Happy Halloween from Big Cat Rescue!

  Most of this month's AdvoCat news can be found in the Big Cat Times online edition here:  BCT-2014-4It is there that you will find out about our most recent tiger rescue, an update on Mickey Cougar, see our Windsong Memorial Hospital rising from the ground, get an update on Ariel the most recent bobcat rescue, bid a sad farewell to some of our beloved big cats, check out some great photos of recent rescues, Zeus and Keisha Tigers, going on vacation, see some fun new Halloween photos, find some holiday shopping bargains and get the scoop on the progress of our federal bill to ban big cat abuse.  Get all of that here:  BCT-2014-4[toc]

Get Tickets to Haunted Trail

 Walk the path of horror this Halloween night through a cypress marsh and come face to face with terrifying villains from your favorite scary movies. There will be food and drinks for purchase, a pumpkin carving contest, and more!Gates open at 7PM with the first tour beginning at 7:30. The last admissions to the trail are at 10PM so be there or be scared!Call 888-316-5875 for reservations and details or go to www.zerve.com/bigcatrescue/haunted!Ages 10+, no costumes please! 

Free Halloween Treats

 Check out some of our big cat Halloween Games, Goodies and Freebies for your family to enjoy. Many of these Halloween goodies feature photos of the big cats that live here. Your can get free Halloween crafts for the crafting members of your family. Your can get free Halloween desktop wallpapers, free Halloween screensavers, free Halloween games to play online and offline. There are even free Halloween party games and party packs for you to download and print. It is our hope that you will enjoy this free Halloween stuff and pass the link to Big Cat Rescue's main web site on to your friends.  https://bigcatfun.com/halloween.html 

Party with Big Cat Rescue

 It’s a purrrrrrfect time to take a walk on the wild side and celebrate Centre Club Tampa's 30th anniversary Charity Classic event! Dance the night away to live music, sip handcrafted cocktails and enjoy delectable hors d’oeuvres benefiting Big Cat Rescue, E.P.C.F., and Augie's Quest.When: Saturday Oct. 18 at 6:30 pmWhere: 123 South Westshore Boulevard  Tampa, Florida 33609Rrrrrrreservations required so RSVP today! 813-286-4040  Tickets:  https://classic.als.net/Register/?id=1201 

Lions and Tigers and Dragons, Oh My!

 We’re ROARINGLY excited to announce that The Body Shop has recently decided to extend promotion of their "Dragon Fruit Lip Butter" fundraising/public awareness campaign!Over the course of the past year, the Body Shop Foundation has generously donated a portion of the proceeds of the sale of their super-moisturizing "Dragon Fruit Lip Butter", approximately $17,000, in support of the magnificent creatures that call Big Cat Rescue home.The exciting news is that between October 13th and November 2nd, all Body Shop stores in the U.S. will be prominently promoting super-moisturizing "Dragon Fruit Lip Butter" as well as the charities that will be benefiting from the sales of this product.100% of the profits from the sale of the "Dragon Fruit Lip Butter" go to charity so the greater the sales, the greater the funding.If you don’t live near a Body Shop store, not to worry, as you can still wet your lips and support the cats by purchasing the super-moisturizing "Dragon Fruit Lip Butter" online:  https://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/skin-care/lip-treatments/dragon-fruit-lip-butter.aspx 

Videos Since the Last AdvoCat

 

Small Cat Halloween Enrichment

 https://youtu.be/dnH85PxgkHM 

Bengali Tiger VS The Mummy

 https://youtu.be/PviP24fismk 

Cameron and Zabu Vacation Rotation

 https://youtu.be/LJtjS5UP8Fs 

Siberian Lynx VS Pumpkin

 https://youtu.be/i11AhgDffRo 

Ariel Bobcat Checkup

 https://youtu.be/KhMOOY5UxmQ 

TJ Tiger Slow Motion Splashing

 https://youtu.be/tiJ_qzz_iLQ 

Running Bear Loves Pumpkin Time

 https://youtu.be/IWGCGjr9l3g 

Gilligan Lynx Gets a New Home

 https://youtu.be/Dpba5jeyaUc 

Mickey Cougar Physical Therapy Update

 https://youtu.be/xcd-lmVEW2E 

Jumanji Leopard Operant Condition via GoPro

 https://youtu.be/-V3BEvFfdg4 

Little Feather Gets Fluids

 https://youtu.be/K2bg6onC5EE 

Keisha Tiger Leaves First Vacation

 https://youtu.be/ZvMqJgLzogE 

Bengali Tiger VS The Puzzle Box

 https://youtu.be/Cd1jyaymOhg 

Cuteness Overload Kittens!

 https://youtu.be/hzrGMTnTYUg 

WANTED - Your Honest Opinion

 If you answered this on Facebook already this week we have your vote.We are trying something new with our main YouTube channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue in the past we would launch one video per week and make sure it was the best we could offer, with concise editing, music andscripted dialogues where necessary.Anything else we filmed, such as keeper walkabouts, long form videos, mini clips, etc. would be posted at our secondary channel  YouTube.com/DailyBigCatIt dilutes our branding to divide our videos across two channels, but we don’t want our loyal primary channel viewers at  YouTube.com/BigCatRescue to be annoyed with a subscription to videos that would not ordinarily have made the cut.In the comments below would you answer this question? YOUR answer matters to us.Do you prefer all of our videos to be on one channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue? 

Top Shocking Incidents of Big Cat Exploitation – October 2014

 We hope by sharing a new list with you each month that you will join us in speaking out for the big cats and cubs that are exploited across this country every day. We encourage you to take one small action today and contact one or more of the offenders below to politely express your concern. Together we can be the voice for the voiceless...together we can make a difference. If you learn of exotic cats or cubs being exploited in your area, please contact Susan Bass at Susan.Bass@BigCatRescue.org. No. 1 A few months ago (March 2014 AdvoCat) we joined with PETA to ask you to take action to let Harrah’s Casino and Caesar’s Entertainment Group know that animal lovers did not want to see the notorious Dirk Arthur and his Wild Magic Show featuring big cats at Harrah’s. We are thrilled to say that YOUR voices were heard and Caesar’s Entertainment Group has agreed to never again work with Arthur after learning about his disturbing history of animal welfare violations!!BUT we need your voices again…Dirk Arthur is now scheduled to open his Wild Illusions Show featuring big cats in Las Vegas at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in December. Arthur has been cited by USDA for multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act including forcing two tigers and a lion to undergo painful declawing procedures in violation of a long-standing USDA policy; confining a snow leopard to a rusty and unsound enclosure; subjecting a bobcat to conditions that presented “a clear hazard” to the animal’s safety; failing to use adequate barriers to protect the cats and the public; and denying the animals the opportunity to exercise or even have adequate space to make normal postural adjustments.Comment on the Riviera Hotel & Casino’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RivieraLasVegasSign PETA’s Action Alert: https://www.peta.org/action/action-alerts/big-cats-las-vegas-need-help/?utm_campaign=Big%20Cats%20Vegas&utm_source=PETA%20E-Mail&utm_medium=AlertCall the Riviera Hotel & Casino’s box office at 702-794-9433 (press 2 to speak with a ticket agent) and urge the hotel to pass along the public's outcry to management. No. 2 A supporter contacted us with concerns about a rescue called Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Center (Florida) that recently acquired an injured bobcat suffering from a broken leg and seizures. The facility appropriately determined that the bobcat named Pawnee (pictured above on the facility’s Facebook page) could not be released back into the wild due to the seizures. BUT they have decided to display her in a cage on the tour path for tourists to gawk at during tram tours through an orange grove owned by Mixon Fruit Farms, where they offer “wildlife tours.” The combination of loud tram noise, fumes and tourists will be a very stressful environment for a wild bobcat, especially one known to have seizures. Please ask Wildlife Education & Rehab Center to keep Pawnee OFF the tour path and instead house her in a safe, quiet place where she can live as stress free a life as possible.Contact Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Center’s Curator Gail Straight and President Ed Straight at 941-778-6324 and https://wildlifeinc.org/?page_id=113Contact Dean Mixon, owner of Mixon Fruit Farms, at 941-748-5829 ext. 243 and deanm@mixon.comContact Janet Mixon, owner of Mixon Fruit Farms, at 941-748-5829 ext. 258 and janetm@mixon.com No. 3 According to a recent article in the Toledo Blade newspaper, the Massillon Washington High School (Ohio) acquires a new tiger cub every year “to travel with the team and greet fans during the football season.” Assistant Athletic Director Brian Pachis says the school “gets the cubs in August and keeps them just through football season.” Please help us educate this high school that their tradition of having a live tiger cub mascot is inhumane, exploitative, cruel and needs to end.Read an article about it here: https://www.toledoblade.com/local/2014/10/11/State-may-close-down-sanctuary-for-not-following-rules-on-exotics.htmlContact Principal Brad Warner at 330-830-3901 ext. 51107 and bwarner@massillonschools.orgContact Athletic Director Jason Hall at 330-830-3901 ext. 51620 and jhall@massillonschools.orgContact Asst. Athletic Director Brian Pachis at 330-830-3901 ext. 51117 and bpachis@massillonschools.org No. 4 Louisa County High School (Virginia) has two live adult lions at every home football game. According to an article in The Daily Progress newspaper, the lions are not only subjected to crowd noise during the games but “there are fireworks and cannon explosions when the offense scores.” Every home game since 2005 has had at least one live lion on the sidelines. We can’t even imagine how terrified and stressed out these lions must be. Please help these big cats by asking Louisa County High School to stop exploiting lions at their school.Read an article about it here: https://www.dailyprogress.com/sports/high_school/in-the-jungle-live-lions-are-part-of-louisa-football/article_de50fcda-3c19-11e3-87e0-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqmContact Principal Lee Downey at 540-894-5436 and downeylc@lcps.k12.va.us Contact Athletic Director George Stanley at 540-894-5436 and stanlega@lcps.k12.va.us No. 5 The Student Government Association at Auburn University (Alabama) recently brought a tiger cub on campus as part of their annual “Hey Day” event. The tiger is Auburn’s mascot. Please help us educate the school that there are better ways of celebrating tigers, such as educating students about endangered tigers or fundraising for wild tiger conservation. Having a tiger on campus sends the wrong message that it is ok for people to exploit and use these wild big cats as entertainment.Read an article about it here: https://www.theplainsman.com/view/full_story/25861207/article-Hey-Day-brings-baby-tiger-to-Auburn-s-campus?instance=home_news_1st_rightContact Auburn’s Student Government Assoc. at 334-844-4240 and sga@auburn.eduContact Auburn’s Student Government Assoc. Advisor Brad Smith at 334-844-3277 and smithbk@auburn.eduContact Auburn University’s President Dr. Jay Gogue at 334-844-4650 and jgogue@auburn.edu  Thank you for catching up with the cats!  Please be safe this Halloween.  Keep your cats indoors and share this AdvoCat Mewsletter with a friend!