Tobi

Female Cougar
DOB 3/1/91
Rescued 8/18/95

Died 10/22/15 at the old, old age of 24

She is the perfect example of why it never works out to make a pet of a wild cat.  In her case there was a husband and wife who had lots of money, larger than usual cages and who fed their cats a decent diet.

But all in the same month the wife became pregnant and the husband discovered that he was terminally ill.  With two tigers and eight cougars as pets, where were they going to find forever homes for their animals?  We were able to take one tiger and all 8 cougars, but big rescues like that are very expensive and include taking on a lifetime commitment to the cats.  They did find another home for their male tiger, but good sanctuaries are all full and over flowing, so it is very rare that big cats can be rescued by places that don’t implode shortly thereafter.

Tobi is a very small and secretive cat, and is also very agile and active. She loves to hide in the palmetto of her cat-a-tat until a person has just passed and then rushes out to surprise them from behind. Tobi lives in an enclosure next to Hal, who is always vying for her attention.

Tributes to Tobi Cougar

Susan Bass: It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beautiful cougar Tobi. We rescued her when she was 4 years old and she lived at Big Cat Rescue for the next 20 years. She was an incredibly ancient 24 years old when she crossed the rainbow bridge on October 22.

Tobi was the perfect example of why it never works out to try to make a wild cat a pet. In her case, she was owned by a couple who had plenty of money, kept her in a larger than usual cage and fed her a decent diet. But during the same month in 1995, the wife became pregnant and the husband discovered he was terminally ill. All of their cats — 2 tigers and 8 cougars — needed new homes. We were able to take one of the tigers and all 8 cougars, including Tobi. It was a huge financial commitment for us to accept 9 cats at once for lifetime care. The remaining tiger did find a good home too.

Tobi was a small secretive cat who was very agile and active throughout her life.
This recollection by Carole sums up our girl best. “Tobi would always play the same game with me. Whenever I called her, she would come out of her den breathing fire and threats. But then she’d fall against the side of the cage, rubbing and purring so loudly it vibrated my soul.”

Run free Tobi. We will never forget you!

Sharon Henry Nov 2, 2015
I’ve heard stories about Tobi’s younger days and how she could be a little intimidating at times. I never knew that side of her. The Tobi that I came to know and love was a very sweet and very old cougar who could still vibrate one’s soul when she purred. 🙂
Miss you terribly old girl.

Carole Baskin Nov 2, 2015
Tobi would always play the same little game. Whenever I called her, to come out of her den, she would come out, breathing fire and threats, and then fall against the cage wall, rubbing and purring so loudly that it vibrated my soul.