Greetings,We've landed as agile as a cat, smack dab in September. It's one of our favorite months because there is the slightest hint of Fall on the way and that means cooler temps in the future and best of all, our annual gala the Fur Ball around the corner!This issue also brings you news of a lion & tiger rescue, a bunch of bobcat rescues, compassion in action from youth, educational items and more. Sink your teeth into this great edition! Carole Baskin, Founder 

	Lion/Tiger Pride Rescue Is In Your Hands

It took the combined efforts of USDA, undercover agents and concerned citizens seven years to shut down Diana McCourt (aka Cziraky) and her Siberian Tiger Foundation in OH.  It wasn’t until her landlords, Donnalynn and Christian Laver were able to evict her from the property that Knox County was able to seize the six cats who had been used for years as props in Diana McCourt’s “tiger training” scheme.By the end of the ordeal the cats were starving and they still have virtually no shelter from the elements.  With winter coming the landlord is worried about their water freezing over again and their lack of shelter, but we are limited in what we can do.  We have space for the lions, but that would mean breaking up two lions and two tigers who have lived together for 13 years.These cats were declawed and defanged to be used as props and have lost so much already, we hate to see them lose their only friends.

Read about Joseph's pride and how you can help

Donate Now!

	Boatload of Bobcat Rescues

In just 3 weeks, 3 bobcats found themselves pushed out of their homes by rampant development. From a severely emaciated bobcat wandering in the middle of an office park to an orphaned baby bobcat, to yet another one-eyed bobcat found with a massive lump on his abdomen, we have been knee-high in bobcat rescues. Each case presents its distinct set of challenges, but if there is any way that any of them can go free, even if just to live out another couple of years in the wild, that is our goal.  If they cannot get a clean bill of health and fend for themselves, then they will have a retirement that other wild cats could only dream of. The incidents are sad, but yet there are lessons accompanied by plenty of hope in each of their stories. We never give up. 

Click for bobcat rescue stories

	Will You Help Stop Tiger Abuse at Medieval Fair?

Do you know what is outdated and out of vogue in any time period? Animal Exploitation!  Medieval Fairs can be great fun with the costumes, jousting, and live skits, but to celebrate that era, do we need to demonstrate animal abuse?  The tiger act at the upcoming Sarasota fair is undoubtedly there because the owners perceive that people want to see it.  You can help these animals with a quick email showing the owners that people care and do not want to see this abuse, any more than most of the public wants to see dog fighting.  For more on why these acts are abusive visit Big Cat Exhibition.

Ask the fair owners to send the tigers home here.

	Fur Ball is Almost Sold Out!

The Fur Ball is Oct 12th. Do you have your tickets to participate in this extraordinary gala? We are so close to SOLD OUT that we have taken down the online registration but you can still call 813-426-5948 to see if there are any seats left or to get on a waiting list for cancellations. Can you taste the chocolate sculptures, hear the drumming of the drumming circle, imagine the beautifully creative attire, taste the delectable dinner, bid on exotic animal print items and specialty gift certificates and enjoy getting to see Cynthia Smoot our M.C. and Bo Derek our honored guest? We are head-long into preparation to show you the most memorable time. You wonder..how do we pull this off? We depend on lots of volunteer hours and generous donors. In fact, we would like to appeal to you if you are a professional who provides hourly services like attorney's, hair stylist's, or perhaps also massage therapists or others you can think of, to donate a certificate for your time? Our guests love these items and the cats benefit in the end.

Fur Ball Details

	Foreign Fashion Designer Goes Fur-Free

 Well, first of all I'm a fashion designer, I'm 17 years old, I got stared in the fashion industry a long time ago, I have sewn since I was 13 years old. I was a big fur lover, I would admire my mom's cousins when they would come to my house in Christmas and bring their coats of fox, rabbit, mink, chinchilla and seal fur. They were rich and could afford those things. So I would begin using faux fur as trim or a complete coat. One day, I went to a fur farm, in a visit I did with my cousins. They were so thankful to me because I made them this long navy blue evening gown, that they bought me real mink skins so I can make them a very long and what seemed beautiful bed cover. It took me about a month and a half to do this because I had to make pleads and used about 200 to 300 skins in that project alone.When I finished it, I took it to my cousins and they loved it so much, that they wanted more but in chinchilla fur... (poor animals, so small) But this was very recently, about 4 months ago. So I had time to watch a video of animal torture and was SHOCKED at what I saw... It was very early enough, before any animal was tortured again in this farm... my family saw this video and immediately got rid of all the fur and made the farm close.Since then, I only use as little fur as possible (faux fur) and it is more expensive, but I at least don't have to carry the guilt of an animal being tortured for the sake of fashion. The lynx video helped me understand that animals are inoffensive beings that should be respected and treated with the same. -David Contreras

You can view the broadcasts that inspired David here:

	Ask the Cat

If you have a cat, you know they are smart but most of them aren't as adept at speaking as this one.  Check out the new Artificial Intelligence "Spokes Tiger."  You can ask the cat about Big Cat Rescue or who is President, when tour times are offered, what the cat's favorite song is, etc. Have fun!  

Ask the Cat HERE

 

	We Put the Cat in FCAT

We now offer F-Cat Science lessons for grades 3 through 12 on our Teachers Resource page. This page will help you find the information quickly that you need to captivate the interest of your students. Big Cat Rescue's web site is more than 10,500 files of information about big cats in the wild and in captivity. We offer a huge array of articles on conservation, preservation and compassionate living. Our games are designed to familiarize children with the exotic cat species to spark an interest in much larger global matters. Kids learn best by doing and have a remarkable ability to gather and store information if they are having fun. Big Cat Rescue's web site is designed to make learning fun. 

Start the learning today

	Volunteer Spot-light

Volunteer Sharyn Beach tells how easy it is to talk to your legislator.

During the last weekend in July, volunteer Sharyn Beach took the opportunity of joining Big Cat Rescue founder Carole Baskin, Howard Baskin, and volunteer Susan Mitchell in Washington D.C. for the third annual Taking Action for Animals Conference.  Each year the conference is presented by several animal protection organizations and includes lectures, workshops, and exhibits that provide knowledge, skills, and tools to help us speak out for animals more efficiently and more powerfully.

After a weekend of gathering loads of information, representatives from The Humane Society of the United States prepped participants for going to Capitol Hill to discuss animal welfare issues with members of Congress.  They even set up appointments for us or gave us the info on the staff members we should talk to in our legislator’s office. After such great preparation, I felt ready to do something I have never done before, which was to walk into my representative’s office and ask him to co-sponsor bills that protect animals.

You'll want to hear what happened next. Click below. We're very proud of her contributions.

 

Read her story here

	Feline Fact

Heard of the saying "as fast as a cat on a hot tin roof?" The cat's brain features a highly efficient message center that coordinates sensory input with signals to and from his muscles and joints. The system works so fast that the cats can adjust his position almost instantaneously.(No dogs were actually harmed in the creation of this issue of the AdvoCat)