March 8 2018

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Big Cat Updates” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:300%20light%20regular%3A300%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Afton’s Coordinator notes for March 6, 2018

It was a pretty good day today!

We had just enough people to get cleaning done and food prep done before lunch. It helped that Alex and Romina ate lunch before coming in so that while all the interns went to lunch, they were able to finish up.

A little bit of raking got done in front. They only had about an hour to work on it. I replaced a few broken tiles on small cat lockouts with new ones. I also replaced and took down signs and name plates on the barricades. The ladders at the soon to be enrichment cabin were put away. Bridget cleaned the memorial tiles.

Some of the picky cats were suspicious of food today thinking that there may be more dewormer in it.

I did find that Loki really enjoys fish.

Andre was very excited about lamb. We should try and add that to the Texas boy’s diet as they have been picky at times.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Devin Saari’s Coordinator notes for March 7, 2018

The weather was a bit chilly but it was great day, today! We had lots of volunteers of all levels to help get feeding and cleaning done!

Food prep was finished before lunch which was great because we had four tours this afternoon.

We also had a kids tour this morning!

The interns were raking in front for a little bit this morning but that project sill has a lot of work!

Loki is liking mush!

A lot of sign offs were completed today for those that needed them!

The cicle cats loved their treats!

That’s all for today!
-Devin[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Many of You Have Been Asking:  Is there any Joseph Gear Left?  We will be closing his merchandise out soon.  Below are the links to see what is left. If you don’t find what you are looking for, email us.

1. BigCatRescue.biz https://big-cat-rescue.myshopify.com/search?q=Joseph (Note his Sponsorship kit is no longer available)
2. CatRescue.biz https://catrescue.myshopify.com/search?type=product&q=Joseph
3. Smile.Amazon.com https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Big+Cat+Rescue+Joseph

[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Big Cat Facts” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:300%20light%20regular%3A300%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Did You Know?  Did you know you can tell bobcats apart by their coat patterns, just like you can tell tigers apart by their stripes, or humans apart by their finger prints?  Can you spot the differences in these bobcats’ coat patterns? Test your “Spot the Differences” skills on the bobcat photos below.  Look closely as you flip back and forth between these photos.

Click or tap on each photo to see the whole photo larger so you can get a good look at the coat pattern.[/vc_column_text][vc_masonry_media_grid item=”masonryMedia_ScaleWithContentBlock” grid_id=”vc_gid:1520613777243-72047579-5c8e-0″ include=”104141,103435,104177,104178,104179,104180,104181,104182,104183,104184,104185″][vc_column_text]People Often Ask:  How do you know if a rehab bobcat is doing well in the wild?

Well we put out several trail cams that are donated by viewers like you. The rehab team periodically downloads the photos from those trail cams. They then spend hours studying the coat patterns of bobcats on the trail cams matching them to the coat patterns of the bobcat we released into that area.

So far, the bobcats we have returned to the wild have been thriving as we have spotted them on trail cam photo. They are not skinny but are a good healthy weight.

This is exciting, one time, after downloading Thor’s trail cams they saw him a few times and in be tween his photos there was what we think is a female bobcat. We were thrilled to learn that Thor’s territory was overlapping that of a female.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Note To Viewers:  Your feedback lets us know what features of Big Cat Updates you like, don’t like, want more of, or want less of.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Viewer Input Requested” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:300%20light%20regular%3A300%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]I am trying to update this page https://BigCatRescue.org/quick-links/ so that list can be added to the bottom of Carole’s https://BigCatRescue.org/top5/ page. Can you all look over that /quick-links/ page and let me know what other common questions or pages need added to that list.

Are there things you have wondered about but not asked, things about Big Cat Rescue or big cat issues?  Now is a great time to see if your questions are answered on those pages and if not, feel free to ask them.

For those who help us answer questions on the live videos and news articles:

Think about common questions, pages, and links that will help newcomers and that will help you as you help teach newcomers or as you help answer questions on Carole’s live videos or on news articles around the internet.

Please, leave your suggestions in the comments of those pages so I can find them.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”People Often Ask” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:300%20light%20regular%3A300%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]People Often Ask:  How did Big Cat Rescue get started?

Carole never set out to start a sanctuary. It happened partly by accident, then largely through a process of evolution. Here is her own words:

In 1992 my late husband and I were at an exotic animal auction buying llamas when a man walked in with a terrified six month old bobcat on a leash. He said she had been his wife’s pet and that she didn’t want her any more. We brought her home and called her Windsong. I adored her and she generally responded in the ways we expect a pet to do. But one of the traits that makes exotic cats bad pets is the tendency to bond to one person and be jealous of and/or aggressive toward others. She wouldn’t tolerate my husband, so he decided to buy and hand raise one or more bobcat kittens of his own.

In 1993 he located a place in Minnesota that sold bobcat and lynx kittens and we drove there with my 12 year old daughter and a friend to look at them. What we found was a “fur farm”. While they sold a few cubs each year as pets, their main business was raising them for a year and then slaughtering them to make coats.

The cats were in cages that were several inches deep with layers of fur and feces. The flies were so thick in the metal shed that we had to put hankies over our faces just to breathe without inhaling them. On the floor was a stack of partially skinned bobcats, Canada lynx and Siberian lynx. Their bellies had been cut off as this soft, spotted fur is the only portion used in making fur coats. I was so stunned by the sight, that I was numbed and in denial of what I had just seen. There were 56 kittens and we asked if there was that big of a market for them as pets. We were told that whatever did not sell for pets would be slaughtered the following year for fur.

In horror and disbelief I looked at my husband. I couldn’t speak. I had never heard anything so heartless and now the pile of dead cats in the corner hit me with the reality of a freight train.

This was at a time when protesters were spray painting people wearing fur coats, wearing fur was becoming “politically incorrect,” business was not good and probably looked to the breeder like it might stay that way. I believe this is why, after we first offered to buy all 56 kittens and later agreed to buy all of his cats if the breeder would agree to discontinue making cats into coats (he still had mink, fox and others,) he agreed.

Continue reading about our journey at:  http://bigcatrescue.org/about/how-we-started/[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Keeper Corner & Fun Photos” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:300%20light%20regular%3A300%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Really Cam? Cuddling with your toy and not your lady! ?

Photo by Keeper Erin[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Enjoy a collection of photos taken by various keepers.  Some you may have seen and some you may not have seen.[/vc_column_text][vc_masonry_media_grid item=”masonryMedia_ScaleWithContentBlock” grid_id=”vc_gid:1520613777253-e30d095a-22ac-8″ include=”104171,104191,104192,104195,104196,104198″][vc_column_text]Funny Keeper Story:  I just love that these volunteers are always having fun with their work.  It is so amazing being part of a group of so many people who get along and share common goals.

Background Info:  We offer various types of educational tours to see the cats.  On the tour called the “Date Tour” it is a larger group tour that moves along at a steady walking pace so guests see as many cats as possible.  Tour guides try to keeper guests all together.

We found that it was hard for everyone to hear and tour guides were having to speak in louder voices so everyone could hear.  We prefer the cats not have to hear that much noise.  To deal with that we started using a system called Vox.  Each guest wears ear buds and the tour guide plays the cats stories as you pass the cats.  Those ear buds can only be used one, for sanitary reasons.

Keeper Candy if the volunteer in charge of making sure the used ear buds are collected & delivers for recycling.  She also makes sure there is a steady supply of new ones available for guests to use.

Hopefully, this won’t be too trivial or silly but I want to share a funny conversation that took place in keeper emails yesterday.  Many of you have expressed a desire to know more about the keepers and their day to day antics.  So, here ya go!

Keeper Candy: Used earbuds, at the end of tours, are put in a bin located immediately outside the door of the Gift Shop. Then, I collect the earbuds and take them to Best Buy to be recycled. This procedure is eco-friendly, but Denny’s derived a solution that’s eco-friendly as well as altruistic.

Starting this week, Denny will collect the earbuds and take them to the MacDonald Training Center(https://macdonaldcenter.org/ ). At the Center, people with disabilities who often have difficulty finding jobs will be the ones recycling the earbuds. This change is a wonderful contribution to our community.

Thanks, Denny!

Candy
P.S. I do regret relinquishing the title of “Earbud Goddess” as bestowed by Karma, but it is for a good cause.

Keeper Diana:  I think it’s a wonderful solution that as you rightly mentioned is a win-win for everyone. In my book you will still be the Vox Goddess so no need to worry about a demotion in your royalty. Hugs, Diana[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Big Cat TV” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:300%20light%20regular%3A300%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Big Cat Rescue welcomes three new arrivals to the sanctuary. Meet Hutch the serval, and our two new rehab bobcat kittens, Lucky and Clover. BigCatTV.com[/vc_column_text][cq_vc_videocover videoimage=”104128″ videolink=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCnIFIB9-gQ”][vc_custom_heading text=”Keeper Devin” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:300%20light%20regular%3A300%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Keeper Devin Saari arriving at Big Cat Rescue takes you along on his day.  What do keepers do all day anyway?[/vc_column_text][cq_vc_videocover videoimage=”104200″ videolink=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Of1rUli3KM”][vc_custom_heading text=”Facebook Video Replays” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:300%20light%20regular%3A300%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Rehab bobcat, Aphrodite, is in the Windsong Memorial Hospital recovery room. You can watch her streaming web cam at https://video.nest.com/live/JsXOueQiYt She is doing well and will go back outside to the rehab area, soon. She had x-rays and blood work done.

The three Live Video Replays below will walk you through what is going on with this rehab bobcat.[/vc_column_text][cq_vc_videocover videoimage=”104206″ videolink=”https://video.nest.com/live/JsXOueQiYt”][vc_column_text]Aphrodite Bobcat has been a great hunter and eating well in rehab, but she’s lost a pound, so Dr. Justin is here to find out why. [/vc_column_text][ultimate_modal modal_on=”image” btn_img=”id^104208|url^http://bigcatrescue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Video-Screenshot-of-Aphrodite-the-rehab-bobcat-going-in-for-exam-1.jpg|caption^Video Screenshot of Aphrodite the rehab bobcat going in for exam 1|alt^Video Screenshot of Aphrodite the rehab bobcat going in for exam 1|title^Video Screenshot of Aphrodite the rehab bobcat going in for exam 1|description^null” overlay_bg_opacity=”80″ img_size=”80″]

https://www.facebook.com/bigcatrescue/videos/10155194685886957/

[/ultimate_modal][vc_column_text]Aphrodite, rehab bobcat getting x-rays.[/vc_column_text][ultimate_modal modal_on=”image” btn_img=”id^104209|url^http://bigcatrescue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Video-Screenshot-of-Aphrodite-the-rehab-bobcat-gets-xrays-2.jpg|caption^Video Screenshot of Aphrodite the rehab bobcat gets xrays 2|alt^Video Screenshot of Aphrodite the rehab bobcat gets xrays 2|title^Video Screenshot of Aphrodite the rehab bobcat gets xrays 2|description^null” overlay_bg_opacity=”80″ img_size=”80″]

https://www.facebook.com/bigcatrescue/videos/10155194747186957/

[/ultimate_modal][vc_column_text]X-Rays Done, waiting on blood work results.  Near the end of this video Dr. Justin explains what is going on and what is being done.[/vc_column_text][ultimate_modal modal_on=”image” btn_img=”id^104211|url^http://bigcatrescue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Video-Screenshot-of-Aphrodite-the-rehab-bobcat-xrays-done.jpg|caption^Video Screenshot of Aphrodite the rehab bobcat xrays done|alt^Video Screenshot of Aphrodite the rehab bobcat xrays done|title^Video Screenshot of Aphrodite the rehab bobcat xrays done|description^null” overlay_bg_opacity=”80″ img_size=”80″]

https://www.facebook.com/bigcatrescue/videos/10155194773436957/

[/ultimate_modal][vc_column_text]Dr. Justin gives a summary of why she was examined, what was found, and what the plan going forward is.[/vc_column_text][cq_vc_videocover videoimage=”104216″ videolink=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQC6vC7WIgs”][vc_custom_heading text=”Joseph’s Book Update” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2C700|font_style:300%20light%20regular%3A300%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]This project is rocking right along.  Sec2Cats, Lori D., has the main text completed and sent to LaWanna.  The photo choosing, cropping and editing is well underway. The page layouts are well underway.  Cindy Arthur is working on the covers and other illustrative artwork, and those look AMAZING!

So far just over 100 people have asked to get an email when the books are ready for ordering.  Spiral bound, 8″ x 8′ book with vinyl covers, and 40 fine linen pages with full color photographs & Joseph’s story.  If you want to be notified when the ordering page is ready, email lawanna.mitchell@bigcatrescue.org

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