Tucked away on a lonely road past a boarding kennel and a horse farm is a strange little enterprise that houses 57 cats of the bobcat, cougar, tiger, and leopard variety and one domestic house cat we called Mr. Wilson. We were determined to go and make friends with as many of this collected menagerie as we could and to understand why this unlikely sanctuary was even here.
Turns out, that’s a sad story. Many of these cats were originally pets that had to be given up by owners who couldn’t provide adequate space, meat, or the long-term care needed by what are, essentially, wild hunting animals. I’m not sure what mindset leads someone to think a carnivorous serval should live on grandma’s couch, but there you have it. These people exist!
The Wild Felid Advocacy Center takes in as many of these former “pets” as they can and provides a safe haven for them to live out their lives. It’s not easy. They dole out over a hundred pounds of game animals, pork, chicken, beef, and shrimp a day that they get largely through donations, roadkill, and confiscated game from poachers. Additionally, many of these cats are elderly and require special veterinary care that can only be had from specialists like professional zookeepers.
To keep their residents happy, the staff makes as many accommodations to the enclosures as they can. Many of the animals have multiple levels to climb, secret spaces to hide in, and privacy fences to keep the peace. Tigers like water, so they have a pool. Leopards are ambush hunters, so they have tall grass. Many of the cats like to stalk from above, so they have platforms that let them see over the trees. The staff even brings in large “indestructible” toys for the cats to play with, though I’m not sure any manufacturer has tested their toys with this particular market.
The Center gives tours three-four times a week, twice a day. You can choose to take the adult tour before feeding time, or come back later in the day to watch them eat. We chose the earlier tour, and the staff mentioned how eager the cats were for feeding time since the weather was changing. Instead of sleeping, many of the larger animals were stalking us like we had pockets full of kibble.
The Wild Felid Advocacy Center is at capacity and doesn’t have room for more servils, bobcats, cougars, leopards, tigers, and other animals that have no business becoming pets. If you can’t visit, they accept tax deductible donations online to support their mission of providing a forever home for these animals. Or, at the very least, do these guys a solid and don’t get a wild animal as a pet.
