Cat of the Month – Ruff

Our Cat of the Month for October is a story of the sort of incredible achievements that can come with slow and steady determination!

Ruff came to the RAPS Cat Sanctuary last January. He was feral, with an age estimated between 10 and 12.

Ruff who had been fed by an individual, but was never willing to get close to humans.

“Ruff is tough as nails and has never allowed me to come within a couple metres without a warning hiss and bolting in another direction,” the caretaker said. “To make matters worse, he is notoriously difficult to trap. Last year, when Ruff looked extremely ill, we tried for weeks to trap him without success.”

When his caretaker was moving, and none of the neighbours wanted to take on the responsibility of feeding Ruff, she managed to capture Ruff and he was brought to live at our Sanctuary.

Here’s where the amazing part comes in. After a lifetime of fearing people (and probably other cats), Ruff got a lot of individualized care from the staff and volunteers. The Kitty Comforters – those incredibly special volunteers who socialize even the most feral newcomers – put everything they had into making Ruff feel welcomed and at home. Guess what? Turns out Ruff has decided he looooves people. He enjoys brushing and having his tummy rubbed. He is very friendly and affectionate now and purrs up a storm. Not bad for a guy who had probably had almost no human contact in his entire life!

He has finally moved out of his cage and is exploring the entire double-wide trailer and deck and is tentatively venturing outside to the back courtyard.

Ruff’s story is a victory for the power of the human-feline connection and the building of trust. Given the right environment of safety, comfort and love, even some of the most challenging ferals come around.

Check out the pics of this beautiful guy!

If you would like to sponsor Ruff or another cat from the RAPS Cat Sanctuary, click here.