Hidden Sweetness

Four years ago, we brought in a colony of ferals to into Pen 6, and named them collectively “The Candy Cats”.

Hershey, Butterscotch & Purdy - KN

Some of our feral pens remain closed – pens 3 and 4 are examples of closed pens where the majority of the cats want no contact at all with humans. We’re always pleased and excited when one of these ferals “turns” and becomes handleable, but most of them just want to be left alone.  However, with other pens, the staff may decide that it’s time to open the pen and see how the cats manage in a larger arena.

Cadbury - LBF

So when pen 6 was opened, the Candy Cats split up. Skittles, who we lost very recently, hung around the back courtyard and enjoyed contact with humans, becoming one of the most dedicated of lap-cats.  His brother Cadbury relocated to pen 2 area. Cadbury is one of the most beautiful of fluffy-tabbies.  

Cadbury sunbathing - KN

He is erratic in his relations with us – sometimes he is spooked and wary, sometimes he comes for petting and playing.  He has never developed the comfort of his brother Skittles, but you can’t quite put him in the feral category either. Most of the pen 2 cats are former ferals as well, so there is a common wariness – but they know the volunteers who come bearing treats, and the ones who have feather-toys and catnip!

SweetTart - MW

Pretty little SweetTart showed an early fascination with the cats next door in Pen 7.  This is the farm-cat pen, and they have been kept separate, mostly because they have some genetic quirks in common – mostly around eye problems – which are more easily treated by the med-staff when they’re in a closed pen. 

SweetTart and Rodan - KN

Normally we wouldn’t add to this pen, but SweetTart SO wanted to be with them that we relented and added her in. Because they’re well up on the feral scale, she has adopted their ways, and has gone from being a cat that could occasionally be petted to being wary. One-eyed Rodan is the only one of this colony that really enjoys human attention. 

Purdy - LBF

The remaining three have relocated to pen 8, which was also a once-closed, now-open feral pen. They seem to have settled comfortably into sharing with Hailey, Johnny and co, with no territorial issues. Again, there is a common distrust of humans in the cats of this area, but Purdy, Butterscotch and Hershey are at least comfortable with us being around them; they will sit and listen to our voices as we work, and they no longer run to hide as soon as we appear.  Purdy is probably still the shyest of the three. There is a distinct resemblance to Cadbury in the sad-tabby face, but the short fur makes him look quite different. He does not want to be touched; his smacks are full-claw and offerings of treats are not sufficient to change his mind.  

Butterscotch likes to perch on the rafters - KN

Hershey and Butterscotch are less aggressive, but equally wary. If in company with Kermit or Gigi, both of whom love to play, they are ready to relax a little and chase a cat-toy or to wriggle around in a bit of catnip. 

Hershey watching warily - MW

But they’re both touch-me-not cats, and we don’t know if that will ever change. The most important thing, though, is that they are safe in our care, and they are no longer constantly fearful – we have a guarded truce, and can wait for their choice in timing. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

Farewell to the Moore House

Many of the staff and volunteers are feeling sad.  But it’s not a cat we’re grieving over – it’s one of the cats’ houses!

Selena's portrait of Marianne Moore
with all her favourites

In the early days of the Sanctuary, when RAPS was dealing with the worst of the feral cat problem in Richmond, the Moore House was the home of the kittens.  When we took on the running of the City Shelter, most of the kittens were transferred there, for easy adoption access, and the building was repurposed as the home of our senior cats – a special and beloved project of Marianne Moore, an anchor volunteer for many years, and creator of the Kitty Comforter concept, which has become such an important part of encouraging cats to feel more at ease when they come here.

Kitten room exterior, with Leo,
Pistachio, Caleb & Mozart - KN

One room in the building was put aside for occasional kitten use, for “teens” who needed more hands-on attention, or for cats who needed some separation from the others.  Front courtyard inhabitants Beetle and Cricket, Mozart, Benny, Leo and Caleb have all had kitten room time there; Banshee and Domino lived there while waiting out their leukemia isolation (and eventual adoption); Sage and Silky, Mya and Kirsty, Dawn and Twilight are all kitten room “grads”

Twilight &Dawn, now adopted - KN

But the primary purpose of the Moore House was to provide a home for a very special group of felines. Typically, Moore House cats came to us from owners who had died, or gone into care, and whose old cats had nowhere else to go. Very few people are willing to take on an elderly cat or two, and especially one who is cranky because of a forced relocation.  The homeliness of the Moore House was intended to give them comfort, and keeping the numbers limited meant that the inhabitants didn’t get on each other’s nerves too much.

Earl Grey enjoying deck time - MD

The addition of a closed deck was a blessing on hot days (and even sometimes on cooler ones) and many of the cats enjoyed the fresh air and the view from the variety of seats and beds scattered around.

Chanel doing morning cat-yoga on the deck - BC

However, the trailer was not new when it came to us, and because we live on the edge of farmland, there is a constant rat-problem. The combination of rotting wood, and the rats accessing the crevices – never actually getting into the interior, but making their way into the surrounding structure – all this has contributed to a building that is no longer healthy for cats or people. Already many of the Moore House cats have been adopted, fostered or relocated to other areas in the Sanctuary, and it won’t be long before the building itself is removed. We hope that a replacement can be found, because the need has not gone away – we still need to be able to offer stressed, elderly cats a safe place where they can settle.

Moore House interior - DJ

The Moore House itself will be gone soon, but the memories will remain. Many of the Moore House cats have been featured in earlier blog stories, some of them by Marianne herself:  Eng Teng and Peng Peng; little Pauline who preferred to hide in her box; fragile Noni whose body never really recovered from having being fed a vegan diet; persians Bluebell, MiuMiu and GracieMae (who went on to her own home). We’ve had our share of angry cats, and volunteers who fell in love with them, giving them a reason to be angry no more – Jack, Venus, Buster, and most recently Smokey, who is blissfully happy with her new family. 

Smokey - happy lap-cat - DJ

Thanks to the vision for these old cats, many volunteers have spent quiet hours cleaning, feeding, and most importantly, loving them, so that coming to RAPS no longer feels like their family has rejected them, but that they have found a new family with us. We are working to make the last of our Moore house cats comfortable in a new space – whether elsewhere at the Sanctuary, or with a new home, we don’t know yet.  We hope that when the current building is demolished, it can be replaced with a new structure that can house more generations of cats who need the quiet surroundings and loving care that their predecessors found with us. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Melanie Draper, Daphne Jorgensen, Karen Nicholson

Portrait by Selena Marchetti

Athena and Neptune

Volunteer PAULINE CHIN has been visiting with the Leukemia cats...

Athena - KN

Little Athena was originally part of the godly Pen 6 crew.  A few months ago, she tested positive for FeLV, so off to the Leukemia playground she went.  (The rest of the pen was quarantined for testing and it was only her results that showed positive.)

Trying to get Neko's attention - PC

In the first few weeks, she tried very VERY hard at making a feline friend.  As expected, her efforts were rebuffed by many of the cats - as we all know, cats loathe being forced into doing anything.  Keanu would walk away.  Dexter, Smoochie, and Bear are a tad too old for her taste.  And Portia made herself scarce.  Athena seemed to like Neko the most.  She’d greet him with a headbutt or body rub.  His reception was lukewarm at most.  Does she like him for his coat colour?  Or because he conveniently hangs out by the cat flap door?

Neptune - BC

After all her efforts, she was finally befriended by big black Neptune.  Poor Neptune has lost so many friends in less than 2 years (Henrick, Voodoo, Zanda, Ooley, Chateaux) that it’s fitting he would welcome her.  They’ve become cuddly buddies and constantly stick close to each other, like velcro.

Athena & Neptune - PC

With humans, Athena is vocal and demanding.  She expects gifts, but is very finicky about them.  She’ll take some small toys, catnip, grass, and the laser.  Wands are little too scary for her.  Unlike her feral brethren, she’s actually fussy about meat and treats.  She could enjoy a flavor one day, and ignore it the next.  Oh well… More yummies for the other kitties!

Athena - PC

While we work on Athena to welcome human touch, Neptune is mostly pettable now and sleeps less.  I look forward to petting his ultra soft fur.  It’s similar to Ninja’s plush coat.  Prior to Athena’s arrival, Neptune spent his time hiding in high places.  He’d only hang out by the couch if one of his buddies was present, acting like a shadow of sorts and mirroring their actions.  It’s funny to see him eating from the same bowl at the same time as another kitty.  

Neptune staying out of reach - PC

Ironically, Neptune is the largest cat in the area, yet still one of the shyest. What does he have to fear these days?  If anything, it’s FOMO on treats and playtime.  I used to have to lure him out with food.  If he didn’t appear fast enough, the other cats would devour his share.  Nowadays, he’s often in the main room.  If I pet him without an offering, he likes to nip my hand.  Then again, if I don’t give him attention right away, he also nips me.  (Did you learn that from Neko, Neptune?) Best thing is to leave a treat and step back.  If he wants seconds and thirds, he’ll keep approaching.  Same idea with pets.

Neptune - KN

Just like Athena, he’s a bit nitpicky on food and wands also send him flying out the flap door.  Unlike Athena, I haven’t heard a single meow out of him.  I have yet to find a toy he consistently likes.  He’ll bat catnip toys around until he gets them wedged in a corner.  Grass is worth a sniff.  He has no interest in non-moving toys.

Neptune & Athena - PC

What seemed like an unfortunate surprise actually proved a blessing.  Both Athena and Neptune wanted a cat friend.  Their bond has made them happier and less hidey.  Besides companionship, their confidence has grown.  That extra courage means all the FeLV cats can gather simultaneously in the main room for a felicitous visit, like a big family reunion.  Let’s hope this bond lasts a lengthy lifetime.

Blog by Pauline Chin

Photos by Pauline Chin, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson

Live Long and Prospurr – the SuperSeniors

The RAPS Sanctuary has been situated here for more than 20 years, and many, many cats have come into our care.

Sara Lee (19) - KN

Because most of them were deemed unadoptable, and yet get the best care we can offer them, there are a considerable number of inhabitants who have lived with us most of their lives, and are now in their senior years.

There are various measurements of age, but most generally accepted are

    • birth to 6 months  - Kitten 
    • 7 months to 2 years – Junior 
    • 2 to 6 years – Prime
    • 7 to 10 years – Mature – equivalent of human mid-40s/50s
    • 11 to 14 years – Senior – takes the cat up to the equivalent of 70 human years
    • 15 years and older – SuperSenior – and like some senior humans, cats can just keep going!

Little Debbie (nearly 17) - MW

Most of the Moore House cats have come in to us as seniors, and in a warm quiet place, they are doing well. Earl Grey is around 19 years old; Rufus, who was adopted out, is about the same age.  Just as some senior humans remain fit and active well into old age, so for some cats; other younger cats may be visibly frailer as they appear to age earlier.

Jolene wears her 17+ years well - KN

Many of our cats have grown into their senior years in different areas of the Sanctuary, and we will not be moving them into the Moore House just because of age. We notice them slowing down a bit, often sleeping more, or seeking out the warm places, but most of them have their own territories and their cat-friends, and they are comfortable in their home. 

Onyx (nearly 20) - KN - misses her sister Topaz

Occasionally we will notice that an older cat appears confused about where it is or what is happening; it may begin yowling for attention, and needing more comfort. Senile dementia is a feline as well as a human condition. And as with humans, we find it’s usually best to allow the cat to remain in its comfort-zone, even if that is one of the outdoor pens. Sweet Gabby, who we lost a few years ago, was a cat like this, and we're now hearing it in his girlfriend Tara.

Princess (17.5) - KN

Other cats suddenly become more vocal, and the pitch of the voice changes. We think that this is often because hearing loss has set in, and the cat is not aware of the sound of its own voice. Old Kiko, who lived in pen 6, had a particularly penetrating voice in the months before she passed, and we're hearing something of the same in Tugboat's demands to be picked up and cuddled.

Tugboat (18) - JC

Greying hair is also noticeable, especially among the darker cats. Little SaraLee – formerly black with a smoke undercoat, has now become flecked with white fur. In spite of her 19+ years, she is able to jump up for lap-cuddles, or for quality control of gravy at mealtimes. Former feral Ruff has always had grey in his fur, but it has become more grey than black, giving him an elder-statesman aura.

Ruff (14) - KN - doesn't quite qualify as a SuperSenior
but his years as a feral cat have been hard

As cats get older, we have to watch them more carefully for all the things that affect senior humans as well – digestion and bathroom habits, mobility, weight loss and grooming. The Med staff have a list of cats who are checked every day, and both staff and volunteers may draw attention to a cat whose behaviour has changed. Often, a cat will be more demanding of attention – though it’s never a hardship to sit down and give extra cuddle time to cats like Tugboat.

Earl Grey (19) - KN

Because these cats have aged in our care, they don’t have the trauma of being surrendered into a new situation if they become incontinent, or noisy because of deafness. Sweet Earl Grey is happy now, but was depressed when he came to us. For him, it was like putting Grandpa into Assisted Living – he didn’t want a new place or new people (and cats) and it took a while for him to realise that it was actually a pretty good deal.  None of our resident seniors will be traumatized in this way – they can choose to go on living wherever they want.  And happy cats with good health care can live long lives – we have many who are SuperSeniors, and several who enjoy life into their twenties – the equivalent of reaching their century!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Jackie Chappell, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Note: having written this, we have learned that the Moore House is showing extreme wear, and we are probably going to have to move the Moore cats while it is being replaced. If you can give an old cat some love in his SuperSenior years, please contact Valerie Wilson, our Assistant Manager.

JackieO

 Just another little black cat – NOT!

JackieO - KN

JackieO is a little girl full of purrrsonality. She came to us last year as an owner-surrender – the owner having been told by the vet that her incontinence problems had no solution, and euthanasia was the only way.  Luckily, the owner disagreed, and JackieO came into our care.

Won't you play?  -  LBF

Apparently, she had originally come from Calgary – we don’t know the circumstances – but at some early age she sustained what’s called a tail pull injury, which causes neurological damage. It doesn’t necessarily mean that someone pulled her tail – it’s an injury that can happen under various conditions, such as a traffic accident – but it essentially involves the dislocation of vertebrae and the adjacent nerves that control anal and bladder function.

Waiting for the toy - KN

Euthanasia has its place for a cat who is suffering and has no quality of life. But JackieO doesn’t know anything is wrong; life for her is good, with people to interact with her, toys for play, other cats for company – she’s just discovered the great outdoors, with worms and bugs for excitement...

Keeping company with Charlotte - LBF

She’s still kitten-like – we think she’s about two years old, like her buddy Charlotte, who lived in the cage next to her. Now that both are out and about, they’ve gone in different directions, and JackieO entertains herself very happily.  Not only is she a pretty girl who attracts attention, but she is also a polydactyl – and those “thumbs” help when she’s grabbing onto a toy.

Showing her "thumb" - KN

We have our share of incontinent cats – most of whom have Manx syndrome. JackieO’s injury has a similar result – mostly she’s just not aware of when she needs to “go”; she can occasionally use a litter box, but we don’t count on it. She gets checked by the med staff at least twice a day, and bathed when it’s necessary. She still has her tail, though it has no sensation in it; in some ways it adds to the incontinence problem, because it hides what’s going on at her back end.  It’s likely that the vets will do an amputation at some point, which will help with keeping her as clean as possible.

Flies, ants, worms - JackieO is the Sanctuary's prime exterminator - BC

Tail or no tail, JackieO enjoys life; she runs and plays with a total lack of awareness of her handicap. A little extra laundry?  All in a day’s work at the Cat Sanctuary!

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

A Semi-Feral Quartet

Solar & Libby - JK

Pre-pandemic, we took in four cats from VOKRA.  We have great admiration for all that Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association does. They do extensive work with trapping and spay/neuter; they place young mother cats and their litters in a network of hard-working foster-homes, and actively match cats with people seeking to adopt. They do have an operations centre in Vancouver, but it’s not set up for long-term stays. And when they have a feral group of cats come in, with limited space, they will sometimes turn to RAPS for assistance.

Big wary eyes - Mabel's not sure....   -  KN

We accepted Libby, Mabel, Solar and Midnight from them back in 2019. The quartet was scared and wary; they were young adults way past their best-by date for easy taming.  The optimal window is usually up to about 16-20 weeks old. That’s not to say that older ferals cannot be tamed, but it takes more patience – and with a group of ferals, their fear feeds off each other. So this little bonded group avoided contact with the Kitty Comforters, and once out of their group cage, they rushed to find hiding places.

Midnight - MW

Initially they could usually be found together, in various combinations. They didn’t want to be petted, but Solar and Mabel in particular were willing to sit and listen to a voice. Black Midnight was the most contact-avoiding of the group, and in an effort to stay out of sight, he joined a couple of cats who managed a jail-break under the SingleWide trailer – not off the premises, but in the area between front and back. Luckily the escaped convicts were spotted from the other side, and a member of staff in a full coverage suit wriggled through the access to set traps and retrieve the fugitives.  It was decided that we would leave Midnight in his new back courtyard space, and he hides out there with the other ferals, like Steele and Smithy and Sylar.

Midnight - KN

Solar is a chunky light-grey tabby, and definately the friendliest of the four. He has decided that he’s on to a good thing now he lives with us, and he makes nice with the staff and volunteers working around the front courtyard. He is particularly fond of volunteer Carol P, and hovers, waiting anxiously for her attention – and her chicken tidbits! He can often be found in company with the other cats on the climbing frame; he is one of many cats who will allow contact when they are on a wall or a shelf, but not on the ground – we’re just too big for their comfort.

Solar - BC

Mabel is the most distinctive of the four, with her smart tuxedo colouring, and the facial markings that make her appear to have a Batman mask. She’s still wary, and prefers the feral area, but can occasionally be found visiting in the Hill House.  She likes to hang out with Allen and Kenji – and they are similarly wary of any except the gentlest of contact but are starting to enjoy coming out for play. As the weather improves, the boys are more often found in the gazebo, in the middle of the courtyard – we hope that they can encourage Mabel to come out too.

Mabel's favourite place
is in a high-up basket!  -  MD

Libby is one of those tabbies who fades into the background. Cookie Hill, Freya, Cricket – all are tabby plus some distinctive characteristics. Libby is just Libby – and very good at hiding.  When you see her face-on, you’ll see the little white marking at her throat; but often she’s curled up on herself and you won’t notice it at all.  Lately she’s been hanging out with mustachioed Sweet Pea, which is hopeful – Sweet Pea has gone from being a don’t-touch-me feral to a girl who is willing to accept petting. We hope that she can teach Libby that we’re not that bad.

SweetPea and Libby - LBF

Solar, Mabel and Libby are no longer bonded in the way they used to be, but we will still occasionally find them visiting with each other. But they’ve all established their own spaces and they know that they are safe at the Sanctuary.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brigid Coult, Melanie Draper, 

Jennine Kariya, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Two Alpha Cats

Alfie - MW

For a while, the Sanctuary office was known as the home of the Grumpy Old Ladies, and Kitty, Mindy and Tammy (who were all much beloved by the Shelter Manager) took pains to ignore each other at all costs. There were rarely any real battles, but there was a certain amount of bad language.

Kitty-Mindy-Tammy - RIP

We also have our share of grumpy male cats, but putting them together in a room to grump with each other is rarely a good move. The grumpy guys tend to be much more aggressive than the grumpy gals, and we try to encourage them to locate in different areas, and hope they won’t encounter each other too often.

Alfie - KN

The particular grumpy pair I have in mind, are both called Alfred. To be precise, the front courtyard boy is named Alfie, which sort of sounds friendlier than Alfred – but his usual mood belies the name. Alfie came to us last year, a late-neutered tomcat; you can generally tell the males that miss an early neutering because they tend to bulk up, and the head and jowls are often blocky. He was initially brought in as a stray with an abscess (probably from fighting) and adopted last spring, but returned because of peeing issues. We think he is around 10 years old.

Alfie - LBF

Alfie is blond and beautiful, like Leo – but he doesn’t live up to his appearance, preferring to be the courtyard bully. Cheryl tells me that a little while ago he had a thing for Mozart, and followed him everywhere, stalking him and picking fights. For a while we relocated him to the back courtyard, but the big boys there gave him a taste of his own bullying behaviour, and we eventually moved a slightly more subdued Alfie back to his starting place.

Alfie waiting for Mozart to come out - CT

He’s definitely top cat, and can be very vocal when wandering around.  Kitty-Comforter Mel says “He loooooves catnip, tries to be close to you but he doesn’t know how to show affection. It’s like he wants to be petted but growls at you. He pees on everything.” He will occasionally “make nice” with a human, but don’t count on it! - he’s just as likely to swat. He and Winston can sometimes be found exchanging greetings at the window of the Newcomers door; Winston is pretty shy, so Alfie has no need to show off.  Cheryl thinks Alfie’s at his best when he’s sleeping – she says “He reminds me of the Lion in the Wizard of Oz!” 

The lion sleeps tonight! - CT

Alfred-in-the-back is a handsome tabby manx gentleman. He came to us with a “peeing” label; lack of urinary control is sometimes a manx thing, but equally it’s often a stress symptom. His former owners reported that he'd had urinary crystals, which can be very painful for male cats. During his caged period with us, he seemed to be managing just fine with the litterbox, and since emerging he’s not shown any real sign of problems in that area – other than where it comes to other cats. 

If it fits, I sits - KN

Mostly, he's an independent guy. He will tolerate a little petting before he moves off; he's ready to accept treats or to interact a bit with humans, but he's not a snuggle-bug.

Any treats up there?  LBF

But where Alfred's problem lies is with aggression. He has established that he knows who the other pushy cats are, and he pushes right back. Cats don’t have a social hierarchy in the way that dogs do, but we do know that males, in particular, will attempt to establish their alpha status with each other (and with us!). Alfred has a particular “hate” on for Licorice; Licorice is not really a fan of other cats, and his arthritis often makes him grumpy, so being bugged by Alfred can produce a lot of yelling.

"Helping" with the gardening - LBF

Grey Gizmo and Jasper come in for some face-offs with him as well, but it’s Alfred and Licorice that makes us keep the “Bad Cat” spray bottle on the table outside the TeaRoom.  Cool off, Alfred – life’s much better at the Sanctuary when you can get along with the other cats!

A little quiet-time...  KN

Alfie and Alfred are both alphas – and life for both of them can be a bit fraught. It’s a good thing there’s lots of space at the Sanctuary, and hidey-holes where they can take time-out when the stress of being social gets to be too much.

Blog by Brigid Coult (with thanks to Cheryl, Lori & Mel)

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

Note: as we go to press, Licorice has been transferred to the office area, where we can monitor his diet. Perhaps Alfred will be a little calmer without his bête noire around...