Carole Baskins Diary

What do you do with 70+ big cats when you hear a Cat 5 hurricane is heading your way?

You start to implement the critical disaster plans that you have prepared many years in advance.  Visit the link below to get the full details of the work we’ve done to protect the cats through the storm.

 

Some of that implementation means briefing the staff, which we did last Wednesday.  We assigned duties for gathering the supplies we have boarded up the gift shop and food prep windows.  They are the only two concrete block structures on the property, so we have custom steel shutters to cover the windows so we can use it as a command center.  The other concrete building is food prep and we also covered the windows there.

 

We’ve already updated our Amazon Wishlist for things we need after the storm.  Be sure to sign up for Smile.Amazon.com first so that you get the added benefit of your shopping dollars benefitting Big Cat Rescue.  We are busy checking and double checking all of the supplies we have on hand.

 

We have spent the several weeks taking down all of the trees that were killed in the drought, and chipping the wood so there aren’t logs flying around.  Even today we are still trimming up trees to remove broken or rotten branches.  We’ve been bringing everything in under cover so it won’t become a flying missile.

 

Volunteers are busy mowing because hurricanes dump a LOT of rain and it will dry out faster if the grass is short.  They always stay on top of removing debris and deadfall and keep the grounds spotless, so much of that work is already done.

 

It was accidental timing, but we are happy that our new fuel tanks are here, so now we have fuel for the generators if we lose power.

 

Volunteers moved stuff from the existing Gift Shop to the new gift shop so that about 20-30 of us can hunker down in there if needed. We’ve brought in blankets and pillows and have racks set up for the crates for everyone’s pets.

 

We boarded up Food Prep and set up pallets in there to bring in Babycakes Genet and are moving our ailing bobcats, Will and Divinity in there because our hospitals could blow away.   The pizza companies around us are loving that we are feeding all the volunteers and interns for the past few days, and will for as long as they will deliver.

 

The big cats are feeling the cooler, wetter air and getting friskier.  That or they sense our anxiety and are trying to let us know that we are all tough and will survive this.  Two cats have come here from other facilities.  One was driven in and we picked up the other this morning.  We are not releasing details on the animals because they are not owned by us and we don’t want to deter owners from surrendering animals to protect them during this hurricane.  Just suffice it to say they are here, safe and will have keepers tending to them until it’s safe for them to go back.

 

Coolaroos have been moved out of the cats’ areas into their safety entrances.  Trenches to move water away from cages have been dug and we will have two crews patrolling in trucks to keep an eye on the water as it rises and divert it where possible.

 

One thing that IS new, since our last bout with hurricanes, is that about 80+ acres to the north of us (up hill) has been transformed from woodlands to homes, offices and parking lots.  According to the flood maps, there would have to be a 39 foot high surge for the gulf to make it to our doors, but all of the run off, from all of the development that is around us could cause us a lot of flooding.  Many people are worried about our cats drowning and there isn’t much chance of that, since they all have platforms and hillside dens they can get on top of, if the waters were to rise suddenly.

 

Some people are asking why we didn’t evacuate.  If you have seen the news, it’s been bumper to bumper traffic at a crawl on all roads leaving Florida.  We have been involved in a number of rescues where facilities the size of ours had to be emptied out and it takes mont

The Dodo filmed Zeus Tiger’s 21st birthday yesterday.  We went all out with presents, a meat cake, singing Happy Birthday and a shower with the hose.  https://www.thedodo.com/videos/close-to-home/party-animal-zeus

 

I woke up to this lovely Facebook message from Jay Smithingell, of Seattle, WA:  You inspired me to advocate for the cats over a year ago. I have never been so entirely fulfilled in life as I am now. My heart dropped as I visited these terrible places. My spirit aches as I know there are still so many big cats still suffering however today these pictures of abuse and neglect educate and inspire others to advocate and for that I am grateful. I continue to work on finishing my book. Thanks for the inspiration Carole! Your humble student, and advocat-Janine Smithingell

 

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

Divinity and Will the Bobcats

 

Divinity and Will are both in the West Boensch Cat Hospital.  Will is being treated for irritable bowel disease and kidney disease.  Will was never able to be released back to the wild because of his severe neurological issues.  He has a very hard time processing his environment.  He was very dehydrated when we brought him into the hospital, so he was given sub q fluids, but in watching hours and hours of him on the Nest cams we are noticing that he doesn't drink water.  He has two bowls; a regular one, like the one in his outdoor cage, and a water fountain, in case he needs the sound of water, to know what it is.  He will frequently go to the bowls but we haven't seen him actually take a drink.

 

We've been adding fluids to his meals, and he consumes more water that way.  His keepers say he doesn't do blood 'cicles.  This could explain his kidney issues.

 

Yesterday we didn't turn on the cameras in the Windsong Memorial Hospital because we were so certain that Divinity's kidney values, at the age of 22, would mean that it was the end of the road for her.  6 months ago she had some bad teeth removed after she had stopped eating.  She went back to eating for about 3 months and then declined again.  At that time her kidney values were horrible.  Great for a 22 year old cat, but horrible for long term survival.  She was put on a new kidney supplement and some more repair work was done in her mouth.

 

When teeth are extracted the vet sews a flap of gum over the hole to help it heal.  Divinity's flaps did not heal, so the process was repeated.  She's done well for another 3 months, but then started to go off her food again.  At first she only wanted to eat at night.  Then she began eating less and less.  The last three days she barely ate at all, so that's why we thought it was the end of the line for her.

 

As soon as a cat is sedated and on gas we draw blood to see what we are dealing with.  It takes our machine a long time to spit out the results.  During the time that the blood was spinning down, we did X-rays because given the weird joint problems we had seen before, and the fact that her mouth not only had not healed, but the jaw was cracked, we suspected bone cancer.  No tumors, or irregularities could be seen in the X-rays.  Divinity's upper palate was broken in a way that you only usually see in a bobcat who has been hit by a car.  While it's possible that she could have fallen off a platform, or could have run headlong into a wall of her cage, or den; neither seem likely.  She's too slow, on her arthritic little legs, to move so quickly and despite being old, she has never been seen falling.  Bone cancer seemed certain, or maybe bone deterioration from infection, since the flaps had not healed, yet again.

 

Divinity was moved to the dental table, but everyone just stood around her, waiting on the blood machine to tell us if there was any point in proceeding.

 

Much to our amazement, Divinity's blood values had actually improved.  The supplement was working!  Dr. Justin decided to give it one more shot by cleaning out the holes, where her rotten teeth had been, and sewing flaps over them again.  He stitched the broken palate and jaw areas, with the hopes that Divinity's improving organ function might be able to enable healing this time.  It's still a long shot, so we will be watching her closely over the next few days to see if she starts to improve.  If she does start eating we may have to sedate in 10 days to see if the healing is finally taking hold in her mouth.  We don't want her to suffer but we weren't ready to give up on her yet, either.

 

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

Longevity isn’t long away according to Jose Cordeiro.

Email to Jessica Speart:

 

As literary geniuses have espoused, and you stated to me your intent, “you have to kill your darlings.”  In your case, you were referring to killing a cherished character so that people care about finding the murderer.  As I listened to this podcast today, and Jose Cordeiro spoke about how most of the advances we have in tech and science have been the result of fiction writers seeding the minds of those who would aspire to attain the unobtainable, I thought it may give you a short aside in your book to touch on a subject of great interest to most people: The death of dying.

 

It also enables your killed character to reappear in some sequel.

 

It doesn’t hurt that one of the first body-freezing cryonics facilities in America is located in Miami, FL.   It’s called Osiris, who is the Egyptian God of the afterlife, and it’s located in a warehouse just a few blocks away from the Opa-Locka flea market.  (Like you keep saying, “you just can’t make this stuff up.”

 

Dvir Derhy, a well-to-do accountant, built the cryonics lab; a place where hours after you die you can be frozen, or preserved, until a day there is a cure from whatever killed you.  More about the interesting character behind Osiris and the lack of governance here:  http://miami.cbslocal.com/2017/02/09/floridas-first-body-freezing-cryonics-facility-now-open-in-miami/

 

Despite Derhy’s brush with the law, and the lack of laws in general around cryonics, I think it’s worthy of serious consideration.  I don’t think I’d ever do it because I believe that we keep coming back and I think we need that “time out” death provides to get clear on next steps before choosing where to hop back into the fray, but for a lot of people death is scary.  Having your darling’s body rushed to Miami to be frozen adds some drama while giving people a peek into the possibilities being explored by great minds of our day.

 

If your character is killed by a tiger, it is especially pertinent, because cats typically kill with a single bite to the back of the neck.  It kills you pretty fast, but it’s not irreparable damage from a future surgery point of view, if you didn’t bleed out in seconds.

 

As for the transport: every sanctuary has freezers full of frozen food that you could pack around a body in a van, if you were going to do it yourself to Miami.

 

You can also feel free to think: “this is the dumbest plot diversion ever,” and just hit delete and we won’t talk about it again.

 

Meanwhile though, Jose Cordeiro was really amazing to listen to in this 6/1/17 podcast.  Lovely man.

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/jose-cordeiro-on-longevity-cryonics-summit-world-will/id398887225?i=1000386035114&mt=2

 

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

Was I in danger or did I just endanger myself?

That’s what I keep asking myself as the scene replays over and over in my mind.  I was in a hurry to get to the staff meeting, so I took the short cut on my bike of traveling down congested Sheldon Road, rather than taking the much longer Tampa Bay Trail path.  I prefer the trail, as it is shaded with great vistas of ponds, rail road tracks and pastures, but it adds another 15-20 minutes to my commute.

 

I was listening to a podcast, as usual, but broke from the trance of the talk as I approached one of the more difficult intersections.  It’s where old Linebaugh Road dead ends into Sheldon Road and it should have just been abandoned by the county when they moved Linebaugh further to the north.  It’s just a bad layout, due to the swamp on one side and all of the utility poles that cause the sidewalk to be a treacherous weave of concrete right at the blind corner.  I’ve taken to cutting the entire corner off, when I can, so that I don’t have to cross right at the intersection, but that adds time, and I don’t have that this morning.

 

I decide to make my crossing at the light in the intersection and pull my bike to a halt as I can see a car coming in my peripheral vision.  It’s in the turn lane and I know the car probably can’t see me, for all of the power poles and equipment stationed there, so I’ll wait until they make their turn before I ride across to the other side.

 

Instead, much to my surprise, the car screeches to a stop right next to me, half in and half out of the turn, which puts the small, white car in the position of being hit from behind because the next car to come barreling down through here probably won’t see them either.

 

There is no where for me to back up, to avoid being collateral damage, but before I’m through figuring that out, the passenger jumps out of the car.  He’s a thug right out of central casting; Latin, thickly muscled, covered in tattoos, wearing wife beater tank top, a bandana on his head, gold chains around his neck and dark shades.  If you were to describe the guy you would least likely want to run into in a dark alley, this guy is it.

 

He explodes out of the car toward me, but I don’t have time to figure out if he’s really trying to grab me or if there is some other reason that would make him jump out of the car at this incredibly dangerous spot.

 

Rather than sorting it all out, I glance both ways and see no other cars moving (there are a line of them waiting at the light) so I take off, into the intersection, across the line of traffic as fast as my shaking feet can pedal.

 

I don’t watch horror movies, but any scary movie always has the chase; where the victim keeps losing ground because they are turning around and looking to see if they are safe yet.  I am not going to lose time.  The guy looked fit.  He could catch up to me on foot as I am starting from a dead stop.  I just keep going and don’t stop until I get beyond the Costco parking lot to the new Linebaugh intersection.  There, I have to stop because it’s 6 lanes of traffic converging in both directions, so I take that opportunity to look back.

 

I don’t see him.  Maybe it was just a coincidence.  Maybe not.

 

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 cat

I was sad to see the moving van pulled up to the front of Mom’s house. If I weren’t already running late to an event to honor our banker, Rita Lowman, who had just been promoted to the head of the FL Banker’s Association, I would have pulled off the road somewhere to cry. I rolled down the window of the 2012 Toyota pick up, my parents had given me a few years ago, to wave at Mom, Chuck and Marinko. I don’t think Mom’s moving her stuff out yet, as she wasn’t planning to move until the end of the month, but she’s probably offloading extra beds, dressers and accessories that she doesn’t plan to take with her when she moves into the Mother In Law quarters at my old homestead. It hurt all the same because it’s the end of an era. For the past 20 years Mom and I have been business partners in the real estate and she’s handled the books for the sanctuary. We would use our exercise time to discuss the latest eviction, foreclosure, new rental tenants, repairs, code violations, and other aspects of the business. We started out as roller blading buddies until she took a hard fall and decided to quit before she broke something. We changed our meetings to revolve around tennis, where we would meet at a run down tennis court in a residential area until I built the tennis court at our home for Howie when he moved here in 2003. We were lousy at tennis, and never kept score. We just tried to hit the ball back and forth to each other while discussing real estate matters. When Momma Jacquie became bed ridden, Mom couldn’t leave her to play tennis any more and I moved them all out to the sanctuary. That way I was nearby if needed, Mom didn’t have to leave her mother, and it got my dad off the street for the most part. I really didn’t want them driving, but they still drove to church. Mom and I began walking a loop around the 47 acres most days. We would walk and talk and did so right up until July 21 when I fell in a hole chasing the bobcat in Lakeland. I’ve barely been able to stand on the foot since then and noted that tonight is the first time I could walk and fully extend every muscle the way it should. I fear that by the time I am healed enough to make that long walk again, she will be gone. I think I’ll go cry quietly by myself somewhere. 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. 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

This morning I was helping Mom scan her photo albums into digital form and look what we found from 1977.

 

I never did make it to the Art Department though, as Gov. Rockefeller made me his secretary's secretary that year.

 

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

Today was the last day of hosting author, Jessica Speart, who is most well known for her Rachel Porter mystery series.  She wrote 10 books in the series, since the mid 1980s and her character plays a USFWS agent.  Jessica also wrote the non fiction book, Winged Obsession about the dark butterfly trade.

 

Experience has shown her that she can reach a much broader audience under the guise of fiction, so her next book, about the trade in exotic cats, will use Rachel Porter as the vehicle to reach as many people as possible with the true issues that face wild cats.  She is a long time friend of Bill and Kiz’ and came for a week of research into the issues and to get ideas from seeing the Tampa bay area, where she plans to set the stage.

 

While here we visited Hamburger Mary’s in Ybor (as Rachel Porter’s best friend is a drag queen), a monastery on the Palm River, Tarpon Springs sponge docks, Carnie Town in Gibsonton, downtown Tampa, the Plant Museum, dinner at Jasmine Thai and all the little towns in between.  On her own she visited Dade City’s Wild Things and took a four hour boat ride down the Silver River.

 

Some ideas we gave her for the thriller included ways a cat could escape, ways the controlled drugs could end up being used for mis intended purposes, and places like the Bone Museum in OKC where tigers can end up illegally.

 

Jessica kept saying how much I was like her character; smart, wickedly sarcastic sense of humor and determined.  Guess I’ll have to read the books.

 

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

You can’t control what happens, but you can control what happens next. Jamie suggested that she replace Chuck, Gale Ingham replace Mom, Kathryn Quaas Stapleton replace Gale, and we hire Barbara Nichols to be our Director of Donor Appreciation. We offered to Katie Nikic that she keep her job, and work from home, to manage our database. Today Howie will meet with Katie and Gale to try and finalize that. It’s painful, but there was never going to be a good time to do this, and it needed to be done. As for the shift of Gale and Kathryn, that couldn’t be better for them based on their skills and personalities. We had to euthanize Cheetaro Leopard yesterday and that was especially hard on Kathryn as he was her favorite cat and most of what held her to the sanctuary. Howie has been busy and just posted the following to our Important Updates page. The one element we haven’t completely worked out is that Jamie wants to hand off most of her volunteer tracking to Chelsea Feeny so she can take on more of the outdoor work of repairing and building cages. Staff Changes After 20 years of incredible service Barbara Stairs, despite being so young, has decided to finally retire. I see grandchildren getting lots of attention in the future! Gale Ingham, who prior to coming to BCR worked in the accounting field, has agreed to initially take over Barbara's duties and then, once settled into that, take over the Chief Financial Officer portion of my duties and become our official CFO. This will free me up to spend more time on our advocacy work, particularly the federal bill, and most likely result in much better financial statements. :) Kathryn Stapleton has agreed to replace Gale as Operations Manager, a transition we expect to be quick and easy given Kathryn's long history here and wealth of knowledge. Last but by no means least, volunteer Barbara Nicholas will become staff and take over the position of Director of Donor Appreciation. Barbara is traveling but will return Aug 10 to begin her new duties. Please make a point when you see them to congratulate Barbara Stairs on her well deserved retirement and Gale, Kathryn and Barbara Nicholas on their new responsibilities. 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. 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

This actually was written yesterday along with the Cuneo issue, but I broke it out to the next day for the purpose of my vlog.

 

BOBCAT KITTEN RESCUE ATTEMPT

 

Only hope keeps me from utter despair this morning.

 

July 21, 2017 3:47 PM: I get a call from a Florida Wildlife Conservation Biologist who says she’s on the scene of a “confirmed bobcat report.” She says they were called there by the manger of the building where the tiny waif was pawing at his reflection in the glass doors. Workers had tried to capture the kitten in a box, but had scared him off into the high grass. The FWC texted me a photo to confirm that it was a bobcat at the door.

 

Heart and soul launch into overdrive as I take down all of the particulars and then relay the message to Jamie, to see if she wants to go. Since it is such a small kitten we figure we can handle it alone, so we load up the Tundra and head an hour and a half away. By the time we hit downtown Tampa, it’s rush hour traffic almost all the way to the site, so we don’t arrive until 5:35 PM. On the way, I’ve called the office manager to gather more details and tell him we are heading his way.

 

I ask if we set humane traps if he is willing to check and reset them but he checks with his boss who says we can’t do it on his property. They will, however, allow us to dig around under bushes around their property to see if we can net the kitten.

 

Starting where the cat was last seen, Jamie and I spread out so we have two lines of sight toward the same area between us. What one might miss, the other may catch. It’s been raining, so we are crawling on all fours, digging through thick hedges, and having to answer nosey bystanders who want to know if we are chasing a leopard, or if we will come take care of their feral cat problems.

 

Without discussing it, we both gravitate to the area between the office and the six lane highway out front. The FWC biologist had told me that 3 days ago she saw a dead bobcat in the middle of the highway, but that a few hours later, it was gone. She said that she had rolled by slowly, to be sure the cat was dead, but didn’t know what had happened to the body. Apparently, the mother bobcat had been a common visitor in the area, and the workers knew her from afar, but they didn’t know that she had kittens.

 

Jamie was raised by bobcats and she speaks bobcat fluently. She knows the little chirps they make and the guttural little sounds that mothers and babies share. I hear her calling out to the kitten and I hear a lot of replies, but the ones I’m hearing are all in the tree tops. Mockingbirds LOVE the sounds that bobcats make because it’s fully within their repertoire to mimic them exactly. I can’t tell you how many times I have gone searching for a bobcat, only to find a bird.

 

Jamie says she could hear the bobcat though. She has amazing senses of hearing, smell, eyesight and touch. It’s kind of supernatural. By contrast, I’m old, wearing contact lenses, that are causing my eyes to ache because of the sweaty salt that has caked them already. My hearing is going too, but I do still have an amazing sense of touch. I think I could tell you how many stitches in every seam of my clothing.

 

I can tell from Jamie’s launch into stalk mode that she’s seen or heard something in the thick swatch of grass, cattails, weeds and trees that create a border between the parking lot and the highway. It’s that area you always see along roads that was built for drainage and during the wet season is usually full of water and alligators. Jamie is now fully engulfed in the foliage, but I can catch glimpses of her. She’s spotted the bobcat and is trying to net him, but there is no room to maneuver the net.

 

The kitten starts to come out of a fist size hole in the brush. I see just the nose and eyes, but he sees me and ducks back into his little tunnel. There is another tiny opening a little further to the north, and the nose appears there, but again, the kitten sees me and ducks