Chirpy

Pet me now, please....  (MW)

This sweet girl is another of the cats who has come to us because of “inappropriate urination” - she pees in the wrong places.
     Cat owners seem to be divided by those who would do ANYTHING for their cats, and those who can’t be bothered to track down whether it’s a stress thing or a physical thing, and just open the door and let the cat go.  In the former category are people like Ollie’s owners who put up with his peeing for some years, trying every possible fix, before they finally brought him to us.. A surrender like this is not just a drop-off;  with the history of a cat like Ollie or Chirpy, it’s unlikely they will ever be adopted out, and a surrender to the Sanctuary involves a cat’s-lifetime sponsorship.

Looking for love...  (KN)

Chirpy actually came to us from Alberta.  Her owner had heard about us from the Meow Foundation, who sent Algy to us. Like us, they are a no-kill organisation, but Algy had aggression problems that they couldn’t deal with, and he’s better with us where he can hide and wander when the mood gets him. The woman had taken Chirpy in, but she’s another of the “I vant to be along” Garbo cats, and did not get along with the original cat in the household. The owner grabbed at the hope of RAPS as a way of saving Chirpy, brought her out to see for herself, inspected the Sanctuary, paid to sponsor her, and flew back the same day leaving the Chirpster in our care.

This was not a quick or easy decision; Chirpy was well-loved and a surrender is a big financial decision. But knowing that a cat will be loved and cared for at RAPS is a big factor for many owners faced with a hard choice.  And Chirpy is indeed well-loved by us - and her former owner, who misses her greatly, stays in touch.  It feels like failure, for her - but failure would be dumping the cat at a shelter where she would be put down, or risking her life as a cat forced to live outdoors.  This was a decision made with much love, for the best welfare of a beloved pet.

Helping to garden....   (KN)

Chirpy has made the Connor building her home.  Living with one cat was evidently not to her taste; living with a lot of them has to be stressful - and this 9-year old girl is on a mild anti-anxiety medication to help her cope.  But she’s learning from the best – sweet old Tigger who also lived in the Connor, and regularly demonstrated how to ignore all the other cats around him. Chirpy likes a little human contact; she has her special people she loves, and she will happily visit with others for a short while. But let another cat come within view, or request human attention, and she’s outta there!

Chirpy guarding the Connor entrance (AP)

There are lots of corners for her to hide out – her favourite thing is to take over an empty cage for her exclusive use and hiss at any other cat who comes near. She’ll sometimes be found outside, wandering around and exploring or “helping”. It’s unfortunate that most of the really cat-savvy people who might take a cat like Chirpy already have a cat – or two, or three...   She needs a home as an only cat, with someone who can read her body-language – give her love when she needs it and back off when she wants space.  The Sanctuary is the next best thing, where she gets some of the things she needs, and we can just mop up after her “accidents”.

The anxious stare...(KN)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson, Anne Parker, Michele Wright

 

Titan and Dixie

KN

Litter-mates Titan and Dixie came to us from one of the shelters with which we work elsewhere in the province. Masset Animal Helpline serves Haida Gwaii, and sent us this pair who had been adopted and then abandoned when the owners moved. Because they had been living most of their lives outside the home, they were unsocialised and not considered adoptable. Pacific Coastal Airlines generously flew them down for free and we were able to pick them up at the South Terminal.

LBF

A very shy pair in their early days with us, they huddled in their cage in the Connor and didn’t want to respond to overtures from the Kitty Comforters.  Once the cage was opened, Titan, the braver of the two, went exploring, and for a while the two were separated when he seemed to be unable to find his way back to his sister.  Titan has always been the venturesome one – when you see an unfamiliar orange front courtyard cat, it’s probably him – Little Orange has those distinctive haematoma ears, and Tigger has quite defined white markings.

The other orange boys: Tigger & Little Orange - MW

Dixie - BC

For a while we had Dixie caged for medical care, and once released she zeroed in on the feral area as a place to feel safe.  In the very early days of the Sanctuary, there were rabbits as well as cats, and a covered courtyard space is known as the Old Rabbit Area. It is noted particularly for its draped shelves, well suited for scared ferals to feel they have a hiding place. Dixie has chosen “her” shelf, hoping to avoid contact with more than the occasional human visitor.  Not having weekend visitors during this COVID-19 time has actually been something of a blessing for the ferals.  We try to keep the Old Rabbit Area off-limits to visitors, but the cats are aware of new people around, and a bit on edge.  With no visitors, they seem much more relaxed.

Titan - KN

Titan has made himself at home, without settling in one place. He’s a cat that walks by himself, mostly – he tolerates other cats, but doesn’t interact with them much.  However, he does go and visit with his sister from time to time. He is starting to allow contact with humans; he will usually shy away unless he knows you, but his favourite people are allowed to offer gentle petting and treats. We hope that he can persuade Dixie that she should try it too.  Dixie accepts contact reluctantly, being cornered in her bed. The med staff have been bringing her tasty plates, so she is being more enthusiastic about what the appearance of a human might mean.

a happily-fed Dixie - BC

The two are very similar in appearance, but it’s on the rare occasions that Dixie ventures out that we see the big difference – she’s a “longy” - a cat with a stumpy tail, like Spooky in the back courtyard. This doesn’t necessarily make her a manx – manxes are about much more than the length of their tails. But it does make her more easy to identify!

Safe together - MS

Fourteen years ago RAPS founder Carol Reichart brought two orange siblings into the Sanctuary. Daniel and Henrik were a much loved pair – we lost Daniel last year and Henrik very recently.  It’s good to have a pair of orange siblings with us again in the front courtyard! Welcome to RAPS, Titan and Dixie!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Liaa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, 

Molly Sjerdal & Michele Wright