Pisces

Male Fishing Cat

Date of Birth: 11/11/97 – 2007

Pisces came to Big Cat Rescue with the female Fishing Cat Aquarius on 2/4/98 from a zoo broker. Zoos say they do not sell animals to pet owners, but they do sell their animals (and many times just give them away to make room for the next babies) to zoo brokers who then sell to pet homes.   Pisces was unbearably thin and his coat was dull and matted. He was immediately placed on a good diet and he is now robust with a beautiful glossy coat. Pisces is the epitome of innocence and displays his deep understanding of Porcupine medicine with his endless games of peek-a-boo.  He will trot from one side of his waterfall to the other, just to sneak a peek at you before you can see him.  He will sit patiently disguised as a root, a pile of leaves or the shadow to leap up with eyes sparkling as if to say, “I saw you first!”  The wisdom of the Porcupine is to remember to have faith and trust that everything is unfolding exactly as it should.  If life deals you a hard blow, Pisces suggests that you call on the innocence of the Porcupine to have faith in your ability to overcome with joy.  Trust yourself like Pisces trusts his connection to the Great Spirit.

TRIBUTES FOR PISCES

I think it was the illusiveness of Pisces that always intrigued me and compelled me to try and find him during a tour.  I thought it was so important to introduce this very versatile breed to our guests and was lucky enough to have Pisces co-operate with me most of the time.   With this in mind, I went in search for an appropriate verse to accompany him on his latest journey.   The author is unknown, but the title of it is “The Purry Gates”.   I guess, in the back of my mind, I hope that Pisces will be there when I reach the pearly gates, around the back of his heavenly enclosure, daring me to find him once again……Diana, Volunteer Partner

The Purry Gates (Author unknown)
It seems that I’ve reached Heaven,
or it’s doorstep at any rate,
and been winding round St. Peter’s ankles
by the Pearly Gates,
I’ve plucked the angels’ harp strings
and made a merry sound,
But it’s plucking at my heartstrings
that you are not around.
So I think I’ll sit and wait here,
just outside the door,
And as the souls come floating in,
I’ll tap them with my paw,
And when you seek admittance,
they’ll rename this place –
It will become Purradise,
and these the Purry Gates!
I shall always be inspired by the memory of Pisces basking in the sun, knowing that he was modeling how to find a bit of joy in a less than optimal life. He was very special and shall be sorely missed. …….Deborah, Volunteer Keeper

I’m sorry to hear Pisces is gone, but happy for his freedom too. What a fascinating cat……..Christy, Senior Volunteer Partner

At the fishing cat enclosure, I’ve been accustomed to not seeing any occupants visible, but a strange, chilly and lonely feeling overcame me on Monday.  I spent a few moments there, contemplating my first encounter with Pisces….it was during my first tour of BCR. He came forward and extended a paw into his fountain/pond. I was immediately fascinated by him and learning about the breed. That weekend, I attended volunteer training and was hooked on BCR (no pun intended!)

It’s been only 2 years and I imagine all our departed souls frolicking together in a much better place, keeping an eye on us occasionally. All of our sanctuary residents are majestic animals, regardless of size. Some speak to me and it touches my heart. Collectively, they give me the motivation to solicit endlessly, so we can enrich their lives even more.  The physical size of our “little cats” has nothing to do with their value – which is immeasurable……Merrill, Volunteer Partner

While handing out enrichment one day, Brian came along intending to film the cats having a good time.  When I gave a spice bag to Pisces, this little cat seemed pretty uninterested.  He had other things in mind.  As we were leaving, out of the corner of our eyes, we saw him make a mad dash for his pond.  Quicker than we could even see, he hooked a big fish with those deadly curved claws of his and dragged it across his cat-a-tat to enjoy.  I had read about fishing cats actually fishing but reading and seeing are two different things!  He was thoroughly disgusted by the scales of the fish, spitting them out as he bit through it.  After he swallowed a few good bites of “sushi,” he started doing exactly what my cats do at home – he started throwing up. Definitely too rich for his taste!  But, he had so much fun playing with his catch.

I’ll always remember that day since it was a great example of everything we’re about here at Big Cat Rescue – trying our best to give these cats as much as we can to make their life in captivity just a little less monotonous.  Whether it came to chasing after guineas or fishing the day away, at least we tried our best to give Pisces a better life.  We’ll miss his antics…….Julie, Senior Volunteer Keeper

Pisces was always the character. I still remember how he would entertain everyone diving after treats. He would stand on the side and try to paw at them first, then he would finally take the leap. It was fascinating watching him scramble back out of the water, shake hard and appear dry. He will be missed…….Susan, Volunteer Senior Keeper

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