Big Cat Updates
4/3/17 Monday
Lakota and Sioux are reunited and have been moved to the triplex cage by Angie. Sioux ate ok today, around 10 oz. of ground turkey and chicken before she went out. She had also eaten the food left over night, last night. The hospital cages were taken out and the hospital cleaned.
Angie did not want to eat today. She took her meds but refused other food. Gale took her some more out this evening.
Keisha did not take her med’s until 11:30 and did not eat until mid afternoon. She really liked chicken breast today.
Arthur was acting off this morning, he hid in his den most of the day and didn’t want food. When I tried, he grumbled alot and barked at me. After being reunited with his siblings for a while we re-separated him and tried food. He ate well, red meat and chicken from a stick. He sat patiently and ate the small pieces with no trouble
The Picky Boys
Cameron ate 4 lbs. of turkey and chicken drums. We have pulled feathered chickens to thaw for him since that is something he likes.
TJ was not very interested in food, we went out multiple times throughout the day but he was more interested in playing in the water with Seth (adorable!) and patrolling. We pulled extra full turkeys that we can use for him. (Pulled means take from walk-in freezer and moved to the walk-in cooler to begin thawing.)
Hoover did not want food until mid afternoon. He ate mostly thighs, drums and chicken breast. He refused AM meds.
Zeus would not come out of his den this morning or during the day to eat. Afton took extra food for him this evening so hopefully he will eat now that its cooled off a little.
That’s it for me. Thanks! ~Coordinator Keeper Lauren B
LOL, SURPRISE, TJ!!
TJ would not come get his snacks so the keepers had Seth locked in his roofed section so they could go to where TJ was napping, on the far side of his enclosure, to try to get him to eat.
TJ is old and he doesn’t eat much at once anymore, plus he takes meds, so it is important to get him to eat as much as possible each day. That means giving him multiple small meals every day. That often means getting creative. Keepers will not give up on him. They do whatever it takes to keep this old boy eating enough.
This footage was captured by a viewer on the Tiger Lake webcam at explore.org/tigerlake
Susan Mesna, THANK YOU for capturing this and allowing us to share it.
Letter To Management
April 4, 2017
Dear Sir/Madam:
On Monday, my frenemy Seth and I had a splash-off in Tiger Lake. I am writing to protest the media attention this has received, and the unruly crowd of watchers that it attracted.
Now, really – can’t a guy have any privacy? It’s bad enough that pictures are always being posted on Explore chat of us “taking care of business,” but now VIDEOS are being posted when we try to enjoy ourselves. I know this, because both Seth and I saw the camera move to get a better angle. Yes, we know it’s there! We may not be members of Tensa (Tiger Chapter of Mensa), but we know a camera when we see it.
And to make matters worse, we had a crowd of watchers hooting and hollering at us, and telling us to behave and play nice! Harrumph. Behave and play nice indeed! We were having such a good time but were forced to stop because of all the attention. We came back a little while later when the watchers were gone, but still the camera was recording.
Seth and I have discussed this, and we believe we are entitled to a portion of the profits for any videos or still pictures that are published of our encounter. Since we do not have any bank accounts (financial institutions will not accept pawprints as signatures for some reason), we request any and all of our profits be paid in turkeys. We expect the first ones to be delivered within one week.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
TJ Tiger (not to be confused with my cousin, Tony) and Seth
(Sent via Lori D., Secretary to the Cats)
PS – I don’t know what kind of medicine you are hiding in my food, but I was hallucinating today that the fence was feeding me.
Call of the Wild Update
YOU can make the Call of the Wild at BigCatAct.com
What is the Call of the Wild? Scroll down this link to find a section about it: bigcatrescue.org/april-2-2017/
How do I make the Call of the Wild? This link as SUPER EASY step by step instructions: bigcatrescue.org/april-3-2017/
Facebook Live Video Replays
Sioux leaves hospital: Gale gets Sioux ready to leave the hospital
Sioux is home: Sioux is released into her 3 cage enclosure outside. Each cage is at least 1200 s. ft. and she has three of those.
Catching Lakota: Gale was able to get Lakota closed in his lockout. they are now trying to get him to move into the transport cage so they can move him to the new 3 cage complex that he will share with Sioux.
Moving Lakota: Lakota is now in the transport cage and being taken over to be reunited with his sister, Sioux.
Can’t forget their toys: After putting their toys in the new enclosure, keepers, Alyssa and Lauren bring in Lakota. Lakota shot out of the transport cage right away. They will share a 3 cage complex. Each cage is at least 1200 sq. ft. and they have three of those connected by doors and tunnels. They have multiple dens, platforms, trees to climb, toys, foliage, etc.
Sioux and Lakota were rescued just over a week ago from a failed zoo in Alabama. They are very thin but it should not take long for them to add on some weight.
Checking on Will Bobcat and changing the batteries in his den cam while Anasazi Bobcat watches from next door.
BigCatTV.com
Well, Afton has done it again. She made another great video for BigCatTV.com and posted it on Facebook.com/BigCatRescue this morning.
Recent FB Live Winners
Jessica McKenzie chose “All Cats are Kings Next Level Ladies Boyfriend Tee”
Keeper Corner
Jade on FunCation. ~Keeper MaryLou G
Featured Cat – Mickey
Mickey is a male cougar boarn 6/25/2003. He was rescued and came to Big Cat Rescue on 8/18/2014. Mickey Cougar’s story is so long and heartbreaking that it will be hard to tell in just a few minutes. (Watch his rescue video to find out the whole story.)
Excerpts From Mickey’s Story
Animal House, in Moulton, AL, was a backyard zoo that operated with a USDA license up until 2006 when it was revoked. At the time Alabama had no laws to regulate the private possession of wild animals, so once USDA washed their hands of the mess, there was virtually no government oversight of the facility. Former volunteers say the owner had no other source of income than her social security check and that she had contracted with the county to become their dog pound.
In 2013 conditions there were reported to be so grim that the county revoked her contract and rescue groups went in to save the dogs and cats housed at Animal House. One of the rescuers video taped a leopard who had been injured by a Doberman, two years prior, and sent the photos and video to Big Cat Rescue asking for help.
We were told that the owner had been feeding the dogs and cats there to her wild animals and that the Doberman had fought back. Her family said the dog had just been in an adjacent cage and the leopard reached through. Regardless of whether it was malice or neglect, the leopard’s leg had bones sticking out and festering tissue exposed. Big Cat Rescue tried, unsuccessfully, for months, to get USDA, the USFWS, the State of Alabama and the local Sheriff to either confiscate the leopard or get her medical attention. When they failed to help the cat we appealed to the media, who said there wasn’t a story if they couldn’t get permission to go film the cat themselves, which the owner was NOT going to allow.
The leopard died and had probably suffered unimaginable agony for two years or more until her wounds killed her.
We never gave up and 2014 began negotiations with the owner, her family members and the state department of natural resources to rescue the cats who still were being kept there.
When we saw the condition Mickey Cougar was in, we didn’t know if he would make it at all.
Both of his back knees suffered from torn ligaments so that when he walked the bones on top would just roll and slip off the bottom bones. It was painful to even look at him. Despite the fact that he was grossly underweight and had almost no muscle mass we had to make the difficult decision to sedate him to evaluate the damage and then again to try and repair it.
Dr. Hay, an orthopedic specialist, did the surgery, using something like a synthetic ligament mesh, to mend back his first leg. Dr. Wynn used a new technique of spinning the patient’s own blood and harvesting platelet rich plasma, to quicken healing, which was injected into the other knee.
When Mickey first arrived I couldn’t even look at him without tearing up because he is at once, both so pitiful and yet so determined to overcome. We knew it would cost a lot to try and fix him. He has since had a couple surgeries, physical therapy, and lots of TLC.
Whenever there are cats in need of rescue, we always offer to take the oldest, sickest or most impaired because our sanctuary is unique in its ability to provide the best veterinary and supportive care.
Mickey Before
Mickey After he had been here for a while.
Ready Mickey’s full story or watch his rescue video at: http://bigcatrescue.org/mickey/
Mickey Loves enrichment time, he loves toys, spices, sceneted tubes, spying on his neighbors, and treats. Mickey Loves treats, especially sickles.
Mickey LOVES Bloodsickles. Photo by Keeper MaryLou G
Mickey’s injuries were so severe and had been left untreated for so long before his rescue that he will never fully recover. However, he is doing so much better and this boy loves life. The is a trooper; he never gives up and he has a real zest for life.
Photos of Mickey
Note to Viewers: You said you wanted a LOT of photos of Mickey, so here ya go…. Enjoy. Smile… Is this enough?
This is a few of the photos taken of Mickey in the time her has been here. Some were taken when he got here and some are more recent. You can probably tell them apart.
Cole and Marmalade’s Corner
When was the last time you brushed your cat’s teeth? … The thought of brushing your cat’s teeth probably hasn’t even crossed your mind, but just like us humans, cats also require dental care to stay healthy. If you take things slowly, give them lots of praise and try and make it a positive experience, with time brushing your cat’s teeth will become easier.
You may be reading this and thinking “my cat would never let me do this!” But like I said anything is better than nothing and with patience you can get into a routine… This will help prevent dental disease and add years to your cat’s life! *Purrlease take your cat/s for a check up and consult your vet before starting any dental care routine, GOOD LUCK 🙂
•Cat treats that promote dental health – https://coleandmarmalade.com/little-cats-helping-big-cats/
Viewer Videos From Explore.org/bigcatrescue
There are some GREAT videos recorded by viewers at explore.org/bigcatrescue that you will really enjoy watching.
YAY! Finally, the breakfast cart!
Sweet Vacation
TJ’s Stinky Face
Hello, Mr. Seth
Seth’s Moolight Stroll on the lakeshore
It’s a hard life……..
Bu…… chillin out at the pool
Here is a list of YouTube channels that feature videos of the cats here:
- Susann https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUFOZiTvzKRvj-oVbzdByvg
- Ruxandra https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvCsjKptd1gM9BhfDkGQGNg
- Donna P: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcFbhMc8Sqr-8MreWuYr4Bg
- Shawna https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfl9S-vDPJIgjl8QpM6Aypw
- Cathy S https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6ynHBFLKj0BVnK5jo2gTnw
- A Heart For Nikita https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSxAXUTh29XWQw35acpU1Ag
- Janie M https://www.youtube.com/user/donutgirl100
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to a special youngster. Mom tells us the birthday girl loved everything, especially, her Hoover necklace.
THANK YOU, for including the cats in the special day!! Your purchases from BigCatRescue.biz help us care for the cats. The purr-chases from CatRescue.biz help support our legislative efforts to get new laws to end abuse and exploitation of big cats and their babies.
WANTED – Graphic Artists
Carole is looking for a graphic artist who really gets what we are all about and would would like to help us with some graphics for shirts. If that is you or if you know someone like that, please have them email Carole at cat@bigcatrescue.org
Quick Links
As per viewer suggestions, Quick Links now has it’s very own page http://bigcatrescue.org/quick-links/
Bookmarking it will help you find things quickly. That will come in handy for:
- Helping us answer questions on social media
- Finding answers to some of Carole’s Facebook Live questions
