Higgins

Higgins  (KN)

Those of us who are involved in Sanctuary work find it hard to understand how people can just dump their cats, or let them out and not search when they disappear. Recent “dumpees” have been very distressed, and though we are thankful they are safe in our care, we wish the method of arrival could be less stressful on the cats in question.  

First view of Higgins on trail cam  (KN)

We also have cats that are spotted on our cameras around the Sanctuary perimeter and who need to be trapped to be brought into safety.  Many of them have clearly been strays and not ferals – they tame up pretty quickly, obviously remembering past contact with humans. What we don’t know is whether they are also dumped cats, or whether the Sanctuary broadcasts a “safety here!” aura to strays.

Trail-cam: Higgins was very good at avoiding the traps  (KN)

There is a Sanctuary tradition of referring to these as our “detective cats” – they have found their way to us. Some of them have clearly been feral – Kojak took a long time to get used to contact, Rico is still very wary with all except his favourite people. Steele (named for Remington Steele) not only found us, but cat-burgled his way IN to the back pens – but is very much a scared feral. Others have obviously had homes, and once settled with us, may find new homes again – Watson, who arrived the day Kojak died, is happily adopted; McCormick is in foster (with me!).

Battered boy in a protective collar  (BC)

For some weeks, staff were seeing a new cat skulking around the outside of the Sanctuary. Perimeter cams showed him on a regular basis, but it took weeks of setting traps before he finally walked into one last spring. Med-staff Louise named him Higgins for a character in the original Magnum P.I. series.  Unlike his namesake, this boy was a mess! To begin with, he was clearly an unneutered male, which probably meant that he had been in his share of battles with other toms – fights over food, over territory, over mates. 

So pathetic, in those first days  (BC)

He had scars and open wounds, fleas and worms, his skin was scabby, and he had the largest tomcat jowls we had ever seen. He needed quite a lot of shaving to access and treat the hurts, and then he was popped into a DoubleWide cage to decompress. We needed to drape the bottom of his cage-door with a towel, since all the local alpha males, like Eli and Jasper, knew that he was in there, and left their mark at his door. 

Will Veruca and Careen leave enough dinner?  (BC)

Once he’d healed up a bit, he went back to the hospital for his neuter surgery, and we waited to see if his huge cheeks would reduce. It was clear at this point that he was used to humans, and very friendly; petting him, we were aware of the body heat coming off his head, and it seemed likely that part of the swelling was an infection, so a course of antibiotics was prescribed. Gradually the heat lessened and the hard-skin quality of his cheeks reduced;  he’s likely always going to have big jowls, but they’re no longer so enormous. He just loves attention from humans. He has some food anxieties, probably going back to his wandering life; if he can get a plate to himself he’s in heaven, but he is easily put off by pushier cats wanting at a plate, and he will hover until he has a clear passage.  

A plate all his own! (BC)

Clearly, he’s not a young cat – the vet estimates he might be around eight years old. His scars and lumps are still apparent;  his shaved fur is very slow to grow back. So far, he has remained in the DoubleWide area and not ventured outside; initially he remained around his cage, visiting any other open ones in the vicinity. Occasionally he will tuck himself under the steps by the nearby couch, emerging when he recognizes a voice calling him. 

Emerging from hiding to greet me   (BC)

Sometimes we have a “Where’s Higgins?” period, finding him high up on the DW Deck with the semiferals, or on a high shelf in the laundry room – clearly, he likes to climb!  We’d love him to come outside when there are visitors here; he’s the sort of cat that would get lots of attention. But so far the steps remain his limit. He loves to be held and cuddled, but let me know clearly that he preferred to remain inside for now.

Do you have anything tasty for me?   (KN)

The Kitty Comforters and DW volunteers all know and love Higgins;  I hope some of our volunteers working outside the DW will take the opportunity to visit, offer cuddles, and let this boy know that he’s come home.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult & Karen Nicholson

Trooper

(This week’s blog is brought to you by Sanctuary volunteer Brit Burant. Brit has been volunteering since Oct 2021 in the New Aids area. Friday evenings with the cats and other volunteers is her favourite day of the week!)

Trooper

Some of you might remember our story about Trooper earlier this year. He survived a cold Saskatchewan winter with a trap attached to his leg. Thanks to his trappers, the help of RAPS medical team, volunteers and donors, we’re happy to report that Trooper is thriving at RAPS and living his best life. 

Who can resist that face?

He first called the Val Jones area home but his picky palate did not enjoy the food offerings there (the VJ cats are on a diet to suit the ones with kidney problems). He now calls the New Aids area home, and his “fine dining” needs are finally being met there! He has fitted in nicely with his fellow FIV friends and his relaxed demeanor shows how comfortable and safe he feels in his new home. 

Amaretto and Trooper having a little lounge together

Over the last couple of months, his personality has really bloomed and he has become more outgoing. We’ve been finding him and Amaretto hanging out together lately. He has discovered that chairs with cushy blankets make great napping spots.

Trooper certainly lives up to his name. Despite being a tripod and missing his front right leg, that doesn’t stop him from running around and being playful. He loves to catch bugs, chase leaves and play with wand toys. He’s also always one of the first to run up to the gate to greet you when you arrive. For only have 3 legs, he’s moves along pretty quick!

One front paw is enough for play

You have to be careful and always looks down when Trooper is around. He has a tendency to flop at your feet when you least expect it! The flops on the ground could also be because he’s tired from sitting – who wouldn’t be if they were missing a limb?! But when he is lying on his side, it's an open invitation for pets and belly rubs. You can’t say no to his adorable face! 

Loves legs to rub against

All the cats at RAPS have their own stories, but when you look at Trooper, you can’t help but have an extra big smile on your face when you see him. Just knowing what he’s been through and to see how far he’s come is truly remarkable. Words like resilient, tough, strong and fighter come to mind – but he’s so much more than all that. He is a true testament of what good can happen when a community comes together to give an animal a second chance. 

Petting, please?

Although our boy carries the FIV virus, he is not sick, and like most of the FIV cats, will live as long and healthy a life as many other cats. 

For more information about adoption, check https://www.rapsbc.com/adopt/

If you're looking for a playful love bug who will also be your little shadow, Trooper is your guy!  

Blog and pictures by Brit Burant 

January 2025:  Happy to announce that Trooper has found a home!

rrrrrrrRoot Beer!

Root Beer (KH)

At the Sanctuary we have our share of cats who prefer not to interact with other felines – mostly the ones I call the Garbo cats (“I vant to be alone....)  This boy takes the preference to an extreme.

watching for approaching cats  (BC)

Lots of people are still not aware of the feral cat problem in many places. In Richmond, we were blessed by Carol Reichert’s original vision and the enormous amount of hard work that went on across the turn of the century to get the feral population under control. Every now and then there is a flare-up when careless owners let their cats stray, or uncaring people dump unwanted pets. When we are made aware of a colony, our trapping team goes to work, the cats come into our care, and if it is possible to tame them, they will find homes – otherwise, they join the Sanctuary cats. One of our great blessings is that because Richmond is an island, we don’t get feral colonies migrating from other places.

Cooling it in the gazebo  (CN)

Elsewhere the story is different. Surrey and Langley have a lot of feral cats, and a lot of semi-developed or agricultural land where colonies can grow. One female cat could have as many as 20,000 descendants in five years – if she has kittens every time she comes into heat – if all her kittens survive and go on to reproduce. That’s possible but not probable. Many kittens don’t survive to adulthood, and many adults die from starvation, disease, abuse, accidents or as victims of predators. For the local rescues it’s like damming a river; they get a colony TNR’d and under control – and another one pops up.

On guard by the gate;  warning visitors to abandon hope....  (KH)

The Fraser Valley cat rescuers are doing amazing work, but what they need (in addition to what every rescue wants: financial support and more educational awareness) is an ability to expand a barn-cat program; to have somewhere safe to relocate TNR’d cats to live out their feral lives in relative safety. In a barn-cat program, the cats still live in some peril from predators, but they have food and shelter, and someone to oversee their needs.

I dare you to come closer...  (BC)

Root Beer was a Surrey cat, found wearing a harness, so we know that he has had a home somewhere. He went to Surrey Animal Rescue Centre (SARC), and they advertised his presence, thinking that his owners would claim him. No contact.... and no joy from this handsome cat, who was NOT happy about being confined, and behaved very aggressively, so that nobody would adopt him. SARC did their best with him, but they are Surrey Animal Control, and not a no-kill organization like ours, nor do they have a barn-cat program. Luckily for Root Beer, they recognized that he had limited options, and they contacted RAPS to see if we would take him in. He arrived with us in April.

The bench by the big litterbox is a favourite perch  (BC)

He reminded me immediately of Big Dave, who also had limited options, as a FeLV+ cat, and who now lives in our Leukemia pen. Root Beer is a lighter tabby – almost golden when the light is right – with beautiful spotted/striped markings.  He was placed in one of the largest cages we have, in the Hill House and given time to decompress.

If there are no other cats around, he loves solo play  (KH)

We don’t like cages, but they’re necessary. Cats who need medical care or monitoring are not always cooperative about treatment or medication, and especially if they’re one of many little black cats, have to be confined in order to be sure that the right cat gets the right dose. Cats who are new to the Sanctuary have to be caged for us to be sure they have all the right vaccines, and to give them time to get used to the surroundings. Often a cat will be aggressive and reactive in a cage - like Eddie, who hissed and swatted – and then saunter out when the door is opened, and settle down easily.

This is MY corner - stay away!  (BC)

Not our Root Beer.  He let us know from the beginning that he did not like this hotel, he did not want to be disturbed, the menu was not up to snuff, the company was beneath him....  And when the door was opened, he went out into the courtyard and told us all over again.  Like Sam, his biggest problem is with other cats (“Stop looking at me!...”) and even a casual walk-past from our friendlier cats is an occasion for growling and swearing and lunging – though rarely a real attack. When Root Beer is feeling persecuted, even humans are persona non grata. He has adopted a bed on the Hill House porch as his own, and will allow a little communication if he’s in a receptive mood, and if no other cats come close; he has a VERY large bubble that defines his personal space. I am told that he has allowed touch and conversation and treats with the right people – I am not one of them!

A rare moment of relaxation and comfort  (KN)

Poor boy – he’s still coming to terms with life at the Sanctuary. But having watched other reactive cats, like Cuddles, gradually mellowing, we know that we can give him all the time he needs to adjust to a new home with us.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe, Karen Nicholson, Caitlin Norman

Mindfulness in Motion

This week's blog comes to you from volunteer Laura Funay, who is one of our devoted Kitty Comforters.

Bugle says "GO AWAY!- unless you have something tasty!"  (KN)

Every so often, an acquaintance will ask me: "ooh, what did you do to your hands?" If bandaged, they may expect to hear about a cooking incident, or a hike in deep bush country.

The answer is always: "I volunteer with cats."

And this is what Bugle looks like when we treat her right...   (KN)

No, I'm not a masochist. There's also a second part to my answer, and it's always "I just wasn't paying proper attention."

Approaching RootBeer with caution (LF)

People without cat experience often say that they don't know how I can keep doing this. It is, 95 % of the time, entirely preventable, so it's down to me to keep scratches from happening. I consider it part of life-long learning. Any red marks I do receive are notes from my furry teachers, reading "much room for improvement." It brings to mind the expression "That which hurts, also instructs".

Beautiful Malibu  (KN)

Having ADHD means that the moment I step through the sanctuary gates I'm monitoring where I put my feet, the level of my voice, and where I rest my gaze. My inner Agnes from Despicable Me is squealing "they're so fluffy I'm gonna die!" She's hard to keep down. A new gorgeous floof like Malibu can make me gasp in surprise and awe. Unfortunately, it sent him running, and put us on the slow road to friendship. I'm still working on turning that gasp into a long breath and slow blinks.

Sweet Pea (MW) is a beloved old friend

Moment to moment, as I walk slowly through the front courtyard, I greet old friends like Sweet Pea by name and give scritches and knuckle rubs. In cat etiquette, looking away during a greeting is rude, so I focus my eyes on each friend in turn; my usual impulse is to look EVERYWHERE.

Cher (AG) loves attention on her own terms
but can become over-stimulated

The moving meditation continues. The kitties in need of attention are waiting in their cages or in their hidey holes, so I must be brief with the friendlies, and leave with a "love you, see you later." Time-blindness must be kept in check. It's incredibly hard to do, but I'm prepared with my list of KC kitties, and that helps. Somewhat...

Benji (MW) wears a collar to remind us he's reactive

Caged cats, whether new or receiving treatments, have sheets explaining their personalities, plus advice on how to approach them. I read them very thoroughly now, having learned a valuable lesson from Benji a while back. In my excitement to meet this friendly fellow, already purring through the cage, I skipped the line about overstimulation leading him to bite, which he did. Later, when a much-younger nurse practitioner questioned my life choices while prescribing antibiotics, well, that also helped with my reading comprehension a great deal.

Little Cat's expression tells me to approach carefully  (KN)

Awareness of the environment and remaining in the present, as in seated meditation, are absolutely necessary for me. A wandering mind while petting can lead to hurt feelings and an indignant swat, Eyes on kitty, hands on kitty, mind on kitty. Do your shopping list on your own time, human! New cats, known divas like Little Cat, Jobie and Jade, even longtime friends have their peculiarities when injured or startled. Focus and attention are impaired in an ADHD brain; kitty comforting exercises these skills, with immediate rewards. 

Sweet shy Sprint came to trust me   (LF)

For me, getting slow blinks, rumbling purrs, or piles of floof from five minutes of brushing reinforces my "training". Old friends like Zimmer, Snotty Bobby, and Sprint, eventually recognized my voice and approached me for cuddles and treats. It's a big win for the KC team and staff, having a former cage-topper come down to the floor to mix and mingle and get their share of treats. 

Sam is approachable if there are no other cats around  (KN)

I'm currently working on handsome new tabby Root Beer who likes to hang around Hill House and needs a lot of brushing, but group living seems to stress him out, so it's slow going. Orange Sam now waits for visitors in the Single Wide foyer and is an absolute darling when no other cats are around. It will take time for them to tolerate other cats, so for now I must be patient and alert. I must be improving: I haven't come home with any red notes for the past month.

Blog by Laura Funay

Photos by Laura Funay, Akira Graham, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Ten Years of Blogging

Evening conference in the back courtyard (JS)

After establishing the Neko Blog in 2009, and giving us a wealth of wonderful photos and stories about the Sanctuary inhabitants, blog founder Claire Fossey was getting swamped at work, and finding that the blog was just one thing too much.  I hated to think we might lose it – it gives us an incredible resource of information and images – and I took a deep breath and said, “I’ll do it!”. My first blog was Flat Cats in the first week of August 2014.

Selena Marchetti's wonderful picture of
Marianne Moore and her best feline friends

Claire had blogged several times a week – cameo profiles of the cats in residence. I made two decisions – that this would be a weekly blog, perhaps in a bit more depth, and that I would try to facilitate the involvement of more writers. I managed to maintain the first decision, and there’s been a blog almost every week for ten years; the second, not so much...  Our beloved Marianne Moore was a regular contributor until she was taken from us - her last blog was of SingleWide superstar Nova in the spring of 2018; Pauline Chin wrote 30 blogs over about 4 years, reflecting her particular KittyComforter loves, and various other people have offered their perspectives or been ghost-written into the blog, but most of the work has been mine.  

Karen's insightful and loving pictures have anchored many blogs   (KN)

As important as the contributing writers are the many talented photographers whose work has helped share Sanctuary life with a wider audience: Claire Fossey, Phaedra Hardman, Debbie Wolanski, Moira Langley, Michele Wright, Karen Nicholson, Lisa Brill-Friesen, Justin Saint and MANY others.  Thanks to them I have occasionally been able to minimize writing, and offer a photo-blog instead – sometimes to memorialize beloved cats, sometimes calendar out-takes, and sometimes just because everyone loves cat pictures!  In the last five years or so, the NekoBlog material was duplicated at the RAPS CatSanctuary webpage and information can be searched at both sites.

Tugboat was SOOOO loved by messy-manx Plum (KN)

Being just a little OCD (in some things, at least!) I have my blog records in a series of spreadsheets. Looking back at those first years of writing, the first thing that hits me is that almost all the “profile” cats from that first year of blogging have passed.  Living with death is part of being at the Sanctuary. Many rescues are focused on adoptions, or manage with a network of foster-families;  but most of the cats who come to the Sanctuary will spend their lives with us – because they are too feral, or have never bonded with a human, or have behaviour or health issues.

from the scared Autumn of 2013...  (PH)

...to the confident flirt of this summer  (KN)

In October 2014 I blogged an update about Autumn who actually arrived with us in the fall of 2012 as a VERY angry young mom – so she’s been with us almost 12 years.  The next names I recognized were Adam and May, in an update on the pair that first came to us in 2010; they were adults when they arrived, and fourteen years later, they are now clearly more frail, though as devoted to each other as ever. Many small rescues function largely by adopting or fostering animals out; we live with the knowledge that we will see many of our beloved cats pass in our care, and it’s a hard burden for the med staff and the long-term volunteers. 

May and Adam posed for their Valentine portrait (LBF)

But there is never any lack of cats seeking sanctuary. In the early days, we were Richmond Animal Protection Society, and almost all the cats were from this municipality. Constant realty development meant fewer places for feral cats to hide, but now the local feral cat problem of the beginning of the century that necessitated the creation of Richmond Homeless Cats has become only an occasional issue created by careless owners with unneutered pets. 

formerly feral Ranger from Haida Gwaii is now a love-bug  (KN)

Connections began building across the province with other rescues, and occasionally further afield. Now, as the Regional Animal Protection Society, it is very satisfying to know that there is such a strong network of people devoted to animal rescue; that amid all the bad-news stories in the media, there is also a core of people who make a difference in the lives of defenceless animals. Sanctuary cats have come from Haida Gwaii to Saskatchewan, from Vancouver Island to the Kootenays.

Our spicy Princess was sponsored all the way from Iran  (LBF)

We rejoice when a Sanctuary cat like little Jelly overcomes amputation to flirt her way into an adopter’s heart; we marvel when our wobbly-cat Tumbleweed determinedly struggles to visit Pen 6, knowing that he can do it safely without worrying about predators; we grieve together when we lose a beloved icon like Bossanova; we celebrate when a formerly aggressive cat like Dell finally relaxes into our love; we mop up after messy-Manxes and cats like Fido, or Ollie who refuse to use a litter-box. They are what they are, and they can take their time to change, or not, as need be – sanctuary is a place of refuge and protection without conditions attached to their residence.

Chaga, Chamomile & Creamsicle - living the good life (JS)

Founder Carol Reichert’s original vision, the hard work of our current board and staff, the love given (and inevitably the blood shed) by past and present Sanctuary medical and cleaning staff, and by hundreds of volunteers – all these have made this a very special place for many cats who would otherwise have lived short and probably terrified lives as ferals in a world that holds too many perils for cats without care.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Phaedra Hardman, Karen Nicholson, Justin Saint

Three Little Maids

Betsy, Zoey, Cleo  (BC)

Although we continue to get single cats arriving into our care, we are one of the few rescues around that can take in a group of cats together. Many of the small rescues doing excellent work around the province know that when they are unable to find fostering or adopting for ferals, or they have a full clowder to accommodate, they can call us and we will do our best. The Pen 3 group from Alberta, the Kamloops cats who have largely migrated out of Pen 6, the still-scared colony from Cranbrook College – these are all cats who have come in as ferals, and are gradually adjusting to life around humans. Some are socializing well, others would rather stay out of reach – and our setup makes that possible for as long as the cats need it.

SweetPea and Owen - happily adopted to their own homes now  (LBF)

In 2022 we took in a dozen ferals whose colony caretaker had passed. They were an unusual colony,  we were told they were ragdolls, but seemed to have much more Himalayan or Siamese in appearance. A classic Ragdoll is a large cat, usually with big blue eyes, very human-orientated, and with a fine, non-matting coat. Many of these cats were small, they had never been socialized and feared humans, and matting was definitely a problem!  Only two of them reached the point of being easily handled, and both SweetPea and Owen were adopted last year.  The others remain very wary and avoid physical contact; because they don’t allow grooming, the necessary de-matting is a matter of shaving the worst knots out under gentle sedation. 

Skye, the fourth (and shyest) little maid  (LBF)

The smallest members of this group of cats all have a sealpoint colouring, and I think of them as the Three Little Maids (for those who know their Gilbert & Sullivan operettas) despite the fact that there are actually four of them. The fourth is Skye, with a slightly mottled facial pattern and a head-tilt from a bout of vestibular disease, and she joins the larger cats in preferring to hide away from human contact.

Big-eyed Betsy   (BC)

The other three are hovering in the space between wanting attention, and still being wary. Betsy (I call her Bitsy-Betsy) is a tiny girl with enormous eyes. To be accurate, it’s the pupils that are enormous, and there may be a sight problem in Betsy’s future. Pupil dilation is normal in cats when the light is dim, or sometimes when a cat is stressed. But it’s also a sign of progressive retinal atrophy, and can lead to blindness. Currently Betsy shows no signs of visual problems; she escorts me around my Friday morning back courtyard cleaning – and it’s not just following me: she leads the way, so that I have to be careful not to trip over her. 

Betsy  (BB)

She was one of the earliest cats this summer to have her mats shaved out, and the skinny little body underneath the fur reinforced just how ragdoll-like she wasn’t!  Luckily, the med-staff who shaved her were able to keep enough fur to allow for a comb-over so she didn’t appear totally naked. She’s not really comfortable with touch, but will allow the odd brief stroke as long as she doesn’t see the hand approaching.

Zoey's regal pose is offset by the crossed eyes  (KN)

Her usual companion is her sister Zoey.  You have to be looking at Zoey from the front to distinguish her from sister 3, Cleo;  Zoey has the classic Siamese cat crossed eyes squint, called Strabismus, in which the retinas are misaligned. 

Zoey and her garden-buddy  (BC)

She is the only one of the three to allow petting; she doesn’t actually solicit it, but she will sometimes come and sit within reach, and when I reach for her, the bum goes up in happy anticipation. A couple of times I have been able to scoop her into my lap, where she remained happily for some fussing.

Cleo watching warily from a distance  (KN)

Cleo and Zoey look identical from the back – or at least, they did till a couple of weeks ago, when Cleo had her visit at the Sanctuary Salon, and had her back mats shaved. Now I can do a quick ID – at least, until the fur grows back!

A little more relaxed - specially with food on offer  (BC)

These three girls have joined the chicken crowd that gathers round when I bring out a baggie of tidbits. They don’t beg and fuss, like Calvin or Pumpkin – they just sit there and give me the eye. Unfortunately, they’re a little too ladylike to grab, and when they wait a moment to pick up the offered treat, someone else is likely to get it first. They won’t accept it from my hand yet, so I need really good aim to toss the tidbit right at their feet;  at that point all of them are capable of giving Pumpkin The Look that says, “Mine!”, and he backs off.

Zoey  (BB)

I don’t think these three are going to be the sort of cuddle-bugs that Owen turned into – but patience and persistence (and treats) will have them being more comfortable with us.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Brit Burant, Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson