What’s Up On WildCat Ridge
Meet our new cats! Room to run! You can help build a cougar & tiger playground!
Q&A
With our vet and head keeper
July 2016
Ridge
s a n c t u a r y. o
WildCat Facts
Why wildcats need your help more than ever.
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Dear friends, d to send I just wante l thank you out a persona azing for all your am hout your support. Wit compassion, kindness and uld not give we simply co e care and these cats th . So on love they need the cats behalf of all at Ridge, here at WildC and purrs, chirps atitude! chuffs of gr ve, With much lo Cheryl Tuller ec. Director Co-founder, Ex
Did you know that there are more captive tigers in the United States than there are wild tigers on earth? Keeping a pet tiger, lion, bobcat, serval or other wildcat is still legal in 23 states! Even states that don’t allow them as pets have exemptions for roadside zoos and circuses. Many people buy these animals as babies assuming they will stay sweet and not pose a danger to them or their families. Sadly, this is seldom the case and why so many end up locked up in cramped, filthy cages or forgotten about in dark basements and garages. Many captive wildcats are declawed or, worse, have their tendons severed so they can’t use their claws. Both procedures are extraordinarily cruel and result in serious health and mobility problems for the cats. Captive-born cats can never be released in the wild. Most were taken from their mothers (who were also captive-born) much too early and never learned essential skills to survive. The only hope for them is a reputable sanctuary.
About WildCat Ridge For more than a decade, WildCat
possible. The sanctuary is not open
“safe.” In addition to caring for our
Ridge has provided a safe, loving,
to the public; we do not believe the
resident cats, we strive to educate
lifetime home to abused, neglected
cats should be exhibits or entertainment.
people about the horrors of the
and unwanted captive-born wildcats.
They’ve been through enough in
wildcat trade and look forward to a
Our 80-acre facility is home to more
their lives! Many of the cats were
day when all cats are born free and
than 65 cats, including tigers, cougars,
originally purchased as “pets,” only
can live the way nature intended.
bobcats, servals, caracals, lynx, and
to end up living in filthy basements
Until then, we will continue to rely on
hybrids. We give each cat the space,
or cages. Some never saw the sun
the support of wonderful people like
care, companionship, food and
until they came here; many were
you. Your compassion and generosity
enrichment they need to live as
maimed through declawing or other
are giving hope and happiness to cats
naturally, peacefully and happily as
cruel practices designed to make them
who would otherwise have none.
Be a wildcat champion! Make your tax-deductible donation today! WildCatRidgeSanctuary.org WildCat Ridge Sanctuary, is a 501(c)3 lifetime sanctuary for captive-born wildcats. We are accredited by the American Sanctuary Association (ASA) & Verified by The Global Federal of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) following strict guidelines and standards to provide the best care possible for our captive-born wildcat rescues. WCR receives no state or federal funding, relying on our generous donors & sponsors to help us with our Mission of Hope & Compassion. PO Box 280 • Scotts Mills, OR. 97375 • 503-873-2309
Help us make this dream a reality!
Our tigers have spacious, comfortable enclosures but we want more for them! Our goal is to build a huge, free-roaming area where they can run, play, swim and feel free. This is a large undertaking, requiring 16-foot enclosures and additional perimeter fencing. So far, we have not been able to raise the $80,000 it will cost (one big reason being that our operating costs are $15,000 per month!). We have the acreage, but we just need the funds. Please help give our big cats the room they need and deserve.
Donate to our big cat playground fund at WildCatRidgeSanctuary.org
Q&Awith our vet, Dr. Erica Dr. Erica Lipanovich has spent her entire career working with exotic animals, big cats in particular. We are fortunate to be able to rely on her expertise to keep all our cats healthy and comfortable. Here, she answers some questions many of our supporters have been curious about:
Q. How do you sedate the cats for exams? A. Hand injections in the muscle or we may have to use a pole syringe. We reach for darting as a last alternative. It takes anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes for full sedation to be achieved. It is never like they show in the movies, even with people. Q. What does a typical exam consist of? A. Full physical exam (oral exam, abdominal palpation, etc.) with heart rate, temperature, respiratory rate. Trim nails. Blood, sometimes urine collection. Radiographs and ultrasound are utilized frequently. Depends on what we are looking at. You have to be incredibly flexible...physically as well as mentally. Q. What’s one of the biggest health issues you see in captive born cats? A. Obesity which leads to degenerative joint changes, dental disease, heart disease, cancer. Q. Wild animals can be very stoic abut pain. How do you know when something’s wrong? A. As a veterinarian you rely extremely heavily on the keeper staff who observe these animals on a daily basis... even if it is something simple as being quieter or not doing the normal greet routine or staying in one place more. Q. Your first baby is due in October – congratulations! How long will you be away from the cats? A. Even on maternity leave, I will be available to WildCat Ridge whenever they need me. I have a great support system at home. Plus Cheryl has called dibs.
More WildCat Wishes! From food to fencing to medicine, there’s always something we need at WildCat Ridge. This time of year, wildfire defense is a huge priority! We are surrounded by brush that we need to keep cleared for the cats’ safety. This DR heavy duty field & brush mower costs $3,399. As you might imagine, we are forever building enclosures and fencing for the cats. But many of our power tools are old and need replacing. This Milwaukee band saw would be tremendously useful. It costs $425. These items and others can be purchased through our amazon.com wish list: https://goo.gl/erVGvm You can also help feed the cats! We feed only high quality meat which is their natural diet. It costs $4,000 a month to feed everybody! Any amount helps so much! Donate today at: WildCatRidgeSanctuary.org
Meet Safari & Tamika!
This brother and sister duo joined the WildCat Ridge family in April of this year. They were relinquished to us by their owner who was suffering health issues and could no longer care for them properly. Luckily for them, he chose to do the right thing for the cats and we couldn’t be happier. We’re pretty sure the servals are too! While change is always stressful for wildcats, especially at nine years old, they have settled in nicely and are enjoying being as wild as they want to be. Safari and Tamika are both small, feisty and full of fun. We look forward to providing them with a lifetime home. Servals seem to be the most common small wildcats to be bought and sold. Breeders convince people that they make good pets but nothing is further from the truth! People are mesmerized by their beauty and never think about what happens when that adorable kitten grows up. We currently have 14 servals at WildCat Ridge Sanctuary and all were originally purchased as pets. WildCat Ridge believes NO wild animal should be bought and sold and we do all that we can to educate the public and advocate for the animals.
W hy, that’s no cat! Fear not, WildCat Ridge friends – we know our felines from our bovines. But we have room in our hearts and at our sanctuary for both! So when Betty the brown cow needed a home, how could we say no to those big, beautiful brown eyes? An older, easygoing girl, Betty is definitely Queen of the WildCat Herd! She lives with three sheep, two miniature donkeys and two little roosters who were abandoned in a park near Portland. All were rescued (and they all live far away from the cats!)
Help the cats (and a cow)! Donate today at
WildCatRidgeSanctuary.org
Q&A
with our head keeper, Lauren Stilphen Caring for wild cats is exhilarating, exhausting, physically demanding and deeply gratifying. Lauren tells us how she came to be the head keeper here at WildCat Ridge and shares some sanctuary secrets. Q. Did you always want to work with big cats? A. I have always been a “cat person” but I never thought I would work with wild cats! My internship at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle was in the raptor section. But I love this job more than I can describe. Q. What are some things you’ve learned? A. I’ve learned a ton about the exotic pet trade, declawing and the exploitation of wild cats for amusement. These have been hard things to learn about but it makes the job even more precious to
me. I can at least make a small difference for the cats we rescue and I can work towards educating more people about these issues. Cheryl Tuller (WCR’s co-founder) gave me a copy of the book “Animal Underworld,” which I strongly recommend to anyone interested in this topic. Q. How do you know when the cats are happy or sad? A. Wild cats express their emotions pretty much exactly like house cats. They purr (or chuff if they are tigers), they play with toys and each other, they love food and they are very curious about their surroundings. If these things change, we know there is something wrong. Q. What’s your favorite thing about being the keeper here? A. I love watching the cats play and interact with each other. Plus, I love being outside all year, in all kinds of weather and doing physical, hands-on work. Q. Is there anything you don’t like about the job? A. The absolute worst part of this job is losing animals that I love. We all get so attached to the cats, even the feisty, unfriendly ones. It never gets easier. Every death is heartbreaking. Q. What is your dream for the sanctuary? A. There is so much I look forward to seeing get done! Expanding the pens is one if the most exciting current projects. It will also be amazing to eventually have an on site vet room/hospital area. That will also give the keepers a chance to learn more about veterinary medicine and animal health. Luckily our property allows us to dream big! I hope to spend my entire career helping to make WCR the best sanctuary possible. Q. Do you have a favorite cat? A. I absolutely adore Howie the bobcat. He only has three legs but that hasn’t phased him a bit. He climbs and runs, and he is one of the most curious and playful cats I know. He is also mischievous and very picky about who he likes. Luckily he decided to like me.
Howie
Cats...being cats. Big or small, all cats really want the same things: good food, friends, a nice place to snooze in the sun and a cozy place to sleep at night. Oh, and boxes. Lots and lots of boxes.
Please donate today at WildCatRidgeSanctuary.org!
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