Five from Five Road: 1 - Lucky

Cats who are unlikely to be adopted from RAPS’ City Shelter on Number 5 Road are sometimes transferred to RAPS’ Cat Sanctuary. Two possible reasons for a cat being considered unadoptable are bad litter box habits or bad attitude.  Fortunately for such cats,  neither of those issues is a problem at the  Sanctuary, where a loving home is available for cats who, for whatever reason, have run out of other options.   With plenty of space there for them to enjoy, plus patience and love from staff, volunteers and visitors alike, some cats have been known to overcome the behaviour that made them unadoptable! 
This is the first of a series of stories about five cats who were recently transferred to the Cat Sanctuary from the Richmond City Shelter, where they were considered unadoptable. 

Lucky, a purebred 8-year old  Bengal, has litter box “issues” so his chances of being adopted were not good, despite his handsome appearance and cheerful nature.   He spent his first few weeks at the sanctuary in a large, walk-in cage while he got used to us and vice-versa.  His good looks alone were enough to get him some attention at first and, when he turned out to be such a nice boy, he won everyone over. 

Many Cat Sanctuary volunteers will remember Zulu, another Bengal who lived at the Sanctuary for several years.  Lucky is just as exotic-looking as Zulu but not nearly as vocal!

Almost as  soon as Lucky was allowed to venture out of his cage, he decided that being outside was just too good an opportunity to pass up.  He’s still exploring the back courtyard but, at least for the time being, seems to have chosen the first pen on the right as the best place to be. 

I tracked him down there recently and we had a very pleasant visit.  Although he was much too interested in everything around him to settle down on my lap for more than a few seconds, he was happy to climb up onto my shoulder where he could get a good view of what was going on in the pen behind me.  There’s still just so much for him to see and do in his new home and he seems very happy to discover it all!  

 

Blog by Marianne Moore

Pictures by Michele Wright

The Volunteer/Cat relationship – Allison and the Front Courtyard Cats

I hope to make a regular feature of some of the volunteers who spend time with the cats – we met Julian in September. When I asked Allison about being part of the series she was at first daunted, and then sat down and wrote pages about her favourite cats. We decided that it was perhaps a little too much, so she decided that what she would do would be to write a poem.

cat-cuddling is fun - but work comes first!

 

Allison is a regular volunteer at the weekend; she makes spotless water dishes in the front courtyard her particular concern, and she’s a wonderful guide for Sunday afternoon visitors. She has no cats at home – and a non-cat-loving husband – but happily cat-sits for her friends at any possible opportunity.
Allison has a particularly close relationship with Little Orange, in the front courtyard - on a Sunday he waits anxiously for her, and follows her around as she does her chores. Some of it is cupboard love - he's a big fan of the dried chicken titbits she brings - but most of it is that he just loves her.

with Little Orange

Calista became a special buddy when Allison spent time working in what we call the Yellow Door area, where many of the front courtyard ferals hang out. Allison put hours into working with a shy boy called Marmalade, and in the process, attracted his girlfriend Calista, also a feral. We lost Marmalade a while ago, but Calista has joined the greeting crowd, and also looks for Allison on a Sunday.

 with Calista - MW

The Old Aids rooms also get visited, and a particular favourite there is Kojak. He is also a chickaholic, and his addiction has helped him to become braver and braver in approaching visitors

with Kojak - MW

In Allison's own words:
Hi, my name is Allison and I have been coming to the sanctuary for over 3 years now, having become a volunteer about 2 years ago.  And yes, I have a special place in my heart for my friend Cathy, a volunteer who introduced me to RAPS!
I absolutely love the sanctuary and all that it represents: the cats, staff, volunteers and all of our visitors.  It’s an amazing gathering of cats and people which is different every Sunday. 

Boxed cats - MW

 

I am a gal from Richmond who grew up with loving cats,
So when Cathy told me about the sanctuary it was her back that I gave a pat,
Each Sunday when I go I can hardly wait,
To arrive at the sanctuary and open the gate,
The love that the cats show to me,
Makes it worthwhile getting down on one knee,
I do have to tell you I have some favorites too,
Like Little Orange, Calista and Kojak to name a few,
So come to the sanctuary where you will have fun,
We have warm dry places to sit and watch the cats run!

Non-running basket of cats - MW

Hope you can come and visit us, and remember, every Sunday is different…….meow!

 

Blog: Brigid Coult

Photos: Michele Wright & Brigid Coult

It takes a village

Not all kittens who come to RAPS are instantly ready to embrace the idea of going to a loving human home. Some were born to feral or semi-feral mothers and need to be given a bit of time to get used to being around people.

These three kittens, Ulysses, Ulrich and Umbria (having been assigned "U" in the RAPS alphabet naming cycle),  were trapped at the beginning of the month and are currently being fostered in the home of volunteer Ann until they're comfortable enough around humans that they can go to the No. 5 Rd. shelter for adoption. They're old enough to be without their semi-feral mom, who was trapped, neutered, and released back to the property she'd been living on, as the owners were happy to have her around.

photo by Vincent Chan

Ann's adult foster cat Henderson quickly became a self-appointed parental figure for the babies, washing them as much and as often as they could stand. His laid-back presence when human visitors are around seems to have been helpful in reinforcing that we're nothing to be afraid of.

photo by Vincent Chan

photo by Michele Wright

To make sure the kittens are as well socialized with humans as possible, Ann has recruited various friends to come and spend time with them. She recognizes that even if the kittens become totally comfortable with her, this in itself won't necessarily translate to them being comfortable with people in general. So she's been opening her home not just to this foster litter, but to several visits a week by friends who come to help get the kittens used to lots of different faces and voices.

photo by Claire Fossey

photo by Michele Wright

photo by Vincent Chan

Fortunately for us recruits, an invitation to visit the home of a friend and play with kittens is hardly a tough sell! And it's great to see how the kittens progress from visit to visit, each time a week older and a week bolder.

photo by Michele Wright

photo by Michele Wright

Happy Tales - Bitsy

Katie volunteers at the Cat Sanctuary - she has adopted BITSY, featured here, and SPARKLE (more to come).
Most of the Sanctuary cats are considered unadoptable, and we are very wary of letting a seemingly tame semi-feral leave familiar territory (see Esme's story). But volunteers can build strong bonds with cats, and sometimes it produces a happy ending...

* * *

Bitsy

Her first day in her new home

I'm sure a few people may remember Bitsy from last year. Carol had trapped her out at a cement factory and she ended up in a med cage in the Connor in July 2013.  Originally she was brought in with another cat who went to Number Five Road shelter and was adopted.  Bitsy was thought to be feral. After a couple months and lots of love from the staff and volunteers at the Sanctuary she proved to be tame but quite timid.
In September of last year we lost our sweet 17 year old O’Malley and by late October while volunteering in the single wide on my Monday night shift I let Leslie know that we felt ready to bring a new cat into our family. She introduced me to Bits.

The very first time we met

A little thing, with a round body and short little legs, my boyfriend came to meet her and we brought her home just a week or so later.
They recommend taking at least a full two weeks to fully introduce a new cat into a home with other cats and I would definitely recommend that after our failure to do so.  We kept her in her own room for the first six days, trying to split our time between Bitsy and our two other cats, 9 year old Stinky and 17 year old Maggie.  We had the best intentions but eventually Stinky’s curiosity led to an early introduction.

Please forgive the blurry phone picture, she never does this when the good camera is out and it’s too cute not to share

Bitsy and Stinky got along great from the start but it’s been more challenging for Maggie.  It took a few months but they really seemed to learn to co-exist once Bitsy stopped trying to knock Maggie off of her spots on the bed and couch.

"I tolerate you"

Bitsy is doing great.  She has been such a wonderful addition to our family.  We figured out early on that she isn’t really able to jump; she would slowly climb all the way up onto the bed at night and do an odd little half climb/half jump-fall to get back down.  A little search on the internet showed that she was likely an English Shorthair and they are known for not jumping due to their short legs and round bodies (learn something new every day) so we bought her some cat stairs (bottom right of the above photo) and she just loves to hang out on the bed now.
She is talkative, and very playful.  She keeps about 5 toys around her at all times.  We call them her entourage.

Bitsy and her entourage, the white mouse is her favorite toy in the world sometimes she brings it onto the bed

She also loves her wet food.  She knows exactly what time dinner is and she is always sure to remind us.

 

It took a couple months for her to feel comfortable with us but once she trusted us a bit we were delighted to find out she absolutely loves tummy rubs.  My boyfriend also found a tickle spot on her back; she will kiss your nose or forehead if you get the back scratches just right

 

We are just smitten with her. 

 

Blog intro by Brigid Coult

Blog and pictures by Katie Scragg

RAPS Sanctuary Calendar 2015

It’s that time of year again, and we’re just about to launch the Calendar. It’s an important part of our fundraising at the Sanctuary, and it’s very satisfactory to be able to do it with something we love so much! 
We miss Claire Fossey’s camera, and her hand in the blog; her life has become very busy, and allows less time for continuing the astonishing project she began with the Neko files. But Michele Wright has stepped up to the plate and most of this year’s photos come from her hand and her photographer’s eye.
Here are some of the photos that didn’t make the final cut – it was a hard choice, but we think you’ll like the ones that were selected when you see the finished version.
We had first talked about trying to match cats to seasons. In the end, we only had one snowy picture, and our focus ended up being much more on cat-colour rather than on time or place. But this is Claire’s winter view of Cagney.

Lincoln has to be one of the most photogenic cats in the Sanctuary. He was Mr October in the 2014 calendar, and we decided that we needed to feature someone else this year. But what a beautiful boy he is.

We all liked this picture – the problem was that we couldn’t decide which of many black cats it was!

Adam is one of the cats that came to us from No 5 Rd, passed over in a season that had too many kittens and not enough space at the Shelter.  He and his pretty girlfriend May are often found together.

If you ever arrive at the Sanctuary in a bad mood, Bella puts a smile back on your face. This funny girl is a FIV-positive cat, but continues in good health.

This beautiful picture was one of a series of black-and-white studies Michele made. We loved it, but it felt out-of-sequence with all the other colour pictures.

We wanted a tricolour cat and this one of Sweet Pea was just beaten out by another. Sweet Pea’s many friends will have no problem hearing her little trill (and remembering avoiding her dirty bottom!)

Jenny is a single-wide cat, and a cuddle-bug – she has the most beautiful eyes!

Amber is, as always, poised for escape!

Like Lincoln, it’s almost impossible not to get a good photo of Princess – such a pretty girl!

The Calendar will be available from the Sanctuary, from volunteers, at the No.5 Rd Shelter and at the Thrift Store on Granville. It makes a great Christmas (or pre-Christmas) gift for cat-loving friends and family.

We hope you'll enjoy it!

 

The Passing of an Icon

There are probably very few readers of this blog who’ve not experienced the pain of losing a beloved furry friend. We tend not to write about such losses – the Neko Blog was created to celebrate a place of life, and its feline inhabitants. But part of life at the Sanctuary is dealing with death – and we’re taking this opportunity to pay tribute to a sweet friend who was a faithful member of the welcoming committee.

From Claire’s blog back in September 2009:

He introduced himself to me on my very first visit. I was softing a cat sitting on a table when I felt a gentle tap-tap-tap on my knee. I looked down, and there was Cookie, looking back up at me.

"Hello."

I reached down to give him a soft, then went back to what I was doing.

Tap-tap...

"Hello. Would you be interested in patting a cat a little more? Me, for example?"

Very friendly and such a polite boy! Cookie was the first cat whose name I learned and the first one I wished I could take home (this while I was still living in a place where I couldn't have pets). What I hadn't realized at first, though, is he's not as young as his aimiable demeanour may suggest. He's also one of those odd cats who's not dying to move in with someone and be a one-person feline.

Cookie came to RAPS when he was around 2 years old. Now in the neighbourhood of 11 (this was in 2009),  he's been at the sanctuary so long that Leslie, our resident expert on the names and stories of the cats, couldn't tell me how or why he first came to live there.

 

Tired of this "being patient" business, Cookie tries a little leg climbing

Cookie's lived at the sanctuary so long that it's hard to imagine him anywhere else. In fact, when it comes to cats who are such long-time residents, RAPS staff are very reluctant to approve adoption requests simply because the animals have come to view the sanctuary as home and may have a lot of trouble adjusting to a new and very different environment.

 

And from Leslie Landa:

 

At 17 or 18 years of age,  our beloved Oreo Cookie's reign as our chief greeter and attention seeker came to an end.  Cookie was truly adored by everyone at the sanctuary, including many other cats, and had a long and happy life.  He was my own family's "pet at the sanctuary," since my children asked to adopt him many years ago, and was spoiled every Tuesday by RAPS member Marlene, who brought shrimp and treats and cans of Fancy Feast with Cookie's name on them.  Marlene had also been interested in adopting him, but we all realized that he was content at the sanctuary among all of his admirers.  Cookie leaves behind him a lot of people with scarred legs and torn jeans, but oh, how they loved him. Farewell, sweetest boy!

 

Blog introduced by Brigid Coult

Pictures by Claire Fossey

 

Autumn - update

Two years ago, the RAPS Cat Sanctuary was temporary home to a litter of kittens.  “Kitten season” is a well-known phenomenon at RAPS, and as much as possible, when kittens are trapped, they are taken in by a fosterer who will spend time socializing them so that they are more adoptable when they finally go to the No 5 Rd shelter.
Autumn and her kittens came to us instead, and both staff and volunteers sprang into action, spending time with Trick and Treat, Pancake and Waffle, Leif and Ariel, and getting them used to being handled. Their mother, Autumn, was placed in an adjacent cage, and took a very dim view of the whole procedure. The kittens quickly reconciled to their surroundings, and to the humans who made a fuss over them, but Autumn’s usual reaction was to put her ears down and look menacing.

Autumn "before" (CF)

All six kittens went to 5 Rd, and were adopted out, but Autumn remained with us. Released into the front courtyard, she quickly established herself as one of the shyer ferals, hanging out in the back corner of the Val Jones area. The favourite look was the typical horrified-feral-stare, and she was an expert at finding places to hide.

Still a favourite hideaway!

As she matured, she differentiated herself from most of the front courtyard tabbies by growing a magnificent mane with blond highlights.

Autumn the lion

She also proved to be something of an athlete, copying little Merilee in her liking for climbing up on top of the umbrellas in the front courtyard. On one memorable occasion, she managed to access a way onto the roof (that escape route now firmly closed!) and was not happy to be trapped and brought back again. However, following that, she seemed to be more reconciled to her life at the Sanctuary; though not exactly  a friendly cat, she would allow the odd finger-tip to nose contact, and she didn’t immediately take off when someone was taking pictures of her – perhaps she knew how beautiful she is.

And then quite suddenly we noticed that Autumn had joined the crowd of gate-greeters, and was doing her share of leg-rubbing and bunting with humans, and flirting with other cats. It is SO rewarding when a formerly feral cat decides that people aren’t so bad after all, and comes looking for attention.

Blog: Brigid Coult

Pictures: Michele Wright and Claire Fossey