MR E

Male Leopard Cat

DOB 6/30/00 – 5/27/14

We quit breeding cats in 1997 when our Co-Founder disappeared.  We spent the next 3 years building better Cat-A-Tats for our 200 residents. We neutered and spayed all of the bobcats, cougars and lynx first.

We had a pair of Amur Leopard Cats who had lived together since 1995. In the Spring of 2000 the Leopard Cats moved into their new 1000 square foot Cat-A-Tat with it’s bushes, trees and underground dens. It must have been very romantic.

Much to our amazement, Shalimar and Draikko gave birth to a beautiful, bouncing baby boy on June 30, 2000.

While it was not our intent to breed this endangered species we are are so blessed to have had this little bundle of joy join us. He was named Mr. E as a sound a like for Mystery. He has always been an elusive cat, however, his participation in the operant conditioning program will soon change that.

Mr. E had been on the observation chart for drinking a lot, so we wanted to take him in for diagnostics, in case he was suffering from renal failure or some other ailment.

He jumped from about 8 feet up and broke both front legs in the fall.

Mr. E was taken to a specialist to have surgery to repair his broken legs with pins. The surgery seemed like it was going to be successful, however just as it was finished Mr. E stopped breathing on his own. The vet staff tried for 25 minutes to revive him, but despite their efforts Mr. E passed away. He was 14 years old. Dr. Hay did mention that Mr. E’s bones were very thin and brittle which may have explained why he sustained such injuries from a jump like this.

The average life span for Leopard Cats and Bengal Cats seems to be 12-15 years by most accounts, so even though 14 seems so young to us at Big Cat Rescue, 14 was very old for Mr. E.

Tributes to Mr E
Jocelin Gardner Apr 1, 2014
Hey Mr. E, I’m so sorry you had to leave this world the way you did, but I am happy that you no longer have to live a life restricted to a cage. You were one of the feistiest and most secretive of the cats at BCR, but I would like to share with everybody my last memory of giving you enrichment, as I think you let me see a glimpse of the true Mr. E that day. I walked up to your enclosure and said your name, and you just barely opened up your eyes to acknowledge my presence, at least until I threw you’re axe bag in. Then you got up and jumped to the ground and gave me a hiss, not a mean one, but a half hearted serval one like you were just hissing because it was part of the routine. Then you did the most relaxed stretch, and fluffed your tail out, waving it around like you needed to stretch it out too. Then, after feigning boredom with the bag, you proceeded to tear it to tons of tiny pieces! This is the Mr. E I will choose to remember; a smart and sassy boy that just didn’t want people to know he was a softie at heart. Be free little love.

Regina Rinaldi Mar 30, 2014
Mr. E. Almost never saw the little guy with the big attitude unless you had food. I will miss him and his feisty self, but I would rather miss him than see him in pain.

Karma Hurworth Mar 29, 2014
My precious, shy little gentleman. You stole my heart almost from the day I arrived at BCR, and you took a piece of it with you when you left. I will never forget you running excitedly up to me for your operant. Be free little one…

Elizabeth Pullan Mar 28, 2014
Ooh man:( this stinks… The last time I was out we had a lovely talk about how he was doing… Going to cry know

Unknown Mar 28, 2014
Mr E you were always one of my favorites. I’ll never forget giving you a spice bag which you seemed to ignore completely, and then finding the spice bag shredded with you in the exact same spot you’d been in. You were always so shy and angry. I hope you were able to find some enjoyment during time with us. The way you left us makes me very sad and I hope your suffering was not great. Enjoy your freedom now in a world without bars.

Unknown Mar 28, 2014
Oh Mr. E. I am going to miss your fierceness. As one of my first operant cats I greatly appreciated your speed and intelligence. I am so sorry that your time here ended the way it did but I can see you roaming free and putting your intelligence and speed to good use. You touched my heart as so many others have and I will miss you. Be at peace!

More Memorials at http://bigcatrescue.org/category/memorials/