Odin

 

Odin  (KN)

Odin came to us a couple of years ago at the same time as some of the many cats transferred early in our relationship with the Kamloops rescue and I’ve always thought of him as part of that group, but I now understand that he was a transfer from a Pemberton shelter. Many of the small shelters can’t afford to keep semiferals for long, and RAPS was glad to offer him an alternative.

Thinking about receiving a visitor  (LBF)

He spent his quarantine period in a cage in the DoubleWide, and volunteers quickly found that he was a cat who was happy to receive attention while he was there.  He’s a handsome black boy who can be told apart from all the other black boys by the little flecks of grey in his fur. He was a little timid at first, but as soon as he got to know his visitors, he was happy to receive petting and grooming, and would grab my hand gently if he thought I was about to leave his cage.

Come back! I'm not finished!  (BC)

Once he was released, he decided Sanctuary life was a little overwhelming. Initially he insisted on staying in his cage, but visits from assertive cats like Jasper convinced him that he needed to relocate, and he joined the shy cats on the back deck.  For a while it was hard to convince him that he was still safe, and often we had to get down on the floor to coax him out from under the big armchair!

Coaxing him out from hiding (BC) 

With the coming of the warmer weather, Odin was one of the Deck cats that managed to venture getting through the DoubleWide and the laundry room, and he succeeded in reaching the back courtyard,  He has made himself at home mostly in Pen 1 – only occasionally in the cabin itself, and more often in the kennels along the back fence.

On the prowl (LBF)

He socializes with the other cats, especially Rico, though he’s not really part of Zivko’s Boys’ Club.  He’s wary of humans, though he watches for his favourite people, and is glad of a visit;  recently we’ve been seeing him in other areas around the courtyard, though Pen 1, and the seats under the tree are his favourite places.

Around the back kennels   (KN)

Odin’s typical of the sort of cat that does best with us – he’s not really adoptable, unless it was to someone he bonded with. Right now he’s happy living semi-feral, but having the best of both worlds, with space to do his own thing, and food and company available whenever he wants it.  

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

A Needy Friend

Zivko - MW

Zivko came to us one of a group of cats “graduated” to us from the City Shelter about six years ago. Sometimes cats don’t do well at the Shelter for one reason or another, and they may be very hard to adopt out. This particular group, placed into Pen 2, included slightly aggressive cats (like Sophie), cats with bad bathroom habits (like Celeste) and many very shy cats. I blogged about them in three separate sessions, of which "Too Many Tabbies" was the second, introducing the personalities that were Sophie and Celeste, Calvin and Chase, and Zivko. The latter was definitely one of the shyer cats, and spent much of that first summer hiding in the back of the pen.

Zivko enjoying the sun - KN

As the years have passed, Zivko’s purrsonality has bloomed.  Once Pen 2 was opened, its inhabitants sorted themselves into the ones who preferred to remain in known territory, and those who decided they were outta there. Sophie is a TeaRoom cat; Celeste lives in the DoubleWide, Minnow and Tubby (both of whom have passed now) also preferred to be around the TeaRoom. Zivko remained where he was for a while, and then largely relocated to Pen 1, where he has established himself as the leader of a “boys’ club”. There is evidently some magnetic attraction, because when he calls out, they come running to be with him.

Licks for his buddy Booty - KN

Ringo came to us at much the same time as the Pen 2 cats, but was trapped near the hospital. His companion, Guinness, was diabetic, and sadly, we got him too late to be able to get it under control. Ringo was one of those always-terrified ferals. 

On the DW Deck

When finally released from his cage, he made his way to the DoubleWide Deck and climbed into the highest, most inaccessible corner, refusing to be tempted by treats or toys. We simply had to let him be, and give him time to make his own moves.  Gradually, he was more frequently reported being seen inside the DoubleWide – preferably when there was nobody but the med staff around.  It took about two years for him to venture through the laundry room to the DW door and to the courtyard access. He stuck there for a while – he didn’t want to go inside again, but he didn’t want to leave familiarity completely, so he holed up in one of the beds hidden by the steps. 

Ringo always has the wide-eyed feral look - KN

Gradually Ringo has progressed into being a back courtyard cat. He’s most often found out and around at early morning and in the evening, and tucks himself away in his entrance-area bed most of the day. He reminds me of that loner kid at school who can’t quite break in on all the social groups, and quietly entertains himself. He likes to poke around in the flower-beds and will occasionally find something to play with. He is one of those cats who has a fascination with his own tail-tip, and (tubby boy that he is) rolls around trying to catch it. He doesn’t want human attention – he would prefer that we didn’t actually look at him – but he’s beginning to realise that nobody is out to hurt him. Despite his build, he’s not really food-motivated, though he is starting to accept treats as long as they are tossed to him – there’s no way he will accept food from the hand.

Zivko and Ringo - BC

Ringo’s biggest discovery has been Zivko – and he has a serious crush on his buddy. Zivko already has a following: his friends from Pen 2 – Pavel and Booty and Kevin – and they’ve teamed up with the ginger boys in Pen 1 – Juvie and Chumley and Siskel. But any time Ringo sees Zivko, he hurries to be with him, following wherever he goes, anxious not to be left behind. He doesn’t seem to have migrated to living with the others, and isn’t part of the lounging parties in Pen 1, but his anxiety to be with Zivko probably means that it’s not far away.  This is not the mutual bromance we saw with Vesper and Fable; it’s pretty one-sided, but Zivko is accepting and tolerant about it.

"Will you be my friend?" - MW

Both cats are still very much ferals.  Zivko doesn’t fear us in the way that Ringo does, but he’s not friendly, as his former friends Calvin and Chase have proved to be. And that’s just fine. We’re always excited when a feral makes the breakthrough in relating to humans for pleasurable contact, but we also accept it that some will never make that breakthrough and will likely always remain reserved. That’s a big part of why we are what we are – cats who remain feral are not seen as failures, but just accepted as “that’s the way things are at RAPS Cat Sanctuary” 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Boys' Club

Luke, Bodhi, Guthrie - KN

 Because RAPS came into being through the efforts of founder Carol Reichert and her supporters to get all our Richmond feral cats spayed and neutered, that vital operation happens for every cat that comes into our care at the Sanctuary.

Pax - KN

Sometimes it comes a little late – handsome Pax has no doubt sired many of the kittens that have been adopted out in the last year, and may be father of some of those currently in residence. Every kitten that leaves the Shelter leaves with the promise of spay/neuter when they are old enough. And gradually, other than in hoarding situations, we hope that the feral population is dwindling.

Tuxie Frank and his grey buddy Jim are known as FrankenJim - KN

So sexual instincts don’t come into play with our cats. We certainly have our bonded pairs – Frank and Jim in the Val Jones area, Adam and May, Rudolph and Salish in pen 5, and many others – but the essence of the attraction is comfort and familiarity. 

Boy buddies now gone: Ridley, Salty & Sid - MW

We also have our cat-magnets – our beloveds now gone across the Bridge: Mario, Salty, Daniel – and several other cats that draw other cats to them. This can be very clearly seen in the back courtyard, near the Newcomers area.  

Sprocket, Woody & Pumpkin - KN

Tabby Woody has been with us for many years, and has always been popular with other cats, but increasingly we’re seeing groups gathering around him.  His best buddy seems to be tuxedo Moxie, but recently he’s been found cuddling with Pumpkin or with Sprocket, and the latter, who began his time with us as Tiger’s buddy, has also found a following. The deck of Newcomers is their usual area.

Steele, Smithy & Quinn - KN

Six or seven yards away is another similar group – Quinn and Sylar, who hang out around Waldi’s Hut, with Smithy from pen 8.  On the fringe of that group is long-haired Steele, and Midnight, who began in the front courtyard and made his way to the back. Quinn and Sylar are tempted by food and long to get closer to tidbits, but are easily put off by braver, more assertive cats. The others know they’re being coaxed and they’re not interested! There are lots of good hiding places behind the bed-shelves and they like to stay out of sight. Other boys are less specifically a part of either group, but like to hang around in the same area – Albi, Rookie, Moxie, Skittles and several others. 

Moxie, Smithy, Quinn & Albie (Steele hiding at back) - KN

There's a similar group centered on Pen 1, and led by tabby Zivko, who can sometimes be heard calling his buddies to a Very Important Meeting

Pavel, Kevin, Zivko & Booty - LBF

It’s noticeable that the females - with the exception of Balak - tend not to hang around with these males. The Love-Birds in Pen 5 and the pen 8 girls are also inclined to stay in the area where they feel safe.  Other females stay closer to the Tea Room and the path to the back pens. It sometimes feels like the Newcomers and courtyard has a sign that says NO GURLZ ALOWD. There is no aggression – it’s just very clearly a feline Boys' Club..

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

The Pen 1 Club

Fable & Roland - KN

Pen 1 in the back is the one closest to the Tea Room, and is a favourite for some of our shyer semi-ferals. It’s the only pen that has never, in my ten years at the Sanctuary, been closed (other than for the occasional catching of a cat for medical care) and one where many of the Double Wide cats wander in and out to visit, or to bug someone, or to find somewhere special to curl up for a while.

Roland - MW

Most of the permanent residents are feral and wary of human attention. At the core is a trio of orange cats. Roland has been with us since he was very young, and has a reputation as having been a brat – behaviour that led to his nickname of  “Juvie” (Juvenile Delinquent) . These days he’s a mature gentleman, and long past his brattish ways (though he’s quite capable of dealing with the brats who come visiting).   He’s no lap-cat, but he will allow human attention, enjoying a little petting when he’s in the mood, and very happy to play when the right kind of toy comes out.

Chumley & Siskel - KN

I think a lot of Roland’s hesitance is that he hangs out with Siskel and Chumley, who are much shyer and more wary with visitors. Inside the cabin they will cuddle together, and though they will tolerate people bearing tidbits, there’s always a paw ready to smack. Outside the cabin they tend to stay away from us, though as with Roland, toys are usually acceptable.

Three orange boys & their black buddy - KN

There is usually at least one black cat, sometimes more, in their vicinity. The usual companion inside the cabin is hissy Twyla, who would prefer to stay out of reach.  Out and about, you’re more likely to have the orange trio teamed with black Fable (not to be confused with Siamese Fable in the front courtyard).

Zivko - KN

There are sometimes another couple of black cats in pen 1, but they're not interested in the orange guys. Booty and Kevin are often found in here, but their interest is with tabby Zivko.  All three have (mostly) relocated themselves from Pen 2, and Zivko has turned out to be another Salty in that he is a cat-magnet.  He was always shy in his old location, and that’s not changed much – he doesn’t have the outgoing personality of Calvin and Chase, who have both remained in their Pen 2 territory. But with other cats, it’s a different story,  Often, sitting in the tea room, you can hear Zivko calling, and see Booty and black Kevin and all his various buddies come to find him, and rub up against him.

Booty getting a little grooming from Zivko - KN

The other permanent resident of Pen 1 is tuxie Rocky – known as Rocky Slippers.  Like his sister Twyla, he’s been at the Sanctuary since he was a kitten, but has never warmed to humans. Approaching Pen 1’s cabin in the morning to open it up and remove the dirty plate, I find that it helps to talk to any cats outside.  If Rocky is at floor-level, he panics when the door opens, and there’s a mad scramble to escape; if he hears me coming, he can hide, and pretend he’s not there, taking his time to get out later. He’s actually happiest in the kennels rather than the cabin, safely out of our way.

Rocky Slippers - KN

Because it’s the closest open pen, it gets quite a lot of casual traffic in the way of feline visitors. The local residents, though, are just that – very much resident, and rarely venturing much further than the immediate courtyard area. There’s no place like home!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Karen Nicholson & Michele Wright

Pen 2 cats - 2:Too Many Tabbies!

Calvin - MW

The Pen 2 cats were introduced in a recent blog, with some specific focus on the black, and black-and-white inhabitants.

Too many tabbies - DA

I hesitated over tackling an introduction to the cats in this pen, because five of them are at first sight seemingly identical tabbies, and it’s difficult to tell them all apart until you spend real time with them.  All of them have the characteristic tabby M marking on their foreheads, but their subtler markings vary.  Most tabbies have lines that appear to go from the corners of their eyes, and may run parallel or otherwise; it’s worth looking also for cheek markings and for the chest rings that may run cleanly or be interrupted

Sophie - MW

The most outgoing and confident of the Pen 5 tabbies is Sophie – she frequently meets visitors at the gate and demands attention. Sophie is a tubby-tabby, and not afraid to indulge in leg-rubs; she solicits petting, but really wants it to consist mainly of head-rubbing, and she is quick to object when the hand moves too far down her back.

Calvin - MW

Insofar as a tabby can be elegant, it’s personified (?catified) in Calvin.  He is leggy and streamlined; his facial markings are the easiest to distinguish, because the outer strokes of his M marking are brown smudges rather than black lines. Both he and his buddy Chase have yellow eyes; Chase has the clearer M marking, and his cheek lines are slightly divergent, where Calvin’s are more convergent.  Chase is a bit more wary of human contact than Calvin, who, like Sophie, solicits petting.

Chase says "I'm not ready for contact!" - MW

Calvin is photographer Michele Wright’s favourite of the Pen 2 cats, and her affection is clear in the beautiful pictures she takes of him.

Calvin - MW

The other tabby that is easy to distinguish is Celeste, who has the most beautiful big round green eyes  – they remind me of the eyes of our recently departed Sophie’s, in the Moore House.

Celeste - MW

Celeste is a bit smaller than the others, and her M marking has a strong dark strokes on the outside. She has dark under-eye shading and convergent cheek-lines

Zivko - BC

Looking very like Sophie, but much less outgoing is Zivko.  His tabby M markings are much darker, the outer strokes being black smudges, and his cheek markings are more varied than Sophie’s clear lines. He also has a small white chest-spot. He does not want to be petted – he would rather stay away from humans, but when approached, regards the finger offered for sniffing with great disdain; his expression says “You expect me to bunt against THAT?”

Zivko - MW

A challenge to volunteers to get to know these five!  When pen 2 is opened in a month or so, they’ll be venturing out – and then we have to be able to distinguish them from Stella and LouLou and Jody and the many other back-courtyard tabbies in our care.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Derya Aydede, Brigid Coult & Michele Wright