Cheryl Tuller

These are the posts that I dread writing and each time I have to it is heartbreaking. This year we have had so many losses that it’s been tough to process. Losing the wildcats we’ve loved and cared for over the years isn’t easy even when we know that it’s inevitable. On September 21st we lost our old man Robert. It’s taken me this long to write about it because I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

As our oldest wildcat Robert came to WCR in August 2008 from an education facility that was shutting down. Uche, a serval and Dot, an Asian Leopard cat came as well. Robert was fourteen years old at that time and had severe hair loss and itching. His allergies were extensive and it took lots of vet visits and medication to finally get it under control. He was also four paw declawed and one of the worst cases we have ever seen.

Despite all of that, he was a tough old man and we all fell in love with him.
Robert and Dot lived together until we lost Dot in 2012 to cancer and Robert seemed a little lost. We decided to see if Shambles (bobcat) might be a good companion and it was love at first sight for Shamie, but Robert liked playing hard to get.

Eventually, Robert warmed up to her and we often found them cuddling in the den box. It was so sweet to see as Robert got older Shamie was never very far away, keeping a close, loving eye on her old man. Robert loved to play with feather toys and any enrichment that included scents. He had a select few keepers that he loved and would ‘woo woo’ to them when they came with food and toys. He was very content and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to care for him.

In the past years, we started to see more and more that he was slowing down. Some days he was hungry, some days he wasn’t. Arthritis from his declawing was much worse so he was on pain management to try to keep him comfortable.

But every time we thought that we needed to make that final decision Robert did something that let us know he wasn’t ready. He would play with his toys, talk to his keepers, come up to rub on the wire and spend time grooming Shamie. We kept a very close eye and on that morning he let us know he was tired and that his time had arrived.

Robert was surrounded by the people who loved him the most when we said goodbye and helped him move on to his next journey. It’s such a sad feeling knowing he’s gone and we will never hear that wonderful, ‘woo woo’ call again. But he was happy and content for many years and it’s the most we can hope to provide for these precious souls. Safe travels old man, we miss you more than we can say 😢

It seems every time we lose a beloved wildcat it becomes more and more difficult to put the words together sharing the loss. On March 12th, 2019 we had to make the heartbreaking decision to let Shambles move on to her next journey 😢

Shamie was born in 1998 and came to us in 2008 from a older couple in Oregon who had decided they wanted to travel and a bobcat did not fit into their plans. She had severe ear mites that hadn’t been treated, was overweight, covered in fleas with a matted coat, declawed and an attitude that made us sit up and notice 🙂

We provided all the necessary vet work for this girl and she settled in at the Sanctuary. She was introduced to Robert, the oldest bobcat at WCR and from that moment on Shamie was smitten ❤️She adored Robert, following him everywhere and as he got older and more fragile she became very protective of him.

Robert passed away on September 27th, 2018 at 24 years of age and Shamie grieved for him. She was 20 years old when she lost Robert and we watched her health steadily decline after that. When we noticed she was starting to have trouble walking as easily as she had been we took her to Compass Veterinary Clinic and Dr. Connolly did an exam and x-rays. Results showed that her kidneys had started to mineralize and when she pulled urine it was completely clear indicating that she was in final stage kidney failure 😢

Knowing it was the right decision to let her go didn’t make it any easier, but it was the right thing to do for Shamie. If there is another life after this, I hope that she’s greeted by her best friend and companion Robert and they are sharing headbutts and naps together in a lush, green meadow with the sun shining overhead. Sweet dreams Shamie and safe travels on your next adventure 😢

Shambles’ History

Shambles came to WCR in 2008 from a couple who had owned her for ten years. They decided that they wanted to travel, and a bobcat did not fit into their plans. She came to us with severe ear mites, overweight, covered with fleas, a matted coat, and quite an attitude! As with all new rescues, Shambles went to the vet for a complete exam. She was treated for parasites, spayed, and her mats were shaved off.

She thrived at WCR and lived with another bobcat rescue, Robert. They spent the next 10 years together until Robert passed away on September 27th, 2018. He was 24 years old. We know she misses him very much but we tried to keep her busy with enrichment, catnip toys, and cardboard boxes.

It’s impossible to put into words the feeling of loss that floods over us when we lose a loved one. This past week on January 30th, 2018, we lost little Sheba, a bobcat who has lived with us since 2003. This feisty girl was born in 1996 in Minnesota. She was a ‘pet’ that lived isolated in a corncrib in a backyard. When the owners decided to sell their house, our friends at The Wildcat Sanctuary stepped in to rescue her. They, in turn, asked if we could provide a home for her which we were happy to do.

Little Sheba was a tiger in a bobcat suit, and as small as she was, there was no question that we did what Sheba wanted or face the consequences! She took no prisoners and we were very respectful of her space. Howie and Casper (two bobcats) became her companions and she loved bossing them around.

While we didn’t know much about her previous life before, we learned she had very strong maternal instincts. Shortly after she arrived, we found that she loved stuffed animals. She would carry them around, groom them and sleep with them, showing a dedication to their care that was both astonishing and sweet.

She was very protective of them and the boys, Howie and Casper, knew that those were her babies, and they never crossed that line. We don’t give stuffed animals to the wildcats, but Sheba was the exception. When they become too worn out from her love we replaced them with something as close as possible.

In the past year, she had been showing signs of slowing down and when we did blood work it showed she had renal failure. We had been monitoring her very closely and in the last month, it was obvious that time was short. She was eating less and less and sleeping most of the time in her hammock with her babies. Last Wednesday morning when I checked on her, she opened her eyes and told me it was time.
We helped her cross over to her next journey even though we wished we could have had more time. We are grateful to our friends at The Wildcat Sanctuary for allowing us to care for this very special girl and things just won’t be the same without her. Safe travels little Sheba, we hold you close to our hearts, always.