Iris

Cats have a reputation for being loners.

MW

In actual fact, like humans, they run the gamut from being antisocial with other cats and humans, to loving everyone around. They rarely go as far on that spectrum as dogs, but we have many cats who enjoy each others’ company, and love having human attention. The introverted end of the spectrum I call the Garbo cats (“I vant to be alone...”) and they usually carry that bubble of alone-ness around with them. Cat-spats most frequently happen when another cat moves into that bubble.

Timmy (left) & Leland (right) - MW

There are several front courtyard introverts who have already been introduced, and many of them can be found around the entrance to the Single-Wide.  Timmy has claimed the hallway by the door, and tends to be very unhappy when another cat moves into his space; providing different levels to sit on means that an interloper can co-exist with him if the two don’t look at each other.  Grey Leland avoids the gaze of any other cat on the principle of “If I don’t see you, you don’t exist” - but he can often be found on the porch seat with other cats steering a wide berth around him.

AM

Another porch inhabitant is Iris. This pretty girl is mostly grey with peachy markings. For the greater part she sends off a vibe of “I need my space” but she has her favourites among the volunteers, and there are several people who make a point of having Iris-time when they’re done with their shift.  And always on a Sunday, Iris will find at least one visitor who will sit with her and make her feel loved.

MW

Iris came to RAPS in April 2017, when her owner moved. As sometimes happens, she was shelter-stressed in limited space, and aggressive. In some shelters the aggressive label would be fatal, but at RAPS we are able to move a cat from Shelter to Sanctuary, and give it more time and space. I understand that her name was originally Isis, and the RAPS staff changed it – only to find that her former owner’s name was Iris!

MW

Last year we did in fact have a potential adoption for Iris, but it didn’t work out, and she came back to us. We still think there is hope for her – a home with no other cats or dogs, no children, and lots of love and patience would suit her very well.

JK

In the meantime, she confinues to claim the front steps, and to hope that someone will sit down with her and not allow other cats to muscle in on her precious time with a human friend.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Jennine Kariya, Angelina Mak, Michele Wright

A belated New Year reminder…

 

Here we are, more than halfway through January – and we still have a few RAPS calendars on hand. This is just an online reminder of some of the furry faces who should be watching over your doings, and those of your friends and family, in the coming year…

The lovely face on the front cover is that of Henrik, one of the pair we call the Sedins. Their names were actually Ethan and Simba when they came in, but this suits them much better. Poor Henrik got very matted at one point last year, and had to be taken in to the vet for what ended up looking like a lion cut.

He was not impressed!  The cat that we had all assumed was mostly fuzz turned out to be a very solid body under all the covering. These days he has a good bit more fur!

Tilty head Babylon (January) is one of the cats who has suffered from vestibular disease, which affects the inner ear. For some time the cat staggers round as if drunk, and is usually confined to the bottom of a cage lined with blankets so that falling is safe. Sometimes cats recover well, sometimes the head-tilt remains.

Babylon, interestingly, is able to straighten up, but also turns his head way round, like an owl! He also demonstrates one of the side-benefits of this scary illness – he’s much more comfortable with being handled by volunteers, and welcomes attention.
March and April give us two of the loners – Timmy and Leland are not happy campers, surrounded by so many other cats, but at least at the Sanctuary they are able to find some space to themselves; if we took them to No 5 Rd for adoption, they would have a very hard time in even closer proximity to other felines. Both cats love human attention, and might do well in a cat-savvy, single-cat household.

It was only after our pictures for the calendar were chosen that I realised that the Val family had yet again stolen the spotlight.

The picture of Latte sunning herself is a mirror image of that of her brother Silverfox, usually known as Foxy, in the 2013 calendar.

What can I say? – they’re great-looking cats!
Miss November is Autumn – and our little once-feral girl with the blonde highlights is beginning to get very brave – from a wary and hissy cat who avoided people at all costs

she has become one of the greeting crowd – especially if there aren’t too many other cats around, and she can get some attention.

There are still a few calendars left, and we’re discounting them now we’re halfway into January. Please pass the word, and if you want a copy, contact the Shelter at 604-275-2036, or contact me at brigid@uniserve.com

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos from calendar by Michele Wright and Henley Chiu
photo of Autumn hiding by Phaedra Hardman

The Garbo Cats (“I Vant to Be Alone”) – front courtyard

Many people come to visit the Sanctuary with a certain amount of hesitation; they have visions of cats in cages and of feeling that they won’t be able to leave without “rescuing” one or more cats. They are usually blown away by the peace of the place, by the beauty of the surroundings (Club Med for Cats, one visitor called it) and by how well all the cats co-exist.
For the most part, the latter is true – cats have the reputation of being loners, and not pack animals like dogs. But that’s mainly a function of their hunting habits; you aren’t going to catch a mouse if you take a bunch of friends with you. Once the mouse is caught (and eaten) cats are quite happy to go back and lounge with their buddies.
At the Sanctuary, mouse-catching is (mostly) not an issue. Cats are all spayed and neutered, so have no battles to fight over mates; there is a constant buffet of crunchies, and canned food offered in the evening, and though territorial issues may come in, there are so many cat smells that most cats just give in and let be.

The Welcoming Committee - MW

But just like humans, there are introverts and extroverts in the cat world. Any Sunday visitor knows that there will be a welcoming committee at the gate, and a press of cat bodies saying “Stroke me! Feed me!” But look around the front courtyard and you will see a few cats who choose to keep themselves to themselves.

Tigger - MW

Tigger is often found by himself in a quiet corner, though he will sometimes come out and make himself more visible. He’s a beautiful big orange and white boy, who loves human attention just as long as other cats don’t get too close. Sadly, when that happens, the human is as likely to be a victim as the other cat. He loves to climb on a shoulder and nuzzle into the hair of his human carrier.

Timmy - MW

Timmy came to us when his family took in an elderly relative who was allergic to cats. Timmy resented losing his freedom, and hasn’t settled very well – he often hangs out at the top of the stairs. Quite frequently on a Sunday, Timmy will pick one visitor and demand attention; that visitor is then expected to sit and cuddle for at least half an hour!

Leland - MW

Leland is still having a very tough time at the Sanctuary. This handsome grey boy does NOT like feline company, and lets us know it with a constant output of growls and muttering. He even needed to be medicated a bit at the beginning to ease his anxiety. But we don’t want to leave him on medication, and Leland just has to deal with other cats. He has his human favourites, though, and there are many of the staff and volunteers who will make time for him – in the right mood and with the right person, he snuggles like a baby!

Treacle - CF

If you hear a spat going on around the Hill House, it’s probably caused by one of the smaller cats. Treacle is a feisty little older girl with plenty of “tortie-tude”. A regular supervisor of quality control at mealtimes, she’s one of the few cats that likes to be picked up and cuddled, but other cats get within paws-reach at their own peril.

Treacle - DW

When we have a truly adoptable cat, we try to make sure it has its chance at the No 5 Road Shelter – the public face of our organization, and the place where all the adoptions occur. For these four, and for cats like them, the No 5 Rd Shelter can’t be an option – there’s nowhere for them to get away from other cats and they would be acutely unhappy. So they stay with us at the Sanctuary, where they can usually find their own sanctuary somewhere. Unfortunately, tension makes them develop some bad habits about where they poop and pee, which means that they’re often not a good adoption risk.  We love them anyway – and cleaning up after cats is just one of the joys of volunteering here!

Guest blogger: Brigid Coult

Photos: Michele Wright, Claire Fossey, Debbie Wolanski