Thousands of cats find homes in cat rescue
operations. These cats aren't always the small pets people usually have
in their homes. Sometimes, the cats in question are big cats, such as
mountain lions or tigers. Purchased through the black market and bought
because they are unique creatures, big cat breeds start small and
cuddly, but soon grow to large proportions that most owners aren't
prepared to deal with.
Big cats rescue steps in when the owners
find they can't handle their exotic pets any longer. Either the owner
abandons the big cats, thinking that because the cat was "wild" to
begin with, it can easily fend for itself, or they start to neglect the
animal.
Worse, the animal attacks someone. The authorities rush
in and do their best to remedy the situation, sometimes having to put
the animal down on the spot. If the big cats are lucky, the authorities
see fit to send the cat rescue center.
A zoo is not an option.
Many times, this is where the trade started. Unscrupulous zoos breed
big cats in captivity to increase attendance at the zoo because the
public enjoys seeing new babies. When the felines are grown, the public
loses interest, and the zoo can't support the larger cat.
The
animal is sold off to private brokers who then turn around and sell the
animals to the public. Anyone might end up with the feline. Even worse,
that owner might try to breed the cat to have another cub or to sell
cubs to his friends. When this happens, the cycle begins all over again.
Supply
and demand are the two biggest contributing factors to big cat breeds
ending up in a cat rescue. The breeders will keep breeding the cats,
and the public will continue to buy them. People have a fascination
with getting close to an exotic feline. What the public fails to
realize is that there is a massive responsibility that goes along with
caring for big cats.
The cats were never meant to be pets to
begin with. You can't keep them indoors, and keeping a big cat outdoors
isn't much better. These cat breeds play rough. They are hunters, and
thousands of years of instinct tells them they are the top of the food
chain.
That baby tiger will not "bond" with your toddler. This is
not a Walt Disney movie. You can bet that when the tiger reaches
maturity, your child, your domestic house pet, and you may be labeled
as lunch.
Big cats have been kept in cages that are far too small
for them. The minimum size required by law of an animal's cage is one
that is large enough for the animal to stand up and turn around in.
We
all cry out in anger when we hear of Vietnam Veterans who had been
tortured in "tiger cages". Why should we subject large felines to the
same type of torture?
A big cat rescue shelter can offer a better
quality of life for the abandoned animal. Many big cats that do reach
the rescue stage are suffering from malnutrition.
Others who
might have been in show business are nervous wrecks from
over-stimulation or are nearly blind from a life of flashing light
bulbs and the bright lights of photo shoots. The people who run the
shelters have the means and experience to raise the animal properly and
meet the cat's nutritional requirements.
Only eight states have
passed bans on owning big cat breeds as pets since 2005. The number of
deaths related to owning a big cat continues to grow, as all that's
required for an individual to own a big cat for a commercial venture in
the United States is very low and a permit from the USDA.
Breaking the cycle for responsible preservation of big cats for future generations is an important factor in their survival.
