Hybrids

Lucy

Lucy

Lucy is a Savannah cat from Canada who had been used for breeding. She was born in 2015 and had been declawed. She lived for years outside with only a small tent on cement 🙁 Our good friend Kelly Brook Allen in Merritt, BC was able to get her out of her previous situation, get her spayed and cared for her until she was able to drive her down to WildCat Ridge Sanctuary. Despite her previous life Lucy has opened up and is doing great! She lives with some of the other hybrids and spends her time, eating, playing and napping, without a care in the world! We are so happy to have been able to give Lucy a New Beginning! She is a very special girl who has some amazing extra toes! Good girl!

Adopt Lucy

With your $50 adoption fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • The knowledge that you're making a difference in the lives of the wildcats at WildCat Ridge.

Sponsor Lucy

With your $500 sponsorship fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • One private tour of WildCat Ridge (for two adults, no children under 18, June thru Sept. with the fulfillment of payment).
$ 50.00
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Donation Total: $50.00

Neeme Savannah (2022)

Neeme Savannah (2022)

Safe travels dear boy – May 2022

In his indoor area

Neeme

I have been putting off writing this email because it’s been really difficult to put into words the grief.  Last week after months of doing everything possible, we had to let Neeme go.

This sweet boy had so many wonderful people pulling for him and we refused to stop doing anything and everything we could to get him better, but in the end, his spirit was strong but his body was too weak to continue.

When he came to us in September of last year we were hopeful we could make a difference, and we did! He was doing well and gaining weight until a few months ago. Bloodwork confirmed level 4 renal failure including all the other issues he was facing. Despite different medication, daily fluids, and all the love we had, Neeme didn’t rally.

He had been seen by different veterinarians over the time he lived with us, blood pulled, tests run, biopsies were done and all with conflicting diagnoses. Possible Lymphoma and or severe GI complications were making it impossible for him to process food normally and he was also hyperthyroid. We tried raw diets, hydrolyzed diets, and of course renal support diets but he continued to lose weight. I brought him inside so we could keep a close eye on him and every day the keepers would hold him, give him fluids and cuddle him while he purred and made muffins on their laps.

Last week he let us know that he was tired and it was time. Our vet came out and we held him in our arms while he was released from his frail body. It was peaceful but so very heartbreaking knowing that despite everything we couldn’t save him.

Neeme was such a kind, sweet boy who deserved so much more than the life he had been given. He leaves behind many broken hearts and we will never forget his gentle spirit.  Safe travels dear boy we miss you every day.

Neeme’s History
Neeme, a male F3 Savannah Cat, was purchased from a breeder in Florida as a kitten. Savannahs are an exotic cross between an African Serval and a domestic cat. They do not naturally exist in the wild. He was kept as a pet for 10 years with his domestic “siblings”. As time passed his keeper noticed he began to lose weight. After a visit to the veterinarian, he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland) – which results in muscle wasting. He later was diagnosed with suspected irritable bowel disease (IBD) which manifested as chronic diarrhea.

Neeme spent time at the vet’s clinic shortly after being diagnosed. While there he received a therapeutic treatment regimen and showed improvement before he went home. However at home, Neeme’s health declined again, and it seemed his issues could not be managed at home. This is something that happens frequently with hybrid cats that retain some of the wildness of their exotic ancestors, and one reason why they don’t make good pets.

The owner, who felt she had exhausted all other options, requested he is euthanized to end his suffering.  Feeling that this could possibly be avoided as his health improved with the vet’s direct supervision and care, the owner surrendered him in lieu of euthanasia at the veterinarian’s request.  The plan was to restore his health and find a Sanctuary that could give him the life he deserved.  The veterinarian and a long-term client of hers, whom she knew had contacts in the world of exotic cats, agreed to take in Neeme, who at this point weighed less than 7 pounds. The two worked tirelessly for weeks to improve his overall health and weight.

The client who had agreed to help place Neeme began making phone calls, eventually reaching the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance. The BCSA was able to secure a commitment from Wildcat Ridge Sanctuary in Oregon, to provide a forever home for Neeme. They also were able to arrange for highly qualified volunteers to drive him almost 3000 miles from Florida to Oregon.
After 3 weeks, Neeme had gained some weight and was deemed healthy enough to make the trip. He left North Florida Tuesday morning, and arrived at his new home on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021. Neeme made the journey in good shape and began to immediately explore his new surroundings.
Posted by Stefanie Kraus in Hybrids, Memorials

Bella

Bella F2 Savannah

Penny (F1) and Bella (F2) Savannah cats grew up together and lived in California with their owner. They were both 8 years old when they came to us in December of 2020. Their owner had taken wonderful care of them but as often happens his lifestyle changed and he reached out to find a good home for them both.
Bella is much smaller than Penny at about 10 lbs. She is the opposite of Penny, very shy and likes to take things slow. But she has made some good friends with the other cats and is doing great! We love being able to provide a lifetime home for these beautiful girls.

Adopt Bella

With your $50 adoption fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • The knowledge that you're making a difference in the lives of the wildcats at WildCat Ridge.

Sponsor Bella

With your $500 sponsorship fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • One private tour of WildCat Ridge (for two adults, no children under 18, June thru Sept. with the fulfillment of payment).
$ 50.00
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Donation Total: $50.00

Penny

Penny F1 Savannah

Penny (F1) and Bella (F2) Savannah cats grew up together and lived in California with their owner. They were both 8 years old when they came to us in December of 2020. Their owner had taken wonderful care of them but as often happens his lifestyle changed and he reached out to find a good home for them both.
Penny is a big girl and weighs about 18 lbs. She loves attention but on her own terms. She is very smart and loves to talk and tell you all about her day! She has settled in nicely with the rest of the cats and we are happy to be able to give both her and Bella a lifetime home.

Adopt Penny

With your $50 adoption fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • The knowledge that you're making a difference in the lives of the wildcats at WildCat Ridge.

Sponsor Penny

With your $500 sponsorship fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • One private tour of WildCat Ridge (for two adults, no children under 18, June thru Sept. with the fulfillment of payment).
$ 50.00
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Donation Total: $50.00

Pearl

Pearl

Pearl is a Bengal that was pulled from a hoarding situation in Eugene Oregon in 2019 where the breeder had over 80 Bengals in her home confiscated. We don’t support any kind of breeding and  encourage everyone to ‘adopt don’t shop.’ Pearl will be able to adjust to her new home here at her own pace and maybe with the support of the other cats, she’ll learn to relax and start to enjoy life. Her previous situation will color everything that happens moving forward. Welcome to your lifetime home beautiful girl ❤️

Update:
We are thrilled to report that Pearl is doing great, and we know she will continue to thrive at WildCat Ridge Sanctuary. ❤️  Pearl is very vocal and she likes to hang out with Little Leo. ❤️

Adopt Pearl

With your $50 adoption fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • The knowledge that you're making a difference in the lives of the wildcats at WildCat Ridge.

Sponsor Pearl

With your $500 sponsorship fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • One private tour of WildCat Ridge (for two adults, no children under 18, June thru Sept. with the fulfillment of payment).
$ 50.00
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Donation Total: $50.00

Bo

Bo F1 Bengal

Rescue never sleeps, even in this crazy time of lockdown and social distancing. We got an email in April 2020 from a woman who knew someone that had an F1 Bengal that needed placement. The cat’s history is pretty sordid, listed on Craigslist, passed around to three different owners and now hoped we could make room. Of course, we said yes . . .

We were shocked when we saw Bo. He weighed 4.5 lbs. The tape from the IV line that was placed four weeks ago during a blood transfusion was still on. He was shaky and seemed to have trouble chewing. A complete vet exam from Dr. Connolly at Compass Vet Clinic showed he was four paws declawed, anemic from flea infestation, had been defanged on his bottom jaw, and at some point, someone had pierced his ear for an earring! Dr. Connolly gave him a bath and the water was red and filthy from the dirt and blood.

Now at WCR, Bo has gained weight and lives in SC3 with other hybrids and domestic cats. Because of your generous donations, we are saving lives and creating a New Beginning for the animals that have no voice. It’s great to see him out exploring despite annoying Little Leo following him around. 😉 Good boy Bo, welcome to your new life. ❤️

Adopt Bo

With your $50 adoption fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • The knowledge that you're making a difference in the lives of the wildcats at WildCat Ridge.

Sponsor Bo

With your $500 sponsorship fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • One private tour of WildCat Ridge (for two adults, no children under 18, June thru Sept. with the fulfillment of payment).
$ 50.00
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Donation Total: $50.00

Morpheus

Morpheus

In the summer of 2020 we were contacted by a rescue who needed to place an F2 Bengal. This is what they wrote about him:

“As most of you know, we recently took on a large project of saving an F2 Bengal named Morpheus who came from a breeder who never socialized him as a kitten to a home that was abusive and couldn’t handle him properly, then rehomed him to somebody who thought they could turn him around to be a loving lap kitty and in the six months he had him, Morpheus did not budge and matters became worse.
The owner then decided to purchase another Bengal kitten to become Morpheus’ friend, hoping it would turn him around. Alas, the attempt failed, and instead of turning Morpheus into a loving cat, Morpheus, in turn, made the kitten start turning hissy and scared and running from the owner.

Morpheus was also having issues with using a litterbox and decided that the couch and the carpets were his best choice of a potty box. The owner had taken him to the vet, who said there were no medical issues causing it and told the owner to try different litters. The owner did try several different litters and was unsuccessful. That’s when the owner decided that he didn’t want two cats acting the same way and wanted the baby to be a loving lap kitty, so he turned Morpheus over to our rescue. In the six weeks we have had him in our possession, we have worked with him daily in order to help him transition to trusting humans again, as well as attempting to litterbox train him properly, and he won’t have any part of it.

After working with him, we were able to gain his trust enough to eat out of the bowl right in front of us; however, if we flinch, blink too much, or move in the slightest, he cringes, hisses, growls, then runs to hide and won’t come back out. Anytime there is a change, whether it be cleaning, moving cat trees around, adding new items, etc. Morpheus will hide, hiss, and growl for days without coming out to eat or drink, and the process of trying to tame him starts all over again from the beginning. He will not be able to live inside of a home with humans due to him refusing to use the several different types of litterboxes provided and because of his wild nature that was brought out due to past abuse.

After carefully considering the situation, For the Love of Savannah has searched nationwide for the perfect wildcat sanctuary for Morpheus to live out the remainder of his life in a natural environment suited to his needs.

We have been working closely with the Wildcat Ridge Sanctuary in Oregon which is willing and able to take this boy in and give him the life he deserves, happy and free-roaming as he pleases without the interaction of humans in a completely protected indoor/outdoor environment to protect him of all ailments.”

How could we say no? The rescue drove him here from Las Vegas and took great care of him, worrying about the perfect home, and they were thrilled that we could make room! Fast forward, and we now have a confident, handsome cat who is loving life! We couldn’t be happier to see the change in Morpheus since he arrived! Welcome to your new lifetime home, gorgeous boy; we love having you!

(From his first visit to Compass Vet Clinic) * Morpheus: Definitely a neutered male cat. Based on his teeth, he is around 7 years old (5-10 years). As a kitten, he was kicked/hit in the lower back and pelvis – the growth plate of L7 closed early on the left side,  the disc between L6 and L7 is collapsed, and his pelvis is slightly twisted. He also has a collapsed disc in his neck. Bloodwork was perfect. He looks like a terrified but potentially very nice cat. 

Adopt Morpheus

With your $50 adoption fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • The knowledge that you're making a difference in the lives of the wildcats at WildCat Ridge.

Sponsor Morpheus

With your $500 sponsorship fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • One private tour of WildCat Ridge (for two adults, no children under 18, June thru Sept. with the fulfillment of payment).
$ 50.00
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Donation Total: $50.00

Tut

Tut

Tut is a Chausie cat which means he’s a hybrid cat that is created by breeding a Jungle Cat (Felis Chaus) to a domestic female cat. He is one of the eight wildcats we took from Wildlife Waystation and has been here since August 2019. He’s a very social cat who enjoys interaction with our keepers but is not a pet. He doesn’t use a litter box so he lives out with the other domestic and hybrid cats. Confident and curious, he’s a fun boy and we are happy to be able to provide him with a lifetime home.

Adopt Tut

With your $50 adoption fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • The knowledge that you're making a difference in the lives of the wildcats at WildCat Ridge.

Sponsor Tut

With your $500 sponsorship fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • One private tour of WildCat Ridge (for two adults, no children under 18, June thru Sept. with the fulfillment of payment).
$ 50.00
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Donation Total: $50.00

Taji

Taji

Taji, born in 2007, is an F1 Savannah cat that came to WildCat Ridge Sanctuary from Wildlife Waystation when they were shut down. The history we have is that he came from a private owner who declawed him on all four and keep him in a closet in their home 😟It’s hard to imagine what he’s gone through in his life. He is the largest Savannah cat we have ever seen weighing almost 28 pounds. Taji is very shy but  doing well, we’ve noticed him out exploring much more and we’re happy to be able to give him a lifetime home.

Adopt Taji

With your $50 adoption fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • The knowledge that you're making a difference in the lives of the wildcats at WildCat Ridge.

Sponsor Taji

With your $500 sponsorship fee, you receive:

  • A sponsorship certificate.
  • An 8.5 x 11 full-color image (ready to frame).
  • The history of the wildcat you chose.
  • One private tour of WildCat Ridge (for two adults, no children under 18, June thru Sept. with the fulfillment of payment).
$ 50.00
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Donation Total: $50.00

Boss Hybrid (2020)

Boss Hybrid (2020)

Safe travels sweet boy, things aren’t the same without you here…

Boss

Boss

Putting each loss we suffer into words has happened too many times and it breaks my heart to let you know we lost Boss Man 😢 An emergency vet visit showed severe gastroenteritis caused by a foreign body. Somewhere between the evacuation and coming home Boss had ingested something that he couldn’t pass. We still aren’t clear exactly what it was but possibly a toy that he had been playing with. Cats are such stoic creatures that by the time he was acting sick, it was too late 😢

In running a sanctuary we aren’t supposed to have favorites, but Boss was definitely one of mine. He was bold and loud, full of himself and a complete character. His original owner contacted me in 2009 to tell me he had an F1 Chausie (Jungle Cat(Felis chaus)/Domestic cat cross) that he had bought and now at a year old was too much to handle and wanted him gone. We learned that Boss had Microphalmia, a hereditary condition where one of the eyes don’t develop. That made him even more endearing to us. He had the most unique sound and made me laugh hearing it. I would talk to him trying to get him to answer to the point that I annoyed him and he’d let me know!
It seems so quiet out in Hybrid Haven without him and I still can’t believe he’s gone. I miss his voice and his pushy character and there will never be another cat like him. He was a special boy and gone too soon. Safe travels Boss, things aren’t the same without you here 😢


Boss’ Story

Boss is an F1 Chausie, which is a hybrid cat created by breeding an Asian Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) with a domestic cat. Boss came to us from a private owner in California in 2009 who found our website. The following is what he wrote: “We need a new home for our Chausie cat. We bought him from a breeder and realized that we can’t provide a proper home for such a wild animal. We are shocked that these cats are sold as pets.”

We agreed to take him and made arrangements to fly him to the sanctuary. Boss was born with Microphthalmia, which means he is blind in one eye that is much smaller than normal. This condition happens when the mother cat carries Feline herpes virus and the kittens contract it in the womb. A simple test can be done to determine whether a female is a carrier of this, but, sadly, breeders are more concerned about selling and making money than about the health of the kittens they sell.

Boss, is a high energy cat, he can be timid or pushy, depending on his mood, but we find him endearing since he’s a special needs boy. He is very vocal with a wonderful rawk sound that makes us laugh every time we hear him!

Posted by Cheryl Tuller in Hybrids, Memorials