We will never forget you, beautiful Leo – June 2021
Leo
Today we have to share that we lost our dear sweet Leo 😢 As an older cougar he’d been slowing down and we were keeping a close watch over him but when he had a small stroke which made it difficult for him to walk, we knew it was time. He was surrounded by the people who loved and cared for him as he moved onto his final journey.
He came to us as a sick, weakly cub who had been surrendered after being purchased as a pet. His joints were swollen, his fur was falling out and he was very thin, but he was purring non-stop and we fell in love immediately 🥰
It took weeks of vet care, a proper diet, and constant attention but Leo started to thrive. He went from a sad cub to a very feisty boy who was all claws, teeth, and energy! Thankfully the cat gods intervened and shortly after Leo arrived we got a call for another young cougar cub that needed a home! We were thrilled to welcome Cody who was just a few months younger than Leo and they formed a friendship that lasted their entire lives ❤️
Losing Leo has broken our already wounded hearts and it’s something that we will be healing from for a very long time. He was such a huge part of our lives for so many years, it just doesn’t seem real that we will never hear that wonderful purr of his 😔 Sweet dreams beautiful boy we will hear your chirps and purrs in our memories forever . . .
Leo’s history
Leo came to WildCat Ridge as a cub in 2004. He had been purchased as a pet from an animal auction in Iowa. Thankfully, the people who bought him decided to place him in a more suitable environment.
When we first saw Leo, he was about 12 weeks old and he was not doing well. The vet found that his joints were swollen, his fur was falling out, and he simply wasn’t thriving like he should have been. Thankfully, with good vet care and a healthy diet, Leo has grown into a beautiful adult cougar.
Leo shares an enclosure with one other cougar, Cody. We couldn’t be more pleased for these two boys, and we know that their lives are much fuller and vastly more enriched having each other as companions. It’s so sad that cougars are bred and sold as “pets”, but at least these two will never have to worry about anything other than romping around and enjoying life.
*Sadly in December of 2020 we lost Cody to renal failure 😢 Leo was moved over to be by Noni and he seems to be doing fine, although I’m sure he misses him.
