• About BCR
  • News
  • News @ BCR
  • Rescues
  • Issues
  • Cat Laws
Saturday, May 28, 2022
  • Login
  • Register
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
No Result
View All Result
Home News @ BCR

Minnesota "pet" cougar story ends on sad note

Carole by BCR
February 8, 2009
in News @ BCR
0 0
1
0
SHARES
1k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

A what in Proctor? Cougar story ends on sad note

Robin Washington
Duluth News Tribune – 02/01/2009

Whatever else you say about her, Tasha was ridiculously cute. Like when she lounged on top of the refrigerator.

“People would come over and say, ‘Oh, my God! Do you know there’s a cougar on your refrigerator?'” Marlene O’Connor of Proctor recalled Saturday.

Obviously, the O’Connors did know that, and had an idea of what they were getting into when they acquired the four-month-old big cat from a newspaper ad in 1993.

“She was already eating red meat,” said Marlene’s husband, Jim, adding a lesson: “Never feed them red meat. That’s all they’ll want.”

Instead, they settled on poultry, sometimes combined with cat food. Larger prey wasn’t on the menu, even when inadvertently offered.

“Once, in her kennel, she grabbed a guy’s finger” in her mouth, Marlene said. “She never bit it, but she hung on.” The visitor remained “calm and collected,” she said, and eventually Tasha let go.

Jim also brought home a bear cub once, which the Department of Natural Resources took away. But neighbors didn’t mind the cougar, he said. “They come up in the yard and they want to see it.”

Or not, said neighbor Howard McIntyre.

“I never went up there,” he said. “I heard it call. When it was …”

Let’s just say in an amorous mood.

Tasha also made outings to the vet, although two doctors would come to see her — until last fall. They had closed their practices, Jim said, and Tasha, now 16, stopped eating, showing signs of diabetes. He called around to other vets, but complained he couldn’t get past the receptionists.

“They said the same thing. They do not handle exotic cats,” he said, adding he called the Lake Superior Zoo and other animal facilities from Duluth to the Twin Cities.

In November, Tasha died.

“As far as him calling here and talking to someone, I don’t recall that,” said Sam Maida, the zoo’s executive director, explaining the zoo would have been under city management at that time. Regardless, he said the zoo’s policy is to make a referral.

“Vets are pretty good. They’ll come to you,” Maida said. “You don’t have to bring your exotic in, just like you don’t have to bring a cow into the vet.

“But if you’re going to have one, you’d better be sure there are vets in your area to take care of it. It’s like having a really hot sports car without anyone here who knows how to fix it. If something goes wrong, you’d have to trailer it to Minneapolis.”

And that gets into the larger issue of owning exotic species in the first place. It’s discouraged by a 2004 Minnesota law requiring that existing animals be registered with counties and severely restricting new acquisitions, though there are loopholes.

All this resonates with me because my family lived with an ocelot for 20 years. We, too, got it from an ad in the paper, and El Gato exhibited the same stalking and refrigerator-climbing habits that Tasha did — with a major addition: He did bite, and I still have the scars.

But we loved him nonetheless, and his personality was so strong, he’s still the first thing high school friends ask about when reconnecting with me.

So do I endorse private ownership of exotic felines today? Not quite. Everyone I know who owns one seems to believe “no one knows how to take care of big cats except me.” And though rare, incidents do happen — none worse than the Sandstone, Minn., woman, with every license and credential in the world, mauled to death by her own undernourished tiger in 2006.

Humans, however, have options; captive animals do not, which is why Jim O’Connor says he wouldn’t get another cougar.

“If I was 20 years younger, I would,” he said. But now, “the cat would outlive me. I’m 67. I wouldn’t be around for it.”

Robin Washington is news director of the News Tribune. Reach him at rwashington@duluthnews.com.

http://legacy.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=111040&section=Columnists&columnist=Robin%20Washington

———

Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://bigcatrescue.org


Tags: captive wildlife
Previous Post

Unwanted bobcat was released by Staten Island owners, neighbors report

Next Post

Calif. cops recount how they shot down raging tiger

Carole

BCR

Big Cat Rescue is Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade

Related Posts

Bailey_Bobcat_Big Cat Rescue_ BrittanyMira
News @ BCR

Bailey

May 26, 2022
1.1k
Carole Howie and Jasmine
News @ BCR

Film

May 9, 2022
97
Alex el Tigre
Featured

Big Cat Rescue is Live 24/7 on Webcams

April 21, 2022
320.2k
FelineLeukomyelopathyFLMbobcatFWC
News @ BCR

FLM

April 19, 2022
193
2021 Great Non Profits Big Cat Rescue
News @ BCR

NFT Leaderboard

April 17, 2022
1.4k
Next Post

Calif. cops recount how they shot down raging tiger

Leave a Reply

  • Default Comments (1)
  • Facebook Comments

One response to “Minnesota "pet" cougar story ends on sad note”

  1. Cnidaria Zyphoz Nontarest says:
    March 16, 2014 at 3:51 pm

    sad

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Help Feed Big Cats

One of the best ways to help is through general donations that can be used however it is most needed at the time.To make a general donation just click the Donate Now button below.  This is the best way to give as it has the lowest credit card processing fees and is immediate help for the cats.

Give to Big Cat Rescue

If you prefer to donate via Pay Pal, please use this link: Pay Pal

Recent Articles

  • Tiger Teeth May 26, 2022
  • Orpheus May 26, 2022
  • Wild Bobcats Get Tracking Collars May 26, 2022

More From BigCatRescue

  • Big Cat Rescue is Live 24/7 on Webcams
  • Rescue Missions
  • About Big Cat Rescue
  • Big Cat Rescue News
  • Reviews
  • Our Recent Work
  • Sanctuary FAQs
  • Big Cat TV

Sanctuary Cats

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

Ways to Help

  • Newsletter SignUp
  • Donate Now
  • Shop
  • Wish List
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us
  • View AMP Version

Save Big Cats

Donate to Big Cat Rescue
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • About BCR
  • News @ BCR
  • Videos
  • Big Cat Facts
  • Cub Facts
  • Sanctuary Cats
  • Shop and Save Cats
  • Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Abuse Issues
  • Contact Us

© Copyright 2021 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Add New Playlist