Valerie Giles shared the striking story of her seven cats when we first met at a Chamber of Commerce event in the 1990s. While sampling hors d’oeuvres at the Prince George airport diner, I found a fast friend with quick wit, an easy laugh and a devotion to cats that eclipsed my own.
When her rescue cats, Muffin and Percival, had five kittens, Valerie couldn’t bear to part with any. “It was a huge commitment to take on vet care, including spaying and neutering for the entire seven-member family…. I later realized a return representing one of the best emotional investments I ever made,” she wrote in a 2001 tribute to Muffin in her “Remembering…” column in The Citizen.
When work brought Valerie from Vancouver in 1993, the felines flew in the best possible comfort: “Muffin and Percy were kennelled together, but each of their offspring (by then almost eight years old) was in his or her individual carrier. In preparation for boarding they were stacked on a large transport cart and moved through the airport. Although slightly tranquilized for their comfort, they were wide-eyed as people walked up to check them out. We flew in a Dash-8 so they could be in comfort at the back of the cabin. The AirBC flight crew good-naturedly checked on them four times during the hour-long flight.”
A 2003 tribute to Panda, one of the kittens, added: “When we moved to Prince George, we faced the adventure together. I was escorted through the Vancouver airport with seven wide-eyed cats in travel cases stacked up on a huge cart as we rolled through the check-in. Landing in Prince George, we were met by PG Lite Express who gently loaded up the precious cargo and brought everyone to our new house. Being together made the transfer less daunting….”
The cats were a lifeline when challenges arose. Valerie’s rewarding job at the new university soon ended. How hard she worked to stay in town! Her applications to far-flung locales were half-hearted. “I’m content here,” she often told me. “I don’t want to leave.” After all, she had painstakingly flown in seven cats. “I’m not moving them again!”
Valerie’s boyfriend had moved north with her, but soon left for more pay south of the border. She wrote, “I decided to focus on the things that delight me — my pets and fixing up my house and garden. I just hope I land something here so I can stay and not have to move away.”
Her garden became a haven, surrounded by a special fence that kept cats from roaming — until newly adopted younger cats used the upper barrier as a catwalk! A pond was added which hosted koi fish in the summers. In July 2000, The Citizen featured the pond, inspiring Ontario artist, Peter Bradacs, to create an oil painting based on the photograph by Brent Braaten.
In Nov. 1994, Valerie wrote to The Citizen’s editor about the community’s help finding her cat, Angel, missing since August. She launched a massive search along with a newspaper ad. “There was the dear soul. I brought him home and opened the can of tuna I’d been saving for his return… It was a comfort to know that so many strangers would care and want to help.”
When my orange tabby died, Valerie wrote, “I’m sorry to hear that Kringle is gone from Earth but waiting for you. I know what this feels like because I’ve gone through this so many times. My triumph was Sparky, a grey and white domestic shorthair who moved up with me and six other cats from the Lower Mainland. Sparky got to 21 years and two months. Most made it to about 16 to 18 years, but Sparky had those good long-living genes. You certainly did the right thing to open your heart and your home to another dear cat who needs you.”
Valerie managed to stay in Prince George, and in 2014, her “Remembering…” column became a valuable local history book. My sister, Kathy Plett, was involved as manager of CNC Press and the book's indexer.
In 2014, Valerie began writing for PG MinitMag, without being named. She explained, “I write the articles for it so that's why there is no author on it — a bit silly to have the same name on every one.” Some cat stories included: “How to talk to your cat,” “Cats in the White House,” and “Houseboats of Amsterdam,” featuring De Poezenboot sanctuary for cats.
Valerie also contributed to my cat blog, saying, “It’s all about promoting respect and caring about dear cats. It all helps people get the idea that cats matter and deserve kind treatment and help when they need it.” A sweet cat found on the icy grounds of Cedars Christian School is met in “Snowflake’s Story.” Valerie’s stories can be found here.
Valerie loved dogs too. She rescued Bernard the dachshund from euthanasia; his behaviour issues rendered him unadoptable. She could never say no to such a request.
When I visited in 2016, Bernard barked about the cake that Valerie had baked, finally settling down. After Valerie dropped me off, she wrote, “when I returned home, the entire angel food cake had been consumed! We only had one and a half slices and Bernard got the rest. That was annoying enough – but my beautiful glass cake stand was at the very edge of the table.”
Dr. Valerie Mary Evelyn Giles was born on March 29, 1949, and died on Dec. 9, 2021. Left to mourn are her cats, Zoe, Panther, and Starry Night; dogs, Bernard and Fluevog; and many friends and relatives. The pets are in the loving care of a friend.
Irene Plett
Surrey
