Koi

Nine-year old Koi, a chubby calico and white girl, was surrendered to RAPS’ City Shelter in early 2014 and transferred to the Moore Trailer at the Cat Sanctuary about a year later.  Presumably, Koi was given her name because she has a koi-fish shape and colouring and sometimes has a slightly fish-like vacant look about her. [Phaedra disagrees: “She’s not vacant; she just wants to be loved and made to feel special!”]

She was surrendered by owners who were no longer able to look after her without risking injury to themselves or to Koi.  You see, Koi has an unfortunate habit of following closely (very closely!) behind you and than parking her rather large self on the floor right behind your feet. It’s tricky enough for a nimble person to avoid turning around and falling over, or on top of, a cat disguised as a small footstool but it’s a definite health hazard for anyone not quite so steady on their feet.

Once settled in her chosen spot, either snugged up to your heels or against a door that you’re trying to open, Koi doesn’t take kindly to being moved.  Any attempt to do so will be met with resistance and an irritated little growl. She may have some neurological issues or maybe she’s just very insecure and wants to be close enough for company and attention. She likes to be talked to and stroked.

Fortunately for everyone’s safety, Phaedra discovered that, if a comfy bit of bedding is placed on the floor for her, Koi will settle down on it instead of parking herself in harm’s way. Her favourite spots are in front of the kittens’ room, or by the screen door where she can feel the breeze Not totally successful, but worth a try to avoid too many unhappy accidents. 

Whatever the reason for her odd habits, Koi is a very special lovable cat who wants company, and doesn’t seem to share the same diva-like personality of most of her roommates in the Moore trailer. 

Blog by Marianne Moore
(with comments from Phaedra Hardman)
and photos by Brigid Coult & Marianne Moore

Spitz

Spitz has come a long way since she arrived at the RAPS No. 5 Rd. shelter as a feral kitten.

Scared of people and given to lashing out in response, Spitz couldn't be adopted out as a youngster. Instead, she was brought to the cat sanctuary where she could have a safe place to live without being obliged to have more contact with humans than she was comfortable with.

Spitz later got past feeling so threatened she had to lash out at people, and she opted to switch to simple avoidance tactics. She would allow staff to catch her if necessary, but vastly preferred to watch human activities from a safe place.

More recently, Leslie says in the last year or so, Spitz has become much more comfortable with people -- so much so that when I met her on Monday, I had no idea that she was a former feral and wondered why I hadn't noticed this pretty, friendly girl before. Not only did she not mind me patting her, but she actively encouraged the attention.

Mama Hollandia

This blog post is in honor of the shyer cats at RAPS, the feral cats that never learn to trust.  The cats who gratefully defer the spotlight to other more attention focused cats. These are the cats that sneak under tables, hide behind walls of blankets and scamper at the speed of light just to avoid a confrontation with us two legged creatures.

Mama Hollandia was found and trapped at a feeding station behind Hollandia Catering.  This location, along with her five kittens, inspired her unique name.  Mama Hollandia has outlived all but one of her kittens and only Chloe, a calico like her mom, lives with her in the single wide now.

Despite living at the RAPS sanctuary for 13 years now, Mama Hollandia remains very feral and refuses to make friends with the staff and volunteers at RAPS.  I found her hiding in a box under a chair in the single wide, keeping a wary eye on me.  I managed to get a few shots of her before she slunk away when I turned my back for a second.  I’m told that if you really push it and try to sneak a pet in she will hiss at you but is not likely to do any bodily damage.  Judging from the fear in her eyes, I thought I would catch what I could with my camera and leave her be without pestering her too much.

Katrina

Katrina is a quiet, shy girl who's quite adept a performing a vanishing act when approached. Needless to say, I didn't have an easy time photographing her.

The first time I noticed her, she was sleeping contentedly on a sofa on the covered porch behind the singlewide. Her calico markings caught my attention and I hoped to get an introduction and a photo. Kim warned me that I'd likely have trouble getting close, and indeed no sooner had I unlatched the door than Katrina zipped under the couch. Even when I came back a little later, the best I could get was a photo of her squinting at me from under a table.

It turns out that Katrina, who's around 10 years old, came to RAPS as a feral. Unlike Madison, she's never stopped fearing close contact with humans. Even so, her sweet nature shines through. When I came across her again this week, she was sitting just on the other side of a barrier. She could clearly see, hear and smell me, yet she still allowed me to get much closer than she had before and even take a few pictures, content in the knowledge that I wouldn't be able to touch or grab her through the fence. No defensive growling, hissing, or even glaring needed.

It's nice that shy ferals like Katrina can have a place to live where they can feel safe enough to let humans get even that close.

Chloe (II)

A couple of times recently while I was visiting old cat friends and making new ones in the singlewide, I'd look up and see this funny little round face peering down at me.

She seemed quite fascinated by me, but both times I tried to make contact with her, I wasn't able to get her to do any more than sniff the tip of my finger.
(Perhaps some small tasty offering might have won me a more extended audience.)

I asked Leslie about her and learned that she's lived at RAPS for 12 years. She came in with her mom, another wild calico who lives in the singlewide as well. Leslie calls the mom "Momma Hollandia" after Hollandia Catering just off River Road, which is where the pair came from.

Rosie

Rosie was brought to the sanctuary in 2001 after fending for herself living a homeless life. I’m told she was very scared on arrival as many cats are when they first come from a life on the streets. Her ears were sideways facing or what we call “airplane ears”, a message to those around her to “back off”. It took Rosie a long time to warm up to life at the sanctuary but eventually she came around and is a now known as a sweet, but shy girl.

I met Rosie this summer when she was being treated as an in-patient in the double wide for an ear infection. Armed with my scoop bucket and shovel, I was ready to enter her cage. Not knowing her, I watched her for a minute or so to get an idea of her temperament. Huddled in the corner, she looked back at me with worried eyes and pupils the size of saucers. I decided a quiet, respectful approach would be best to introduce myself.

Rosie is a striking cat with black and orange calico markings. Once in her cage, I bent down to scoop her tray when I felt a soft nuzzling at my ear. Little Rosie had decided that I might be someone she would like to get to know better. I started to stroke her and to my surprise she soon came out of her shell and was revelling in the attention she was getting.

Apparently Rosie lives in back pens but I found her last week in the newcomers building, ear infection long behind her. She was having a little dinner when I came upon her and she bolted under a stool at my approach. Patiently, I waited for her to remember the friendship we had started in the summer. She looked up at me as if contemplating whether I was worthy of another try. Happily, the answer must have been “yes” as she came out from under her stool and with a coy tilt of her head, nuzzled my arm, friendship rekindled.

Sally

I first noticed Sally in the spring of last year, a pretty calico who could often be found sitting in the window of a small building in the back courtyard. The few times I tried to touch her, though, I would be met with the sort of cringing and expression of wide-eyed horror that are generally meant to signal a cat is not friendly and is about to either run away or get out the claws.

Fellow volunteers Kim and Ayako had a similar experience, until one day Kim discovered an interesting thing: Sally actually likes to be petted. It may have been because Sally had a chance to get used to Kim, but Kim managed to make contact and was quickly rewarded with a solid purr and a tail in the air.

photo by Kim

photo by Kim

When Kim brought me over to see this, we found Sally hanging out on a shelf hidden behind a blanket - again, not a place you'd expect to find a kitty who wants to be found. But Kim had only to stroke her head and pat her back at the base of her tail a couple of times before Sally was purring away, clearly enjoying the attention. I tried as well and even got Sally trying some headbutts, although this was seemingly newish territory for her, as she became a bit uncertain after the first few bonks and switched to looking perplexed and smacking me instead.

I found out from Leslie afterward that Sally and her shy tortie sister Soleil were both trapped at a Richmond automotive garage. They were both feral, but were being fed while they were there, and so had become at least somewhat used to humans.

Sweet Pea

A little calico manx with a trilled squeak of a miaow, Sweet Pea is indeed a sweetie of a cat.

Unfortunately, she suffers from the same birth defect that PeeWee has, causing her to leave a tiny yellow puddle or other offering anywhere she's paused. So once again, watch out for your feet.

According to the story provided by Lisa and posted on The Love Blog, a would-be adopter took in the little foundling and spent several months cleaning up after her before finally having to surrender her to RAPS.

The name Sweet Pea really seems to suit her. Still, my Japanese friend Ayako has got me calling her and other cats at Raps with similar colouring by the nickname of mike-chan (mike is pronounced mee-keh) from mike neko (三毛猫), meaning "3 colour cat" in Japanese. In North America, we refer to them as calico.

An interesting note about calicos: they are almost exclusively female. Apparently, it's impossible to get the black, white and orange pattern without two X chromosomes.