Minuet

 

Minuet  (LBF)

RAPS got its beginnings through the devoted volunteers who established Richmond’s Homeless Cats back in the late ‘80s in response to the increasing number of feral cats in the municipality. Through years of TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) and of establishing the Sanctuary where urban development made releasing colonies an impossibility, numbers have gradually come under control.  But it only takes a little carelessness, and we can see how easily the population surges.

A common view of Minuet  (KN)

Before the pandemic, a well-meaning Richmond resident fed stray cats without realizing the implications. Suddenly, there were cats everywhere, and the family called on RAPS for help.  The staff took on a major trapping operation and brought them into the Sanctuary – adults, teens and kittens.  The latter were all adopted – cuteness has its uses! Two adult males, Pax and Zeus, tested positive for FIV and were moved into the Val Jones area, while most of the youngsters were put in Pen 6. Only Aphrodite eventually tamed enough to be adopted; the others are still living a semi-feral life around Pen One.  Minuet was not one of the initial colony trapped and brought in; she arrived a couple of weeks later, but it was obvious that she and Aphrodite were related, and initially she remained with her family.

Minuet's sister Aphrodite in her new home  (MD)

Given the FIV diagnosis, a careful eye was kept on the group and sadly, we discovered that Athena carried the FeLV virus, and Minuet the FIV virus, and both were transferred before the rest of the colony was released to the back courtyar – Athena into OldAids with the other leukemia cats, and Minuet into Val Jones. Unfortunately by then both Pax and Zeus had both been adopted, and poor Minuet found herself in a new area with a whole bunch of unfamiliar cats.  Like the rest of her family, she was very shy, and she took herself out of everyone’s view and found a hiding place.

Hunched on her shelf : "don't bug me!"  (KN)

Kitty Comforter Mel was not having any of this!  Mel had adopted Minuet’s sister Aphrodite, and was determined to have Minuet feeling more comfortable. She would sit beside the draped shelf where Minuet hid and offer toys and tidbits, or brush the shy girl without attempting to make eye contact. Minuet accepted this, but was not ready for more.

A floofy pile of Minuet and Jim  (MD)

And then Jim got in on the action...

Jim had come to us from Alberta with his buddy Frank, and was almost immediately comfortable with us all. He is a cuddler, a little pushy and a lot loving. He loved Frank most of all, but he had lots of love to go around, and he decided that Minuet needed it, so he moved in on her. Increasingly, we checked Minuet’s shelf to find her and Jim cuddled there. And since Jim loved being petted, Minuet learned to enjoy it as well. When Frank passed, the two became more and more an item, and Minuet began appearing in the courtyard more openly, accepting attention more from Mel and other volunteers.

Magnus and Minuet  (MS)

Now she is more relaxed and comfortable with regular visitors, joining the crowd looking for treats, pushing her way into the favoured spot under the heat lamp, and even sharing space with Magnus, who is not usually a fan of other cats. The Val Jones cats are the FIV+ cats who are most comfortable with humans, and the more likely to be adopted; Minuet would probably not handle that sort of change well unless it was to go with someone she trusted, but it is good to see her more relaxed and at home in her surroundings.

Catnip makes everything better  (KN)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Melanie Draper, Karen Nicholson, Molly Sjerdal

Oh my gods...!!

Handsome Pax - MW

It’s one of the jobs of our med staff to find names for incoming cats arriving into our care as anonymous kitties – and this is particularly a factor when we take in a colony of ferals.  When they are very young and adoptable (like the kittens at the Shelter) the names of a litter may all begin with the same letter, or they may all have fruit names or some similar theme – we know that their adopters will probably rename them, so having the perfect name isn’t really an issue. But when they come to us as feral adults or adolescents, the names they are given are the names that they will probably carry most of their lives.

Freya - Norse goddess of love - KN

Last summer we took in a big group of semi-feral cats that were being fed by a well-meaning Richmond resident, who became overwhelmed when suddenly there were kittens everywhere. Leslie and Louise spent hours trapping cats, and our team of fosterers sprang into action.  Moms and kittens went into fosterage, knowing that early handling was likely to produce more adoptable kittens. The adults and the adolescents came to the Sanctuary to be assessed, and likely to find a permanent home with us.

Odin - (a somewhat wary) Father of the Norse gods - KN

This was a big naming proposition!  What names could they have that would link them together in some way?  Leslie decided to go for the pantheon of Greek and Roman gods of mythology, and lists were generated.

Zeus, Father of the Gods - and feeling much better after eye surgery - KN

The two big black males proved to be FIV+, as is common with feral males, who can share the virus when blood is exchanged in fighting.   They were moved into the Val Jones area, with the most people-oriented FIV cats, and named Zeus, for the father of the Greek gods, and Pax (which is actually a Roman goddess’s name – though it doesn’t seem to worry him too much.  Zeus, who proved to be very friendly,  was adopted - FIV cats are good candidates for adoption as long as they are either alone or can get on with other cats.  Pax is still with us. His distinctive pointed face and luxurious mane showed up in a number of the kittens that were adopted, and also in a few of the adolescents.

The magnificent Pax - KN

Pen 6 was turned over to this group. They were too old to be easily tamed – old enough to know that humans were scary things. Old Kiko, the only resident of Pen 6 to be left, occupied the cabin, while the young ones scattered to the many other hidey-holes we’d established. When the fall gardening took out all the vegetation that screened the pen, more screening was woven in to give them a sense of privacy. Through the fall and much of the winter we would see them early in the morning or late at night; they discovered the cabin heating and many of them moved in. With spring came new bravery and an increase in visits from staff and Kitty Comforters.

Floofy Aphrodite - LBF

The most outgoing of the bunch is long-haired tortie Aphrodite – named for the goddess of love, and very lovable she is!  She has been the bravest in daring to come forward and accept treats, and finally contact; she’s also probably the most photogenic of them all.   Her short-haired tortie sister is Vesta (Roman goddess of hearth, home and family) and is much shyer; if the others are around, Vesta may come out, but she’s rarely seen alone.  You'll quite often see her with black short-haired Athena (goddess of wisdom) or twin black Atlas

Aphrodite, Athena, Vesta and Nyx - LBF

There are two long-haired black girls – probably sired by Pax. Nyx (goddess of night) and Juno (queen of the gods). At first sight they are identical, but Nyx’s eyes are yellower and Juno’s are green.

Nyx & Juno - LBF

The shyest of all of them is Mercury (the messenger of the gods, but also the Roman patron of merchants and finance!).  You can’t mistake him if you’re luck enough to see him – other than his colouring, he has a look of Pax about him, but he lacks his dad’s confidence.

Mercury - KN

We also have, from Kamloops, Freya and Odin (from the Norse mythology pantheon) and Loki, (the trickster god) who came to us separately.  We don’t yet have one named for the Egyptian cat-goddess Bastet – but there’s plenty of time, and many as-yet unnamed cats out there.

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

Jim & Frank

The Val Jones corner has seen a variety of uses and inhabitants.

Jim - MW

When it was first conceived, with a bequest from the estate of Sanctuary angel Val Jones, it was simply a couple of cabins in a quiet site – a place for the shyer cats to avoid the crowd (and in those days, it WAS a crowd!), and a nice corner to sit and cuddle with feline friends.

Frank & Jim like each other's company - DW

In 2014 we had a sudden influx of FeLV cats. Feline Leukemia is transmitted in saliva, and cats who share dishes or who groom each other may pass it around. Most small shelters don’t have space to give such cats the isolation care needed for their health and that of others, and it used to be that they were often euthanized. Many BC shelters now know about the RAPS Sanctuary, and most of our leukemia cats come from outside Richmond. There is a vaccine against the virus, but there is no cure, once it is acquired (though sometimes it goes into spontaneous remission). The Val Jones corner got fenced off, with a double-gate to prevent inadvertent escapes from either side, and the leukemia cats had more room to move around.

Frank - MW

Over the next four years the population of cats in the area declined – once cats have the virus, their immune systems are compromised, and in many cases, we don’t have them long.  At the same time, we were seeing an increase in the number of FIV cats coming into our care.  So last year the Val Jones area was sanitized, and repurposed for a group of cats from the New Aids pen, and several newcomers joined the clowder.

Jim posing - LBF

Pops and Jack Sparrow were the centre of this new group, and their mobility issues meant that floor covering was an issue, so we also needed to know that the others were not consistent pee-ers. Because the new pen was just off the main courtyard, we wanted the population to be made up of friendly cats, and there was a little mix-and-match-ing until we got a combination of cats who were confident without being too assertive. Arnie, orange Magnus, Jerry and Tia were considered the best options and the group was joined by Zeus (now adopted) and Pax, two of the adults from last year’s bounty of trapping. Shortly after, newcomers Jim and Frank arrived on the scene, and the population has stabilized there.

Jim on the prowl - MW

The newcomers were very shy when they first arrived from a shelter in Alberta, where their FIV status and wariness with humans made them unlikely candidates for adoption.  Initially they were also very wary with us – Jim had the big bug-eyed “don’t touch me” look – but by the time they’d been in the Val Jones for a little while, they were comfortable with people and confident with other cats. We already had a Jimmy, and we had cranky Frankie (and had loved and lost sweet Franko), so I wanted to change their names – perhaps Hendrix and Zappa? - but they have just remained Jim and Frank (or, as Karen calls them, FrankenJim).  Jim is a big chunk of grey fluff who loves cuddles – he’s quick to leap up on a lap, put paws up on your chest and give head-rubs. His one fault as a cuddle-bug is that he’s constantly on the move; he loves to be held, but he doesn’t relax for long.

Frank - MW

His buddy Frank is a smaller tuxie, with smoke pale fur under a black exterior - also very friendly, though less demanding of attention. A little time with Jim and Frank is usually spent with Jim bunting my face and Frank offering ankle-rubs.

Jim's look of love - KN

In these days of pandemic, with no visitors and fewer volunteers, it’s sad that more people don’t get to meet these two buddies. FIV cats are as adoptable as any – they just need to be in a situation where they don’t fight with other cats, and be monitored for health issues. Many of our FIV cats live long healthy lives, in spite of their condition, and these two would make wonderful companions.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Karen Nicholson, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

Furry Families

As we approach the Family Day weekend, I thought I’d take a look at some of the feline families that constitute the Sanctuary inhabitants.

Sandy and Pebble can never be mistaken for anything other than sisters! - KN

Because so many come in as ferals, we can’t always be sure about which cats are related – but family is family – through blood or through bonds of affection.

Mozart & Pistachio - KN

Some of last week’s blog cats are obviously family by blood – Mozart, Pistachio and Caleb have clear family resemblance. Their “teen” buddies, Leo and Benny are bonded, but not genetically related to each other or to the first three; however all are obviously “family” to each other.

In  Pen 6: Aphrodite, Athena, Vesta, Nyx - LBF

This past summer, we had a major trapping operation when a feral colony was suddenly discovered, with kittens and pregnant moms everywhere. All the kittens have been adopted, but we’re working on getting the young adults comfortable with us.  Pen 6 is now home to a colony of shy teens, and the Kitty Comforters are making slow but steady progress in coaxing them to accept attention.

Pax - MW

Zeus - now a cuddle-bug - MD

Two big black fuzzies are probably the baby-daddies to a number of the adopted kittens. Zeus and Pax now live in the Val Jones area with the other friendly FIV+ cats. Both have settled well, and may well have been strays rather than feral; however, an un-neutered cat is anxious to roam and find a female, and fighting males can easily pass FIV to each other in bites. 

Ariel - KN

Barbara - KN

One small family has joined us from Kamloops. Outside the city boundaries, another feral colony grew out of control. Private rescuers have been going in and trapping, and shelters in many places have been stepping up and taking in the less adoptable cats. We accepted Baxter, Bruley, Barbara and Ariel – knowing that the first three had a respiratory virus and would need careful tending. They have done well, and are now part of the Double-Wide population, and reunited with Ariel. Barbara is particularly loved by many volunteers; she has something of the chromosomal disorder that marked our beloved Daisy.

Honeydew, Melon, Kiwi - KN/LL

brother Shiver - MW

The three calico cats in the Connor House are obviously sisters; Melon, Honeydew and Kiwi all seem to enjoy each others’ company.  We don’t know whether their “brother” Shiver is related by blood – his appearance is nothing like the others. But more than one male cat can mate with a female, and it’s possible that in one litter you can have kittens that look radically different from each other, because half their genes are from another source.

Samantha loves to snuggle with Eclipse - KN

Without genetic linkage, there are cats that move together to make clear “families” - sometimes of semi-bonded pairs, sometimes just of individuals that like each other. Samantha likes to have “her boys” around – she is most often found snuggling with Chimo (who still misses his beloved PawPaw), but loves to be with Eclipse, and now Winston is often in the vicinity.

A sisterly grooming session with Sage & Silky

Little Barbara (above) has made herself at home on the DoubleWide deck with the feral boys - Luke, Bodhi and Hamlet are unrelated but bonded, and now they have a little adopted sister.

Barb and her boys - JK

Cats often have a reputation as loners, but at the Sanctuary we also see how important family can be to them.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Melanie Draper,

Jennine Kariya, Leslie Landa, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Under the Radar and Overhead – part 1

Pauline sent me the foundation for this blog last month, and it’s taken me way too long to get posted! In fact, she blogged about so many cats, that I decided to split it into two sections...       BC

The majestic Pax - BC

With National Black Cat Day, Black Cat Awareness Month, and Halloween all in the October rear-view mirror, spotlighting some furry black friends is way overdue.  Many new black cats have arrived this year.  They tend to be under the radar and relatively shy or feral.  These are the ones who will likely be seen on a Sunday afternoon.

A Beetle in a Box - PC

Beetle has been making more appearances in the front courtyard this year.  Recognizable by his lynx ear tips, he arrived with his sister, Cricket, in 2017.  He hides much of the time.  Now, he will hang around nearby, socializing with other cats, but just out of reach. Occasionally he takes “out of reach” very seriously, and climbs from the front courtyard glider onto one of the struts that hangs out over the courtyard. He can’t get any further, but he seems to delight in looking down on the rest of the cat-world.

Layla showing her good profile - MW

Inside the Connor House, you might see black Layla - one of several cats that came to us from a hoarding situation.  Her fluffy appearance is alluring and she’s open to pets sometimes.  Layla is quite polite.  Unlike other cats, she won’t get upset if she gets overlooked, nor swat when over-stimulated.  Too many humans and she will look for higher ground and hang out with feral Frisky.  All-black Frisky, with very few defining characteristics, spends all day on the cage top and has zero interest in humans.

Zeus on arrival and after surgery - PC

Beautiful Zeus, fully recovered - KN

Zeus is a quiet fellow picked up as part of a massive trapping effort.  He has a large fluffy head and prefers the cage top.  Zeus didn’t particularly socialize with anyone.  Approach slowly, with your hands visible, and he might allow touching.  He’s still adjusting to his new life in the Val Jones corner, but doing much better since having surgery for entropion – inward-growing eyelashes. Life as a feral cat must have been very scary for him when he couldn’t see properly, and his eyes hurt. His surgery left him looking a little like a werewolf for a while, but now he’s out of pain, he is accepting attention from the volunteers with much less fear.

Handsome Pax - MW

Found in the same area was medium-haired Pax.  Pax is labeled as semi-feral, but has a positive opinion about people.  It didn’t take long for him to purr and enjoy the comforts offered up to him.  He’s an energetic boy, who sometimes earns a timeout for roughhousing other cats. There are some strong personalities in that pen! Pax has a distinctive shaped head that leads us to believe that he is the baby daddy for a number of the kittens trapped in the same place.

Neptune - PC

FeLv+ Neptune came in with Portia and Voodoo all the way from Portland, Oregon.  Portia, who is the calendar cover star this year, is comfortable in the baskets around the outside area of the leukemia area.  Voodoo (now gone) had a tipped ear and preferred the high rafters.  Big black Neptune is still cautious around people.  Sometimes, he’ll allow me to pet his soft coat.  He might choose to sit near me or chill out overhead.  These days, he won’t go anywhere without his BFF, Henrik, and he is also very friendly with his lookalike, Chateaux.  Both black cats are shy around humans.

Cheateaux - MW

Shy and feral seems to be a theme for black felines.  Hopefully, this will help ID the small panthers you might find.  More black cats to be spotlighted in part 2!

Blog by Pauline Chin

Photos by Pauline Chin, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright