AdvoCat 2014 06

The June AdvoCat

When to Euthanize a Tiger

 At Big Cat Rescue we have a general  decision tree that we and our vets use to determine when it is time to euthanize a big cat, but every situation is different. The vast majority of the time we just aren't sure that it is the right decision until we do the necropsy, which is the animal version of an autopsy.  The reason it is so hard to know, if we are doing the right thing, is because cats are hard wired to live the mantra of the wild; "Survival of the fittest."  They just will not reveal their illness or their suffering until they cannot hide it any longer.We just had two situations, back to back, where we had to make the gut wrenching decision to euthanize an exotic cat.  One was an ocelot (known in Central and South America as the Tree Tiger) and the other was an actual tiger.  Both were 20-22 years old, but their histories were so different, that the decision in each case came after painful deliberation of our veterinary care team.Read the rest of the story here:  https://bigcatrescue.org/euthanize-tiger/ 

An Admiration of Wildlife, A Legacy of Support

Big Cat Rescue recently received a collection of fine art wildlife prints donated by Traci and Gregg Matthews, on behalf of the estate of Mr. and Mrs. David Melville, Traci’s Grandmother and Grandfather.Mr. Melville met his first big cat, a black leopard, in a jungle in Burma during the 2nd World War. The cat emerged to drink from a stream as he stood there watching in amazement.Soon after, Mr. Melville began collecting the artwork of renowned wildlife artists Charles Frace' and Guy Coheleach.Following Mr. Melville’s passing, Traci and Gregg Matthews sought to pay tribute to her Grandfather's legacy by donating his collection of artwork, valued at approximately $13,500, in support of an animal welfare related organization that advocated in support of the magnificent creatures he so fondly admired.These spectacular wildlife prints, all of which include an affidavit of limited edition/ authenticity are now available for purchase, in support of the magnificent creatures that call Big Cat Rescue home:  https://www.bigcatrescue.biz/ 

Foster Kitten Program

 https://youtu.be/uv89J6f57EIMillions of cats and kittens are killed in shelters each year.  See what Big Cat Rescue is doing about it. 

NY Tiger Rescue Video

 https://youtu.be/CRuyvdIYWJk 

Garfield...Recipes with Cattitude! Cookbook

See what others say about this cookbook:

Five Stars!  Garfield Recipes with Cattitude! is packed with over 230 terrific recipes for all of Garfield’s favorite foods from lasagna, (of course) to pizza and more! The book is filled with illustrations by Jim Davis and with pointers from our favorite feline, you will be sure to be entertained, informed and inspired to try these delicious offerings! Over 200 pages of beverages, breads, breakfast items, cookies, candy, desserts, lunch items, main dishes and even pet treats, you will find something to fit your palette!

Put in the code BigCatRescue at check out and get $7 off and BCR gets a $5 donation.  Here is the link: https://www2.gooseberrypatch.com/gooseberry/products.nsf/v.weball/M158 

Key Snow Leopard Habitats To Be Identified and Protected

 Last October's Global Snow Leopard Conservation Forum resulted in an unprecedented commitment from range countries and the global community to save these cats. Now, this commitment is turning into action, as experts are getting ready to define key snow leopard habitats to be protected.Next Steps in Global Effort to Protect Cats:  Conservation experts and representatives from all 12 snow leopard range countries are meeting in Kyrgyzstan this week to identify at least 20 landscapes that can support secure snow leopard populations - and prioritize measures to protect them. Read More 

An Inspiring and Heartfelt Tribute

 Mike S., a Big Cat Rescue supporter in Florida recently contacted the sanctuary to purchase a “Pave the Way” brick in honor of a Rick, a homeless individual that he had previously befriended.Mike contacted the sanctuary following Rick’s tragic death, as he wanted to create a “Pave the Way” brick to ensure that his friend was “forever remembered”.Mike first encountered Rick sitting in a parking lot with his pet dog.  Being an animal lover, Mike asked Rick if he could pet his dog, named Huckleberry.  Rick thanked Mike for asking, and introduced him to his canine companion, and the three soon became friends.Then it dawned on Mike...how much he had and how little Rick had.  How can someone have so little, yet have so much?To “quote” Mike, “He made me a better person, so his life was not a waste, but rather an inspiration.” 

Top Shocking Incidents of Big Cat Exploitation – June 2014

 We hope by sharing a new list with you each month that you will join us in speaking out for the big cats and cubs that are exploited across this country every day. We encourage you to take one small action today and reach out via phone or email to contact one or more of the offenders listed below and politely express your concern. Together we can be the voice for the voiceless...together we can make a difference. Please join us in our mission of Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade. If you learn of exotic cats or cubs being exploited in your area, please contact Susan.Bass@BigCatRescue.org. U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R) and Mike Lee (L) posing and smiling with a tiger-skin rugNo. 1 Recently U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (Texas) posted a smiling photo of himself and U.S. Senator Mike Lee (Utah) on his Facebook page posing with a tiger-skin rug. He said he had just done “a little shopping for the office.” Please let Senator Cruz know that – whether the skin is real or fake – there is no justification for flaunting an endangered tiger skin, especially as an elected official. Contact Senator Cruz here: https://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=email_senatorPost comments to his Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorTedCruz?fref=photo Adult lion in a cage at City Life Church in Tampa, FL on EasterNo. 2 On Easter Sunday, the Pastors of City Life Church (Florida) brought a full-grown lion in a tiny transport cage into the church sanctuary during services. Can you imagine the stress and fear the lion much have experienced in this huge church with hundreds of worshippers? Please kindly let the Pastors know that exploiting exotic cats for “shock value” during religious services is ridiculous and potentially dangerous.Contact the church at 813-933-3991 or via email here: https://citylifechurch.cc/more/contact-us/Post comments to the church’s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/citylifetampa?rf=509114532435473 White tiger at Houston AquariumNo. 3 Houston television station KPRC recently did a fluff story about the white tigers at the Houston Downtown Aquarium. You read that correctly – tigers at a marine aquarium! Reporter Ruben Galvan interviewed a keeper identified as Joy about the tigers. Joy spouted facts as though white tigers would actually be found in the wild! Scary. Then reporter Galvan mentioned that he would be swimming with Beluga whales at Sea World in San Antonio the following day. So it seems to us that KPRC routinely features stories that exploit exotic animals. Please let KPRC know there are better ways to boost ratings than to promote the exploitation of white tigers and other exotics on their station. Animal lovers will tune out stations that show such a lack of disregard for these magnificent sentient creatures.Watch the news story here: https://www.click2houston.com/news/check-out-the-white-tigers-at-the-downtown-aquarium/25635854Contact the station’s General Manager Jerry Martin at 713-778-4910 or jmartin@kprc.com.Post comments to KPRC’s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/KPRC2 Cougar on exhibit at a college in WashingtonNo. 4 Edmonds Community College (Washington) recently hosted an animal exhibit on campus that included this caged cougar and numerous other animals. A student who contacted Big Cat Rescue tells us that the cougar had no water and many students were upset to see the caged animals. The cougar was exhibited by a non-accredited outfit called Predators of the Heart, which claims to be a "refuge" for animals.We contacted Dr. Jean Hernandez, President of the college, and explained that a refuge does not force wild animals to be on exhibit in tiny cages for hours and gawked at by hundreds of people! We also told her there is NO justification for using and abusing cougars and other exotic animals on a college campus. In fact, the exhibit sends the very wrong message to impressionable students that animals are ours to exploit as we wish. It can even encourage people to think they make good pets and purchase these cats themselves. Dr. Hernandez never responded to our emails.Would you politely reach out to Dr. Hernandez and let her know big cat lovers do not want to see cougars on college campuses? Email her at jean.hernandez@edcc.edu Tiger cubs interacting with staff from WABD radio in AlabamaNo. 5 97.5 WABD (Alabama) had promoted tiger cub handling on their Facebook page recently showing staff members with cubs used for cub petting at the notorious Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. The station was even encouraging their fans to pay to interact with the cubs, but once they heard from YOU, they pulled the photo from their page. 

Do You Shop on Amazon?

 If you do, you can help Big Cat Rescue with every purchase, at no additional cost to you by making Amazon Smile your log in page to Amazon and selecting Big Cat Rescue as your charity of choice! 

Free Fun and Games

 Click on the link now to try out one more of our: Online Gamesand/orOpen this email on your smartphone and try out one or more of our: Mobile Games One more way to help raise money at NO COST to you:  Yahoo has agreed to help us by providing a special search site that is branded just for us.  They will also share revenue from searches to help us raise needed dollars.Just click on the link and check it out…It's that easy. Please try 5-10 natural searches using this search engine, after all you already use the Internet to search.  Now you can search using a branded search engine built exclusively for us, of course the more you use it the better it is for us.(You can save this special link search page to your favorites).  CAN YOU BELIEVE IT; JUST DOING YOUR NORMAL SEARCHES FROM THIS SEARCH LINK, HELPS US RAISE NEEDED FUNDS!!!  “Search Link”Thank you for your support!Please participate now so you won’t forget, we would love 100% participation in the next 24-72 PS: Please send this email to at least on friend or family member, so they can have fun and help us all at no cost!!