Rocket

Rocket (BH)

In late 2018, two little orange boys came into our care, trapped in North Richmond by faithful cat-trapper Stephanie Ross, who sadly passed earlier this year. Stephanie was responsible for bringing many cats to us – often from the Steveston area, where she lived, but she was also responsible for trapping the Cow Cats from an East Richmond composting facility, and for other colonies.

At a safe distance, in the back pen  (MW)

We still need to keep an eye open in North Richmond, where there is a green belt that results in many rodents that make for good hunting for cats who have strayed, or survived a feral upbringing. In the summer of 2019 there was a sudden population boom when a well-meaning cat-lover fed the local strays without alerting us to the need for some population control; only when kittens started having kittens did someone call us, and around 60 cats of all ages were brought in.  The two little orange boys of the year before were definitely from the same genetic pool; Sprocket, the long-haired one, is visually a twin (though probably an uncle) of orange Mercury; Rocket, the short-haired one, is an orange version of black Atlas.

There was a lot of hiding at first (KN)

Both boys were feral, and have largely remained so for years – but over seven years, they have become more comfortable with humans being around them. As we always do, the first thing to happen is a vet visit for blood-tests and neutering; the blood-test showed that Rocket carried the FIV retrovirus, and he was relocated to the New Aids pen. There, as for many ferals, his cage-time was largely hidden behind a drape; he wanted nothing to do with us, and when released, he got as far away as possible.  For most of the New Aids cats, that consists of either hiding on the cage-tops in the main cabin, or in going right to the back of the smaller cabins.

Being groomed by Cypress  (LBF)

Best buddies  (LBF)

When I sent the text of my blog to Sanctuary Manager Valerie for proofing, she reminded me of something I’d missed – I guess this happened when we were COVID-hit, and I might not have been around. She says:
Someone vandalised the fence, cutting it in the Prince of Wales section. Drake and Rocket got out. Drake came back right away - he was almost scared of being out there. But Rocket went on a murder spree! We had trail cameras set up and we were watching him climb in and under the Moore House (which is now gone, because it was in bad condition). And then we would find giant dead rats. Like the size of my shoe. My friend was rooting for him because he was living his best life. Then it started to rain a bunch in the fall and that's when he allowed himself to be trapped again.

A favourite place to look for petting  (KN)

Happy elevator bum!  (KN)

Rocket was initially antisocial with us – but NOT with other cats; he was a boy who liked feline company, and could often be found cuddled up with someone else. Though his early years with us were mostly at a distance, he obviously decided that humans who brought food, and offered treats and toys were worth taking a chance with; all his first contact with us was when he was up on a table or a kennel, and having us looming over him was still too scary. But when we were sitting by a table, it began to be a signal that he could come up and accept petting and treats, and he often approaches in the back pens by climbing on the waist-high side awning, looking for attention.

Blissful when he trusts  (KC)

His brother Sprocket hangs out in the back courtyard; like Rocket, he has remained wary, though he is ready to accept a little touch, and treats. His other-generation family in Pen 1 – Mercury, Juno, Nyx and Atlas – remain touch-me-not semi-ferals. And Mercury, too, is a hunter of any rats stupid enough to get through the fence.

Kuma & Rocket  (KN)

Other cats are still Rocket’s favourite thing. While Cypress was still an angry feral, he and Rocket would cuddle happily;  Cypress is now an attention-mooch and a lap-cat, and that’s a bit too much for Rocket to take. He likes to be with the smaller black boys – Kuma and Smalls – neither of whom are really ready for much human attention. (Kuma, incidentally, is from the same area as Rocket, and they may share genetics). Rocket takes himself out of the way when visitors arrive at the weekends - but he just loves it when the people he trusts come looking for him on a quiet day, and he revels in their care.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Lisa Brill-Friesen, Katy Cobb, Brielle Hutchison,

 Karen Nicholson, Michele Wright

Newcomers in New AIDS

Simon  (KN)

All over the province there are cats living wild. They may always have been feral and the offspring of feral cats, or they may be cats who have been dumped or who have strayed and never found their way home. And all over the province, there are amazing organizations working to help these poor animals – perhaps by taming them and getting them readopted, or perhaps by doing Trap/Neuter/Return, and caring for the colony.

Marble  (BH)

We are a resource for some of those rescues to turn to. Both our cats from Kamloops and the ones from the Kootenays were no longer able to exist as they were, and could well have been killed by local authorities; each colony was too large, and too unsocialized a group to foster or adopt out, so they came to us. We have similar contacts with rescues on the Island, and it is from one of those that Marble’s family came. Foster Kritters Feral Cat Rescue is active in the Cowichan Valley; they have no website, but you can find more about them on Facebook and Instagram. Much of their work is done with TNR, but occasionally they come across cats that can be trapped and neutered, but should not be returned – as with this group of cats.

Biggie  (BH)

They came to us because they are all FIV+ (Feline AIDS), and though FIV positive and negative cats can live together, by keeping them as a colony, we can maintain more careful attention to their physical health. We think they are all related, but may not be all from the same litters.

Smalls  (BH)

The oldest of the group is Marble, and to quote Foster Kritters, “she looked like a senior even though she's only around 4 years old and it was very clear that she had experienced a very tough life. She had a badly injured and painful eye that she had lived with for at least three years. She had raised multiple litters of kittens and looked defeated and exhausted”. She was under medical care with Foster Kritters for some time, much to her disgust – they managed to raise funds for surgery, and hers finally necessitated enucleation (the removal of an eye). 

Marble    (KN)

Once she was on the mend, she was transferred to us at the Sanctuary, living initially in a cage so that her healing was monitored. Now she’s out, and very happy about that. She’s not really ready to come for attention, but she knows that humans are not out to get her – she’ll make friends when she’s ready. This evening she was playing in a corner with a toy containing a little bell, and I could hear her having fun before she tired herself out.

Simon (BH)

The two youngest are orange Simon and black Smalls, and they may be Marble’s sons or grandsons.  Simon is the more social of the two; he’s happy to be touched and to play, and he might sometime be a good candidate for adoption. Foster Kritters had tried to adopt him out, but sadly, people don’t understand that FIV+ cats can be wonderful home cats. Smalls is shyer, preferring to tuck himself out of the way; he has time to decide that he’s truly safe.

Smalls  (KN)

In the middle is Biggie, who is Mr BIG Personality. We think he’s older than Simon and Smalls – he might even have sired them, but without doing genetic testing, we can’t tell. He also came to us with eye problems – in his case, it was entropion, with the eyelashes turned in and irritating the eyes. A round of surgery corrected the problem, and Biggie has blossomed – he’s probably been in pain for some time, and is now feeling wonderful.

Biggie says "Pick me up!"  (KC)

Biggie LOVES people; he actually makes working in New Aids a little dangerous, because he presses himself to your legs as you walk, and you constantly have to watch that you won’t trip over him. If you stand still too long, he gets up on his back paws and begs to be lifted. He loves to be held – regular way, on the lap, or occasionally on his back like a baby. 

Cuddle time  (BH)

He plays like a kitten, dancing and pouncing – but you can see in his face that he has suffered because of his eyes. His delight in being handled led me to think that he, of the four of them, may have had a home sometime in his past – that he’s a stray or a dumped cat, rather than a feral. But Foster Kritters are sure that he's part of Marble's family.

Biggie - the look of love  (KN)

At least, with us, he and the other three have a future. It may just be a future lived at the RAPS "Kitty Club Med", well fed, with comfort, safety and company. But it might even be finding someone to he His Person, and finding a home of his own where he will be loved.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Katy Cobb, Brielle Hutchison, Karen Nicholson