Royal Progress

Princess (KN)

Princess came to us late in 2021 all the way from Iran, and for much of that time she has been clearly characterized as a cat you might admire, but one you shouldn’t try and touch. I first blogged about her in 2023, by which time she had a pretty solid grasp of Sanctuary life. She based herself in Waldi’s hut, which she shared with a number of other cats without actually socializing much with them. She had regular visits from her sponsor, and interacted with him quite happily; he would talk with her in Farsi, and she would flirt in response. Occasionally a visitor might admit to speaking Farsi and would be taken past the rope barrier to chat with her, or even to sing to her.

Hanging out near the SW  (KN)

Her relationships with other cats have markedly improved. She prefers to maintain her distance with most of them, and is quick to use bad language to smack someone down.  But we have caught her actually playing with some of the ones she knows; orange Sprocket holds his own with her, and they will chase and tumble happily.

Sharing a shelf with Sprocket (KN)

Often when I work in the back pens, Princess will follow me (or precede me) from pen to pen. It doesn’t have anything to do with the lure of food  (I rarely bring the bag of treats out until most of my work is done) but she is curious about where I am going. She lurks on the roof of the outdoor litterboxes in Pen 3 while I scoop, and frequently has arguments with black Odin, who is equally curious.

On inspection patrol  (LBF)

Since we opened up the renovated DoubleWide (Hauser House), her explorations have taken her there as well. She’s not enthusiastic about using the cat-door, but when the weather’s fine, we will prop the outer door open, and she runs in and out. She’s not settling in – Waldi’s Hut is still “home” – but she’s poking her nose into new spaces.

Investigating cage-tops in Hauser House (KN)

A lot of her changed attitude to people is due to the work of Brad and Marty.  Brad knows a little Farsi, and has always made a thing of visiting Princess and talking to her. Marty’s a true cat-whisperer, and has had immense patience in coaxing her to accept food from his hand, and eventually, gentle touch. Her behaviour is markedly different now. The first time she asked me for pets, her goal was quite clear. She offered the slightly sideways head-bump Louie used to give, and pushed her head under my hand, asking for the stroking to continue.  There are conditions: she has to be on a shelf or something raised, and there needs to be NO other cats in her line of sight,.

On a shelf, and ready for pets  (MW)

Currently we’re encouraging volunteers, who may have held back because of her spicy reputation, to coax her to a place where she feels comfortable with touch – and not just the “safe” version around head and ears, but now the full-body stroking she is beginning to request. I don’t know if she’ll ever be a lap-cat, and like many others, she vanishes into hiding when visiting days get too busy.  But with visitors gone, dinner served, and the peacefulness of a Sanctuary evening evident in the Back Courtyard – along comes Princess, ready to put aside her feral upbringing and allow humans to adore her.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Karen Nicholson & Michele Wright

Rocket

Rocket (BH)

In late 2018, two little orange boys came into our care, trapped in North Richmond by faithful cat-trapper Stephanie Ross, who sadly passed earlier this year. Stephanie was responsible for bringing many cats to us – often from the Steveston area, where she lived, but she was also responsible for trapping the Cow Cats from an East Richmond composting facility, and for other colonies.

At a safe distance, in the back pen  (MW)

We still need to keep an eye open in North Richmond, where there is a green belt that results in many rodents that make for good hunting for cats who have strayed, or survived a feral upbringing. In the summer of 2019 there was a sudden population boom when a well-meaning cat-lover fed the local strays without alerting us to the need for some population control; only when kittens started having kittens did someone call us, and around 60 cats of all ages were brought in.  The two little orange boys of the year before were definitely from the same genetic pool; Sprocket, the long-haired one, is visually a twin (though probably an uncle) of orange Mercury; Rocket, the short-haired one, is an orange version of black Atlas.

There was a lot of hiding at first (KN)

Both boys were feral, and have largely remained so for years – but over seven years, they have become more comfortable with humans being around them. As we always do, the first thing to happen is a vet visit for blood-tests and neutering; the blood-test showed that Rocket carried the FIV retrovirus, and he was relocated to the New Aids pen. There, as for many ferals, his cage-time was largely hidden behind a drape; he wanted nothing to do with us, and when released, he got as far away as possible.  For most of the New Aids cats, that consists of either hiding on the cage-tops in the main cabin, or in going right to the back of the smaller cabins.

Being groomed by Cypress  (LBF)

Best buddies  (LBF)

When I sent the text of my blog to Sanctuary Manager Valerie for proofing, she reminded me of something I’d missed – I guess this happened when we were COVID-hit, and I might not have been around. She says:
Someone vandalised the fence, cutting it in the Prince of Wales section. Drake and Rocket got out. Drake came back right away - he was almost scared of being out there. But Rocket went on a murder spree! We had trail cameras set up and we were watching him climb in and under the Moore House (which is now gone, because it was in bad condition). And then we would find giant dead rats. Like the size of my shoe. My friend was rooting for him because he was living his best life. Then it started to rain a bunch in the fall and that's when he allowed himself to be trapped again.

A favourite place to look for petting  (KN)

Happy elevator bum!  (KN)

Rocket was initially antisocial with us – but NOT with other cats; he was a boy who liked feline company, and could often be found cuddled up with someone else. Though his early years with us were mostly at a distance, he obviously decided that humans who brought food, and offered treats and toys were worth taking a chance with; all his first contact with us was when he was up on a table or a kennel, and having us looming over him was still too scary. But when we were sitting by a table, it began to be a signal that he could come up and accept petting and treats, and he often approaches in the back pens by climbing on the waist-high side awning, looking for attention.

Blissful when he trusts  (KC)

His brother Sprocket hangs out in the back courtyard; like Rocket, he has remained wary, though he is ready to accept a little touch, and treats. His other-generation family in Pen 1 – Mercury, Juno, Nyx and Atlas – remain touch-me-not semi-ferals. And Mercury, too, is a hunter of any rats stupid enough to get through the fence.

Kuma & Rocket  (KN)

Other cats are still Rocket’s favourite thing. While Cypress was still an angry feral, he and Rocket would cuddle happily;  Cypress is now an attention-mooch and a lap-cat, and that’s a bit too much for Rocket to take. He likes to be with the smaller black boys – Kuma and Smalls – neither of whom are really ready for much human attention. (Kuma, incidentally, is from the same area as Rocket, and they may share genetics). Rocket takes himself out of the way when visitors arrive at the weekends - but he just loves it when the people he trusts come looking for him on a quiet day, and he revels in their care.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Katy Cobb, Brielle Hutchison,

 Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

In Tigger's House

Smithy and Sprocket are best buddies  (KN)

When the Sanctuary was constructed more than 20 years ago, much of it was thanks to the generosity of devoted donors who sponsored the cost of building cabins and pens. As you walk around, you will notice signs memorializing the beloved pets of those donors.

At the south end  (BC)

The back courtyard is structured in an L shape, with one wing reaching east and another to the south. At the south end of the latter wing is a cabin that is labelled as “Tigger’s House – in Memory of Waldie’s favourite cat.”

Waldie & Barb  (DW)

Tigger is long gone now;  Waldie is now in his 90s, and only comes occasionally to visit, but up to a couple of years ago, he held down a regular Saturday night shift at the Sanctuary, scooping the back pens, while his wife Barb fed the cats. The two of them have been devoted Sanctuary supporters since the beginning; Barb is still a regular volunteer. Their home is well known to their neighbourhood cats and they have been responsible for rescue and TNR around there for many years. When Waldie is visiting, he always seeks out Rookie, who they brought to the Sanctuary.

Rookie  (KN)

So “Tigger’s House” is actually known to most of us as “Waldie’s Hut”, and it’s the home base of a number of the shyer cats. Some of them have relocated from Pen 8 next door, when it had to be closed and refurbished for the colony of cats from the Kootenays. Pen 8 had been an open area – most of the cats living there were semi-feral – and the inhabitants were used to the courtyard space. Some, like hissy-Smithy, preferred to stay in the courtyard just outside, hiding out in the collection of boxes and shelves backing on to the SingleWide deck. Others preferred the shelter of a cabin. 

Smithy says "leave me alone!"  (KN)

Smithy’s friend Sprocket can often be found in Waldie’s Hut, high up on a shelf. When outside, he likes the company of his hissy pal, but at night, he prefers his comfort. His brother Rocket, in the New Aids building, has finally accepted attention from humans and enjoys being petted;  Smithy’s touch-me-not attitude has rubbed off on Sprocket. He doesn’t hiss, but he prefers no-contact.

Sprocket is comfortable with wandering - just not with touch  (KN)

Princess, who was featured in the blog a couple of weeks ago, can also be found here. She also prefers no touch, but hovers hopefully if chicken tidbits are offered. 

Princess wanders freely, but likes this hut  (KN)

The real chickaholic in this area is sweet Selena. She was a feral mom who came to us more than 10 years ago, and joined the other tabby/white cats in Pen 8. Now she is aging, and with senility has come the loss of feral-fear – she loves attention (especially when food is on offer), and shoulder-climbs when I am cleaning in the cabin. She also no longer restricts her area, and can often be found visiting around the Tea-Room. Like Sara Lee, she’s starting to look a little raggedy, and lap-climbing is a little painful with her old-lady claws.

Selena waiting hopefully  (BC)

If there’s anyone who has picked up the hiss-habit from Smithy, it’s Magpie. This handsome boy prefers the bed adjacent to the door, which means that he can’t pretend that he’s not there when you enter, and he hisses until eye-contact ceases. He’s not a cat I have even tried to touch, and he’s not really food-motivated – he’s just one of those cats who will probably remain feral.

Magpie is always suspicious  (KN)

There are a few other cats who rotate in and out of the hut, depending on mood and weather. It was a favourite place for Cinnamon Bun Lincoln until a few months ago; now he’s very frail and prefers the comfort of the heater in the Tea-Room. His girlfriend/worshipper Dusty prefers the hut; Dusty is another who hisses early and often, but her hiss is reactive, and she does allow human contact when given time. She is a cat who prefers cat-company; her two earlier boyfriends, Salty and Ridley, have both passed, and she follows Lincoln adoringly – though mostly, he ignores her.

Dusty is a loner when not following Lincoln  (BC)

And let’s not forget the outside of the cabin – there are several of the back courtyard cats who prefer to have their secret cat meetings well out of reach, and have found a way to climb to the roof of Waldie’s Hut. We have to be careful that the fencing above them prevents them from getting onto the roof of the SingleWide. And in the heat of summer days, it can be very hot up there, and occasionally someone needs to climb up and make sure that all is well with the cats.  

Sprocket keeps watch as Quinn chairs the day's cat-meeting  (DW)

Like most of our back-courtyard cabins, Waldie’s Hut is showing its age – these cabins were not designed as long-term structures, and a coat of paint is a temporary fix-it for some of its imperfections. But it’s full of memories – if you close your eyes, Samantha and Eclipse, Chimo and PawPaw, Lucky the Bengal, and many others are still there for the long-term staff and volunteers who loved them.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson & Debbie Wolanski

Mercury

Mercury (LBF)

Mercury is one of the group we sometimes refer to as the McLeod cats, trapped during the summer of 2019 in a big operation that brought in around 60 adults and kittens. The young kittens were tamed and adopted out, the older adults remembered what it was like to be tame, and found homes – and what we were left with was a group of “teens” who only knew how to be feral.  Kitty Comforters spent hours with them, but in the end, only brave Aphrodite proved to be tame enough to be adopted out, and the others are just Sanctuary-tame – willing to appear, if there’s food motivation, but not ready for much in the way of contact with humans.

Mercury  (LBF)

The genes of this family are strongly set for black and orange colouring – no tabbies here!  The group has largely relocated to Pen 1 – initially to the perimeter kennels and undergrowth, and more recently (encouraged by cold winter days) to the Pen 1 cabin. All except Mercury – the archetypal “fraidy-cat” prefers to rely on his own warm coat, and on finding a snuggle-buddy, and prefers not to feel trapped inside a building.  

Juno, Nyx, Mercury, Fabian (LBF)
hiding behind the kennels

In the last while he has met up with another timid cat; Fabian was one of the DoubleWide deck ferals who discovered the new cat door last summer, and has never returned indoors. Fabian and Mercury spend a lot of time together, and are much more relaxed – unless there’s a human around, in which case there are identical expressions of horror on their faces. 

Mercury and Fabian  (LBF)

Mercury is practically a twin to Sprocket, another back courtyard cat. Sprocket came to us about a year before, but from the same area, so they’re likely related – cousins, at the least!  Sprocket is also a feral, but a more relaxed one than Mercury – you can generally tell from the expression on the face which cat it is that you’re seeing.

L: Sprocket (KN) - R: Mercury (LBF)

The McLeod sibs have discovered that some humans bring tasty offerings, and they will often join the enthusiastic group waiting for the next tidbit; black Nyx, in particular, is very keen on food and will hover hopefully. But increasingly, Mercury has become part of the group, though he prefers to stay in peripheral vision so that he can pretend you’re not looking at him. He is easily daunted by other more assertive cats, but having backed off, he sneaks back into range, hoping for another handout. If other cats move out of the way, he will occasionally brave the peril of accepting food directly from a hand.

A little ecstatic wriggling!  (LBF)

The "ready to run" posture occasionally gives way to relaxation;  it's good to see that he can play - though cat-toys don't seem to appeal. However, with some things he does not lack assertiveness!  You would think that a Cat Sanctuary would be high on the avoidance list for most rats, but there are obviously some stupid ones who think they’ll never be noticed.  Anyone doing the morning shift in the back pens needs to be aware of the odd dead body, but it’s not often that we see the hunt in action!  

The mighty hunter  (KN)

We love it when a formerly feral cat decides to allow touch, or even to become a lap-cat. But there are many cats here, like Mercury, who are likely to remain feral all their lives, and it’s important to us that we respect their comfort level, and allow them uncaged space. We are grateful to all the donors and sponsors whose support makes this possible.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen & Karen Nicholson

Boys' Club

Luke, Bodhi, Guthrie - KN

 Because RAPS came into being through the efforts of founder Carol Reichert and her supporters to get all our Richmond feral cats spayed and neutered, that vital operation happens for every cat that comes into our care at the Sanctuary.

Pax - KN

Sometimes it comes a little late – handsome Pax has no doubt sired many of the kittens that have been adopted out in the last year, and may be father of some of those currently in residence. Every kitten that leaves the Shelter leaves with the promise of spay/neuter when they are old enough. And gradually, other than in hoarding situations, we hope that the feral population is dwindling.

Tuxie Frank and his grey buddy Jim are known as FrankenJim - KN

So sexual instincts don’t come into play with our cats. We certainly have our bonded pairs – Frank and Jim in the Val Jones area, Adam and May, Rudolph and Salish in pen 5, and many others – but the essence of the attraction is comfort and familiarity. 

Boy buddies now gone: Ridley, Salty & Sid - MW

We also have our cat-magnets – our beloveds now gone across the Bridge: Mario, Salty, Daniel – and several other cats that draw other cats to them. This can be very clearly seen in the back courtyard, near the Newcomers area.  

Sprocket, Woody & Pumpkin - KN

Tabby Woody has been with us for many years, and has always been popular with other cats, but increasingly we’re seeing groups gathering around him.  His best buddy seems to be tuxedo Moxie, but recently he’s been found cuddling with Pumpkin or with Sprocket, and the latter, who began his time with us as Tiger’s buddy, has also found a following. The deck of Newcomers is their usual area.

Steele, Smithy & Quinn - KN

Six or seven yards away is another similar group – Quinn and Sylar, who hang out around Waldi’s Hut, with Smithy from pen 8.  On the fringe of that group is long-haired Steele, and Midnight, who began in the front courtyard and made his way to the back. Quinn and Sylar are tempted by food and long to get closer to tidbits, but are easily put off by braver, more assertive cats. The others know they’re being coaxed and they’re not interested! There are lots of good hiding places behind the bed-shelves and they like to stay out of sight. Other boys are less specifically a part of either group, but like to hang around in the same area – Albi, Rookie, Moxie, Skittles and several others. 

Moxie, Smithy, Quinn & Albie (Steele hiding at back) - KN

There's a similar group centered on Pen 1, and led by tabby Zivko, who can sometimes be heard calling his buddies to a Very Important Meeting

Pavel, Kevin, Zivko & Booty - LBF

It’s noticeable that the females - with the exception of Balak - tend not to hang around with these males. The Love-Birds in Pen 5 and the pen 8 girls are also inclined to stay in the area where they feel safe.  Other females stay closer to the Tea Room and the path to the back pens. It sometimes feels like the Newcomers and courtyard has a sign that says NO GURLZ ALOWD. There is no aggression – it’s just very clearly a feline Boys' Club..

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Karen Nicholson and Michele Wright

Ginger Genes

Chumley, Siskel and hissy Roland - KN

Orange cats are favourites for many of us at the Sanctuary – and their personalities are as diverse as the cats themselves. They range from cats that are loving and attention-seeking to the ones who hide away and hope you won’t notice them. 

Sweet Rodan is a barn-cat who loves people - MW

All orange cats are tabbies of one kind or another, though with some the tabby patterning may be hard to distinguish. They are predominantly male – one in five (perhaps slightly more) is female. The red colouring is on the X chromosome; females (XX) need both parents to carry the colouring pattern, males (XY) only need it from one parent. However, the same colouring patterns can create tortoiseshell and calico cats – and those cats are predominantly female.

Sprocket was still wary - MW

We’ve had a good example of this nearby. One of Richmond’s many recreational areas, the Bridgeport trail was built on a former CN rail corridor. The pathway has become well used by walkers, but also by coyotes, raccoons and an assortment of feral cats, who have found hiding places in adjacent properties. Retired RAPS volunteer Elizabeth must hang a feline “welcome” sign out, since she had brought us several cats she has trapped over the years, and trapper Stephanie knows the area well. It was Stephanie who brought us two orange boys back in 2018 – one long-hair and one short-hair, and likely brothers. She named them Rocket and Pocket – when they came to us Pocket was for some reason renamed Sprocket. In the course of the inevitable testing and neutering, it was found that Rocket was FIV+, and he was placed in the New Aids are;  Sprocket, after the obligatory cage-stay, was released in the back courtyard.

Sprocket with best buddy Pumpkin - MW

Both boys had obviously never been handled – they were true ferals.  After an initial period of hiding from everything, Sprocket made friends with Double-Wide buddy Tiger, and when Tiger was adopted, with a number of other back courtyard cats; he learned from them that humans were not as scary as they looked. He is still a little wary, but much more confident; he will allow touch, though he’s not a lap-cat, and he loves to explore.

Rocket spent a lot of time hiding and peeking out at us - LBF

Rocket, on the other hand, buddied up with a bunch of FIV+ cats who were as feral as he was, and for some time, all we would see of him would be a disappearing tail. He knew every hiding place in the pen, and when he finally ventured into the cabin, it was to get as high up and out of the way as possible.  It has taken a lot of patient work on the part of Kitty-Comforters and volunteers, but he is now allowing himself to be found within reach, and to be petted and given treats. The boy who wouldn’t allow us to look at him is now rumbling like a motor when stroked, and starting to look for attention.

Now the bum goes up for petting! - KN

In the summer of 2019 a growing colony of cats was tracked down and trapped in the same area. All the youngest ones were tamed and adopted out; but a group of then-adolescents were too old for taming to be an easy prospect and were popped into Pen 6. The majority of the colony were black – the two males we think were the primary sires (Zeus and Pax) were black, but there were a number of tortie females – and there’s that genetic link for the red colouring. 

Mercury spent his time hiding from us - LBF

One of shyest of the teens was an orange boy we called Mercury, and as he has grown, and become less terrified of us, it’s become obvious that he is related to Sprocket and Rocket, though he’s at least a year younger.  We’ve occasionally encountered Mercury and Sprocket staring at each other through the gate like mirror images.

Now he's allowing us to get much closer - LBF

Right now, the Pen 6 cats are still too wary to be released, but they are making steady progress, with play and food on offer. When they finally emerge, I will look forward to watching the two ginger boys meet in person!

Not much doubt that these two are related!  - KN/LBF

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen & Karen Nicholson