can usually be sure of – a raised tail signals a happy cat – and what can be happier than meal-time!

Dinner-time! - TS

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Phaedra Hardman, Tim Stocker & Michele Wright

Spring sun at last

Finally the sanctuary cats (and their minders) are getting to enjoy some warm, spring-like weather in the afternoon and early evening. And the cats waste no time in making the most of it. Here are a few photos from this evening.

Lana & Whiskey

Quinn (?)

May & Adam

Shelley

yawn~*

Chatter 

Josie

Dusty

Even the cats who stayed indoors managed to soak up the sun coming through the windows!

Lincoln

Birdie and Creamsicle

Shelley

Shelley is the other half of the once inseparable Salty&Shelley duo and a bright-eyed girl with an expressive tail.

She can be recognized quite easily by her fondness for carrying this tail of hers in a big sweeping arch over her back.

Shelley and Salty aren't wrap-arms-around-each-other close like they were when they first came to the sanctuary and are happy to spend time with other cats. Still, they don't forget to exchange a little question-mark tail greeting if they happen to cross paths.

Shelley and Lincoln

Salty and Shelley

Active, attractive and intelligent... here's yet another cat who gives off a strong vibe of barely tapped potential. I need to scour the copywriting resources out there for a good subliminal font that might help here.

adopt the nice cat.....

   adopt the nice cat.....

     adopt the nice cat.....

       adopt the nice cat.....

         adopt the nice cat.....

            adopt the nice cat.....

               adopt the nice cat.....

                  adopt the nice cat.....

                    adopt the nice cat.....

                        adopt the nice cat.....

Salty

When they first came to the sanctuary, Salty and Shelley were so attached to one another that shelter staff thought it would be too cruel to separate them. The caption next to their picture on the gallery page read "These sweet, gentle siblings are hoping for a home together", echoing the dear hope that they could be adopted out together.

Shelley and Salty 
photo provided by RAPS

Several years later, they're still at the sanctuary. And the undying devotion? They grew out of it.

I haven't had a chance to get to know Shelley yet, so for the moment I'll just write about Salty, who has made an effort to capture my attention - and affection - on a number of occasions.

The first time I met him, he was sitting amongst the flowers and greenery in one of the planters out the back, determined to show off for me and receive some praise. But he’d respond to my attempts to soft him by skittering just out of reach.

More recently, I’ve run into him a couple of times in the double wide and was so entertained by his show-off routine, now expanded to include dancing, weaving and sitting up like a meerkat so I can stroke his head and back, that I had to ask Leslie about him.

That’s when she told me about him and Shelley. And how even after it was established that the siblings could in fact live without each other, nobody chose Salty to adopt. So that several years later, there he is still. Either potential adopters found him a little on the shy side, or sometimes there may have been no more of a reason than they were looking for a ginger that day, or a calico, a longhair…

I’ve brought several friends out to the sanctuary since I started volunteering there and they found it enjoyable and relaxing to spend time with any number of happy cats. Some even came out on other occasions, enjoying it all over again. But when I took my dad out there, he grew quiet and seemed a little sad. Later he said it was all a bit overwhelming, all those good cats…

I didn’t fully understand how he felt right away, since their presence is one of the things that makes each volunteer shift a joy. But meeting Salty, a nice looking fellow with a personality that's both sweet and fun...  and who's living in a shelter rather than a home simply because nobody picked him. And suddenly I find myself getting kind of quiet and feeling a little sad.
All those good cats...

MUTTS by Patrick McDonnell