Cheetah Kittens in Peril

I still don’t have power at my home, but my phone holds a charge over night so first thing this morning; before I went out for coffee, I get a call from someone in distress.  She’s in NJ and used to care for big cats 30 years ago, but she’s the only person that a South Sudanese couple knew to call.  What happened in Sudan was that a cheetah mom was killed, leaving behind orphaned kittens.  They couldn’t find any info on what to feed them or how, so they called their friend in NJ who called me.  I gave them the info I had and told them to not try and make pets of them, as that never works out for the cat.  I suggested finding a cheetah conservation center as quickly as possible.

 

Then I get an email from a couple who want to take their Toyger (it’s a Bengal cat hybrid) into Hawaii because they want to move there.  This is what I sent to them:

 

Even though you, and others on the Internet are saying that Toygers are not hybrids, they are because they are the result of breeding Bengal cats with domestic cats.  Bengal cats are hybrids, thus all of their offspring are hybrids too.  They are just one more generation removed.

 

I am no expert in HI rules / laws re: hybrids, but they have been smart to ban them because they cause so much damage to local wildlife when they escape.  No one should be breeding hybrid cats, or buying them, because it never turns out well for the cat. Most states take the stance that if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck; it must be a duck.  It sounds like your cat will certainly be viewed as a hybrid.

 

I believe you have an obligation to the cat for the rest of the cat’s natural life; thanks to your desire to “touch the wild” and participate in a trade that is so broadly known to be cruel.  For the cats,  Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue

 

I’m sure I came across as rude, but I’m just sick of people being selfish and supporting the cruel industries that cause so much abuse and then wanting me to help them get away with evading laws that were enacted to protect animals.

 

Update:  The hybrid’s owner emailed me just now and said they have decided NOT to move to Hawaii because of the uncertainty for their pet.

 

Hi, I’m Carole Baskin and I’ve been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  These are my views and opinions. If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.  

 

You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!

Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile

 

You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org

 

Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue

 

Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.  Closing graphic with permission from https://youtu.be/F_AtgWMfwrk