Spring Losses

Celeste (MK)

We usually talk of our 400+ cats at the Sanctuary (plus all the ones in fosterage and at the Adoption Centre) but those numbers are always changing. Older cats pass, health conditions deteriorate, new cats arrive from other shelters or from trapping – the Sanctuary population is continually fluctuating. You would think that the weather would be a factor; that cold, wet weather or scorching summer days would bring more cats to crisis point – but all too often it seems that we have a surge of losses at a time when we’re seeing new life all around.

Drake (KC)

Back in 2021, I remember a month in which we lost a whole bunch of our beloved friends: Puffin, Skittles, Shadrack, Fable, Ninja and half a dozen more – we dreaded arriving and checking the calendar, only to see that someone else had passed. Five years later, and we’re having a similar spring. Now that I’m part of the Kitty Comforter team, we are warned of losses with a little email tribute from coordinator Anne, often accompanied by a photo of the cat in question.

Taffy (MW)

Mid-March to mid-April has seen the passing of more than twelve cats. Occasionally it comes out of the blue; sometimes it’s a cat that the med-staff have been watching; in some cases we know it’s coming, and the cat has been with us for comfort care until they know it’s time.

Louie, the head-bonk boy (KN)

The first two were from New Aids. FIV+ cats aren’t inherently “sick”, but their compromised immune systems do make it harder for them to fight off anything that’s going on. Shy hissy Drake had been unwell for some time; he roomed with handsome Boston, and would occasionally allow petting when in company with his buddy. A week later we lost Louie suddenly; the vets think he threw an embolism, and we found him unable to use his back legs. He was another shy boy who would duck his head to receive and give head-bops; in the last year he had become more confident about being around people and cats. I had the privilege of being with him for his crossing.

Booty - member of the boys' club  (MW)

The following weekend saw the passing of two of our older cats. Booty had been with us nearly ten years and we think he was around 16 years old; he arrived with a group of cats from the No 5 Rd Shelter who had been considered unadoptable. Booty liked to live in the Tea-Room and was very social with people. At the opposite end of the spectrum was Smithy who preferred to swear at us – though he would also accept treats. He was more than 18 when he passed, and a particular favourite of Karen’s; “tame” was not in his repertoire with most humans, but he had lots of cat friends.

Hissy Smithy - loving only with other cats  (KN)

Lindor’s passing was a surprise to many, though the med staff knew that he was not in great shape. Lindor was a tubby, floofy boy who never saw a treat he didn’t love, and raided the table at coffee-time. He’d recently gone in for tests, and was shaved while they had him sedated; he was one of very few cats who seemed to like wearing a sweater. His appetite had increased while his weight went down, and it’s likely he had a tumour.

Lindor exerting mind-control:
"You will give me that treat NOW!"  (KN)

We all knew about Jade’s skin cancer on her nose, though it didn’t seem to bother her. Jade was one of the collared “reactive” cats, but much calmer in the last year or so, and she was frequently one of the cats waiting at the gate to greet visitors. Med-staff monitored her carefully, and she was released when she started to feel uncomfortable. Better a day too soon than a day too late...

Jade playing cute - but we always remembered the collar...  (KN)

The next to pass was a quiet cat who had a fan-club. Sweet Loki (DoubleWide and deck) had a rough coat and twisted whiskers. He had the ability to produce an amazing amount of pee - mostly outside the litter-box, which is why he had come to us originally.  The boy who loved to play had become an old man who was happier sleeping and sometimes had to be coaxed to eat. He will be especially missed by Kitty Comforter Karrie.

Shy sweet Loki, with his twisty eyebrows  (JC)

His passing on March 1 marked the beginning of a brutal week for the med-staff, who are always the ones most impacted when we lose a cat. In every case, the cat is taken to the hospital by someone they know and love, and that person stays through to the end. On March 2 both Celeste and Honeydew were helped to pass. Celeste was our beloved receptionist for Back Courtyard visitors, and missed perfection only because of her lack of litterbox discipline. What we thought was an eye infection turned out to be a tumour. She was followed across the Bridge by Honeydew, one of the calico sisters from the Front Courtyard – only her sister Melon is left.

Honeydew (MW)

In subsequent days we lost Summit, (one of the Commuter Cats) and River, Sakura (from the Adoption Centre), sweet Taffy (like Celeste, one of the former Pen 2 cats) and then Kin. We don’t know whether Kin was a feral, or just a very scared stray; he lived on the DW Deck for much of his time with us, generally hiding out under something. The Kitty Comforters – particularly Brad – worked hard on coaxing him into trusting us a bit better, but life was scary for Kin. When the DoubleWide renovations began, and Kin needed caging for medical care, he was brought over to the Newcomers area, which is quieter than the Deck had become. There, Kin found he could stay just out of reach, but was still able to access a tube of Churu at arms-length. He had a faithful team of visitors, and once his cage was opened, he opted to remain there, and share it with Careen.

Kin, braving the great outdoors  (KN)

A few days of respite, and then sweet Vesper passed on Wednesday. Vesper had arrived in the winter of 2017 with his bonded buddy Fable. When we lost Fable five years ago, Vesper showed himself to be one of those guys who needed a Relationship, and moved in with dark calico Kiwi, and then when she passed two years later, with tabby Dominique and calico Butterfinger (possibly on the principle of “one is fun, so two should be better!”). In his last years, Vesper became very vocal, probably because he became deaf and couldn’t hear himself – he was quick to spot treats being passed out, and noisy in his insistence that he wanted some too!

Vesper (KN)

We hoped that would be the end for a while, but Sunday brought two more losses: Bronx, one of the Newton cats that have been under medical care for upper respiratory conditions, and our beloved Chance, one of the New Aids cats.  Chance changed slowly from a scared feral three years ago into a lap-loving cuddle monster who loved the humans who tended New Aids. He had gone downhill quite rapidly in the last week, and as so many sick cats do, preferred to be in hiding in his last days - volunteer Marty said his farewells to Chance under the chair where he had hidden as a new cat with us.

Chance in his safe space  (BC)

They have been much loved - and they leave big spaces in our hearts when they pass. But each passing means we have space for another cat – feral, stray, problem pet, or cat in need of medical care and love. And much as we miss them, we still have lots of love in our hearts for the new ones who come to the Sanctuary. 

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Jackie Chapple, Katy Cobb,

Brigid Coult, Mike Kossey, Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

The Great Escape

Well, strictly speaking, it wasn’t an escape (or it was one carefully planned by the staff.)  But the cats think it was an escape.

Mitzi musing on the outdoor experience  (KN)

Visitors to the Double-Wide will find there are several barriers to access. The main door is quite heavy – but there’s a cat-door carefully situated there for the times when there’s no human to be butler.  The door between the laundry room and the main room is very light, and there’s a cutout in the frame at the bottom. Many cats have learned how to open the door from either side, and the cutout prevents any tails from getting caught. And then between the main room and the deck, there’s another door – and once again, a cat-flap allows access.

Loki learning to manage the door  (KN)

For years the cats who have gravitated to the back deck have been the shyest ones, the ones who are wary of humans, even when out of reach. In this safe space, some of them have learned that we’re not so bad – but they are still wary about moving out of their space and braving what must look like an obstacle course. And to be honest, that’s what it is – the laundry room door in particular is a real barrier to a very shy or feral cat, and often that’s a good thing, since the cat spends more time where we can keep an eye on it.

Ringo hovering by the deck door   (BC)

Ringo is typical of this sort of cat.  He spent most of his first year tucked into a Back Deck corner as high up and out of the way as he could manage. He froze around humans, and floor level was not comfortable for him.  Then gradually we found he was making his way into the main room, mostly at times when there were very few people around. He was learning that not only humans, but also other cats meant him no harm.  Eventually he made his way through the building, probably managing the laundry room door when another cat went through. He established himself outside the DoubleWide door, making little forays to explore.  These days he spends most of his time out in the back pens, either sleeping in the gardens or following his buddy Zivko around. 

Ringo relaxed in the garden (MW)

However, very few of the other Deck cats seemed to want to follow him. Finally this summer it was decided that we needed another cat-door, and one was cut into the emergency exit that opens onto the passageway by Pen 1.  It didn’t take much to have a general exodus. There were a couple of early panics when someone made their way into Pen 1 and then couldn’t find the gate to return – but once that was solved, there was quite a lot of visiting.

Hickory returning from an exploration (KN)

Hickory was the most ready to explore beyond the immediate vicinity.  But he also appreciated a comfy bed at the top of the stairs.

Hickory just outside the cat-door  (KN)

Bubbles prefers to stay fairly close to the door for now – but he enjoys being a sun-worshipper.

Bubbles  (KN)

Denzel too is not venturing far yet – but you can see from his happy tail that he’s good with the change.

Denzel  (KN)

Ziggy took her time – but a nice comfy chair was too good to pass up!

Ziggy  (KN)

Ursula is remembering her outside life as a feral kitten – and we hope she's preferring what she has now.

Ursula (KN)

And, astonishingly, Kin, who prefers to hide, (see the blog of two weeks ago) also braved the cat-door and found a little patch of green where he could sit and think.

Kin, out in the big wide world  (KN)

There are still a few who’ve not poked their heads through the door – but we all know about curiosity and cats – and there’s lots in the back courtyard for them to be curious about!  Watch for updates...

Blog by Brigid Coult
Photos by Brigid Coult, Karen Nicholson & Michele Wright

Oh my gods...!!

Handsome Pax - MW

It’s one of the jobs of our med staff to find names for incoming cats arriving into our care as anonymous kitties – and this is particularly a factor when we take in a colony of ferals.  When they are very young and adoptable (like the kittens at the Shelter) the names of a litter may all begin with the same letter, or they may all have fruit names or some similar theme – we know that their adopters will probably rename them, so having the perfect name isn’t really an issue. But when they come to us as feral adults or adolescents, the names they are given are the names that they will probably carry most of their lives.

Freya - Norse goddess of love - KN

Last summer we took in a big group of semi-feral cats that were being fed by a well-meaning Richmond resident, who became overwhelmed when suddenly there were kittens everywhere. Leslie and Louise spent hours trapping cats, and our team of fosterers sprang into action.  Moms and kittens went into fosterage, knowing that early handling was likely to produce more adoptable kittens. The adults and the adolescents came to the Sanctuary to be assessed, and likely to find a permanent home with us.

Odin - (a somewhat wary) Father of the Norse gods - KN

This was a big naming proposition!  What names could they have that would link them together in some way?  Leslie decided to go for the pantheon of Greek and Roman gods of mythology, and lists were generated.

Zeus, Father of the Gods - and feeling much better after eye surgery - KN

The two big black males proved to be FIV+, as is common with feral males, who can share the virus when blood is exchanged in fighting.   They were moved into the Val Jones area, with the most people-oriented FIV cats, and named Zeus, for the father of the Greek gods, and Pax (which is actually a Roman goddess’s name – though it doesn’t seem to worry him too much.  Zeus, who proved to be very friendly,  was adopted - FIV cats are good candidates for adoption as long as they are either alone or can get on with other cats.  Pax is still with us. His distinctive pointed face and luxurious mane showed up in a number of the kittens that were adopted, and also in a few of the adolescents.

The magnificent Pax - KN

Pen 6 was turned over to this group. They were too old to be easily tamed – old enough to know that humans were scary things. Old Kiko, the only resident of Pen 6 to be left, occupied the cabin, while the young ones scattered to the many other hidey-holes we’d established. When the fall gardening took out all the vegetation that screened the pen, more screening was woven in to give them a sense of privacy. Through the fall and much of the winter we would see them early in the morning or late at night; they discovered the cabin heating and many of them moved in. With spring came new bravery and an increase in visits from staff and Kitty Comforters.

Floofy Aphrodite - LBF

The most outgoing of the bunch is long-haired tortie Aphrodite – named for the goddess of love, and very lovable she is!  She has been the bravest in daring to come forward and accept treats, and finally contact; she’s also probably the most photogenic of them all.   Her short-haired tortie sister is Vesta (Roman goddess of hearth, home and family) and is much shyer; if the others are around, Vesta may come out, but she’s rarely seen alone.  You'll quite often see her with black short-haired Athena (goddess of wisdom) or twin black Atlas

Aphrodite, Athena, Vesta and Nyx - LBF

There are two long-haired black girls – probably sired by Pax. Nyx (goddess of night) and Juno (queen of the gods). At first sight they are identical, but Nyx’s eyes are yellower and Juno’s are green.

Nyx & Juno - LBF

The shyest of all of them is Mercury (the messenger of the gods, but also the Roman patron of merchants and finance!).  You can’t mistake him if you’re luck enough to see him – other than his colouring, he has a look of Pax about him, but he lacks his dad’s confidence.

Mercury - KN

We also have, from Kamloops, Freya and Odin (from the Norse mythology pantheon) and Loki, (the trickster god) who came to us separately.  We don’t yet have one named for the Egyptian cat-goddess Bastet – but there’s plenty of time, and many as-yet unnamed cats out there.

Blog by Brigid Coult

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

Loki

From RAPS volunteer Pauline Chin:

At the door, waiting for attention - KN

Loki, our grey and white friend, arrived 2 years ago from 5 Road after it was found out he was a pee-er.  Contrary to his somewhat disapproving appearance, his personality is friendly, sweet, and playful.  Cats don’t seem to mind him and humans are eager to interact with him.

"Alien kitten"  -   JK

While caged, Loki often reached through the mesh to grab at toys.  We’d be playing with other cats and then a grey paw would pop out and latch onto the toy.  Even other cats, like Dazzle, looked surprised at his enthusiasm.  Inside the cage, he’d scale the mesh and bounce around.  There just wasn’t much room to play.  Loki couldn’t wait to be free!

Loki's favourite pose.    BC

Most of Loki’s time is spent sleeping.  Sometimes, he hangs out with the deck crew.  When he’s in play mode, he turns into a wild thing!  If he spots a favourite toy, he will race up and down the catwalks.   At times, he will fly across the cage-tops in pursuit.

...Watch that wand twitch....!    PC

He faces playtime competition with Baxter and Delilah up top, and from Dazzle and Hannah at floor level.  Once Loki snags a wand, he’ll attempt to carry his prize off someplace.  He has a strong grip, so be prepared to have wands yanked out of your hands.

You know how you sometimes wake up with "bed-head?"
Loki has permanent "bed eyebrows"....   JC

The main red flag that bars Loki from adoption is his habit of peeing outside the litterbox, and spraying the walls.  Rarely is there a cat owner that tolerates such behavior.  People can tolerate sweet and sometimes swatty, but turning walls yellow just isn’t fun.  Around 60% of our cat population are pee-ers. Like Loki, they can all play and spray to their heart’s content without worry.  We just mop up their messes afterwards - and love them anyway.

Blog by Pauline Chin

Photos by Jackie Chappell, Pauline Chin, Brigid Coult, 
Jennine Kariya, Karen Nicholson