Month: May 2018

Bobo Bobcat (2018)

Bobo Bobcat (2018)

We will never forget you, sweet Bobo – April 12 2018

BoboThe loving thoughts that were shared about losing BoBo touched our hearts and will make the healing process easier. Thank you all for your kind words 🙏❤️

I apologize for the very long post. Where to start . . . two days ago I had to make the call that I’m still reeling from, even though I knew it was coming. Our boy BoBo has moved on to his next journey. So how do I write about the cat that has been a part of my life for 22 years? The many memories run through my head and take me back all the way to the beginning. Meeting this tiny little kitten that I fell completely and madly in love with, took me from a 41-year-old suburbanite to someone who’s life completely changed as well as my unsuspecting family’s. An ad in the Oregonian (1996) for ‘Hybrid Bobcat Kitten’ was too hard to pass up as a cat lover.

My sensible but cat-loving husband said absolutely NOT and within the week BoBo was in our home 😊 BoBo became the love of my life, even as he got older and more of a challenge. I was determined that I was the one person who could make this little bobcat a pet. It took BoBo a full two years to finally convince me that nope, that wasn’t happening. Bless his heart, he tried over and over to let me know, but I was blind to the fact that he was, of course, and always would be a wild animal. Because of this tiny little kitten and the lessons he taught me my life had taken a path I would never have imagined.

I try to fool myself into thinking that despite the mistake of buying a wildcat, I’m making amends by providing lifetime homes for others that need a place to live out their lives. And we are, but when people ask, ‘if you could do it all over again, would you?’ My answer is always absolutely not. It’s a tough and heartbreaking way to live, it takes over and becomes a 24 hour, 365 day a year commitment. It would have been so much easier to have just stayed a suburbanite with a 9 to 5 job and a normal life. But BoBo changed that course and he became the founding father of what has become WildCat Ridge Sanctuary. Of course, he didn’t understand that he was just glad to finally live as a wildcat the way he always should have. And now he’s gone . . .

I am happy that he lived a long, healthy life, yet I feel a little cheated I didn’t have more time with him. But that’s my selfish nature talking. It was time to let him go and I had to listen to him just like I’ve been listening to him for 22 years. Safe travels BoBo, I miss you and will always cherish our memories. You truly made a difference in my life and so many others ❤️

Posted by Cheryl Tuller in Bobcats, Memorials
Sable Serval (2021)

Sable Serval (2021)

Farewell, sweet girl, we will always remember you – December 2021

SableLoss is something that we face far too often in the Sanctuary world and we are heartbroken to share that we lost our sweet girl Sable last week. 😢

Sable was 20 years old and had been at WildCat Ridge Sanctuary since 2007. We had gotten a frantic call from a woman in CA who told us her daughter from out of state had brought her serval to her to keep even though it was illegal in the State. Her ex-husband called the authorities and they were going to confiscate the serval and euthanize her. Of course, we said we would take her. After letting the authorities know Sable arrived two days later.

Sable had been raised as a pet and was very social. Always gentle with other cats she was the first to be introduced to new servals that needed a friend. Sable loved to talk and one of her favorite things was cucumbers which we thought was so funny and endearing. ❤️  Most recently she lived with Safari another serval who had lost his sister last year. He fell in love and was very protective of her even though it wasn’t necessary and they became inseparable.

Last week she let us know that she was tired and ready to move on to her next journey and all we could do is to allow her to do that with dignity and peace. 🙏  Sable has been a huge part of our lives for so many years and losing her is difficult to process. 😢  Safe passage sweet girl you will live in our hearts forever . . .

Please make sure to read the beautiful tribute that our keeper, Rebecca, wrote for Sable.

Posted by Stefanie Kraus in Memorials, Servals