Location, location…

The group we call The Kamloops Cats (though we have many others from Kamloops!) came into our care from Sammy’s Forgotten Felines more than three years ago and were initially established in a closed Pen 6 while they settled to a new situation.

Many of them were orange, in various shades from deep gold to blond, but we also had a few non-orange ones – grey Chamomile and black Chaga were clearly related to the other floofs, but there were also a few shy tabbies, both brown and grey.

About a year later, we welcomed two more cats from the same colony who had been fostered out, but refused to tame; it had been decided that they would do better with their feline family. Big tabby Thorne seemed to recognize his former pals and settled quickly; shy Daffodil, though clearly showing the orange floof genetics, stayed apart and found her alternative community.

Most of the Kamloops cats like to be together.

But unlike the Pen 3 cats from Calgary who visit around freely, but base themselves firmly in their own pen, this family tends to relocate as a group. In the summer of 2022 the hot weather made Pen 6 an uncomfortable place to be, and the whole colony moved out, preferring the cat-trees around the TeaRoom and in the breezeway;  in the winter they moved inside the tea-room TeaRoom itself, searching for warmth, and we frequently found piles of cat-cuddling on the table or the cage-top.

When the weather improved, they relocated again – this time, not back to Pen 6 but to the much larger Pen 5 – some of them opting to base in the cabin, while others preferred the shelves around the back. The braver ones learned to interact with visitors here – pretty blonde Rapunzel loves to play and flirt, and comes looking for petting. Chamomile, Chaga and Creamsicle preferred to hold court with visitors right at the courtyard corner, where they could be admired; collectively, they are braver than when we encounter them separately.

I have often written about the Sanctuary’s Garbo cats – the ones who don’t like other cats, and prefer to be alone, or just in one-on-one interaction with humans. Our Kamloops cats are at the other end of the spectrum, and are very bonded with each other; colony is clearly a key concept, and they will often move around as a group – it’s like walking through a shoal of goldfish.

Now, as we head towards the colder weather, we’re seeing a repeat relocation as the clowder returns to the warmth and food of the tea-room. They can still get warmth and food in Pen 5 – every cabin is insulated and has a heater on thermostat.  But the TeaRoom gives them the opportunity to sleep together in piles rather than on separate shelf beds, and they also know that it means they will likely be the first to be served in the evenings.

It’s not so hard to live a cat’s life at the Sanctuary!