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...

Have Another Cookie...

Cookie Hill (MW)

We have our share of cats who have names in common – usually names they have arrived with, rather than names they have been given here. At one stage we had four Bobbys at the same time! Domino, Jasper, Jinx and Katie have all been popular names,  And Cookie, as a name, is up on that list.  The earliest Cookie was one of my first RAPS acquaintances, and beloved by many.  Cookie 2 was one of a pair of very tubby cats who lived with us for a while, and were adopted by someone who was able to control their food intake and help them get fitter.

Cookies 1 (CF) & 2 (PH)

I introduced Cookie Mills a couple of years ago; this sweet girl continues to be a favourite of staff and volunteers, but prefers to ignore all the other cats. She is becoming more and more a tubby variety of Manx; long-term Sanctuary lovers will remember PeeWee, with a similar build.

PeeWee (BD) & Cookie Mills (KN)

Our most recent Cookie came in about 18 months ago; she had her cage-stay in the Hill House, and since we had Cookie Mills in the back courtyard, this front courtyard girl became Cookie Hill. She came to us from an owner who had tried everything to help her beautiful girl settle down. Cookie had come from the SPCA so they had no back-story, but it became obvious to them that she was untrusting – particularly of men – and acted out with aggression, anxiety, and of course, peeing. The family tried everything, but it was clear that only the mom was acceptable to her. 

Cookie Hill  (LBF)

Sadly, the SPCA wouldn’t take her back; they said that she was unadoptable, and that euthanasia was the only alternative.  Luckily, the Cat Sanctuary was a better one for her.  It took Cookie Hill a while to accept her change in status, and there was a fair bit of swatting involved. These days she mostly hangs out in the Yellow Shed area, and when she’s in the right mood, she can be chatty and affectionate with humans, though she reminds me of Sophie in the TeaRoom – moody, but cute, and ready to be petted if you do it to her specifications.

Cookie Hill (KN)

She stands out from all the other little tabbies because of the beautiful orange necklace she wears.  Often a torby (tabby/tortie mixture) has the orange colours dispersed generally among her fur (she’s almost always female, because of the genetics around colouring). Carly Simon and  Christina Aguilera are a pair whose tabby markings are balanced with their ginger colouring. Roe has striking ginger blotches in her coat. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a clear marking of the orange fur to give a cat a pattern like this. And she has the most beautiful green eyes to offset her colouring.

Cookie Hill (KN)

Cookie Hill will never be Miss Popularity around the Front Courtyard. There’s not much room in the Yellow Shed but Miss Hill insists on a shelf to herself, and she is not into socializing with the other cats. The Hill House itself tends to be more social than she’s ready to face. As the weather warms up, though, we’ll probably see more of her out and about. We do have some faithful male volunteers, but it’s mainly women she sees, and we hope that she will be able to put her bad experiences of the past behind her, and learn that there are people that she can trust again.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Barbara Doduk, Claire Fossey, 

Phaedra Hardman, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

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