Mr Belvedere

Mr Belvedere came in with the same group of cats that includes Mario and Tawny.

photo by Barbara

Like Tawny, he was living in the back pens and it was time spent in a cage for medical treatment that helped him bond with the humans at the sanctuary.

He got his name from Leslie's husband, who was keen to call a cat at the sanctuary Mr. Belvedere. When Mario & Co. were brought in, among them a cat with tuxedo markings suitable for the namesake of the TV butler, Leslie was able to bestow the name as requested.

Although friendly when approached, it's possible to spend quite some time at the sanctuary without getting to know Mr. Belvedere. I was introduced just the other day after Ann happened to come across him and was so taken by his striking looks that she e-mailed me describing her "face across a crowded room" experience with this cat I just had to meet. Leslie looked all over for him for us (for once he was not hanging out with his buddy Tawny), eventually finding him snoozing on top of the cages in the doublewide.

At first he didn't look likely to move from his comfy bed, but before long he climbed on out and then it was all purrs and face rubs.

For anyone who hasn't become acquainted with Mr. Belvedere yet, seek him out. You'll both be very glad you did.

Tawny

When a group of cats was trapped in East Vancouver a number of years ago, the tamest of them, our now famous Mario, was kept indoors where staff could work with him further. The other, shier, cats were released into one of the back pens, Tawny among them.

 photo by Barbara

Leslie thinks Tawny may even be Mario's brother - entirely possible since they came from the same place.

RAPS staff did later get a chance to work with Tawny and help him become more comfortable around people when he was ill and had to be caged for treatment. Now, while still a bit on the skittish side, he'll allow himself to be approached. When it comes to people he knows, stroking is quite OK too.

Even so, like Mario, it's still his cat friends he loves best.