Elvis has Left the Sanctuary

This week's blog comes to you from Sanctuary volunteer Nicholas Read.

Elvis in his "adoptable" bandana  (KN)

Ordinarily long-time volunteer Brigid Coult would be writing this entry, but since it’s partly about her, she’s had to step away this week. Not that she approves; she’s too modest for that. But her love story with Elvis, a brown adult tabby more reminiscent of the overweight ‘70s King than the sleek leather-clad ‘60s singer, is one that deserves to be told. 

Elvis   (LBF)

Every cat at RAPS knows he or she has a special friend in Brigid, but her relationship with Elvis was something extraordinary. “Was” because Elvis has been adopted by a family who were looking for a calm and cuddly cat. And Elvis fit the bill perfectly. The trouble was that fitting that bill meant saying good-bye to Brigid. 

You see, theirs wasn’t just any love story. It was a “compare thee to a summer’s day”, “let me count the ways” romance initiated and perpetuated by a besotted and forever faithful Elvis. (Check out the accompanying photo and you’ll see for yourself.)

Happiness...   (MRJ)

He adored Brigid, plain and simple. When she wasn’t working, he was nestled under her chin wearing an expression of pure “she’s mine” bliss. The funny thing was that because his head was pressed so tightly against hers, Brigid couldn’t see that blissed out expression herself. But everyone else could and they’d never seen anything like it. Elvis was head-over-paws in Hallmark love. 

But Elvis's new family met him and also fell in love - and when they came to visit the following weekend, Brigid got a chance to meet them, and knew that they were the right people for him. She knew Elvis was a cat who needed cuddling every day and every night, which was more than even she could give him as a volunteer. 

Elvis cuddlers - Vince, Daphne, Brigid...

It was RAPS’s other volunteers whose hearts broke. Nothing would be the same again, they said, without Brigid and Elvis. It would be like Cathy without Heathcliff, Elizabeth without Mr. Darcy, Lucy without Ricky. 

Last day coffee-break cuddles  (SB)

But wisdom says if you really love someone, set him free. So that’s what Brigid did for Elvis. It doesn’t mean she won’t miss him. She just knew it was the right thing … and it was. 

Blog by Nicholas Read 

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Shelley Brown, Brigid Coult,

Marla Rae Jenkins, Karen Nicholson, Debbie Wolanski

Finding Homes for Multiples

Purrito and Potsticker

Some of the cats that come into our care at the Sanctuary are cats that don’t like other cats. At the Sanctuary, that’s actually not an issue – they can find space for themselves and avoid unnecessary encounters. And if that dislike results in peeing and marking – well, we can always do more laundry!

Dumpling

Occasionally they will do really well in a home if they are the Only Cat – where they can claim the territory for themselves and have all the attention of their human.  But when it comes to adopting out cats and kittens, we usually suggest that people adopt a pair – especially when it comes to kittens – or to match a new cat to the social nature of their existing cat.  

Jinx

Currently we have the situation of several bonded adult cats in our care, cats that we feel should be kept together if possible. These are cats who have a clear preference for each other’s company, and who we think would be unhappy to lose friend or sibling. All of them are very sweet cats, tame and sociable.

Whiskers

In the SingleWide are 7-year old brothers Whiskers and Jinx.  They were caged together initially, and when released they wandered freely in the area – not necessarily together – but they can often be found in company, and sharing the couch with a volunteer or visitor.

Whiskers specializes in "yoga sleeping" - AG

They’ve had an enforced separation recently, when Jinx had some necessary dental surgery and was caged to recover, so it will be interesting to watch the re-establishment of the bond. Whiskers regularly visits with his brother and talks through the cage door.

Kramer & Riker

In the DoubleWide are Kramer and Riker. Both boys had originally come from us, and were returned when there were family difficulties; Riker is about two years old and Kramer several years older. 

Kramer is very regal!

Kramer is a big tabby boy, probably with some Maine Coon in him (though not the pointed ears!); he was very wary and reactive initially, but has calmed down a lot, and now solicits petting. A lot of his comfort, I think, derives from the company of his buddy Riker. Riker is also a tabby, but with a lot of reddish fur – he’s a very beautiful boy. He’s also probably got some ragdoll in his make-up – he just loves to be picked up and cuddled, and is happy to be held on his back and have his tummy rubbed.

Riker is more curious, and loves lap-time

Our DoubleWide cages are much larger than the ones in the Adoption Centre where the kittens are kept, but for two big boys, it’s still a bit cramped, so Riker and Kramer have a duplex – we cut a small panel between cages so they can choose where to be. Sometimes they’re in separate areas; sometimes they’re visiting together.  We’re reluctant to let them out with the other cats, because we don’t want them to get used to going outside; when RAPS adopts cats out, we require a commitment to keep them as indoor cats. We can also keep them safer from infections in a confined area. But we’d love to see the two of them go to a good home where they can roam the house.

Pussycat pile

The other duplex in the DoubleWide is the home of not two, but three large cats. Potsticker, Dumpling and their sister Purrito were dumped without any explanation. The three of them are beautiful healthy cats in good condition, so someone loved them, but we have no knowledge of their background. They love attention and petting – Potsticker is the attention hog – and though Dumpling was initially a bit reactive when he arrived, like Kramer, he has relaxed and taken comfort from his cage-mates.

Purrito - all the cuteness!

Finding an adopter for three big beautiful cats is not easy – thinking of taking two is feasible, but three...  But these three need to be together – so we keep looking for a situation where they can have room to explore and be at home, with lots of love and attention.

Dumpling

There are always lots of kittens looking for homes, and single adult cats – but it’s so much harder to find homes for multiples.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Akira Graham

In the ORA

Tri-paw'd Chutney is still shy - BC

The front courtyard of the Sanctuary is home to a variety of cats, many of whom roam freely to all corners except the Val Jones area (FIV cats) and the Leukemia area (confusingly, once known as Old Aids). But at night, and especially with the disappearance of our summer weather, most of them return to specific areas – and sometimes to specific beds. That’s a great help to the med-staff, who need to know where to look when medicating yet another black cat! Through our summer visiting hours one specific place is blocked off, so that shy cats have the opportunity of avoiding interaction with visitors. This area lies between the Yellow Door shed and the Hill House, and is the home to most of the front courtyard ferals.

In the ORA - BC

The Old Rabbit Area (ORA) has nothing to do with old rabbits, but in the very early days of the Sanctuary there was in fact a rabbit pen on the south side of the courtyard. The space between the two buildings was walled in and the floor paved, though the south side is still open-netted. As the cat numbers increased with the trapping of local ferals, the area was given over to the cats, and the rabbits were moved into the DoubleWide. When I arrived in 2010, we were at almost 700 cats (there had been more!) and the rabbits were Kringle, Amy, and when Amy passed, Kris.

Dixie hides in her basket behind the drapes - BC

In the Old Rabbit Area, priority is given to hiding places. The shelving around the walls and the large cat-tree in the centre are all well-draped, and the drapes remain in place unless the med-staff need to access specific cats. Sweet stubby-tailed Dixie is one of these; she is tame and touchable, but prefers to remain out of sight.

Mabel - MD

Usually a human intruder into the area walks into blank drapes and no movement. The inhabitants of the bed under the heat-lamp give resentful glares. But the production of a little edible bribery will often result in inquisitive noses and hopeful faces – even if they don’t much want to be touched. Solar and Mabel are usually in this area – they are half of a quartet of ferals that came to us from VOKRA some years ago; their brother Midnight did a jail-break through to the back courtyard and remains there.

Marmalade - KN

Our two little tripaw’d cats make this area their home. Marmalade (minus a back leg) has become much more mobile and can occasionally be found on the climbing frame on the other side of the courtyard. She emphatically does not want to be touched, but she loves chicken bits. Chutney (minus a front leg) prefers to stay around her home-zone, but enjoys contact with her select humans. She can often be found sitting up like a little meerkat.

Eddie - KN

Eddie had a home in the Hill House middle cage for some time, and was not a happy camper there; the Kitty Comforters who visited him were known to shed blood, and getting him comfortable with contact was a painful process. When the cage was opened and Eddie was out, we saw a different cat! On his first weekend out he was making nice with visitors – and no blood!  Eddie prefers to hang out in the ORA with the other littles, as does sweet Abel, the brother of Nemi. Both cats can be shy and a bit timid but overall, they have really blossomed and can be rather outgoing at times. Abel and Nemi are also very sweet. Nemi divides her time between the Connor, the climbing frame, and the ORA. Both cats are semi-feral, but on the tame end of the spectrum. Nemi and Abel are available for adoption.

Abel - BC

Nemi - BC

Many other ferals hide behind the drapes, high up by the ceiling, or in the beds that form a barrier between the two courtyards. Bobtailed Bowie will venture out, but prefers to hold himself away from humans; he is one of many black cats in the area that is happier not dealing with us – the rest of his mini-colony (Jett, Joan and Janice, who I cannot tell apart) do the crepuscular cat thing, and prefer to emerge only at dawn and dusk when there are fewer people around to scare them.

Bowie - BC

Others enjoy transitioning through the window above the heated bed which leads into the Hill House; once there, they are often found to be more willing to venture a little human contact with volunteers.

Solar enjoying the heat lamp;
can you see shy Tamale through the Hill House window? - BC

Like everywhere else, the place is well cleaned every day, but other than that, volunteers tend to stay out of it, so the ORA can remain a sanctuary within the Sanctuary for the shy and the scared. a place where they can interact without our eyes on them, and where they can feel well fed and secure for all their lives.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Melanie Draper, Karen Nicholson

Front Courtyard Sweet Pea

Sweet Pea (MW)

In 2016 we were contacted by workers at a shelter on the Sunshine Coast that was closing down. Like many such organizations, it was set up privately, and was mostly a labour of love for the founder.  It focused on rescue, but was not organized for continued funding or for succession planning.  As the owner’s health declined, it became obvious that things couldn’t continue, and her friends called us. Over the course of the following year we took in more than twenty cats.

A wet-day excursion  (KN)

In the back courtyard we established the first colony in Pen 6; we knew their records and that they knew each other, so they didn’t have to be caged initially – the pen was their cage till they settled. These included PawPaw, Simba, Blue, Laredo and many others. Also from there was the one-and-only Honey Bear, a snowshoe Siamese with electric blue eyes and a neurological problem. In subsequent months more cats joined the front courtyard, this time via a short cage stay. These included Sparks, Wickem, Gidget, Figaro, Reefer, HunnyBun and Sweet Pea.

Hiding out in a cat-tree  (GA)

Many of them were already seniors when they came to us and have since passed; Sweet Pea is one of the last cats of that group of refugees; she, Reefer and Figaro still roam the front courtyard. She was a September 2017 arrival, and is now about 14 years old – she arrived at Happy Cat Haven as a kitten. All three cats came to us as ferals, but the two boys have become used to petting and treats, and have merged well with the general population. Sweet Pea remains on the feral end of the spectrum, but she doesn’t really like to be alone and needs other cat companions. 

Cuddles with friend Libby - now gone  (LBF)

She’s our third Sweet Pea – the first was a well-loved messy little manx with a sweet trill of a voice; the second was one of the Kootenays cats who was recently adopted out. In a courtyard with a lot of black cats and tuxes, it’s easy to identify  this Sweet Pea by her thin white moustache marking. 

On the climbing frame on a wet day  (KN)

She can usually be found around the covered courtyard that is known as the Old Rabbit Area, but when there are visitors, she emerges to hover around the climbing platform – especially when volunteer Allison is there on Sunday afternoons. She is still wary of touch, but she trusts Allison and will come to her for petting and treats, and she has a few other volunteers she will approach for attention.

Sweet Pea  (MW)

She’ll often be found lurking under cover, watching everything that goes on. A little patience, a treat or two, and she will dare to emerge for her share of petting.  I suspect she’s never going to be really comfortable with contact, but she now knows that nobody will hurt her, and she’s seeing some of the benefits of life at the Sanctuary.

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

Hope and her BFFs

Hope  (MW)

Just as we tend to self-identify as extrovert or introvert, so many of the Sanctuary cats appear to be cat-social or loners – and all quite independent on how they interact with the humans around them. In the front of the Connor House, in the front courtyard, there’s a particularly bonded little group that centres on sweet Hope.

Carly grooming Hope  (DW)

Hope has lived with us most of her life. She came in about 14 years ago with her family: mama Joanie, brothers GusGus and Domino, and separately, dad Hudson. The three kittens were past the easy socialization stage, and took a long time to settle with us – GusGus was one of my beloved sponsor cats, and shy in all his dealings with us. Hope came to enjoy human contact, and was routinely introduced to visitors as “the cat with the softest fur” – her coat is very smooth and soft, and especially now that she enjoys coming up for lap time, she’s a pleasure to stroke!

Hope (KN)

The Connor is Hope’s home, and in recent years she’s laid claim to the table at the window – so much so that we’ve all got in the habit of setting up “Hope’s bed” once everything’s been scrubbed down in the morning cleaning. She gets the best light, the view through the window into the porch area – and a quick way out when the window’s open – the first encounter with people entering the building, and the first chance at the plate at feeding time.

Carly being Hope's bed (CT)

The advantages of this position haven’t been missed by a couple of other cats, and Hope usually has feline company. Interestingly, it’s usually an either/or situation – it’s rare that we’ll see all three cats together.  It reminds me the trio of Capilano, Chinook and Walker, who lived in Pen 5 – Walker was attached to both his buddies, but Capilano and Chinook didn’t care much for each other. In the Connor we will often find Hope with Celine or Carly – but only rarely with both together. 

Hope & Carly, watching the action outside  (GT)

Carly and Celine came to us from the same farm-cat situation in the summer of 2016; both were pregnant and had their kittens under fosterage, and then came to us in the fall. Caged in the Connor, when released they decided to stay in the area that had become familiar.

Sometimes the buddy is the bed - 
or is this a quick snack?  (CH)

Carly (Carly Simon) was the more daring of the two, and explored her way around; Celine (Celine Dion) retreated to the cage-tops and lived with the shyer cats. Neither girl was much interested in human contact initially, but over the past seven years, both have opened up to us.

Hope & Celine on dinner-watch  (JR)

On visiting days Carly is frequently found out on the north side of the courtyard, and defends her place on the bench from other cats; she will come for lap-time, but doesn’t much like the competition. Given her reluctance to share bench-space with other cats, it’s interesting to see that Carly likes to share with Hope – I guess in this case, the space is clearly identifiable with Hope, and Carly can’t claim it, so she might as well share peaceably!

Carly & Hope (GT)

Celine is less social, but can often be found sharing Hope’s bed, and the petting from visitors that results from the position. She’s come a long way from the wary girl who used to peer down at us from the cage-tops; she will still visit up there from time to time, but now prefers being in reach for treats and attention.  

Hope & Celine  (KN)

All three are former ferals who are now “tame” – but not adoptable: Hope, because of her age and the fact that she has lived here nearly all her life; Carly and Celine because though pettable, they prefer feline company to that of humans, and a change in situation would almost certainly revived the scared ferals within.  For these three Best Feline Friends, the Sanctuary is home.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Colin Hume, Karen Nicholson, Jill Rabin, Gurpreet Tagger,
Cheryl Townsend, Debbie Wolanski, Michele Wright

Bricklyn

Bricklyn (KN)

It’s very easy to overlook yet another black cat or another tabby among a hundred other cats in the Cat Sanctuary front courtyard – but somehow, the striking-looking Bricklyn also gets overlooked.

Bricklyn (BC)

I have to admit, for many years she worked very hard at it! Bricklyn came to us in August 2012, trapped by Carol at BC Brick. She came to us with kittens, and was fostered out until the kittens were old enough to go to the Shelter for adoption. Like Autumn, who came around the same time, the kittens were ready for new homes, but no way was Mama going to approve of this new life. Autumn was a particularly angry girl for a while, joining the ferals in what was then the Val Jones corner, but within a couple of years she’d changed her thinking and began enjoying contact with humans.

Autumn, scared - in 2012 (PH)

Autumn the flirt, now  (KN)

Bricklyn was also not ready for human contact, and certainly not for adoption, and she vanished into what we call the Old Rabbit Area. This is a covered courtyard, with all the shelves draped so that scared ferals can remain out of sight. In theory, we’re ready for ferals to be ferals as long as they please, but we do try to bring them round to our way of thinking – and that can be very hard when they have such a great place in which to hide!

Bricklyn, seen only at a distance  (MW)

So for years, all we got was the occasion flash of Bricklyn emerging and vanishing again. Cats are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active at dawn and dusk.  Like many of the shyest cats, she could often only be seen by the early morning or late evening staff and volunteers. She hung out with similarly shy cats, like the older Lora and Lorelei, and as they gradually allowed more contact with us, Bricklyn would look on but not venture any closer.

Bricklyn (BC)

She’s now around 14 years old, and I don’t know whether it’s part of the aging process – as some cats become senile, they forget that they’re scared – but more and more we’re seeing less feral fear from Bricklyn. She can be spotted exploring around the north side of the courtyard, and sometimes venturing onto the climbing frame. She is cautiously interested in us (especially if chicken is offered), but not ready to accept food from the hand or to allow touch. But if she thinks the chicken donor isn’t noticing her, she can get quite vocal.

Bricklyn, hoping for handouts  (BC)

Bricklyn’s also something of a cougar, flirting with the younger male cats. She particularly likes blond Leo and big Kenji, and will head-bunt them happily. They have many other friends with whom to interact, and sadly, the older lady is not big on their radar – but she doesn’t give up hope!

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Phaedra Hardman, Karen Nicholson and Michele Wright

Brunet and Blonde, revisited

Lindor in regal mode  (MW)

It’s interesting to look back at some of our cats when they arrived with us, and see how they’re doing today. Five years ago Lindor and Parker came to us – they just happened to arrive at the same time and were put in adjacent cages to acclimatize.  

Exploring on the cage-tops  (BC)

Black Lindor came to us from the Shelter with a reputation for ambush attacks from the shadow of his cage; Debbie was on staff there at that time, and said that it took some care to be cleaning in the cat room without becoming a Lindor target. There are many cats who come from an experience of freedom and don’t do well within the confines of a Shelter environment. Many of these do much better when they arrive at the Sanctuary and have more space to move or to hide in, according to their needs. 

Snoozing on the table puts you closer to the treats  (KN)

Once released from his cage, Lindor made himself at home around the DoubleWide and the back courtyard. He’s a beautiful fluffy boy, but the fluff extends between the ears – he’s not the smartest cat we’ve ever had!  Initially he was a bit reactive, and we all gave him some space. He’s not particularly cat-social, though he doesn’t really mind other cats being around – he just doesn’t socialize with them. What he has discovered is that when humans sit down around the courtyard table for coffee, there are sometimes goodies on offer!  We are told that cats don’t taste sweet stuff – but Lindor leads the queue when Timbits come out, and can often be found trying to cat-burgle his way into the box.

Big and fluffy  (KN)

He likes attention – he’s not really a lap-cat, but he loves to be petted, and he has joined the ranks of the cats wearing a bandana during visiting hours as a signal that he is adoptable.  If you’re into big fluffy cats, he’s a winner!

Parker doing a little exploration  (KN)

His blonde counterpart, Parker, had been surrendered for aggressive behaviour, and sadly, that has not changed much. Occasionally she can be seen out in the courtyard, but the upper shelves of the Laundry Room are very much her turf, and she defends them against all invaders.

This shelf is Parker's favourite perch (MW)

Her blonde prettiness is irresistible to the uninitiated, but it only takes a smack or two to realize that the collar this girl wears is not just decorative – it’s a real warning. She does have some favourite humans who are permitted to offer petting when she’s in the right mood, but most volunteers have learned to be wary around her, and that contact with her is likely to produce blood.

Hard at work, being fluffy and cute  (KN)

I usually do DoubleWide feeds from the sink, and most of the time it’s black Cole sitting there and stealing the first bite on every plate – and Parker is at floor-level, growling to keep other cats away from her plate. Just occasionally, Parker beats Cole to the top of the washing machine, and then I find myself being very cautious as each plate is filled and moved. This level of aggression is often seen in feral cats and is usually fear-based; Parker’s not a feral, and she fears nothing; this is straight dominance, and letting everyone know that what Parker wants, goes! 

Good-naturedly posing as the Easter bunny (KN)

I wonder how these two would have made out in a jurisdiction where there wasn’t a no-kill Sanctuary option. As it is, they both have space and time to meet their needs – Parker has her shelves where she can get away, and our patience with her swatting; Lindor has attention and love and the possibility of eventually finding his own home.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright