A Day for Chance

Chance in 2009  (BD)

Chance (formally Last Chance) - was an early acquaintance for me when I discovered RAPS. He was in many ways the archetypal scruffy stray, and not a cat that would easily find a home. The Sanctuary was Chance’s home, and he was loved by staff and volunteers alike until his death in 2013. Our annual summer party (cancelled for two years now, thanks to COVID-19) developed a tradition of taking a moment to remember Chance and all the cats like him who had passed through our hands. We would read the story of The Rainbow Bridge, and the names of the cats who had passed since the last Day of Chance, there were tears and happy memories – and many cats around who wanted our attention RIGHT NOW, if you please!

Sweet Sammy - newly come, and sadly, newly gone (KN)

In this blog, I always write about the beloved cats who have gone on at year-end -  and sometimes (as little as possible) when an iconic cat passes. This year we had a particularly brutal few weeks in early spring when in short order, we lost Puffin, Chateaux, Fable, Janine, Spooky, Ninja, Minnow, Skittles, Zimmer, Darwin and Shadrack – and they were memorialized in a March blog

sweet front-courtyard Fable  (MW)

On the last Saturday in August this year we are having a quiet virtual Rainbow Bridge Day for staff and volunteers, an opportunity to remember Chance and other raggedy strays, and especially the cats who have passed since last year. Here are some of our furry loves not already mentioned above. I have linked to some of their early blog entries, but you will find more by following the name listing to the right of the page.

Princess & Spike (KN)

Spike and Princess were a long-term and loving partnership – sometimes with an added buddy, though mostly just the two of them. Spike passed last November, and Princess was left on her own. We lost her just at the beginning of this month.

Elegant senior gentleman: ZeeZee  (KN)

ZeeZee was one of many senior cats who came to us when a senior owner could no longer care for them. As with a lot of the older cats, there were already health concerns, and our focus was on making sure that he felt comfortable and at home with us. ZeeZee wasn’t so keen on other felines, but he loved human attention.

Jack Sparrow & Pops  (KN)

Jack Sparrow and his father Pops came to us from a bad situation - both with considerable physical problems.  Though these two boys were adopted out last year to a home that loved them, they remained ours in our hearts. Feisty little Jack passed last spring, and Pops just this week. We are glad they are united again.

Little Mama on her shelf over the dryer  (MW)

The SingleWide is missing some big personalities in small bodies – all had been with us for most of their lives, coming in as ferals, and gradually acclimatizing to human attention. All three were part of the Dryer Gang.

Belinda & Jenny  (KN)

Belinda and Jenny became true lap-cats, loving being petted by “their” people. Little Mama was always a bit more cautious, preferring the shelf above the dryer to the cuddle-puddle on it, and then her cat-cave, where she could hide out.

Zimmer   (PH)

“Homely” is probably the best description of this sweet boy who had obviously lived a hard life as a feral, and who was terrified of us for some years. Gentle determination and good experiences finally brought him around, and in his last year with us he enjoyed being petted and loved.

Lovely Lincoln (MW)

One of two Lincolns in the back courtyard, this boy was always known as “beautiful Lincoln”. Sweet-tempered and affectionate, he is much missed.

Two sweet old ladies - Renee & Calista (KN)

These two little sisters lived here most of their lives. Calista was the shyer of the two and preferred to hang out with her buddy Jamie;  chatty Renee preferred human company, though she did not appreciate our constant efforts to keep her unmatted! Calista passed before Christmas; Renee just this past week.

You have chicken? GIVE ME!   (KN)

A loud voice was silenced when we lost Dexter. With the leukemia cats, it’s only a matter of time, but Dexter had been with us longer than most of them. We think he was deaf, and he was very vocal in getting our attention at dinner-time.

Chateaux (Ashes) and Shadow (MW)

These two boys came in together – possibly litter-brothers. At some time in the transfer there was a mix-up in names (Marianne Moore told the story) and it took a while to sort out which one was which. Shadow lived in New Aids; Chateaux proved to be FeLV+ and made his home with the other leukemia cats. The two of them passed within months of each other.

Leland  (HC)

For a grumpy guy, front-courtyard Leland was much loved. He didn’t much like other cats, but humans (especially his beloved Debbie) who would sit and cuddle him – that made him very happy.

Samantha  (MW)

In her glory days, this pretty girl was the most photogenic of the cats – the camera loved her! She was still very shy when I first met her, but social with other cats – especially her series of feline boyfriends – VanDyck, Eclipse and Chimo – all loving snuggle partners.

Staff and volunteers love working with the cats – but with so many seniors, it can be hard to come in and find that a particularly well-loved cat has passed. We constantly have to remind ourselves that if it were not for our work, many of them would have lived short stressful lives, or been euthanized as ferals. In our care they have had much love, and many of them have returned it.
 
See you on the other side of the Bridge, kitties!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Henley Chiu,  Barbara Doduk, Phaedra Hardman,

 Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

I want to take the opportunity to thank former volunteer Claire Fossey, who wrote the initial blogs (linked above) about many of these cats, and through whom I first got to know them.

We Miss Them So

 It’s been a very hard few weeks at the Sanctuary.

Puffin - MW

Many of our cats are moving into their middle or senior years, and, as with humans, life expectancy varies.  We talk about the senior cats (14 years is the equivalent to 70 or so for a human) and the SuperSeniors (15+). And as with humans, there are some that stay strong and healthy well into old age, and those who are taken by known and unknown factors much earlier.

Fable the valentine - MW

A lot of our cats are in those early senior years, and despite the work of our wonderful med staff, many manage to hide their symptoms when things begin going wrong with their bodies. Cats are hunters in the wild, but they are also prey of other creatures, and any prey animal knows that it has to hide weakness. It is not unusual for a problem to be noticed, and the cat gone within a week – once they show that something is wrong, it is too late to do anything about it.

Spooky helping with morning chores - KN

We are a no-kill organization – but that just means we won’t use excuses of behaviour and health to justify the unnecessary death of any creature. To my mind, that’s a very different business from what is true euthanasia – the release of a creature from a pain that cannot be endured. However necessary it is, though, it’s hard on staff and volunteers alike, on the hospital techs and the vets, and on those to take a beloved friend on its last journey.

Skittles - KN

So, though I prefer to write about the lives we cherish at the Sanctuary, this week’s blog is a picture tribute to Puffin, Chateaux, Fable, Janine, Spooky, Ninja, Minnow, Skittles, Zimmer, Darwin and Shadrack, all gone within a few very emotional weeks. The back stories for many of them can be found elsewhere in this blog.

Puffin - MD

Puffin, in his early days with us, had a reputation for biting – he was very much a do-not-touch-me cat. He mellowed somewhat over the years, and more recently he befriended several of the volunteers, and was an altogether more approachable prospect. We will miss the King of the Front Courtyard.

Chateaux - MW

Chateaux came to us with his brother Shadow – one to the FIV cats in New Aids and one to the FeLV cats in Old Aids.  Both boys were very shy. Chateaux was never a people-fan, but he loved his buddy Neptune – as big and black as himself.

Fable - MW

Fable came with his brother Vesper – either or both of them stress pee-ers. The two were bonded in their early days; more independent in the last couple of years. Fable adored people and took every opportunity to climb into laps.

Janine - KN

Sweet Janine was one of the shyer front courtyard cats, and the brother of friendly Jamie. She had just started to hover around when the humans she knew were working.

Spooky - MD

Stubby-tailed Spooky had had several bouts with health issues during her time with us – mostly respiratory problems and eye infections. Her recent gastric problems were probably cancer. Most cats seem to have resting bitch face - Spooky's markings always made her look as if she was smiling.

Ninja - KN

Ninja had been with us for years – basically a victim of black cat syndrome and never getting adopted. As a younger boy he lived up to his name, sprinting and climbing; he was a gatecrasher, darting in to gated pens when he could sneak past; in the last year he was a permanent resident in the bathroom of the volunteers' Tea-Room.

Minnow - MW

Pretty calico Minnow was part of a group of cats that lived together in Pen 2 for a while. Her  sister cats chose to stay with the Pen 2 crowd, but Minnow wanted more out of life, and could be found both inside and outside in other areas.  Outgoing and confident, she tolerated both cats and humans.

Skittles - BC

Skittles was my own love, moving from being a spooked feral to a cat that adored lap-time and cuddles. His brother Cadbury is warily accepting of petting; the rest of his clowder don’t want to be touched. Skittles was a gentle giant, interacting easily with humans and cats alike.

Zimmer - MW

Sweet Zimmer showed in face and body the rigors of a life as a feral cat. For much of his early time with us, he was seen only as a worried face looking down from cage-tops; in his last years he made up for it with a warm bed, many human friends, and much love.

Darwin - KN

Darwin came to us relatively recently with seizure problems, and needed a longer cage-stay to make sure we really had it under control. Visits to him in his cage were at floor-level, and were much appreciated - he loved to be cuddled, given half a chance. Release allowed him to explore and make more friends. In the end, though, it was a mouth cancer rather than a seizure that necessitated his passing.

Shadrack - BC

Shadrack is another big loss for me. I first got to know him as a shy cage-top cat in the Double-Wide, wanting attention (and chicken) but wary of venturing down.  Over the course of the eleven years I've known him, he's become a confident explorer, a lap-cat, and remained a determined chickaholic. 

Ninja in his active climbing days - MW

In the past year, we have adopted out many of the Sanctuary cats that had formerly been labelled as “unadoptable”, to loving, cat-savvy homes who have been able to deal with the behavioural issues that had kept them with us. We’re sad to see them go, but excited for them as well.  

Fable and Vesper were always together
when they first came to us - MD

But the departures such as the ones we’ve had in the last couple of weeks are hard on everyone. We have to hold faith that we gave a better option for most of these cats, for life would have been harder and shorter in the wild or at a facility that was not no-kill. They have known love and safety with us, and our lives have been richer for time with them.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Melanie Draper, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Francis

MW

Many of the cats in what we call New Aids are FIV+ males – Feline Immunodeficiency Virus is most commonly transmitted in blood through bites inflicted by feral males doing battle over access to females. And almost every case, whether the cat is feral or tame, this has happened because the cats in question have never been spayed or neutered. 

KN

Some of our guys have come into us as very friendly boys – they may once have had careless owners, but they are used to human contact.  Others are definitely feral, and both staff and volunteers may take years in getting them to the point at which they will relax with us.

Zimmer & Tiberius used to watch warily from the cage-tops

Zimmer wants love from Mel;
Tiberius hopes Karen has tidbits!

Sweet old battered Zimmer, and feisty little Tiberius are two of the cats that are gradually coming around; having spent most of their time hiding away on the cage-tops, both are living at floor-level now. Zimmer loves to be petted and comes for some lap-time;  Tiberius is happiest when chicken bits are on offer – bribery was the way to his heart.

Don't bug me!  - KN

There are probably volunteers who have not yet encountered Francis. For much of his time with us, this handsome boy has stayed out of sight unless he really knew the human intruder. When he first came to us he was one of the escape risk cats, and would climb between the wall of the enclosure where the rabbits once lived, and the netting over the pen, so that one could look up and see this cat-shaped lump pretending that he wasn’t there. All the outside of the pen needed to be reinforced – we don’t like to think of cats escaping with local coyotes on the loose.

Francis hangs out with Drake - as shy as his buddy  -  KN

Francis has lots of other places to hide. He rarely goes inside the cabin, but there are many kennels and cat-beds from which he can choose, and he can often be found right at the very back, in what we call the Prince of Wales pen, with the other ferals.

MW

Very few of our Sanctuary cats are pure-bred – and those that are, frequently come with behavioural problems. Francis is so beautiful, I was sure there had to be some deliberate breeding there – but I couldn’t find anything that perfectly matched his appearance. He’s more or less a seal-point, with dark face and legs, and blue eyes, his facial markings are tabby, and all his floof indicates some ragdoll – but he doesn’t ever relax enough with us to give us the behavioural indications of a ragdoll. It’s sad to think that a cat that may come from a breeding intended to give us a relaxed happy animal is so anxious and fearful.

KN

Francis has been with us for more than two years now, and we have in fact seen progress; I find that I can sit in the courtyard with the other cats without him hiding, though he still doesn’t much like to be approached.  At least, he knows with us that he’s safe, he has regular food and water, and other timid cat-buddies with whom to snuggle.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

April 2021: We lost our beautiful boy quite suddenly. He had become much more friendly with his human care-givers, and was allowing petting. Sadly, a sudden gall-bladder infection proved inoperable, and we had to free him from pain.
Much loved - even when he didn't really love us...

Tiberius

MW

A visit to the AIDS cats usually generates a certain amount of interest from the inhabitants.

Waiting hopefully for treats - MD

The greeting committee is usually active – and usually food-motivated. Arnie and Norman tend to be anxiously hovering, and they used to be joined by Randy and Popeye – the latter two now happily adopted together.  Other cats, like Boomer, are less interested in the food and more in the attention.  Out in the courtyard there are usually suspicious eyes watching – Francis and his friends are not yet ready to be approached. And in the main cabin, there are always the more timid cats hiding on the upper levels.

BC

If chicken is in fact on offer, there’s always one little tuxedo who dithers around on the catwalks until the lure of a treat becomes too much, and he ventures to accept a tidbit from arms-length, or to venture down the ramp to get a bit closer.

Tiberius's friend Zimmer is a much more stereotypical
feral ex-tomcat   -  BC

Tiberius has been with us for several years, arriving with a group of cats who had been found at Point Roberts, and trapped by VOKRA (Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association). Their excellent work is focused on rescuing and trapping young moms and kittens, and finding homes for them by means of fostering. They don’t have the facilities to deal with cats with long-term health concerns, and RAPS will often take from them the cats that need specialized care. Four of the five ferals from Point Roberts were AIDS-positive – the fifth was feral. Survival as a feral male cat inevitably involves some battles with other cats. And since the auto-immune virus is transmitted in blood, the cats who come to us from that background are more likely to carry it.

MW

Many of those unneutered males come to us with the bulk and jowly heads of a classic tom-cat. Tiberius doesn’t fit that pattern. He may simply have been under-nourished to attain full growth, but he has a slight build, and he’s skittish rather than aggressive. He’s not been a cat that can easily be approached; the upper-level cat-walks were built to allow cats to get away from us, and he has usually taken full advantage of that. For some years he was an outdoor cat by preference, and frequently acquired the matted dreadlocks of a long-haired feral, which needed to be shaved under sedation.

BC

In the last year or so, Tiberius has moved with more comfort between courtyard and cabin, and has now progressed to coming forward to accept tidbits from a human hand at floor-level. He is looking more relaxed and less skittish – a sudden movement will startle him, but he doesn’t go far, and with patience, he is approaching more and more easily. Inside the AIDS cabin, his preference is still for the upper shelving, but he no longer shies so quickly from the petting hand. He’s not ready to be a lap-cat like Boomer yet, but it’s very satisfying to see that he finally accepts that we’re friends and no longer to be seen as something to fear.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Melanie Draper, Michele Wright

Ears!

A few months ago I blogged about the variety we find in cats’ eyes, and I’ve been looking round the Sanctuary at the similar variety found in feline ears.

The primary differential is whether the basic shape is rounded or more pointed. There are a lot of rounded ears to be seen, and the proportion of ear to skull shape can make that more or less obvious.

Careen - MW

Other ears are more pointed, and in many cases, the point is emphasized by a little tuft of hair at the apex – a lynx-tip.  Sometimes the tuft is the same colour as the cat, which enhances the point;

Chatter & Colin (MW)

in others, the lynx-tip provides colour-contrast.

Emery (MW) & Faline (BC)

Ears are a part of body-language; we all recognize the flattened airplane-ears of a fearful or angry cat

Ringo  (BC) and Janine (MW) in hiding

Presley  (AL)

though in some cases flattened ears are just the way that cat is made

Emo Pickles relaxed & happy (PH)

When doing TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) it is common to notch or snip the ear of a neutered cat so that it is clear that it doesn’t need to be trapped again when the colony is checked.  Most of our cats have unmarked ears because they come to us from having been spayed/neutered.  Little Marilee is one of the exceptions; when she was first TNR’d she was returned to her colony with the common clipped ear; it was only when her tail became injured and had to be amputated that it was decided that she needed to remain with us rather than return to her colony.

Marilee (MW)

Haematoma ear is seen in a number of cats. An infection or a bruise can cause painful swelling between the skin and cartilage of the ear. Untreated, it fills with blood and then easily bursts, causing the ear to crumple. If it can be caught early enough, it is possible to minimize the damage.

Little Orange (MW)

Little Orange’s ear swelling was discovered early enough that just the top of the ear flap was affected. He was not the most cooperative of patients!

Bossanova (MW)

Bossanova came to us as a feral with his ear already well crumpled. Left to itself the haematoma will heal, but unevenly, leaving the feline equivalent of a “cauliflower ear”

Cara (CF)

Long-time volunteers will remember double-haematoma cat Cara, who had both ears affected – it never seemed to bother her!

Especially among the formerly unneutered male cats (many of them inhabitants of the New Aids pen) we see evidence of a life that involved fighting for their lives – and battered ears are definitely a common casualty.

Sweet battered Zimmer  (MW)

It is interesting that ear-hair, something that is SO aesthetically displeasing in humans, can be so pretty in cats.
Here are some of our feather-iest ears!

OJ  (MW)

Holland (MW)

Princess Diva (MW)

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Claire Fossey, Phaedra Hardman, 
Ari Lioznyansky, Michele Wright