Story

Oct

2024

Lithuanian Liberation – International Rescue Update #3

A Journey Across Continents

Yesterday evening WildCat Ridge Sanctuary welcomed three very special new residents. Avataras, Bondas, and Bagira – our Lithuanian savannah cats – finally touched down on American soil after a long and tiring journey.

Avataras, F1 Male

Meet Our New Feline Friends

Avataras: This handsome boy is an F2 savannah, meaning he’s a first-generation hybrid between a serval and a domestic cat. With his striking spotted coat and tall, elegant frame, Avataras is sure to turn heads
Bondas, F4 Male
Bondas: An F4 male, Bondas is a fourth-generation savannah. While he may have a bit more domestic cat in his lineage, don’t let that fool you – he’s every bit as wild at heart as his F1 counterparts.
Bagira: Another F2 savannah, this little female appears to be the most outgoing of our new trio.

The Journey Home

As their transport boxes were carefully unloaded, we could sense the cats’ eagerness to stretch their legs after their transcontinental trip. The soft mews and occasional chirps (a unique vocalization of savannah cats) told us they were more than ready to explore their new surroundings.

Settling In: The Quarantine Period

For the next 30 days, Avataras, Bondas, and Bagira will reside in our quarantine facilities. This crucial period allows us to:

Closely monitor their health
Ensure they’re eating well and adjusting to their new diet
Give them time to acclimate to the sights, sounds, and smells of the sanctuary
Conduct any necessary medical check-ups or treatments
Bagira, F1 Female

We’re happy to report that all three cats have already shown healthy appetites, which is an excellent sign of their adjustment. Their curious nature is also evident as they cautiously but eagerly investigate every corner of their temporary homes.

Looking Ahead: New Friends and Forever Home

Once their quarantine period is complete, our Lithuanian trio will transition to a specially designed enclosure within the sanctuary. Here, they’ll have the opportunity to meet some of our other resident cats. Savannah cats are known for their social nature, so we’re excited to see the friendships that may develop.

The Importance of Sanctuary

The arrival of Avataras, Bondas, and Bagira highlights the ongoing need for sanctuaries like ours. While savannah cats are legal pets in many areas, their wild instincts and specific care requirements often lead to them being surrendered or abandoned. At WildCat Ridge Sanctuary, we’re committed to providing these magnificent creatures with the specialized care and enrichment they need to thrive.

How You Can Help

We’re thrilled to provide a forever home for Avataras, Bondas, and Bagira, but we can’t do it without your support. Here’s how you can help:

Consider being the first to sponsor one of our new arrivals
Donate to help cover the costs of their care
Share this story to raise awareness about the challenges faced by hybrid wild cats

Stay tuned for more updates on our Lithuanian savannah cats as they settle into their new lives here at WildCat Ridge Sanctuary. We can’t wait to share their journey with you!

WildCat Ridge Sanctuary is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a safe haven for abandoned, abused, and retired exotic cats. We believe that education is key to ending the exotic pet trade and are committed to sharing the stories of our residents to promote conservation and responsible animal care.

Oct

2024

Lithuanian Liberation – International Rescue Update #2

All three rescued savannah cats have passed their health exams! They are all in excellent health, good body condition, and up to date on vaccines. All three are ten years old. The group consists of two males, an F2 and F4, and one female, an F2.

For those unfamiliar, hybrid cats are defined by their generation. For example, an F1 is a first-generation hybrid, with one wild serval parent and one domestic cat parent. An F2 is the result of breeding an F1 with a domestic cat. The higher the number following the “F”, the further the hybrid is from its wild ancestor. In Lithuania, F1-F4 hybrids are still considered wild cats and it is illegal to keep them in captivity unless for scientific purposes.

Initially WildCat Ridge was set to take the F2 male and female. However, the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Wildlife Rescue Centre (LUHSWRC) reached out again, asking if we could also take the F4 male since he and the F2 male are a bonded pair. Of course, we did not hesitate to say yes. We know how important companionship is for cats who have endured traumatic experiences, and we are happy to be able to keep this bonded pair together.

As the cats prepare to make their journey to their forever home in Oregon, we’re planning some upgrades to the enclosure they’ll move into after their initial quarantine. You can help make their new space extra special by visiting our Amazon Wishlist! Whether it’s tools for building play structures, supplements to keep them healthy, or scents for enrichment, every contribution makes a difference. Thank you for your support!

Stay tuned for more updates!

If you missed our first update, you can find it here.

Oct

2024

Lithuanian Liberation – International Rescue Update #1

In March 2024, WildCat Ridge was contacted by a representative from the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Wildlife Rescue Centre (LUHSWRC) regarding three Savannah cats. These cats had been confiscated from an individual involved in the illegal breeding of servals, hybrids, and domestic cats. After a lengthy two-year legal battle, the cats were finally seized in 2023 and temporarily housed in a local shelter before being moved to LUHSWRC.

Due to strict regulations in Lithuania and across many European Union countries, where it is illegal to keep wild cats as pets and F1-F4 hybrid cats are classified as wild animals, LUHSWRC was left with three difficult choices for the confiscated Savannah cats:

1. Utilize the cats for scientific purposes

2. Euthanize them

3. Transfer them to a suitable facility for long-term care

The rescue centre quickly dismissed options one and two and began their search for a new home for the hybrids. Unfortunately, no sanctuary or rescue facility in Europe was able to accommodate them, prompting LUHSWRC to broaden their search to the United States.

When they contacted WildCat Ridge, we were thrilled to offer these special cats a forever home in Oregon. After months of navigating logistics and securing permits, the cats are now ready to leave Lithuania and embark on their long journey to the U.S.

Stay tuned over the next week as we introduce you to this incredible trio and provide updates on their progress to their new home.

Mar

2023

Nala – The heartbreaking story of a pet serval

Nala

The heartbreaking story of a 'pet' serval

In early February of 2023, the owner of a serval in Canada passed away. A friend of the owner contacted us to see if we could give the cat a home. We said yes and excitedly prepared for her arrival while all the import paperwork was being done. We learned that this little serval was even an
Instagram star with her own account and followers! The videos were supposed to show what a great “pet” she was. When we watched the videos, we saw something very different – and very heartbreaking.

We’re sharing Nala’s story so we can show everyone the hard truth about keeping servals – or any wildcats – as “pets.” We are adamant that all breeding and selling of wildcats as “pets” must stop now.

The following is the email we received from the woman caring for Nala in Canada in preparation for her coming to WCR. This is what she said:

"Dear Cheryl,

Good morning

Nala went for her vet appointment this morning and while her general health is good, she is the poster child for Metabolic Bone Disease. Her weight is 8.5kg, so smaller than we all thought and she has a very small ulcer on her left eye but other than that, generally, she's okay. My vet has some students, so for educational purposes and because the physical exam raised a lot of questions, he did some x-rays at no cost to me. To say I'm angry is an understatement and I feel sick to my stomach at what this cat has endured since the day she was born. As you can see in the x-rays, this poor cat has suffered hugely. Her scapulae have folded, there is a kink/break of some kind in her spine, I think one leg doesn't have a bend in it, and her pelvis, while it doesn't appear to have been broken the femur heads have obviously had to compensate or the pelvis compensate for the mess the bones have become. I'm not a vet, nor do I have any expertise in reviewing x-rays but it is so obvious anyone can see it. I'll try and get some video of her moving so you can see how bad she is.

I had a discussion with my vet about quality of life and I think that's something that needs to be seriously considered. - While she's been with us, she has been active, she has 'run' after a ball, plays in the water, and will crawl/half jump onto a chair or window ledge but she definitely cannot act like a normal Serval, nor will she ever be able to. - She eats well, poops and pees, and seems to be doing well and appears happy. But, we all know how well animals can mask pain, and given Nala has lived like this her entire life, whatever she's feeling is normal for her. I want to give her a chance but I also don't want her to suffer. She's only two years old and that could potentially be a long life of living on pain meds.

Cheryl, I know you are ready to take her on but I'm asking you to consider if moving her to the sanctuary is the right decision for Nala. You and Dr. Connolly know better than I do if this is something we should be doing. Just to note - we gave her 300mg of Gabapentin and it barely made any difference in her behaviour - she was just as spicy and mobile. I do know that animals in pain react differently to meds so I'm wondering if that may have happened in this case.

I'm sorry the news isn't better and I just want to make the right decision for Nala, she deserves it after everything she's been through."

Carla

: Nala in her trasport cage

: Nala in the livingroom

When I sent the radiographs to Dr. Connolly for her opinion, this was her response:

‘Hi, Cheryl,

That poor cat!

She’ll never be comfortable unless she’s heavily medicated. She has severe metabolic bone disease. We don’t know how her organs are, but she may not be able to handle the stress of a move. All of her long bones are weak and bowed. Her scapulae are folded. Her spine has at least two major defects.

I cannot tell how healthy her jawbones are from these views. I am concerned about her heart, based on obvious nutritional disease. I am sorry, but my recommendation is humane euthanasia.’

Dr. Cheri Connolly

All of this information came to us the same day that Rajah, another serval in our care, passed away due to health issues stemming from his previous care.

It was overwhelming to deal with another tragic story of a serval we were trying to save and can’t. - When is this going to end? What we see on Instagram does not convey what is truly happening to these animals. They are NOT pets and more often than not, they’re being sold to people who have NO idea how to care for them but LOVE to post images of how cool they are with their wildcat. Seeing the videos of Nala on her page, you could clearly see how damaged she was. But not her owner. She just saw a wildcat she could pose with and get more “likes” and followers.

Nala was euthanized in Canada. We knew it was the only humane option left to her, but it broke our
hearts to know that she never had a chance to live a happy, pain-free life.

It’s frustrating, tragic and we are simply sick of it. It’s too late for Nala and for Rajah, but how many more small cats will we and our fellow sanctuaries try to save before this ends? The Big Cat Public Safety Act has been passed; - it’s time to come together and stop the breeding and selling of ALL wildcats.

Feb

2023

A Visit to West Coast Game Park Safari

Visiting West Coast Game Park

An Investigative Report by Tiffany Lopez, WCR Operations manager

This past weekend me and Chris had the opportunity to drive down to Bandon, OR and go to West Coast Game Park Safari. Not to enjoy a good time or vacation but to get some important information and footage of the parks now illegal activities of exploiting big cats. Now that the Big Cat Public Safety act has passed, it is now illegal for exhibitors to allow direct contact with cubs. West Coast Game Park has continued to allow the public to interact and ‘pet and play‘ with big cat cubs along with other species at the park, so we decided to see for ourselves.

Jun

2022

Estate Planning and Charitable Giving

Nearly 70% of Americans do not have an up to date will or living trust, with procrastination being one of the main reasons. Without an estate plan, any assets you owned without a beneficiary designation will be distributed according to your state’s intestacy laws, typically through a court-supervised probate proceeding and the distributions may not be the ones you would have chosen. Further, no state distribution law provides for gifts to friends or charities or makes provisions for your pets. How an Estate Is Settled If There's No Will: Intestate Succession

You may have numerous charities that you believe in strongly and you may have supported these organizations throughout your lifetime. Making a gift provision to one or more charitable organizations in your estate can be a natural extension of that support and can have a lasting impact on the causes you care most about.

Elements of an Estate Plan

Estate plans take several forms. The key essentials are described below:

Will. A will is a set of instructions to be followed by the estate’s executor, the person responsible for administering your estate. A will sets out your wishes for distributing your property after you die and who will care for your minor children. The individuals or organizations who will receive your assets under the terms of the will are your “beneficiaries." A valid will is generally typed, dated, and signed by you as well as two legally competent witnesses.

Under a will, the assets must still go through your state’s probate court before they can be distributed to your intended beneficiaries. The process varies greatly from state to state, but it can take anywhere from a few months to two years or longer.

Revocable Living Trust. This legal document can be used instead of a will as the main vehicle to distribute your assets. The primary advantage of a trust is that it avoids probate. The trust is created while you are living, most often people serve as their own trustee, and the power to change and even revoke it can be retained. The living trust becomes irrevocable upon your death.

A living trust requires that you actually transfer your property into it for it to be effective. As with a will, you can make gifts to favorite charities in your revocable living trust. These gifts will in most cases be distributed to the charities you name after your passing.

If you decide upon a revocable living trust, you should still have what is called a “pour-over” will. It catches any property that was, intentionally or inadvertently, left out of the trust during your life and is not transferred in another way. While this property will still need to go through probate, it will eventually be distributed according to your trust instructions instead of being distributed under state law provisions.

Beneficiary Designations. These are the forms you fill out when you do things like open a bank or stock brokerage account, establish an IRA or other type of retirement plan, purchase a commercial annuity or life insurance policy, that designate who will receive whatever remains upon your passing (or the death benefit in the case of life insurance). You can name charities in beneficiary designations to receive all or a portion of the account upon your passing.

Which type of estate plan is right will be different for each person. The following guide may make it easier to decide which type of estate plan is right for you What is the Difference Between a Will and a Trust

Leaving a Legacy for WildCat Ridge Sanctuary

A bequest, also called a “legacy gift”, is a gift made through your will or living trust. You can leave a specified amount of money, a particular piece of property, or all or a portion of the ‘residual’ of your estate (what remains after your final expenses, debts, and specific gifts are paid). Making a legacy gift to WildCat Ridge Sanctuary is a wonderful way to leave a legacy and continue a lifetime of support for an institution that has meant so much to you.

You can provide a future gift to WildCat Ridge Sanctuary by including a bequest provision in your will or revocable trust. WildCat Ridge Sanctuary will receive your gift upon your passing based on the specifications included in the provision.

If you wish to leave a bequest to WildCat Ridge Sanctuary, the process is relatively simple. Be sure that our correct legal name appears in all final documents as:

“I give to WildCat Ridge Sanctuary, having a principal place of business at PO Box 280 Scotts Mills, OR 97375 USA, Federal tax identification 93-1320051, ____ percent of my residuary estate (or $_____, or other property) to be used or disposed of in its sole discretion as it deems appropriate.”

Types of Bequests

Specific Bequest: WildCat Ridge Sanctuary receives a specific dollar amount, a specific piece of property or a stated percentage of the estate. This is one of the most popular forms of bequests.

Residuary Bequest: WildCat Ridge Sanctuary receives all or a stated percentage of an estate after distribution of specific bequests and payment of debts, taxes and expenses.

Contingent Bequest: WildCat Ridge Sanctuary receives all or part of the estate under certain specified circumstances, such as the death of another beneficiary.

Beneficiary Designation Gift

Just as you designate individuals to receive certain assets directly as your named beneficiary, you can name WildCat Ridge to receive part of the asset. This is most commonly used with IRAs and other retirement plan assets and life insurance policies, but it can also work with assets such as checking and savings accounts, brokerage accounts, and commercial annuities.

Beneficiary designations have the advantage of being flexible (give as little or as much as you like), revocable (generally they can be changed at any time), and perhaps most importantly, they leave the assets under your control should you need them during your lifetime.

Bequests and beneficiary designation gifts are fully deductible from your estate and there is no limit as to how much can be deducted.

Summary

Regardless of the size of your estate, you want to ensure that what you own will go to those people and organizations you care for and love. Your estate documents become a last expression of what you have valued in your life, expressed through a personal statement and by what you leave to whom. By being thoughtful and organized about your affairs, you will have left a final, loving gift to your family and organizations you care about.

Jan

2022

2021: A Look Back

The Keeper Journal

2021 was quite the year – we're sure you can relate. From a freezing ice storm in February to blistering temperatures during the summer, the weather alone was enough to keep the keepers on their toes. But, of course, that wasn't all; because when you have almost one hundred animals in your care, each day is likely to be just as exciting as the last.

Onsite updates

The hospital

A continuous project this year was the construction of our hospital building, a future home for medical supplies, as well as a place to host vets to come and conduct procedures like surgeries and wellness exams. This will mean less offsite transporting of cats and 24/7 access to quality medical supplies.

One of our animal sanctuary vets and her team visited us in September to spay Kariba, perform dental care and give overall wellness checks to a number of cats. They were able to utilize the unfinished hospital space, getting us excited for all the possibilities it will offer us once completed.

The lockouts

Another project the keepers worked on throughout the year was the designing, building and installation of feeding lockouts on many of the bobcat and serval enclosures. The lockouts enable streamlined feeding, minimize fights between penmates and help get the cat into a secure, safe spot when we need to crate them for a medical exam or move.

We hope in the future to also install large lockouts similar to these on all our large cat (tiger and lion) pens, as they help reduce stress for the animals when they're already comfortable entering lockouts/crates on their own.

New residents

2021 also brought a number of new residents to WildCat Ridge. Some of them came with severe health complications, and others were turned in simply because their owners realized owning a wildcat is, well, not a great choice. But we're thrilled to report they've all adapted to their new homes beautifully, and won the hearts of their keepers.

Misha

Misha was surrendered to us after his owners were shocked to receive a full bred serval after ordering a savannah cat from a Russian breeder. They attempted to care for him, but unfortunately a diet lacking nutrition led to the development of metabolic bone disease (MBD) resulting in a number of fractures in his legs.

In order to give him better care, they sought us out.

Today Misha lives happily with his serval BFF Cairo and is supplied a well-rounded diet of bones, chicken and beef, which we're pretty sure is the most anticipated part of his day.

Duma

Feisty girl Duma came to us in the fall after her owners had to evacuate their home due to severe fires in British Columbia. They had provided her with loving care, a healthy diet and plenty of space to run, but ultimately knew that the security we could provide at our animal sanctuary was the best choice for her.

Duma immediately enchanted us all, even though it took some time to adjust her to the normal diet around here (but she is a cat, after all).

Today she lives peacefully in her enclosure, ever curious of the keepers, with a deep love for mice and basking in the sun.

Rufina

Rescued from a condemned roadside zoo in New York, Rufina arrived with the fluffiest coat of any bobcat on property and an attitude that clearly says, "I run this place, you just work here."

Even though she likes her space, Rufina is always ready to engage with enrichment, and is quick to come out to the fence line when called, especially if it means receiving an evening snack.

Neeme

Neeme has been one of our most challenging newcomers, arriving incredibly underweight with a complicated illness many were having a challenge treating.

However, with a regimented medicine routine, expert veterinarian care, close attention to dietary preferences and tons and tons of neck scratches, Neeme is not only gaining back his weight, he has become a happy, healthy and normal cat who demands his food every morning and evening and wants the attention of his keepers more than anything in the world.

Looking forward

As the new year takes full swing, we're already anticipating many new projects, potential new residents and the ever present changes in routines. Because after all, adapting to new challenges as they come is what makes the animal care field truly so rewarding.

Dec

2021

A Tribute to Sable

A Tribute to Our Serval, Sable

The Keeper Journal

One of the biggest challenges of our jobs as keepers is letting go of the animals in our care. As a retirement home for all of these animals we take in, we are able to promise them the best quality of care after the trauma they likely endured before calling WildCat Ridge home.

This also means, however, that they stay with us until it is time to move on and they tell us it is time for them to go. Recently, such was the case with our precious serval girl, Sable.

A serval with a past

Sable had been purchased as a kitten in 2001 from a pet store in Washington State. Unfortunately, she was poorly cared for by her original owners, and was taken by a caring friend who found Sable very ill and with many open wounds on her body.

After Sable received the necessary vet care, this friend took Sable into her home in California. But owning a serval is not legal in CA, and after a time, she relinquished ownership to save Sable from being euthanized.

Sable then came to live at WildCat Ridge and called its peaceful landscape her home ever since.

A special one amongst the keepers

Of course, we're not allowed to have favorites, but there was no way to look at Sable without falling in love with her. Every single one of the keepers had a special, unique relationship with Sable.

We looked forward to walking into Charlie perimeter early in the morning, greeted by her insistent meows that breakfast was, indeed, late.

We discovered that she absolutely loved cucumbers and enthusiastically brought them out to her for enrichment when we could. She loved cut up pieces of chicken and chicken hearts, but wasn't always fond of eating them off the ground.

But none of us minded sitting for an extra ten minutes with her to tong feed her piece by piece.

Servals are often characterized by their high energy rambunctiousness, but Sable was always on the gentler side, politely taking her food and participating eagerly in activities like painting.

She never minded when we came in to clean her pen (her enclosure-mate, Safari, on the other hand, would let us know we were the biggest inconvenience.) In fact, Sable minded so little that we would often have to work around her in her reluctance to move from her spot.

Always gentle, always loving

It might sound funny to call her a loving serval, but that's what she was. Sable had a gentle, peaceful look in her eyes that comforted you even on the hardest days. Towards the end, we definitely noticed as she began to slow down, but she never lost that look, never lost her gentle spirit.

The keepers took her passing with much sadness, but we are grateful for the chance we had to work with her and get to know her, and the opportunity we had to love her.

Rest in peace, sweet Sable, you will be missed.

Dec

2021

Suspecting an Illness: How We Tell if a Cat is Sick

The Keeper Journal

Routine weight calculation on Milo

If you've ever been the parent to a sick animal, you know just how stressful it can be. As much as we would love it, no animal can just come up to us and say, "I don't feel good."

So instead of being able to ask, "Where does it hurt?" we, as animal keepers, need to be expert at pinpointing even the smallest abnormality in the behaviors of our cats to catch an illness before it turns into a severe concern.

Lethargy

One key abnormality we look for is lethargy. Now, you might be thinking, "Cats sleep all the time, don't they? How can you tell if they're lethargic or just taking a normal cat nap?"

Great question.

A lethargic cat, while they do sleep a lot, also show physical signs we might notice, such as partially closed eyes, reluctance to get up from their sleeping spot or just overall signs of fatigue. This includes moving a lot more slowly during mealtimes, which, here at the animal sanctuary, is usually fast paced chaos.

So a sleepy-looking, slow-moving cat during breakfast is usually a pretty good indicator to us that they may be having a bit of an off day.

Decrease in appetite

Keeper Lynx with Kariba

All of our cats eat a consistent diet, so when a cat doesn't finish their diet for a couple of days in a row, or shows disinterest in food entirely, we make a note of it.

A cat that stops eating could have any number of issues, from dental problems to gut problems, so we not only communicate with the team that so-and-so didn't eat, we also monitor the cat.

We ask ourselves, 'Are they showing other symptoms? Was it just one off day or multiple? Are they dehydrated and in need of fluids?'

Additionally, we make sure to contact our vet to either get their feedback or schedule an appointment based on the veterinarian's recommendations.

Fecal abnormalities

It's totally normal in our line of work to pay attention to the quality (yup, quality) of poop we find the enclosures. There's such a thing as a "good poop" and "bad poop," and we actually can learn a ton about the GI health of these animals from their feces.

Obviously, the more solidly formed a feces is, the healthier the animal is, and the worse it looks, the more concerned we need to be. Sometimes it's as simple as switching up what we are feeding the cat, like taking them off a poultry diet and supplementing with rabbit or fish instead; other times it requires a medication change.

No matter what we do, we continue to closely monitor the fecal quality, as well as look for other signs of an upset stomach, like vomiting.

Persistent itching

There have been some recent cases where we've noticed a cat spending frequent time itching and scratching. And while cats are known for grooming, there's a difference between routine grooming and persistent itching.

For some cats, it might be indicative of a food allergy. In others, it might be a reaction to a flea bite, as in the case of flea allergy dermatitis.

When we notice an itching, uncomfy cat, we start with limiting the ingredients of their diet (usually by removing chicken first), and closely monitor the results. We might apply a topical flea medication if we suspect or see fleas. And then we contact our vets for additional suggestions if needed.

Healthy cats mean happy keepers

None of us like it when our cats get sick, and so we do everything in our power to prevent illness, like assuring their quality of food and taking the proper steps if anyone does have allergies or dietary requirements.

But when sickness does occur, we rely on the knowledge of our vets and the experience of the keepers experienced in veterinary medicine to help. This way we can assure quality of life for all our cats for years to come.

Nov

2021

What is a Hybrid Cat?

The Keeper Journal

Here at WildCat Ridge, we take in a number of wildcats that used to be owned as pets, including bobcats, servals and the occasional lynx. Sadly, many pet owners believe that since they're "smaller" wildcats, they make the perfect exotic house pet. This is just not true, as they come to find out, and they're quick to try and re-home these animals in places like animal sanctuaries.

In addition to servals and bobcats, we also receive a number of inquiries asking to take in hybrid cats. Hybrids are the result of breeding a wildcat with a domestic house cat; these animals are then advertised as domesticated house pets. But no matter how hard you try, you simply can't take the wild out of a wildcat, even if it's been bred with a tabby.

So what's a hybrid?

Sadly, there are a variety of hybrid cats on the pet market today, tempting owners to invest in a more exotic, larger and unique looking pet. These cats may be anywhere from a first generation (F1) hybrid where one parent was a wildcat, one a domestic cat, to an F3, where the momma cat was an F2 and the father a domestic.

The belief is that the lower the number after the F, the less wild the animal...but we all know that while you might take the cat out of the wild, there's no removing the wild out of the cat. Right, Tut?

Savannahs, bengals and chausies

We currently have three different breeds of hybrids at our animal sanctuary – savannahs, bengals and one chausie.

Savannah – A savannah cat is the result of breeding a domestic cat with an African serval. While the resulting animal may look as unique as Taji or more like a large house cat, such as Violet or Maxi, their behaviors will likely remain as food aggressive and potentially territorial as a wild serval's. Of course, we do have some savannahs that love some keeper attention, but they remain a force to be reckoned with during breakfast.

Zuzu and Jersey, savannah cats

Bengals – Bengal cats are the offspring of a domestic cat and Asian Leopard cat. And while they catch the eye of many want-to-be-exotic-pet owners because of their uniquely spotted coat, bengals have an irreversible instinct to mark their territory by spraying everywhere. While there is plenty of room for all our bengals to mark their territory to their hearts content out here at WCR, it's a good reason why bengals don't belong in a home.
Morpheus, bengal cat
Chausie – Chausies are a mix of domestic cat and jungle cat (Felis chaus). Only one chausie calls WildCat Ridge home: our beloved Tut. Even though this boy loves cuddles from the keepers, he also loves anything that smells. We frequently find him waist deep in the poop bucket when we're trying to clean litter boxes, and his reputation for spraying on everything (keepers included!) is just one reason why chausies make highly challenging pets.

Tut, chausie cat

But no matter their quirks, we adore each of our hybrid cats and find it an important part of our mission to provide them with a comfortable forever home.

Thinking about adopting a hybrid cat?

Trust us when we say, "Think again."

Don't get us wrong, we love each and every one of our hybrids, but we also love each and every one of our tigers and we certainly aren't suggesting they make good pets. Just because an animal is beautiful, exotic or has a great personality, it does not mean that animal belongs in a house. Far from it, in fact.

In addition, many hybrid cats, because they are the product of human experimentation and do not occur naturally in the wild, are born with a number of health complications or genetic defects. This can make life uncomfortable, even painful, for the cats; scary diagnoses and large vet bills are yet another reason why many owners give up on owning hybrids, resulting in an abundance of these animals at sanctuaries like ours.

Support our hybrids, not the exotic pet market

We won't disagree, hybrids are beautiful animals (like, we're all obsessed with Morpheus). However, as long as there is a demand, breeders will continue to supply hybrids, even when a majority of these cats will likely be re-homed or need extensive medical care at some point in their lives.

You can help put a stop to this demand and provide for the wellbeing of all exotic animals by raising your voice against the exotic pet trade, adopting a sweet domestic kitty from your local human society instead or virtually adopting one of our hybrids!

And we thank you for standing with us against the private ownership and breeding of exotic wildcats.

New Arrivals: Lithuanian Savannah Cats Find Sanctuary in Oregon

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Healthy, Happy, and Ready for a New Home

Recent Posts

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Lithuanian Liberation

Recent Posts

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Nala

The heartbreaking story of a 'pet' serval

Visiting West Coast Game Park

An Investigative Report by Tiffany Lopez, WCR Operations manager

Estate Planning and Charitable Giving

Elements of an Estate Plan

Leaving a Legacy for WildCat Ridge Sanctuary

Types of Bequests

Beneficiary Designation Gift

Summary

2021: A Look Back

The Keeper Journal

Onsite updates

The hospital

The lockouts

New residents

Misha

Duma

Rufina

Neeme

Looking forward

A Tribute to Our Serval, Sable

The Keeper Journal

A serval with a past

A special one amongst the keepers

Always gentle, always loving

Suspecting an Illness: How We Tell if a Cat is Sick

The Keeper Journal

Lethargy

Decrease in appetite

Fecal abnormalities

Persistent itching

Healthy cats mean happy keepers

What is a Hybrid Cat?

The Keeper Journal

So what's a hybrid?

Savannahs, bengals and chausies

Thinking about adopting a hybrid cat?

Support our hybrids, not the exotic pet market

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