THE ACORN TREE
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(photo courtesy of Trellix Web Graphics)
Wildlife on Easy Street is a nonprofit wildlife sanctuary that's become home to 170 large, exotic cats. The organization is dedicated to the care of over 200 unwanted, abandoned, and abused animals.
They do not sell, or breed any animals, nor will they refer you to a broker, dealer, or breeder. They firmly believe that, "These animals do not make good pets and if you have the experience and expertise to care for one for the rest of it's life, then you should be donating your time to caring for the hundreds of unwanted ones who have ended up in sanctuaries." (courtesy of Wildlife On Easy Street (c))
Although it sounds harsh, they have a valid point. From what I could learn, there are hundreds of wild animals, suffering a fate worse than death, because they were obtained by people who failed to realize the work involved, and simply wanted a "pet" cat. They are not "bad" people, they are simply caught up in the excitement of "owning" a wild animal. They fail to prepare themselves for the responsibility of caring for a wild animal.
Wildlife on Easy Street receives calls every week from people looking to find a home for their "pet" cat. By the time these individuals call Wildlife on Easy Street, they've already discovered that zoos don't want their animal, no one will buy them and they can't even give them away.
Too often these "pets" are turned out to fend for themselves or are euthanized. Wildlife on Easy Street turns down between 50 and 100 animals a year because they have neither the funds nor the space to care for one more animal.
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(courtesy of Trellix Web graphics)
Wildlife on Easy Street doesn't like to see animals caged, so they do what they can to offer a lot of human interaction for the cats. The cats approach people in a friendly manner because they have been raised with people since birth. They look for and crave the same love and affection they knew then.
Wildlife on Easy Street hopes to make the public more aware of the issues involved, by allowing guests into the sanctuary, and also enlisting the aid of volunteers to help with the tremendous amount of work necessary to properly care for these big cats. They hope to show the public that owning a big cat almost never works out, not for the cat, nor for the owner.
Here are some important things Wildlife On Easy Street pointed out for you to consider if you are thinking of owning a big cat.
It is cheaper by the pound for the refuge to purchase 17,000 lb. of meat at a time than for you to purchase a weeks supply of meat for one cat. Choosing to cut corners in this area of care, results in an animal that suffers due to nutritional deficiencies.
Exotic cats range in price from $500.00 for a Bobcat, to $2500.00 for a Tiger cub. An Ocelot can cost as much as $15,000.00. The more rare the cat, the higher the price.
Your new "pet" will be a cute, adorable, cuddly cub when you get it, but within a year it will grow to just about it's full size. You will need a cage to fit you're cat. You will need a stainless steel squeeze cage that will hold your cat at it's maximum weight. One of the Tigers at Easy Street weighs 800 lb. and is 12 feet from nose to tip of tail. A small squeeze cage will cost you $250.00 used and you could easily spend $2000.00 on one big enough for a lion or leopard.
You will also need to have a veterinarian on call who has already agreed to take care of your wild cat. There are not too many vets with the experience or the willingness to deal with the liability of having their staff exposed to a wild cat.
You will need to have reliable transportation. Your cat will need to see the vet for all of it's yearly vaccinations, checkups, and boo-boos. A large van will be needed to transport your cat to the veterinarians office. Most veterinarians will not allow you to bring the cat to their office without it being confined to a squeeze cage. You will need a fork lift to move a tiger. They rent for $300.00 a day, with an operator.
Most states have cage requirements and require that you have no less than 5 acres of land. Remember these are wild animals and are not used to being confined to a cage. They need a tremendous amount of space.
Most states also require you to have an 8 ft. perimeter fence. On five acres, this can cost you $8,000.00. You are not allowed to have this perimeter fence as any part of the animals cage, so that means another run of fence and a roof to ensure that your animal doesn't escape.
You will need state and federal permits, which can cost you over $200.00 a year. If you don't keep your permits up to date, the government can come in and confiscate your cat and kill it. And this is just the beginning.
You can expect to invest almost $22,000.00 your first year owning a small to mid-sized cat. The annual expenses will run around $2300.00. If it's a big cat, set us will cost you $94,000.00 and annual care is over $8000.00.
Wildlife on Easy Street wants everyone to be educated and armed with all the facts BEFORE going out and taking on the responsibility of a wild animal as a pet. They urge you to ask yourself; "Are you really prepared?".
The material on this page was obtained with express permission from Wildlife On Easy Street. All material is Copyright © 2000 WildLife on Easy Street.
We all need to sit up and take notice of exactly what is happening to our Earth. I have always been a nature lover, and as I have indicated before, I love the wild stuff. Nature at it's best, is nature in it's own.
When I began this project, I had no idea just how huge it would become. I discovered so much information that it is impossible to include it all here. And what I thought would take about two weeks to complete, has turned into many more.
We can't focus on one cure, one solution. The bottom line is this, we all need to work together to find a solution, and because the answer is not going to be found in a single solution, we need to work in groups willing to share information and ideas.
We have to educate people who want these animals as pets so they understand it is a life long commitment and one which will require a tremendous amount of money, work, experience and above all knowledge.
We need to support our wildlife sanctuaries and refuges to the best of our abilities, by education, volunteering, and funding.
Research and learn everything you can and than share your knowledge with others. Get others involved, encourage others to learn and share their knowledge too.
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Permission was requested and granted for information included on these pages. Please remember that all material is copyrighted and respect the meaning of such.
To visit Wildlife on Easy Street's site, click here: 
