Best Bros

Whiskers & Jinx love each other!  (BC)

Whiskers and Jinx appeared on RAPS radar as a stray pair found in Richmond some years ago.  Even at that stage, it was obvious that they belonged together, and the woman who adopted them acknowledged that they shouldn’t be separated, and took them both. They were obviously well-loved, but when she had to move, she was not able to take them with her, and they returned to our care in the Adoption Centre.

Together is always better (KH)

They came to us about two years ago, around the time we had several other multiple adult groups who were not necessarily good candidates for the adoption centre.  These two tabby boys were located to the SingleWide trailer, with the other two groups in the DoubleWide.

On guard at the door  (KN)

The three big cats we collectively called the Dumplings were adopted together in early 2024;  the other pair, Riker and Kramer, proved not to be bonded to each other, and Riker was adopted, while Kramer is still with us – he is friendly, but reserved and prefers to remain mostly out of sight when visitors are around.  

Handsome Kramer is not interested in being adopted  (BC)

Whiskers and Jinx are about 8 years old, and many visitors have asked about them, but both have bad bathroom habits; Whiskers in particular likes to pee on anything that takes his fancy, so he’s not a good candidate for adoption.  In addition, he has asthma, and his care includes the need for regular treatment with an inhaler. When there are so many cat-smells, it's not unusual to find them marking used laundry; it might not happen in their own home, but that's not a risk adopters often want to take.

Beautiful Jinx  (MW)

Jinx is the smaller of the pair, with the same sweet face and big eyes that make Celeste so appealing. He is also the cuddlier boy, happy to take an available lap, and claim it for as long as possible. Some cats come up into a lap, and stand on it, or climb around or ask for treats;  Jinx is a sit-down-and-snooze boy; be prepared to take your time with him! Though not the cuddler that my friend Elvis was, Jinx will reach up and give small kisses with his rough little tongue.

Whiskers: Lord of all he surveys  (KH)

Whiskers is more dominant, bossier with the other cats, generally active. He likes attention from humans, but is definitely not as restful as his brother. The two of them can often be found together as the Dryer Duo – longtime Sanctuary visitors and volunteers will remember the Dryer Gang, who always occupied the prime real estate just inside the door: Simone, Bantam, Chickadee and their buddies – all gone now.

A little longer in the warmth?  (KH)

Occasionally the boys will come and “help” with the laundry, waiting until the dryer is emptied to enjoy the remaining warmth until the next load of damp towels is tossed in – at which point they exit with disgusted expressions.  

Sleeping is better when the belly is cooler  (KH)

Their favourite place is what Kim calls “the bunk beds”:  one on the window shelf above the dryer, one on the dryer itself. Sleeping solo, Whiskers will often wind himself into complex yoga positions, sometimes curled tightly, sometimes sprawled in abandon.  The two of them can often be found sleeping together, wrapped up in each other’s paws. They don’t care that they don’t have a home of their own; all’s well while they have each other!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Adopted - adoptable...

Smithy is the quintessential non-adoptable cat!  KN

For many years, visitors to the Cat Sanctuary have had the cats introduced as “unadoptable” – and for many of them, that’s just what they are:  scared ferals, cats with bad habits like aggression or litter-box avoidance, and cats with a variety of medical problems. When I first came to volunteer, we did minimal adoptions – perhaps ten in a year – and most of those went to volunteers who had bonded with the cats in question.

Both Twinks (formerly Peony) and Scooter (formerly Larkin)
came from the Sanctuary  (BJ)

But we’ve always had a number of what I would call stage-two ferals – cats who had come in wild and unsociable, and who had gradually eased into loving relationship with staff and volunteers. A great deal of the wariness about adopting out these semi-ferals came out of experiences where cats (Esme & Jenny, for instance) were adopted out, and then totally freaked out in their new homes, cramming themselves into inaccessible corners, and reverting to their former feral behaviour. In those situations, staff from RAPS went out to re-rescue the fearful cats, who were returned to the Sanctuary, to remain there for the rest of their lives.

The formerly feral Horatio became Louise's lap-cat (MW)

Looking back, it is easy to see that a number of steps were missed – there was not enough time given for the cats in question to bond with the adopter, there was no education about the adoption process, and there was no remedial action other than retrieving the cats. The mindset was on rescue and not on other possibilities.  Thanks to the work that has been done by cat behaviorists in the last decade, and experts like Jackson Galaxy and Pam Johnson-Bennett, we know much more about the processes that will work, from both ends of the adoption process.

75% of feral kittens don't survive to 6 months;
these babies will live, thanks to Lisa & Ken    (LBW)

The Adoption Centre deals primarily with the outcome of our rescue work; any time the team brings in a colony, there are practically always pregnant moms and kittens. We are lucky to have several wonderful fosterers who will watch over births, help new moms, and teach kittens that humans are to be trusted. When the kittens are old enough for adoption, they are brought to the Adoption Centre, where they can be visited; their adoption fees cover the cost of all their vaccinations and spay/neutering, for which their families bring them back to the RAPS Hospital.

Ernie, missing his Bert   (KN)

But though kittens are the biggest draw for visitors, they’re not the only inhabitants. We also take in surrendered cats, coming to us for a variety of reasons – usually humans who are no longer able to care for them. A senior pair, called Bert and Ernie, came in to us recently – very loveable and very unhappy about the change in their situation. They were checked over – there were some concerns about Ernie’s health – and caged together, with a request to the Kitty Comforters that they should be visited. Sadly, it was Bert whose health suddenly failed, and poor Ernie was left alone. Thankfully, someone stepped up, and Ernie has happily gone to a foster home where he will be well-loved for the rest of his life.

Benjamin & Olivia - gone to their new home  (BC)

While saying goodbye to Ernie, I heard that Benjamin and Olivia had also been adopted, which is wonderful news after all they’ve been through. The next cat in the Adoption Centre that we’ll all be rooting for is Greyson, discovered to have an infected eye probably caused in a fight; Greyson’s now one-eyed, but once recovered, will be someone’s beloved feline – he’s very chatty and friendly.

Greyson is loving the chance to explore, as he recovers  (ML)

Busy as the Adoption Centre is, some of the adoptable Sanctuary cats remain in the Sanctuary itself.  We are still hoping for homes for Whiskers and his brother Jinx, though the presence of other cats is starting to lead to some "stress pee-ing". But weekend visitors from the end of March will also encounter a variety of cats wearing “adoption bandanas”. These are not cats that we want anyone to point at, and say “I want that one!”, but they are cats that we hope visitors will sit down with, and get to know – preferably with repeated visits to give the cat a chance to bond with the human.  Sometimes we can ID the perfect cat for you – I still smile to think about how Strike “claimed” his new person last year, and how happy Elvis is with his family.

We miss our handsome Strike - but we know
he's happy in his new home   (KN)

Some of the potentially adoptable cats are still new to us, and finding their way – Truffle, Malibu and their crowd; some are part of the FIV cat community, and are not seen by all the visitors, but just love attention – Biggie, Simon, Billy Ray...  Even a couple of the FIV cats are adoptable by someone who can give them the special care they need.

Biggie loves nothing better than a good cuddle (BH)

What they all have in common is that any potential adoption needs a great deal of patience and time; most of them will not go home with you and settle in as if nothing has happened. The 3-3-3 rule is a really good one to bear in mind:
    • In the first three days: mostly in a quiet small space, with litterbox, bed and toys; let them approach you
    • In the first three weeks: allowing exploration at the cat’s pace, establishing a routine, finding a vet
    • by three months: comfortable with their space and their people, starting training

Some cats will adjust faster, but the failures usually happen when they are expected to do so more quickly, as with sweet Holly last year – her family returned her without giving her time to acclimate to a new environment – they wanted the relationship to be “right now”, and she was still scared. 

Holly's happier back with her cat-family  (KN)

The volunteers remain in prime position to bond with adoptable cats. I’ve not had a chance to blog about sweet Mortimer (mostly because he’s a black cat, and they’re notoriously difficult to get good photographs of!), but he came to us recently as a pretty reactive and sassy tom-cat, has had his neuter, and blossomed into a lap-cat (and an under-the-feet cat); he’s being adopted by a volunteer who fell in love with him while working in the DoubleWide. 

Chubby-cheeks Mortimer  (BC)

So if you’re coming to visit the Sanctuary from Easter weekend onwards and are thinking about adopting, think also about the personality that would attract you – do you want shy and gentle? active and inquisitive? a lap-sitter or a little aloof? a loner or cat-sociable? And then take your time to allow the cat to learn that you can be trusted to give them all they need to feel loved for the rest of their life.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Brielle Hutchison,
 Bev Johnston, Mandy Lichtmann, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Finding Homes for Multiples

Purrito and Potsticker

Some of the cats that come into our care at the Sanctuary are cats that don’t like other cats. At the Sanctuary, that’s actually not an issue – they can find space for themselves and avoid unnecessary encounters. And if that dislike results in peeing and marking – well, we can always do more laundry!

Dumpling

Occasionally they will do really well in a home if they are the Only Cat – where they can claim the territory for themselves and have all the attention of their human.  But when it comes to adopting out cats and kittens, we usually suggest that people adopt a pair – especially when it comes to kittens – or to match a new cat to the social nature of their existing cat.  

Jinx

Currently we have the situation of several bonded adult cats in our care, cats that we feel should be kept together if possible. These are cats who have a clear preference for each other’s company, and who we think would be unhappy to lose friend or sibling. All of them are very sweet cats, tame and sociable.

Whiskers

In the SingleWide are 7-year old brothers Whiskers and Jinx.  They were caged together initially, and when released they wandered freely in the area – not necessarily together – but they can often be found in company, and sharing the couch with a volunteer or visitor.

Whiskers specializes in "yoga sleeping" - AG

They’ve had an enforced separation recently, when Jinx had some necessary dental surgery and was caged to recover, so it will be interesting to watch the re-establishment of the bond. Whiskers regularly visits with his brother and talks through the cage door.

Kramer & Riker

In the DoubleWide are Kramer and Riker. Both boys had originally come from us, and were returned when there were family difficulties; Riker is about two years old and Kramer several years older. 

Kramer is very regal!

Kramer is a big tabby boy, probably with some Maine Coon in him (though not the pointed ears!); he was very wary and reactive initially, but has calmed down a lot, and now solicits petting. A lot of his comfort, I think, derives from the company of his buddy Riker. Riker is also a tabby, but with a lot of reddish fur – he’s a very beautiful boy. He’s also probably got some ragdoll in his make-up – he just loves to be picked up and cuddled, and is happy to be held on his back and have his tummy rubbed.

Riker is more curious, and loves lap-time

Our DoubleWide cages are much larger than the ones in the Adoption Centre where the kittens are kept, but for two big boys, it’s still a bit cramped, so Riker and Kramer have a duplex – we cut a small panel between cages so they can choose where to be. Sometimes they’re in separate areas; sometimes they’re visiting together.  We’re reluctant to let them out with the other cats, because we don’t want them to get used to going outside; when RAPS adopts cats out, we require a commitment to keep them as indoor cats. We can also keep them safer from infections in a confined area. But we’d love to see the two of them go to a good home where they can roam the house.

Pussycat pile

The other duplex in the DoubleWide is the home of not two, but three large cats. Potsticker, Dumpling and their sister Purrito were dumped without any explanation. The three of them are beautiful healthy cats in good condition, so someone loved them, but we have no knowledge of their background. They love attention and petting – Potsticker is the attention hog – and though Dumpling was initially a bit reactive when he arrived, like Kramer, he has relaxed and taken comfort from his cage-mates.

Purrito - all the cuteness!

Finding an adopter for three big beautiful cats is not easy – thinking of taking two is feasible, but three...  But these three need to be together – so we keep looking for a situation where they can have room to explore and be at home, with lots of love and attention.

Dumpling

There are always lots of kittens looking for homes, and single adult cats – but it’s so much harder to find homes for multiples.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Akira Graham