Probably the best known and most prolific mother cat there is Val. This friendly one-eyed tabby will be among the first cats to greet you when you visit the sanctuary, and her five youngsters, all grown up now, won’t be too far away. Foxy and Savannah are the two beautiful, long-haired silver cats you’ll see in the front courtyard – they’re both Val’s kids. Then there are tabbies Paulo and Latte and black Fury. Val and her offspring were part of a feral group that lived on the North Fraser Port Authority lands before the construction of the Canada Line on that property.

Long-haired white Mama Mia came to the cat sanctuary in 2007 with two youngsters. One of them, curiously named Dinky, looks almost exactly like her. White cats are somewhat prone to skin problems on their sensitive ears. Like Mother, like son – both Mama Mia and Dinky developed tumours on their ears and each of them has had to have part of one ear removed. They also resemble each other in personality; both are friendly, gentle cats who enjoy visits and petting.

Tortie Sophie gave birth to one litter of kittens shortly after arriving at the sanctuary in 2009. Her previous litter, still quite young, had been trapped and brought to us not long before, making for a rather large, blended family unit. All but two of the kittens were adopted. All-black Miko has become quite independent but tabby Hiro can usually be found close to his Mom – failure to launch?

Beautiful Grace and her four youngsters, Ash, Saffron, Gabriel and Yale, are relative new-comers. They’ve been with us less than two years, having been trapped near the dry-docks on Greybar Road. It didn’t take too long for Ash, Saffron and Yale to become out-going little characters. Now if only they could convince their still timid mom and that mama’s boy Gabriel that people are really quite nice….

There are a few more mom-and-kid groups at the cat sanctuary. Sunday, May 13 is Mothers’ Day and it’s also a visiting day there (between 1 and 4 p.m.). After you’ve treated your own Mom to breakfast in bed and some flowers, bring her along to meet our feline moms.

We adopted Mikey May 29. I just wanted to let you know that she seems really happy- saw a few popcorns today- and that she and our pig Roan seem to like each other very much.

Yesterday afternoon we set up the playpen and they went straight to each other. There was a bit of rumblestrutting and Mikey seems to be the boss. Mikey slept in a large rabbit cage with a volcano hut last night. But after playing/sniffing/some hissing for several hours in the playpen, they are now hanging out in Roan`s cage/pen.

She is so sweet- natured and mellow. She`s just lovely, and I am so happy to see Roan acting like her old self. She has been so depressed after losing her friend Muffy several weeks ago.

Thank you

Jennifer

Spring is back for another year and with it comes Easter with all its beautiful colours. At this time of the season we see evidence of Easter with chocolate bunnies in the stores, beautiful daffodils on the kitchen table and of course, brightly coloured Easter eggs. When thinking of eggs I fondly remember my time at RAPS when every Wednesday Barbara (a wonderful, long time volunteer) would arrive with fresh eggs from Rabbit River Farms as well as large batches of scrambled eggs. These eggs acted as supplements to our dogs’ and cats’ dinners and would rapidly vanish.

As a curious dog owner I have recently delved deeper into the importance of the egg. In truth, I wanted to know just what makes them so special. I discovered through reading Dr. Strombeck’s Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets that eggs have the highest biological value of all the available proteins to feed animals. Biological value refers to their amino acid composition and the efficiency of digestion, absorption and utilization. To compare, chicken and beef have a biological value of 78, while eggs are valued at 100. Eggs are an incredible source of vitamin A, E and B12, riboflavin, folate, biotin, iron and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. In short, they are small balls of highly available energy.

In addition the egg white and yolk, the shell of an egg is a great source of calcium carbonate. When dried and crushed one egg shell produces two grams of calcium which can act as a natural calcium supplement for home-made diets or raw diets without bone. Calcium carbonate has also been noted as an effective treatment for diarrhea.

When feeding eggs it is best to consider their source before buying. These days factory farming depletes hens of essential vitamins and minerals, causing osteoporosis and affecting the quality of their eggs. A study from Penn State University revealed that organically raised hens (hens raised on grass pastures and fed vegetarian food) produce eggs with 3 times more omega 3 fatty acid, two times more vitamin E (a potent antioxidant) and 40% more vitamin A. In fact, most of us have seen the difference ourselves by noting the colour quality of organic yolks and the strength of their shells. When searching for organic or free- run eggs it is best to find a local, organic farm such as Rabbit River Farms. To find organic eggs in your area visit organizations such as Pro-Cert organic or SPCA certified farms for farm listings.

Where I am currently living in Germany it is traditional to dye hardboiled eggs (fresh from the local farmers market) with festive colours and use them to decorate the kitchen table. These eggs are consumed when desired for an extra boost of energy, what a way to stay healthy! When cooking for your pet my advice is add organic raw or slightly cooked eggs three times a week to their regular meals. For a special Easter treat, prepare a delicious, colourful Spring Easter omelette! Your pet will not be disappointed. Happy Easter!

Sonya Reichel is a former RAPS employee that is currently living in Germany with her husband. She operates Canine Clarity as a nutritional resource for pet owners.

And as for the myth that cats are too self-centred to snuggle up with each other, here are a few photos to prove otherwise. Oh, wait, maybe they’re just cuddling together to keep themselves warm? Whatever the reason, their “cuddle puddles” are always fun to see and quite photogenic, wouldn’t you say?

Sasha is a tawny-coloured 3-year old Boxer-Shepherd cross who’s recently come to RAPS for the second time, through no fault of her own. Her first owner neglected Sasha but fortunately for her, she found her way to RAPS and then to a loving family. But there was no happy ending for her there – the family were forced to bring Sasha and another dog to us when their circumstances at home changed recently. To make matters worse for poor Sasha, her doggie friend was quickly adopted, but she wasn’t. She’s stil waiting for an affectionate home where she can get lots of loving and exercise to keep her slim and trim.

Rex is a handsome dark-brown Staffordshire-Bull Terrier mix, with maybe something else in there too. Whatever his heritage, he’s a big love who came to RAPS as a stray late last year. He’s a typical, energetic 2-year old who’d be best as an only dog in a home where he can have a person all to himself to play with, wrestle with and then snuggle with.

Niko is a lovable 9-month old bundle of energy. Unfortunately for him, his previous owners surrendered him after they found that they weren’t able to spend enough time with him to keep him entertained and happy in their small backyard. Like many youngsters, this lovable black and white Husky-Border Collie cross still needs to learn a few “manners” but he’s a quick learner and would make a wonderful addition to a family. Because of his high energy level, children older than 10 would make the best friends for him.

Reece has been with RAPS just for a little while because he’s only about 6 months old. He’s a black and tan Rottweiler-Shepherd cross with a slightly longer coat than you might expect from such a mix, which makes him a very good-looking young guy. He’s recently been neutered and, although he’s very friendly, it’s still a little early to know his likes and dislikes. You can expect lots of puppy energy, though!

Teeka is a gorgeous young (between 1 and 2 years old) white Husky. That beautiful mischievous face sports one icy-blue eye and one brown one! Teeka is very affectionate and gets along well with other dogs but definitely not with cats. This active young guy is an escape artist so would need to be kept on-leash to prevent him wandering off to explore the world. He’d provide lots of fun for a family who’s familiar with frisky Huskies and their needs.

If you’re looking for a big furry lovable dog, look no farther than these ones at the RAPS Animal Shelter.

Just wanted to let you all know how Bourbon is doing. We adopted him about a year ago from your shelter and he is the joy of our life. He is the sweetest most special little soul and we love him to bits and pieces! Thank you so much for letting us adopt him!!

Sincerely,
Barbara & Stephen