Bobby Blue Rose Was The First Bobcat to Live on Easy Street

Windsong was the first exotic cat; the Founder of what is now Big Cat Rescue, but do you know who the first exotic cat to live at 12802 Easy Street was?

 

It was our dear little Bobby Blue Rose who recently passed away at the age of 19.

 

She was one of the 56 bobcats and lynx who were rescued from being killed for their coats in 1993.  When we rescued all those kittens, all those years ago, we asked every family member, every friend and every employee of our real estate business to come help us feed the kittens every two hours around the clock.  A lot of these people ended up falling in love with and taking home their favorite cats.  Our maid took the kitten she later named Bobby Blue Rose.

 

Back then the cats were all at my home in Town N Country on 4.5 acres and the property known as Easy Street was just one of my properties that I had rented out.  What is now the gift shop was a very old home built in 1954 and my maid and her family lived here for modest rent to keep people from coming and dumping on the grounds.  Since she helped me care for 56 cats every day, I believed she was capable of taking care of one of them at her own home.  That worked until Bobby Blue Rose grew up.

 

The woman had a teenage daughter and Bobby Blue Rose lived to terrorize that kid.  She would hang out on the tops of the door frames with two paws on the frame and two paws on the top of the door and wait patiently for the teenager to unwitting pass by underneath her.  She would launch onto her head and start ripping out her hair.  It wasn't long before the woman had to decide between the cat and her kid and Bobby Blue Rose, like most of the others, came back to live with me for the rest of her life.

 

We learned the hard way that most people are not prepared to give a wild animal a life time home.  The novelty wears off, the cats grow up and then they are often dumped or relegated to tiny, barren cells for the rest of their lives.

 

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.

Jack the Cat

 

In the place where Jumanji Leopardsss cage is today, Jamie lived in a single wide mobile home when she was 15.  When a friend at school named Mike was abandoned by his mom, we let him move into a tiny travel trailer next door to her mobile home.  Back then, I lived in the Gift Shop. My funniest recollection of Mike was on his first morning here he expected Jamie to whip up breakfast for him.  She introduced him to the toaster and that kid probably lived on nothing but toast the whole time he lived here.  Mike found Jack and Mike, a couple of tiny kittens, tied up in a bag in a dumpster.  He kept the one he named after himself and left Jack at the sanctuary.

 

In 1995 the tour waiting area was a multi species collection of cats that included Glory, Glory the cougar, Fluffy the serval, Raindance and Little Feather the bobcats, a domestic cat named Breezy who had raised Little Feather and several other caracals, servals and bobcats.  Glory would delight in carrying the smaller cats around in her mouth and would drool all over them.  She was amazingly gentle, but you never wanted to touch any cat that she had just set down as they would be a slobbery mess.

 

Even though she was the biggest cat in the yard, Little Feather was the undisputed top cat and she ran the yard with an iron paw.  She was probably granted such premiere status willingly because she was able to get the flea collars off herself and anyone else that would sit patiently as she worked it off them.  Those were the days of flea powder, Sven dust, diatomaceous earth and flea eating nematodes before the advent of Advantage or Revolution.

 

Hallelujah Cougar was the same age as Glory, Glory but was always too rough for the other cats and for people, but he wanted desperately to be near his friends so we built an L shaped yard that wrapped around the back yard area full of cats.  The fences were chain link then, so he could see them and race back and forth with them from his long tunnel that ran along the west wall.

 

Jack was always a mischievous one and loved to taunt the caged cats by showing off how free he was outside of their confines.  He drew tremendous pleasure in enticing the cats to chase him to the end of their cages so that they would crash into the walls as he sped out of range.  He would do this to Hal all the time and Hal would fall for it every time.  Hal would be so focused on the chase that he would invariably plow into the end of this run as Jack kept running on the outside.

 

One day we were making cage modifications and had extended a fence at the end of Hallelujah's cage out into the open space.  Jack had revved up for his run, but hadn't noticed that his runway would end at the same point as Hal's.  Jack rammed into the fence at full throttle while looking back at Hal to egg him on.  Ever since then Jack has had a bit of a kink in his neck and that is why his head is always cocked at a slight angle.  I am sure Hal still snickers at him every time he passes by.

 

Photo was circa 1998 of Jamie and me with Jumanji during a photo shoot for People Magazine.  We do not display photos of people touching cats since 2004.

 

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, vide

2010 Annual Report

 

Big Cat Rescue is more than just a place that provides permanent care for big cats.  It is a movement;  a change in the tide of human perceptions and is the combined effort of more than 50,000 supporters.  If you are one of them, you are a Big Cat Rescuer and the following is the great work YOU did!  If you haven’t helped yet, you can do so now at the top right of the screen or here:  http://bigcatrescue.org/donate.htm

 

Big Cat Rescue’s Mission Statement: Big Cat Rescue’s dual mission is to provide the best home we can for the cats in our care and educate the public about the plight of these majestic animals, both in captivity and in the wild, to end abuse and avoid extinction.  We are Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade

 

Advances:  With your help we are winning in the battle for compassion! Up until 2003 the number of requests for rescues we had to turn down due to lack of space or funds had roughly doubled each year, to 312 that year. We feared it would double again to over 500 in 2004. Instead, it has steadily declined since then thanks to the passage of a federal bill and several state bills that restrict the ownership of exotic cats. This year we “only” had to turn away 89 big cats who were unwanted by their owners. We offered to take all of the cats who were cougar size or smaller, if their owners would contract to never own another exotic cat, but they all refused.  We just do not have enough Senior Keeper staff to take on more lions or tigers.

 

By now everyone knows that communication and fundraising will be cell phone centric.  On April 30, 2009 we added mobile phone number collection to our contact forms and promoted this new request with the Animal Lover’s Dream Vacation Giveaway. Our winners said, “It was the most fun we’ve ever had!”

 

Our new Intranet site established in January 2010 where all of our staff, volunteers, board and vet care professionals can interact and share information. This cloud based system was provided free via a Google grant and enables us to keep all of the sanctuary documents in a password protected cloud where Rescuers can log in and post their observations for the vet and can share photos, videos and stories with each other.  Our cloud can be accessed via a dozen or more computers at the sanctuary, Rescuer’s home computers, smart phones and iPads.  Those who subscribe to the site, such as the CEO, President, Operations Manager and the Vets can see, in real time, as observations are posted about the cats.  This insures that there are always many eyes on the look out for ways to enhance the cat care at Big Cat Rescue.

 

Animal Care:  By the end of this year, 77 of our 115 cats are over the age of 15. This is well beyond how long they are designed to live in the wild and much older than most zoo cats.  This is a testament to the excellent animal care we provide, but we are dealing with many more age related illnesses and are losing more of our big cat friends every year.  Cats who required extensive veterinary care in 2010 were Alachua Bob, Bagheera, Bellona, Catera, Cha Cha, Cloe, Crystal, Freckles, Hercules, India, King, Narla, Nirvana, Pretender, Purrfection, Sarmoti, Servie, Snorkel, Sophie, Takoma, Tonga and Windsong. These cats were moved so they would have new neighbors and surroundings for their own enrichment: Freckles, Indian Summer, Modnic, Narla. Nikita & Simba, Peaches, Precious, Reno, Sundari and Thing. Even though we offered to rescue the 19 lesser cats and 3 lions and tigers who were in need of rescue in 2010, Skip, Angelica and Midnight, Rain and Storm the bobcats, Servie the serval, Narla, Freddy and Sassyfrass the cougars were the only ones who ended up here.  We found a rehabber for a bobcat in TN as well.  The rest did not come here because the owners refused to contract with us to never own exotic cats again.

 

Despite triple bypass heart surgery in August, Vern stayed busy this year with all of the maintenance issues and with these

This astrological reading by Ron Cole was a 60th birthday gift from Howard Baskin to Carole Baskin.

Looking for a New Vet in David Murphy

Thank you David ([email protected]),  Our vet has been donating her time for the past 6 years.  She comes out twice a week and looks at all the cats.  If they need surgery she can do minor things here, in our very small cat hospital and if they need more extensive work we take them to her clinic, which is just around the corner at Ehrlich Animal Hospital.

 

Our vet is 6 months pregnant with her first baby and very soon will not be able to come out as frequently and after the baby is born, she may decide to quit working altogether, so I have been looking for a back up vet who will work with her until she leaves and take her place if she decides to be a stay at home mom.

 

Dr. Dave Murphy was with Lowry Park Zoo for 21 years but left there this year.  He says he will do it but will charge us 150.00 an hour or 750.00 a day and he doesn't have a clinic.

 

So what we need is access to a clinic that won't cost us a fortune, for 500 lb cat xrays, dental xrays, sonograms and surgery if it will be a long process and we don't have the right equipment at the sanctuary.  We have an anesthesia machine and the big lights.  We either need access to that for Dr. Murphy to do the work, or if there is a vet there who would be willing to do the work for the same fee or less, but we would want someone who has experience with exotic cats.  They aren't too different from domestic cats, except that the anesthesia often kills them, or doesn't keep them asleep.

 

We love the people at Florida Veterinary Services (Now Blue Pearl) and always go to them when we have something very complicated, like a bobcat who had to have her leg pinned in 5 places after being hit by a car, or dogs and cats we have taken in for cancer treatment.  They are just way too expensive for us, I think, for the more routine care.

 

I know they do a good job of publicity and that is something we do have to offer.  We are the media darlings in the Tampa bay area, and the 6th most popular non profit on YouTube.  We film a lot of our medical issues and it could be a very positive relationship for FVS, if they are inclined to help us out a bit.

 

Here are some of our medical videos:

• Bobcat treated at FVS by Dr. Levy http://www.bigcatrescue.org/video/00330.htm

• Snow Leopard Kidney Stones http://www.bigcatrescue.org/video/00376.htm

• Liger dental http://www.bigcatrescue.org/video/00326.htm

Lots more, but I don't want to bore you.  Thank you for seeing if there is anything we can work out with them and/ or their fine vets.

 

Dave Murphy turned out to be a total jackass, in my opinion and was far too reckless.  He didn’t last more than a couple visits before we realized that no vet was better than having him take chances with the lives of our cats and the safety of our people.

 

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.

Letter to Jamie Pickup at the BBC

Dear Jamie Pickup at the BBC,  Here are some more links and issues that you may want to consider for your documentary.  We have hundreds of hours of video that we can share with you and you are welcome to visit and film.  We do not charge for our participation when it is a well known group who could actually help us end the trade in cats.

 

I was on CNN's Headline News Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell this past Friday about Tony the Truck Stop Tiger we have been trying to rescue.  http://www.bigcatrescue.org/FreeTony.htm

 

As we discussed, Karl Mitchell, who is in Fatal Attractions, playing with a tiger and in the news having guests play with tigers, was sent to jail on a bad check charge.  That was the only way the animal abuse ended there for a time.  Shaquille the black leopard and Dara the cougar were rescued by us prior to his conviction and he had told my husband that the crushed skulls they suffered from was because he had to beat them with a bat to make them perform.

 

Here are the links to the info on the Robert Baudy, Savage Kingdom cats we rescued where one man was killed, another lost his leg and a teenager was mauled by an escaped cougar before USDA revoked his license.  FL law is so lax that they never did revoke his state license.  We rescued the last four tigers who had been abandoned at the facility.  Their names were Modnic, TJ, Bella and Trucha, but Trucha has since died from mammary cancer, which is likely from the incessant breeding done at these tiger mills in order to produce cubs that can be used as Karl Mitchell, Joe Schreibvogel, "Doc" Antle, Kathy Stearms, Vernon Yates, Larry Wallach and others do to support themselves.

 

Robert Baudy's autobiography http://www.amazon.com/Baudy-Animal-Man-Biography-Robert/dp/1568250339

 

Siberian Tiger Rescue / Diana McCourt:  This made 20/20 because 6 people had been injured at Diana's tiger training camp before she lost her USDA license.  OH had no permit restrictions until this year on big cats, so she just kept on operating sans the USDA license and no one did anything to stop her.  It wasn't until she was evicted for non payment of rent that the county was able to seize the cats and release them to us.

 

Black Leopard from Karl Mitchell:  Shaquile's Story:  If you don’t jump through hoops at work,

does your boss smack you in the face with a baseball bat?

 

Think your job is stressful?  Shaquille had to jump through flaming hoops, as part of a Las Vegas night club act.  And when he didn’t perform as well as expected, his boss beat him bloody with a baseball bat.

 

As a result, this 150 lb. black leopard bears lots of scars.  His face was so badly beaten that his eye sockets were permanently shattered, causing the eyelids to roll in.  His eyes will always tear as a sorrowful reminder of the abuse he endured.  Perhaps they are also tears for all those other animals who are still made to perform for man’s entertainment.

 

Big Cat Rescue may have saved Shaquille from further pain, but this majestic black leopard will always carry physical and emotional wounds.  For years he would leap at the cage and hang there snarling whenever a man came into view for fear of being tortured again.  Over time, however, he has become much more comfortable with his surroundings.  Now Shaquille lounges the day away and enjoys room service provided by loving care takers at the Big Cat Rescue Sanctuary.  With his new found care and trust, men don’t even draw so much as a second glance from him any more.

 

Dara the cougar, also from Karl Mitchell, died from a brain infection caused by the massive trauma to her head.  When I complained to USDA about the condition of these cats upon arrival, they said that their standards on training did not preclude beating the cats with a bat.  I later got in hot water with USDA when I went on national television back in 1998? about Tiger's Eye Productions owner beating his cats with sticks.  I said USDA wasn't

Carole on CNN re Tony the Truckstop Tiger

 

I was on CNN's Headline News Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell today about Tony the Truck Stop Tiger we have been trying to rescue.  Big Cat Rescue gets more complaints about Tony the tiger at the Tiger Truck Stop than all other complaints combined.  In 2009 the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries had called Big Cat Rescue to come get Tony during their planned seizure of the tiger, but before we could take Tony, Sandlin filed for an injunction and the long legal battles began.

 

That same year Big Cat Rescue was the first organization to hire an attorney to represent a tiger.  David Nance, Esq. exhausted his ability to fight for Tony in the back water Iberville Parrish.  A state district judge ordered the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in 2011 to revoke Sandlin’s permit, but the Legislature passed a law exempting Sandlin from state restrictions on owning exotic cats.  Thankfully the national coalition of attorneys, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, took up the banner in 2010 and vowed that they wouldn’t give up.  We never gave up trying to get that poor tiger out of that horrible place, but were unable to overcome backwoods, good ole boy politics. 

 

Big Cat Rescue offered to let Sandlin save face by sending Tony here quietly, where he could live under an assumed name and not be on our tour or used in any of our marketing, but Sandlin refused. Later noted:  Tony died on 10/17/2017 at the truck stop. 

 

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.

Tribute to Shasta Serval 4/16/91 - 10/30/10 Arrived at Big Cat Rescue 6/27/97 Shasta arrived at Big Cat Rescue with Peaches and Alpha. She had been retired from breeding. She had an amazing metabolism and could eat as much as a cougar without gaining weight. She was discovered to have a rare form of Discoid Lupus for which she received medication the rest of her life. Though Shasta was up in years, she still found the energy to be quite playful. She would take an enrichment tube and bat it around, stirring up leaves and pine needles in a frenzy to keep up with it. October 2010 - Shasta had not been eating well, so we took her in to see Dr. Wynn. After 2 hours of surgery, an inoperable cancerous tumor was found. At 18 years of age, we decided the only option was to help her slip into that next realm while still under anesthesia. Thank you everyone who made her life in a cage bearable and for all of you who are working hard to end the trade in exotic cats. Mike Murdock Dies SPRING LAKE - Michael Eugene Murdock, 60, of Spring Lake, died Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010. He was an Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War. Services: Graveside, 2 p.m. Wednesday in Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery. Visitation, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Adcock Funeral Home in Spring Lake. Survived by: Daughters, Mary Montengro and Jamie; brothers, Bill and James Jr.; sister, Brenda Parker; and a grandson.

 

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.

15 Questions About Big Cats

 

Carole Baskin, Founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue, the world's largest accredited sanctuary, that is devoted entirely to exotic cats speaks out about:

 

1. Where do big cats go when they are no longer profitable cubs?

2. If the good sanctuaries are full, where do the big cats go?

3. Should we be building bigger and more sanctuaries for the unwanted cats?

4. What is the best way to prevent the abuse of lions, tigers and other big cats?

5. Does banning private possession of exotics work?

6. Who tracks maulings, killings and escapes by tigers and other big cat species?

7. Do USDA and state inspections make sure breeders and dealers are being humane?

8. When did the big cat crisis in America start?

9. Are there laws to prevent exotic cats from being traded for their meat, skin and bones?

10. How is the public to blame for the worst acts toward tigers and their cubs?

11. What happens to breeders, dealers and other wild animal exploiters when they run out of money?

12. What are some of the most lax states when it comes to wildcat standards and enforcement?

13. Why doesn't the government do something about all of the abuse of tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars & other big cats?

14. Are there illegal activities operating in the shadow of legal uses of tigers?

15. What kind of tracking is done and what needs to be done to end the abuse of exotic wild cats?

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.

Celebrating the Life of Takoma Bobcat

 

Male Bobcat  6/1/95 - 10/14/10 Arrived at Big Cat Rescue 6/6/95

 

Takoma’s online bio:  Takoma came to Big Cat Rescue in May 1995 with Divinity. His owner became ill and unable to care for him. She had seen our videos and knew that he would have a good home here, so she asked if we could take he and Divinity from her, which we did. He is without any doubt our prettiest Bobcat. He is so dramatically spotted that we have been asked if he is an Ocelot. He was neutered in 1998. Bobcats are not endangered and there just aren’t enough good homes available for these cats to justify breeding them.

 

Most of our bobcats were rescues from fur farms.  The deal our founders made with the fur farms we discovered in the U.S. was that we would pay top dollar for every cat and kitten they had as long as the fur farmer would agree to never buy and breed cats again for slaughter.  It came at a time that the public outcry was against the fur industry.  Many of these animals were purchased at auctions where the uncaring owners were dumping the cats with no concern about their welfare.

 

There is much controversy over whether we did the right thing by paying the ransom for these cats.  We still accept many unwanted cats each year, but do not pay for them and typically require that their owner surrender their license, in an attempt to keep people from just trading in their cats each year for a newer, cuter model.  We have to turn away more than 100 cats each year due to a lack of space and funds and the lack of regulation of the exotic pet trade. Read more about our Evolution of Thought online.

 

October 2010:  Takoma bobcat seems to be losing his fight against liver disease and it is compounded by kidneys that no longer fully serve him.  We try to leave the choice of when to go to the cats and in his case are giving him fluids for as long as he will tolerate it, but have been letting him stay outside in the comfort of his nearby friends, both human and feline, rather than confining him to a small cage in the hospital for his final days.

 

When he decides that he won't put up with being trapped for fluids or when he decides to quit eating, we will help him ease over that bridge without pain.  I know how hard it is to watch them die, but we owe it to them, to give them every opportunity, to make the choices they have available to them in captivity.

 

Photo was circa 1996-1997 of Jamie and Takoma.   We do not display photos of people touching cats since 2004.

 

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.