Princess Diva

This elegant lady came to us more than a year ago when her owners moved out of town.  When she was surrendered, we were told that she had originated as a feral barn-cat, and when adopted, had settled into home life quite happily. However, her adopters then got a dog. This did not go down well with Princess Diva, and she reverted to living outside.

MW

True feral cats may be TNR'd (trapped-neutered-released), but this girl's owners had the sense to realise that they couldn't just go off and leave her to fend for herself. At the same time, as a former feral, she didn't make a very likely candidate for adoption. One of the requests RAPS makes of adopters is that they do not allow their cats outside; coyotes, raccoons, cars and all the other perils of outdoor life usually make for a shorter lifespan, and with the right enrichment (interactive play, seating at different heights, places to hide) an indoor cat will do very well.

PH

But Princess Diva would not fare well at the No 5 Road shelter – too little space, too many cats – and it was decided that she would come to us at the Sanctuary.  She began her stay with us in the Moore House with the "gericatrics", thinking to give her some quieter space, but her cranky roommates upped her own quotient of crankiness.  For a while she was transferred to the Double-Wide in preparation for eventual release into the back courtyard – it was during this period that the lovely photo of her in the 2016 calendar was taken.

CP

Upon release she made her way to the back pens, and has settled there fairly happily. She is the original "cat who walks by herself" - we rarely see her interacting with other cats. It`s not like Timmy or Leland, the front courtyard "garbo cats" who actively dislike other cats – Princess Diva just seems not to notice lesser felines; they're beneath her attention.

CP

With humans, she will occasionally permit a little worshipful petting; in the right mood, a bit of gentle head-rubbing will produce a quiet purr, but she rarely allows further contact, and a warning growl will let you know that the hand has gone too far down the body, before she wanders off again to be about her own business.

Blog by Brigid Coult

Photos by Phaedra Hardman, Chris Peters, Michele Wright