Can it be true?

Is our beautiful Oregon summer over? Mornings have been down right chilly these past few days. Hard to believe that September is right around the corner. Where did the summer go? So much left to do and it feels like we're running out of time. Days are shorter, nights are cooler and I'm just not ready for winter yet.

They say time flies when you're having fun, but I'm here to tell you, time flies whether we're having fun or not. So I'm saying a little kitty prayer and hope we get all the things accomplished that we set out to do at the beginning of the year, back when winter seemed so far away .  .  .  Here's hoping the kitty gods are listening :)

Education is Key

Last night I got an email from a nice lady (and neighbor) who thought I might be able to help. She got an email from an acquaintance who was convinced that her gardener saw a black Jaguar or black Leopard in her back yard. She wanted this nice lady to send out an email to the neighborhood warning folks of this dangerous animal loose in our scenic community. 

The nice lady responded by saying she didn't think Jaguars are in Oregon and that she should probably contact Fish and Wildlife and also try to take a photo of this beast. She also suggested that the acquaintance contact us to get our view of the situation :) I think that the acquaintance probably wouldn't want to hear what my view is. That's when it hit me, education is key :)

Our beautiful DJ

For folks to think that Jaguars or Panthers could actually be roaming the hills of Sherwood, Oregon is a sad reminder that the everyday person doesn't have a clue about wildcats and that's one of the reasons, so many black labs or big fluffy tabbies are being mistaken for vicious wildcats ready to kill the livestock and eat the children. And that's the reason there is so much hysteria surrounding these sighting. Some folks swear they have seen black cougars as well. Seems I remember a photo that was taken back somewhere at the turn of the century of a so called black cougar, dead, hanging from a pole with a guy next to it. And if I re-call, not once, since that photo was taken, has there EVER been another sighting of a black cougar. So, maybe I'm wrong, but I'm thinkin'  the beast roaming the hills of Sherwood isn't a black cougar either :)

So here is the education part :) Jaguars are native to the southern most part of the US and South America. However they are extremely endangered and in fact the last known Jaguar (in the US) was captured in 2009 in Arizona and  euthanized. Read story HERE.   Black Panthers or Leopards are African wildcats. Not roaming wild in the US. As far as Black cougars, see above.

Finally and just for the record, all WildCat Haven residents are here and accounted for :)

Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump :)

As a rescue facility who has always worked with the smaller wildcat variety, we feel pretty comfortable with our knowledge of the animals we care for. Give us a cougar anytime, we can provide a wonderful lifetime home. Servals, lynx, bobcats, no sweat, we got it down :) But it isn't enough .  .  . Every day tigers are bred and sold, used for photo shoots at road side dumps bringing money in that doesn't go to give the animals a better life. Instead once they get too big to sit in someone's lap, they end up in Animal Finders Guide or exotic auctions or sold to people who think a 400 lb. tiger would make a cool pet to keep in the back yard. It's something that we've known for a very long time but still we resisted, thinking that what we do is enough.  I was kidding myself .  .  .

Mac

Shirley

 The animals that need rescue the most ARE the tigers. The sheer number of big cats that are bred and sold have filled sanctuaries across the US. It's crazy but true. Sanctuaries who at one time were able to provide for the cats they took in, now find that their numbers are overwhelming and the current economy has seen their donations shrink away. They are asking for our help.  So .  .  . what do we do? We do what we have to, we take a deep breath, close our eyes and jump :)

Out of the Blue . . .

When I came in this evening after making sure all the wildcats were settled in for the night, I hit the button on the answer machine and heard a familiar voice I haven't heard in a long time, Evan Kalik. Those of you may not know his name but most of us in rescue certainly know his work. Evan Kalik is the founder and heart and soul of Cat Adoption Team in Sherwood.

I met Evan almost ten years ago when I got a call from him. He told me he'd heard about WildCat Haven and if there was anything he could ever do to help us with the animals, he was there for us.  And Evan Kalik proved to us over and over again that his word was good. In the early years he helped with vet care for our animals, and was always supportive of our rescue, generous with his wisdom and kindness. Hearing his voice tonight took me back to those early days and made me realize just how far we've come and what we've achieved since then.

I called and we talked, catching up on what's been going on with both of us and our work. It was good to listen and be able to talk as well, it was easy and comfortable and wonderful and made me wish that I hadn't let so much time pass between calls. Days turn into weeks, into months, into years but rescue does that. It takes over your life, leaving little time for friends and family, but sometime, out of the blue, old friends take you back and make you realize that you aren't alone .   .   .

Article:)

Jan Vales is our Off-Site Event Coordinator and has worked tirelessly for WildCat Haven for the past 4 years. Despite the current economy she does an amazing job soliciting donations for the care of our rescues. Her commitment to our sanctuary has been such a wonderful help for all that we do. Not only does she put together all of the farmer's markets and shows that we participate in, she is always looking for new ways to bring in donations without compromising our wildcats. Jan just gets it .  .  .

What we do, we do for the cats, we aren't open to the public because we aren't a zoo for people, we are a refuge for animals who come from all over the country to live a life free from pain, neglect and ignorance at WildCat Haven.

Here is an article that just came out in the Beaverton Valley Times. Once again Jan did a great job!

Deep Breath :)

What a week it's been! Between the Art Festival and new cats coming and company here from out of state, we have been running crazy :) The Sherwood Art and Wine Festival has come and gone and what a fabulous event it was! Despite the searing heat, Maru Kramer and her very patient husband Jeff, pulled off an event that was professional and wonderful! With the help of a handful of volunteers, Maru took an impossible task and made an event that we are so proud of! Can't wait for next year to see the 2nd Annual Sherwood Art and Wine Festival:) A very special thanks to Jan & Steffen, John & Chris, Christine, Jenny, Linda, Jim, Aaron & Renee, Shoshana and all the wonderful volunteers and vendors who helped make this a success!

They're Here :)

To top off a very busy week, WildCat Haven welcomed two new members to the sanctuary family :) Carrie and Sebastian come from a Texas facility that has been struggling due to the economy, so they are placing some of their animals to help with costs. We were happy to help, and these two arrived yesterday via Alaska airlines :) Both made the trip unscathed and came out of their crates relaxed and curious :) 

We look forward to getting to know these two special cats and giving them a lifetime home. Complete vet exams are scheduled and Carrie will be going in to be spayed next week :)

Happy Belated Birthday Kenya!

Seems I'm falling behind with so much going on at the sanctuary, but I needed to write and wish Kenya a  belated happy birthday :) Kenya was our very first serval rescue, and from the minute I saw him, my heart went out to him. He was in a laundry room with no window, with a bengal cat as his companion. They only let him out occasionally because he sprayed and had diarrhea.  I told them that domestic cat food isn't good for wildcats and that was the reason he had such bad potty habits, but they told me they didn't want him and literally picked him up and put him in my arms. That sealed the deal, he came home with me that night. (after I put him in a crate, of course). He was only 8 months old and they had already grown tired of caring for him. The novelty of a "wildcat as a pet" had worn off very quickly, but I'm so glad it did.

Today he lives with three other servals and is devoted to them.  They eat, sleep, play and nap together and when I see him today, my thoughts go back to that thin, sad boy sitting on top of the washing machine so many years ago .  .  . Happy birthday beautiful Kenya, we're so glad to have you here at WildCat Haven.

Kenya's Birthday Story

Happy Belated Birthday Bobby, Dot and Uche!

This diverse group of wildcats have been here for two years, can't believe how fast time flies! Things have changed for them, but I think in a good way. Originally Bobby and Dot lived together and Uche lived alone. After some time, we realized that Dot was better suited to live with the smaller cats (more his size) and Bobby actually liked being on his own.  Uche now lives with two other servals and the three are inseparable! We feel good about the changes we've made and all three boys are thriving :) Bobby loves catnip and stalking the sanctuary dogs, his skin issues have been resolved and he seems very content :) Dot loves it with the other small cats and especially loves his special treats of chicks for dinner :) And Uche, well I don't think there is a happier cat on the property now that he has his best friends!
Read their Birthday Story Here :)

Only Six More Days . . .

(Amazing art created just for this event by John Prengaman)

Sherwood Art and Wine Festival! Maru Kramer and her very patient husband Jeff, have been working their tails off getting this event off the ground! Maru has been a power house, working tirelessly for WildCat Haven, convinced that she can pull this off and hopefully make it an annual affair!  And we say if anyone can do it, Maru can :) We sure appreciate the hard work and look forward to a really fun event next week-end! Fabulous art, yummy food, delicious wine and great music, you don't want to miss Sherwood Art and Wine Festival! So come on out, have a great time and support the wildcats!

Friday Thoughts

(Beautiful Simba)

Next week we will be adding two more residents to WildCat Haven.  A facility in Texas needs to reduce their numbers to allow them to better care for the animals they have. So we're stepping up to help. A serval and caracal will be calling WildCat Haven their new lifetime home. As Renee works to get their quarantine areas ready, I'm thinking what a sad state of affairs, when sanctuaries are getting overwhelmed by the number of wild and exotic cats that need homes. Something needs to be done. Breeding and selling these amazing creatures for a life of living in cages or living rooms is so wrong.

Accredited Sanctuaries are running out of space, funding is getting harder and harder due to the economy, and we all feel the crunch. We help if and when we can, but I'm afraid one day we will also be at our limit. Until legislation is passed to prevent breeding and selling, all sanctuaries are at risk as well as the precious animals they rescue .  .  .

(Tasha thinks she's invisible:

Please made a Donation today to help us care for all of the WildCat Haven rescues. Together we can make a difference, one rescue at a time .  .  .

Happy Birthday Sadie!

Seems like only yesterday (instead of nine years ago) that Wild Thing surprised us by giving birth to this little serval bundle. Both Wild Thing and Chirpy had come from a local breeder who placed all of her cats with us when she moved to Texas. She could have sold them all, but instead choose to allow them to live a better life. She told us that both were sterile and being naive back in those days, we assumed we had time to spay and neuter them. They were with us only three weeks when Sadie was born. We were totally shocked and upset,  realizing we should have known better. Wild Thing was as surprised as we were and after two days refused to care for little Sadie. I was beyond frantic, having no idea what to do to care for a baby that needed to be bottle fed :( My good friend Tammy Thies flew in and while neither one of us had any experience with babies, we managed to get her started on the bottle. As sad as it was that Sadie didn't have a mom that knew how to care for her, it was even sadder that she had to rely on me :( Thankfully Sadie thrived despite my inexperience and today is a beautiful, happy healthy girl!

We've come a long way since then, having kittens born at a sanctuary is something that should never happen. With so many animals euthanized every day, bringing more babies into the world goes against everything we stand for. But truthfully, Sadie brought so much joy, I can't imagine life without her. Experience and time has taught us many things, we are not the same people who bought that tiny bobcat so many years ago. We've made mistakes, but each mistake teaches us and moved us along in this journey of life. We're proud of the work that we do and what WildCat Haven has become. And Sadie is one of those mistakes that we will always cherish!

Happy Birthday Cleo!

Cleo has been at WildCat Haven for six years and in that time she has made everyone fall in love with her, including her bobcat friends! Happy Birthday Gorgeous, we love you!

Read Cleo's Birthday Note :)