And Just Like That . . .

2010 has zipped by and we are on the threshold of a brand new year. A new year that brings the hope of better things to come. Each year is a struggle, just by the nature of what we do. We work hard to raise funds to care for our rescues, we spend hours cleaning, feeding and monitoring the animals that have come to rely on us so completely. But we do it because we believe in our heart of hearts that each and every one of our rescues deserves a better life than the one they were born into. Maybe this is the year that things will change and we will see more and more people realize that these incredible animals should never be bred and sold as pets. Who knows, isn't hope what every new year should bring?

From all of us at WildCat Haven Sanctuary

Christmas for the Hybrids :)

The most wonderful things happen in the Holiday Season! Today Christmas came early for the hybrids and domestics that share Hybrid Haven :) Santa Leslie B. heard that they have been very good this year and brought out brand new cozy beds for them! What a wonderful surprise and one that is so perfect for all these special cats! They share a temperature controlled building that allows them access to an outdoor area as well but their beds were getting a bit tattered :) This was the perfect Holiday gift for them and while some might say a few have been just a bit naughty, no one can argue that they don't deserve the best we can give them! And Santa Mike B. brought bags of sawdust for the big cats to roll and play in. Hugs to Leslie and Mike B. for their kindness and commitment to all of the wildcats at WildCat Haven Sanctuary!

*If you'd like to make a donation this Holiday Season just click  on the DONATE NOW button.

That's our fluffy boy :)

This time last year we were in crisis mode. Sir was down for the count and it looked like we were going to have to make the call we never want to do. At 15 years of age, Sir had never been a very healthy cat. He came to us weighing only 12 lbs. as a seven year old lynx.  An inappropriate diet had left him with metabolic bone disease and other health issues but over the years we were able to manage his problems. Then December 2009, it seemed we had done all we could, we were losing him. He stopped eating, was lethargic, and just looked terrible. The vet recommendation was that it was time to put him out of his misery, which I was ready to do, but Renee refused to give up on him. She called in every favor she had ever earned over her years of working with vets and was relentless in her quest to find out what was wrong. Every day for a week, we had to hold Sir down and give him huge amounts of fluids and different meds, which was traumatic for him and for us. Dr. Regina Tobin a board certified specialist in small animal internal medicine worked with us doing all she could diagnosing and recommending options for Sir. Finally after two weeks we found that Sir had an infection that was crazy tough to diagnose but now we had our answer!  Fast forward a year later Sir is thriving! Fat and sassy he lives on the front deck where we can keep a close eye on him but he's doing better than ever! He has a beautiful view of Mt. Hood and can see everything that goes on at the sanctuary. We do understand that at 16 years of age, he is an old man, but to have him happy and healthy is wonderful! We are so thankful to Renee who refused to give up on this beautiful boy, and it made me realize that we do make miracles happen each and every day :) Hugs to you Sir, we love you!

My Special girl

As the director of a rescue organization, I get that I'm not supposed to have favorites, but you know, sometimes it just can't be helped. While each and every one of our rescues are precious and dear to me, I have to admit there's one old gal that pulls at my heart strings the most. That old gal is Savannah. Savannah is a serval who came to us with her mate Simba back in 2001. Now at the ripe old age of 17, she's slowing down a bit. I've been trying to ignore the fatty lumps that I've found on her over the years, but last week, we found she had been licking one to the point it was getting sore so it was time to head to the vet. 

 

Thankfully, Dr. Milner was able to remove it and stitch her up good as new and send us home. While I know she's fine and this is just a bump in the road, it reminds me again that life is precious and much too short. I'm so grateful to be able to share this life with the incredible wildcats that we care for, but I want them to live forever, because losing them is too painful. Savannah spent the evening inside last night, so I could keep a close eye on her, and in the morning she let me know it was time to head back out to reunite with Simba. As I watched her walk down the run and up to her enclosure, I realized that she didn't have a care in the world and that in some small part I had something to do with that. And I realized that it was enough to know that she was content.

December Already

Where did the time go? It's been busy as always here at the sanctuary. With the arrival of  Mac & Shirley, WildCat Haven's newest and largest residents we continue to learn all things Tiger :) And honestly I can't imagine two nicer tigers to teach us all we need to know. As we practice our 'chuffs' so we can communicate better with them, it amazes me the resiliency of these incredible animals. To be born into a life of abuse and neglect, it breaks my heart that they will never know freedom.  But each day they greet us happy and content. We will never be able to take away the past, but to see them run and play reminds me that abuse is not a life sentence, we can make a difference and we do it every day.