UPROAR! The Wildcat Sanctuary
September 2014
Hilo, F1 savannah PCML Photography
UPROAR! The Wildcat Sanctuary
Scarlet, clouded leopard
august 2014 | Issue 4
Tammy Thies Founder & Executive Director Julie Hanan Contributor Carissa L. Winter Graphic Designer Photography by TWS staff and Pamela Lammersen of PCML Photography
Mission: Provide natural sanctuary to wild cats in need and inspire change to end the captive wildlife crisis. Vision: Help create a world where wild animal sanctuaries are no longer needed. The Wildcat Sanctuary is accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and the American Sanctuary Association. TWS is also a member of the American Association of Zookeepers and licensed by the USDA.
The Wildcat Sanctuary PO Box 314 • Sandstone, MN 55072 320-245-6871 Follow us on:
Copyright © The Wildcat Sanctuary. All Rights Reserved.
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From the Found e
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Busy at work…
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ummer may be playtime for the cats but, for us, it’s our busiest season! We have a few short months to get a lot of work done to better the lives of our residents. And thanks to your support, we’re accomplishing so much for the cats in our care this summer! Along with maintenance, daily care, enrichment, cleaning and refilling pools, feeding and vet care, we still find time to put your generous dollars into habitat enhancements and more. Many cats have received additional platforms for perching up high. They also use them as shady spots for cat naps or to use as steps for those that need a little assistance. The Small Cat Track animal building has been renovated both indoors and out. Since mold had been discovered in the building, for the safety of the animals, it had to be gutted. The new and improved areas will have individual rooms for the cats and is waterproof to prevent any future mildew or mold. The outdoor serval and bobcat habitats were shifting due to the old concrete. We are demolishing two habitats at a time and reconstructing better areas for them, too. Bobcat Baby Jenga has moved to a larger free-roaming habitat with a new jungle gym. This was a double benefit since it meant another cat could be moved to Baby Jenga’s former large habitat, too. We have a new freeroaming habitat for bobcats in Feline Meadows well underway. This area is four times the size of the current bobcat habitats and they will be able to move in before fall arrives. Two outdoor areas in Hybrid Haven were also expanded to give cats more natural space to play in and enjoy. Safety equipment is also a priority at our Sanctuary. Your gifts have helped us purchase a new big cat transport crate, a heating and air conditioning unit for our rescue trailer, and a back-up generator for the sanctuary to ensure the heat and electric work in case of an emergency. Keeping the public and our cats safe is our first priority. Can you believe all you’ve helped us do so far? We know that none of this would be possible without YOU! We thank you so much for your continued support of our mission and care for the cats. For the cats,
Tammy Thies Founder & Executive Director
Shalico, Canada lynx UPROAR!
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Working Together Concord Elementary’s Wildcats for Wildcats!
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ave you had a teacher who’s made an impact on your life – who helped you see the world differently? For the students at Concord Elementary, that’s an easy question to answer. Thanks to their compassionate teacher, Ms. Stacey, these students have been our youngest sponsors for the past ten years. How did it happen? While reading about endangered wild cats in class one day, a student named Maddie raised her hand enthusiastically and called out, “Let’s save the wild cats!” Ms. Stacey remembered hearing about The Wildcat Sanctuary on a radio show and suggested they all get involved together to do just that. Being such an animal lover herself, Ms. Stacey sparks discussions about the difference between wild animals and domestic pets. By reading her students books like The One and Only Ivan and The Tiger Rising, they learn that putting animals in captivity is often inhumane and tragic. She shared, “It’s amazing to watch their awareness broaden as they come to realize these unfortunate and tragic consequences - they become so passionate about helping the animals that have been mistreated before coming to TWS.” That passion has led to the class sponsoring as many as three lucky cats every year at TWS since 2004. Sampson, the caracal, was the first cat the class ever sponsored. To raise money, the children do odd jobs and chores at home, for neighbors and relatives. They have lemonade and doggie treat stands in their neighborhoods. They take the TWS brochures to their family members 4
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and friends and tell them about it. They are driven to make “bad” things good. Every year, their excitement builds until the time comes to count the money in the class donation bucket. They get SO excited and it becomes a great “real life” math lesson. The students find their favorite wild cats on the TWS website and vote on who to sponsor. Two years ago, they added a “Kicks for Cats” event. The students got pledges for how many goals they could score during a soccer clinic put on in collaboration with St. Catherine University’s athletic director – who just WildcatSanctuary.org
Together, all of us are helping to create a world of No More Wild Pets.
happens to be Ms. Stacey’s husband! With wildcat mascots on the field and the kids wearing wildcat costume props, it became their favorite hour of the whole year! Ms. Stacey said, “The kids LOVE everything about this project and it’s the number one thing my former students come back and talk about when they visit!” These students have inspired so many – their parents who’ve watched them learn and grow, the university student athletes and coaches who’ve worked with them, neighbors, friends and all of us here at TWS. A huge thank you to Ms. Stacey for teaching that compassion can be contagious!
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Bosco, serval
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Ledger, F1 savannah
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A Haven for Hybrid Cats
Hilo, F1 savannah
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Adrian, F3 bengal
t’s easy for many people to understand why a 400 lb. tiger should not be kept as a pet, but people will still try to keep small wild cats and hybrid cats as pets. No matter the size, wild means wild! When a domestic cat is crossed with a small wild cat, it’s known as an F1 hybrid cat. Many breeders cross domestic cats with Servals, Asian Leopard Cats or Jungle Cats. Breeders market these cats as ‘lap leopards’ and say they have the look of the wild and personality of the domestic. However, genetics doesn’t work this way. Breeders cannot choose which elements you get of the wild or domestic cat. We receive dozens of emails and calls from people who want to surrender their small hybrid cat, as well as shelters faced with euthanizing hybrids due to poor litter box habits. We spend hours counseling current owners on how they can try and accommodate their current Bengal or Savannah vs. surrendering the cat. Ledger, an F1 Savannah, was a former pet. He escaped from the family’s home and was later trapped and found in a feral cat colony. When the owner was UPROAR!
Phoenix, F1 bengal
found, they said he wasn’t friendly and agreed for him to be placed at a Sanctuary. Brothers Phoenix and Bronx, F1 Bengals, were imported from Malaysia to New York. They had several homes before ending up here at TWS. Hilo, another F1 Savannah, came all the way from Hawaii to find his forever home at our Sanctuary. These cats are caught between two worlds. Some are feral or shy, others want attention, most have health and behavioral issues. All are loved and cared for at The Wildcat Sanctuary. With your help, Ledger, Phoenix, Bronx, Hilo and over 30 hybrid cats live in our Hybrid Haven area. We accept the soiling, health and behavioral problems that most people deem inappropriate pet behavior. With your support, we provide them indoor and outdoor areas where they can stretch their wild side. Even though they may be small in stature, hybrids still have a wild nature and are not appropriate pets. With so many wonderful domestic animals in desperate need of homes, there is simply no excuse for purchasing or breeding exotic cats as pets. September 2014
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TWS Welcomes Kasha! Kasha, F1 bengal
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or those of us involved in rescue work, there is no resting on holidays and this July 4th was no exception. That’s when Kasha, an F1 Bengal, arrived here at The Wildcat Sanctuary. We’d been contacted by a small non-profit cat rescue asking us if we would accept Kasha into our sanctuary. Months ago, they’d been called about a cat that had shown up in a couple’s barn. It took several months of feeding this cat, they called Kasha, before they were able to trap her. The rescue group realized this wasn’t an ordinary domestic cat. She was confirmed to be an F1 Bengal – a hybrid cross bred between an Asian Leopard Cat and a domestic cat. Kasha doesn’t enjoy attention from humans and paced rapidly in front of her window all day in her foster room. The rescue group vetted and spayed her and took their personal time to fly with her all the way to our Sanctuary. They spend their time saving feral cats and helping Kasha was extremely important to them. Like us, they do not believe hybrids make good pets. Kasha has merged into a bungalow with her own kind and is doing well here. You can help provide care for cats like Kasha by becoming a sponsor parent to her or other residents at TWS. We are thankful for such a compassionate and committed rescue group who took the time to find sanctuary for this little princess. And we are thankful to you, since it’s your support that allows us to help cats in need.
You can help provide care for cats like Kasha by becoming a sponsor parent to her or other residents at TWS.
Kasha, F1 bengal 10
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No More Wild or Hybrid Pets!
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long with Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), Big Cat Rescue, Born Free USA, and WildCat Haven, The Wildcat Sanctuary has co-petitioned the state of California for a proposed amendment regulating the breeding and possession of hybrid cats. Our mission is to rescue wild cats; i.e. lions, tigers, leopards, cougars, etc. We can barely keep up with the demand for big cats in need of sanctuary. Now, the calls for hybrid cat rescues have become just as overwhelming. Through our educational campaigns and lobbying efforts for strengthened regulations, we hope to put an end to the number of cats, both big and little, in need of rescue.
Kona, savannah
Bronx & Phoenix, F1 bengals
Mark, F1 bengal
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Giving Them The Good Life
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s morning rounds take place at the Sanctuary, you can hear water splashing. The splashing is followed by the echoing sound of plastic on plastic. As I approach, I can only see a drenched rear-end with tail high in the air. Then a soggy head and ears appear from the top of the pool. Next is one paw, then another. Rear legs now balance on the edge, while front legs grasp a large plastic ball. This is Carlo, the cougar’s morning bliss – playing with his ball in his pool. While animal caretakers are hard at work preparing meals and medication for the day, the cats are already at play. And that’s how it’s meant to be. Our job is to give them the best life possible …the good life. At the Sanctuary, providing stimulation and enrichment is just as important as providing open and diverse spaces. Providing quality care means caring for the whole animal – both physical and psychological.
With your support, that’s exactly what we do. Enrichment is an essential component to our residents’ well-being. It is also a great way to engage the cats and our donors. Who doesn’t love to see cats having fun? Our goals for using enrichment are to increase behavioral diversity and stimulation, including natural species-specific behaviors. But, most importantly, it’s also to increase their ability to cope with challenges, to increase positive use of their environment and to reduce stress or any abnormal behavior. In short, enrichment helps keep our cats happy! We use five categories of enrichment; including food, sensory, cognitive, physical habitat and social. Some of the enrichment items, such as pinatas or boxes, may not seem natural, but they inspire natural behaviors. The Wildcat Sanctuary offers each resident a variety of enrichment items several times a week. Scents work great for sensory enrichment. Aslan
Donoma and Noah, cougars
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loves Vicks Vaporub while the bobcats really enjoy Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and cat nip. Tiger Zeus loves physical habitat changes and all paper enrichment – much of which is themed for the holidays. Serval Jaharah likes puzzle feeders that make him work a little for his treats. Bobcat Tractor can never get enough cucumbers. Each cat has his/her own favorites and we keep that in mind as we rotate ways to keep them stimulated. Creating an enriching environment is also a priority. Perches, hammocks, pools and caves provide a variety
living with others. We also know which of our residents will not tolerate living with another animal and therefore can live alone peacefully. Because of your support, every resident receives individualized care and we take their natural behaviors and personalities into account for every type of enrichment offered. There’s no better way to end a work day than seeing tigers Titan and Lilly chase each other past shredded pinatas scattered on the ground, while remnants of these
Our goals for using enrichment are to increase behavioral diversity and stimulation, including natural species-specific behaviors. of places to climb on, hide under, cool off and relax. Sometimes the simplest enrichment invokes the biggest response, such as moving a log or rock to a new place. Not only do they investigate the item that was moved but also the place it was moved from. Companionship with other animals is another important form of social enrichment. We find that many of our residents enjoy Benson and Claud, bobcats
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colored toys still dangle from the mobile. They end their game as Lilly slinks under the firehose hammock for a rest and Titan disappears into the pool to cool off. Seeing big cats resting from a day of play reaffirms the difference we are making in each of their lives. Here they get to live happy and as free as they will ever be.
Carlo, cougar
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Nikita, tiger
Kitty, Canada lynx
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Layla, tiger
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When Do You Know If It’s Time To Let Go?
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slan, the male lion, has always been strong and impressive. This past winter, Asha, a mate of Aslan, successfully went through emergency surgery. But, we never expected we would be facing a similar fate with Aslan so soon. It has been a long month for both Aslan and his team of caretakers, but it has all been worth it to see this magnificent guy on the mend. We don’t take any chances when cats like Aslan show signs of illness, especially at 18 years of age. As soon as this proud king of the jungle appeared ill, we immobilized him and took him to the University of Minnesota for an exam. He had blood work completed and a full Cat Scan to make sure we received as much information as possible. Several specialists also consulted with us. The best scenario was that there was an infection that supportive care would help. We were also being cautious that this could be early signs of organ failure due to his age. After consulting with the vets and our staff, we made the decision to bring Aslan back to the Sanctuary in hopes of seeing positive results from the supportive care. We knew he would be more comfortable in his own space, too. The following week was difficult for both Aslan and the staff. He did not like the confinement in his room that the treatment required. For his safety, we had to watch him around the clock. We had several late night discussions and heart breaking conversations deciding if treatment was the right path for Aslan. We did all we could to make him comfortable. Who would have guessed that a simple fan would make such a huge difference for him! The fan sound was soothing to Aslan and he took to it right away. He would lay in front of the fan, as close as he could, and let his mane just blow in the wind. This bought us the time and patience from him to see if the treatment could indeed work. We did see progress, but not what we’d hoped for. We
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decided to make another trip to the University of Minnesota for surgery and to make a hard, final decision for Aslan if we could not reunite him with his pride. Final test results confirmed a severe liver condition and the biopsy would not be back for a week. We had another pain staking decision to make. One more treatment or saying good-bye?
These are decisions we do not take lightly. It is with tears, heart-ache and much contemplation, but we know we have to make the best decision for each individual cat in our care. After much soul searching and consulting with the vets, we chose to bring Aslan home a second time. Now, he was comfortable in his smaller space and we could begin a treatment while we waited for the final results of the biopsy. We knew his fan would be waiting for him and that would make him comfortable. Within a few days of treatment, we saw HUGE results!!! Great results!!! Aslan got his appetite back, he began vocalizing to Asha and Shanti outside his room, he even presented himself in front of his fan for his three daily treatments and meals. The best news was that he got his energy back enough that he was reunited with his pride! The girls
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welcomed him excitedly and rubbed all over him. He seemed a little annoyed when Asha stepped on his tail, he snarled, but she was too interested in his new smell to notice. Soon, they were all lying under their landing together and, within a few days, Aslan was roaring at the food cart again. His biopsy came back as hepatitis of the liver. Hepatis in felines is often caused by chronic inflammation in the pancreas and GI tract. It is a serious condition but he has a good prognosis, especially with his initial response to the treatment. It is never easy to make these decisions because it is a lot for an animal like Aslan to go through, if it doesn’t
come out positive. But given how healthy Aslan was prior to this illness, we knew he deserved a chance at life. I am so thankful and impressed by the team who surrounded Aslan. Our Board approved the veterinary expense of several thousands of dollars to get him the specialty care he deserved. Our Sanctuary Manager and Animal Caretakers spent countless hours caring for him around the clock and are continuing to do so. Our onsite Veterinarian continues to monitor his progress. All of this has been done as we continue with our day-today responsibilities here at the Sanctuary for so many others, too. But most of all, we thank YOU!!! Without your support, helping Aslan would not be possible. Thank you!! We hope to continue with positive updates about Aslan for weeks, months and years to come. But for now, we celebrate that Aslan is feeling better, is back to himself and, most importantly, is back with this his pride. Your donations today will help us continue to provide the best medical care to our cats!
Aslan, lion
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In Honor and In Memory In Memory of In memory of our beloved big cat lover, Diane Lee, our devoted wife and mother Bud, Erica and Ethan In memory of Porkchop Tammie Weinfurtner In memory of Charles Daniel Mitchell Given with love and compassion for the cats. In loving memory of my sweet Nugelbug and in tearful, heartbreaking memory of Lambert Donna Gilreath In memory of my wonderful Abyssinian – Griffy Kathleen Reisen In memory of Stella Ford and Barbara Sharpe
In memory of Paul O. Christensen Vernette S. Christensen In memory of Dennis Fredrickson Gwenn Chriss
Gifts of $25 or more can be made in honor or memory of a loved one or pet and will appear in UPROAR!
In memory of Ralphie Kenneth and Teena Shields In memory of James Harold Unglesbee Kevin Unglesbee In memory of Hunter Kautz Mary Brennan In memory of Mitty Susan Howard In memory of China Doll Bethann Bluder In memory of Karen Ruth Bortnick
In Honor Of In honor of Darren and Sylvia’s wedding Sylvia Kershaw
In honor of Lana Chessman Leah Anderson
In honor of Michelle Cook and Mark Newstrom Ellen Carlson
In honor of Matt Woods and Rick Dupre’s wedding Etta and Pete Hensler
In honor of Jeff Brein Eric Colleary
In honor of Lynn G. Brun Kostas and Laurel Vasileiadis
In honor of Colten J. Quackenbush Jacqueline Krogulski, Randy and Alacia Sooter, Nicole Quackenbush
In honor of Kathryn Erion and Linda Muhlenhardt Chris Dellwo, Lynn Elliott
In honor of Julie Hanan Jennifer Seidel
In honor of the marriage of Linda Barbara Johnson
In honor of Sarah Holaday’s birthday Douglas Peterson
In honor of Shirley Osburn’s birthday Dena Pierre
In honor of Kate & Linda Erion/ Muhlenhardt Ms. Jo A Leir MS
In honor of Auntie Gennie’s birthday From her nieces Maeve Kelly and Frankie Hyde
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Gifts through 7/31/2014
Sidney, a 19 year old bobcat, was a joy to care for and will be forever missed. Her sweet personality and sure bliss to see us is in our hearts forever.
Cedar, a 20 year old bobcat, his story and legacy will remind us that each animal deserves peace and dignity. September 2014
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PO Box 314 • Sandstone MN • 55072
NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT 30308
WAYS YOU CAN HELP Details of all our programs can be found at
WildcatSanctuary.org SPONSOR-A-WILD-ONE Sponsor a cat of your choice for yourself or a loved one. As a sponsor parent, you will receive their personal story, photos and updates throughout the year.
LEAVE A LEGACY A planned gift is a way to leave a legacy of support for The Wildcat Sanctuary that endures even after your lifetime. There are numerous different types of gifts, each with unique features and tax benefits.
JUNGLE BOOGIE - OCTOBER 12 Make your reservations for this year’s Black Tail Event, purchase raffle tickets or donate silent or live auction items.
email: info@wildcatsanctuary.org phone: 320-245-6871 Tasha II, cougar