Farewell to the Moore House

Many of the staff and volunteers are feeling sad.  But it’s not a cat we’re grieving over – it’s one of the cats’ houses!

Selena's portrait of Marianne Moore
with all her favourites

In the early days of the Sanctuary, when RAPS was dealing with the worst of the feral cat problem in Richmond, the Moore House was the home of the kittens.  When we took on the running of the City Shelter, most of the kittens were transferred there, for easy adoption access, and the building was repurposed as the home of our senior cats – a special and beloved project of Marianne Moore, an anchor volunteer for many years, and creator of the Kitty Comforter concept, which has become such an important part of encouraging cats to feel more at ease when they come here.

Kitten room exterior, with Leo,
Pistachio, Caleb & Mozart - KN

One room in the building was put aside for occasional kitten use, for “teens” who needed more hands-on attention, or for cats who needed some separation from the others.  Front courtyard inhabitants Beetle and Cricket, Mozart, Benny, Leo and Caleb have all had kitten room time there; Banshee and Domino lived there while waiting out their leukemia isolation (and eventual adoption); Sage and Silky, Mya and Kirsty, Dawn and Twilight are all kitten room “grads”

Twilight &Dawn, now adopted - KN

But the primary purpose of the Moore House was to provide a home for a very special group of felines. Typically, Moore House cats came to us from owners who had died, or gone into care, and whose old cats had nowhere else to go. Very few people are willing to take on an elderly cat or two, and especially one who is cranky because of a forced relocation.  The homeliness of the Moore House was intended to give them comfort, and keeping the numbers limited meant that the inhabitants didn’t get on each other’s nerves too much.

Earl Grey enjoying deck time - MD

The addition of a closed deck was a blessing on hot days (and even sometimes on cooler ones) and many of the cats enjoyed the fresh air and the view from the variety of seats and beds scattered around.

Chanel doing morning cat-yoga on the deck - BC

However, the trailer was not new when it came to us, and because we live on the edge of farmland, there is a constant rat-problem. The combination of rotting wood, and the rats accessing the crevices – never actually getting into the interior, but making their way into the surrounding structure – all this has contributed to a building that is no longer healthy for cats or people. Already many of the Moore House cats have been adopted, fostered or relocated to other areas in the Sanctuary, and it won’t be long before the building itself is removed. We hope that a replacement can be found, because the need has not gone away – we still need to be able to offer stressed, elderly cats a safe place where they can settle.

Moore House interior - DJ

The Moore House itself will be gone soon, but the memories will remain. Many of the Moore House cats have been featured in earlier blog stories, some of them by Marianne herself:  Eng Teng and Peng Peng; little Pauline who preferred to hide in her box; fragile Noni whose body never really recovered from having being fed a vegan diet; persians Bluebell, MiuMiu and GracieMae (who went on to her own home). We’ve had our share of angry cats, and volunteers who fell in love with them, giving them a reason to be angry no more – Jack, Venus, Buster, and most recently Smokey, who is blissfully happy with her new family. 

Smokey - happy lap-cat - DJ

Thanks to the vision for these old cats, many volunteers have spent quiet hours cleaning, feeding, and most importantly, loving them, so that coming to RAPS no longer feels like their family has rejected them, but that they have found a new family with us. We are working to make the last of our Moore house cats comfortable in a new space – whether elsewhere at the Sanctuary, or with a new home, we don’t know yet.  We hope that when the current building is demolished, it can be replaced with a new structure that can house more generations of cats who need the quiet surroundings and loving care that their predecessors found with us. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Melanie Draper, Daphne Jorgensen, Karen Nicholson

Portrait by Selena Marchetti

When My Person's Gone

One of the most heartbreaking things at the Sanctuary is when we welcome a new cat in because their owner has died, or gone into care, or just abandoned them.

Our new boy, ZeeZee - BC

For a cat who has had the experience of “their” human, to find themselves in a shelter full of other smells and noises and no familiar comforting human presence has to be difficult indeed.  And many cats will react badly at the City Shelter, and end up coming to the Sanctuary where we can give them more space and time to adjust.  This is particularly true for the older cats.  And since we are now in kitten season, potential adopters tend to look first at the younger felines.

Rufus & Fluff comforted each other - BC

Sometimes cats will reconcile themselves more quickly when they come in as a pair. Shaggy and his late buddy Spicer, Wink and his late buddy PomPom, Rufus and Fluff, and our newcomers, Frank and Jim all had a friend to snuggle with when they got scared, and a little mutual grooming goes a long way to ease the kitty blues.  But for a cat who has been The Cat in its home, and who only knows its human, it’s a very hard adjustment to make.

It took a while before Krissy was comfortable with us - MW

Krissy came to us in 2015 when she lost her owner, and for most of her first year with us she remained in her cage, hiding behind  a drape. All the coaxing and patience of staff and Kitty Comforters was no consolation for being without Her Person.  It’s really only in this last year that Krissy has not only started being more active around the courtyard, but also approaching people and looking for attention. And even so, she’s not bonded with anyone, so we wouldn’t consider adopting her out and putting her through another traumatic transition.

Debo says, "MY chair!" - DW

Debo came to us with his brother Santos when their owner went into care, and the two had an “I love you / I hate you” relationship with each other, insisting on adjacent seating in the Single-Wide.  We lost Santos about a year ago, but Debo has actually adjusted pretty well. He is king of the main room now, having adopted both his own chair and that of Santos. Humans are welcome to sit in either chair – whereupon Debo will usually move over into the lap provided – but other cats are not appreciated.

Smokey is waiting to swear at volunteers;
Jimmy, above her, just wants to chill  -  DJ

Smokey also lost her owner.  She had probably had little contact with anyone other than that one person, and the transition has been very hard on her (and on us!). Smokey is in the Moore House, though she’s not really an old cat – however, she is a very cranky cat, and the decision to place her there was made because the Moore House is so much quieter. In her first cage, a corner one, she retreated to a dark corner except to launch attacks on unwary volunteers coming to clean and feed her. She’s now been moved to a cage that’s more open; she has a place to hide, but she’s more aware of movement around her. Her cage is open – but she really prefers it closed. And her swearing leaves us in no doubt of her disapproval of humans in general – though the Saturday evening volunteer reports something of a truce.

ZeeZee waiting for dinner - BC

Our latest senior orphan is ZeeZee, whose owner had to surrender him when caring for him became impossible from a wheelchair. ZeeZee needed as much care as his owner: medical issues and dental care are a fact of life for this lovely boy, who was immediately willing to interact with people. But there was a sadness to him – even when his cage was opened, he often returned to hide away in his cat-tree.  He has now begun to acclimatize, he is now out and exploring the Hill House and the courtyard, and making friends with staff and volunteers - though he certainly doesn’t want to make nice with the other cats around just yet.

Back to his favourite perch - like any cat;
"Sometimes I sits & thinks; and sometimes I just sits"  - BC

We can’t replace the people they’ve lost, but we can love them as much as they will allow, and hope that they will finally come to trust us.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Daphne Jorgenson, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

Who Lives In The Moore House?

Volunteer Pauline Chin offers the blog this week.
The Moore House, a.k.a. GeriCatrics, a.k.a. the seniors’ home, has seen many new residents in the last several months.  We’ve had to say goodbye to some dear kitties and hello to some new ones.

Jack - MW

Black Jack is usually the first one seen, snoozing on the chair by the door, or parading around on the counter-tops.  He’s one of those cats whose mood depends on the amount of attention he receives.  The more he gets, the happier he is.  If his attention tank is empty, he will tap, grab, and block your path to the exit until he gets what he wants. Jack was edgy and aggressive when he first came to us; thanks to the work of the Kitty Comforters, he's now a happy lap-cat!

Pretty bob-tailed Chanel - CP

Sophia has an intense stare - MW

Chanel and Sophia are more selective about company.  If they feel comfortable, they will quietly approach and accept a bit of petting.  Other than that, they prefer to remain on higher ground and observe. Sophia's fur mats easily and she doesn't much like being groomed; once the summer comes she will get a lion-cut and feel much better about being pettable!

Shaggy in his favourite place - MD

Shaggy, Marble, and Bluebell are drawn to the couch.  On good days, the trio can be found sunning themselves on the deck.  Shaggy and Marble are gentle giants.

Marble holds court - MW

Marble is the nicest tortie girl I’ve ever met and is never pushy.  I recognize her by the orange lightning bolt mark on her forehead.  I must admit, it feels empty without the furry presence of Spicer, Peng Peng, Princess, and Nalah all jockeying for the seat next to me, with big girl Orio beckoning me over to her shelf. 

Lou claims the heater - PC

Orange Lou is the quietest resident.  This 15 year old arrived last autumn and has claimed the heater for himself.  Just like late Momo, Lou also has his own bed on the floor, so he never has to walk far for food or navigate shelves.  He’s thrilled to receive human attention and takes pleasure being brushed.  He’s a cat who wears a permanent smile on his face.

Smokey glares from the safety of her cage - DJ

Smokey’s owner had to move to a care home and couldn’t take her along.  Smokey is still a work in progress.  She is known for being aggressive towards humans.  She has been released, but hasn’t quite opened up yet.

Blanche keeps an eye on the outdoor area - KN

Blanche, who came to us as a cat who couldn't get enough of being outside, has been transferred from the Double to the Moore for her lack of mobility - she has three torn ACLs.  But that doesn’t keep her from jumping on shelves! When she’s relaxing in a bed, she’s open to pets and belly rubs.

Sweet Jimmy is very shy - PC

Grey Jimmy is a foster-turned-resident.  He arrived with his buddy, Boots.  Both were wildfire refugees from Cache Creek.  After months in our care with no response from their human, a SNAP test was done, revealing Boots to be FLV+.  Boots joined the Leukemia crowd and Jimmy stayed in the Moore.  I find Jimmy likes to peek out from the cat tree.  Sometimes he’s friendly.  Sometimes he seeks refuge atop the cage.  Boots gave us plenty of purrs and cuddles during his short stay.  He loved to say hello during visits to Leukemia, but we had to say a final goodbye in March.  Just goes to show quality time ranks higher than quantity!

Bluebell is queen - MW

Four more Golden Oldies - Rufus, Fluff, PomPom and Wink - were introduced in the blog about a month ago (sadly, we've just lost PomPom).
For us volunteers, the Moore House is an endearing place.  We know time with some of these senior felines is very limited.  Time spent is precious and gratifying for everybody.  For cats suddenly separated from their humans, we step in to heal their heartache and accompany them for the remainder of their journey.  When it’s finally time to cross the Rainbow Bridge, there’s love and kindness on both sides.

Blog by Pauline Chin

Photos by Pauline Chin, Brigid Coult, Melanie Draper, Daphne Jorgenson, 

Karen Nicholson, Chris Peters, Michele Wright