There has been so much happening for the cats that we had to break the monthly AdvoCat Newsletter in two.  This is Part B.  Here was Part A: https://bigcatrescue.org/advocat-2016-04/

Welcome Hoover Tiger

https://youtu.be/wNxc7KaQnDIHoover was rescued from the Peruvian circus by Animal Defenders International when they secured a ban on using wild animals in circus acts. Watch his journey to Big Cat Rescue.  Learn more here: https://bigcatrescue.org/hoover/ and check out tees and totes to support him at:  https://big-cat-rescue.myshopify.com/collections/hoover-tiger 

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is May 8, 2016 and we have lots of gifts that will show her you care and that you know she loves cats.  Check shipping times to be sure your gift will arrive in time or check out downloads that you can print on demand.  See all the great gift selections at: https://big-cat-rescue.myshopify.com/

Thor Bobcat Update

On Sunday Thor will be returned to his rightful place in the wild.  Be sure that you are a fan of ours on Facebook.com/BigCatRescue and that you have your settings to include us first in the posts you see, so that you don't miss the LIVE broadcast of his release.  Meanwhile, you can read Thor's miraculous story here: https://BigCatRescue.org/Thor and you can help fund bobcat rescue, rehab and release by purchasing Thor themed tees, totes, and more here:https://big-cat-rescue.myshopify.com/collections/thor-rehab-bobcathttps://youtu.be/Qic8JM1SI0w

Teisha Tiger Needs MRI

After much debate we are going to take Teisha in for an MRI on Monday.  We have been worried that the trip might kill her, but she's just not improving enough for us to believe that she's comfortable, so we are going to have the MRI done and see if there is any surgery that might restore her ability to walk better.  Updates will be at https://BigCatRescue.org/Teisha

Boston Marathon Big Cat Style

Everyone at the sanctuary would like to extend ROARING Big Cat kudos to Advocat’s Miki Y. and her running partner Yung Hae C. in recognition of their amazing accomplishment in having run and successfully completed the Boston Marathon in support of the magnificent creatures that call Big Cat Rescue home!  Read more: https://bigcatrescue.org/big-cats-run/ 

Action Alert Jungle Habitat Zoo

Jungle Habitat Zoo, a traveling exhibitor that exploits a variety of exotic animals including big cats, is joining forces with the notorious owner of Nosey the elephant to operate a permanent roadside wild animal petting zoo in Kissimmee, Florida.  Find out more about this animal exploitation: https://911animalabuse.com/jungle-habitat-zoo/ and an easy way to stop it:  https://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51389/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=18491

Give Day Tampa Bay is May 3

HELP US WIN AGAIN THIS YEAR!On May 3 the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay will hold its third annual Give Day contest where nonprofits compete to see who can have the most donors and donations that day. There are also prizes for the most donations in a particular hour of the day.Thanks to so many of our supporters who participated, last year Big Cat Rescue won $30,000, more than any other nonprofit!  Of that $30,000, $10,000 was a prize for the most donations to an animal nonprofit sponsored by Caspers Company pictured here presenting their check.Helping us win this prize money to support the cats is a great way to leverage your donation dollar.On May 3 donations are accepted online by credit card for the contest.  The minimum donation is $25.If you prefer to donate by check, the check is still made out to Big Cat Rescue but must be dated May 3 and have “Give Day” in the memo section.  We need to submit it the day before Give Day, i.e. on Monday, May 2, so need to have it in hand, or at least a scanned copy of it, by that day.  If you mail checks, please send them to:Howard BaskinBig Cat Rescue12802 Easy StreetTampa, FL 33625-3702If you are contemplating a donation this year, Give Day is a great time to do it. Please mark May 3, 2016 on your calendar, or sign up here and we will remind you, and help us win again this year!https://youtu.be/nbpKurgdKBM

The Quarterly Big Cat Times

Our printed, quarterly magazine costs us about 43 cents to print and mail, per copy, so we can't mail it to everyone in our database.  You can download the digital version here though:  https://bigcatrescue.org/big-cat-times/ 

2016 Animal Lover Dream Vacation Winner

Every year we pull from the hat one of our supporters who has signed up for the Animal Lover’s Dream Vacation.  This year’s winner was Mia Voss and she’s bringing her friend Courtney Smith Kramer, since the vacation is for two people.  This could turn out to be as big a deal for our cats as it is for the winners, as they have a huge audience who will be following their adventures here.  Watch for a lot of Snap Chatting, Live Facebook Feeds, Twitter posts and more while they are here.  Find out more here: https://bigcatrescue.org/dream-vacation-winner/ 

Big Cat Rescue IS the News

When Apple came out with their own news app, Big Cat Rescue was one of the first to provide a feed of all our new posts.More great wins to announce since the last AdvoCat Newsletter:4/21/16  The N.H. Fish and Game Department on Wednesday withdrew its proposal to re-establish a bobcat hunting season. In a 9-1 vote at the Statehouse on April 1, the legislative committee objected on the grounds that a bobcat season would violate the federal endangered species act and that the proposal was not in the financial best interest of the public.  The money Fish and Game would have made from selling all 50 bobcat permits in its proposal totaled $5,000, while the cost to implement the hunting season was estimated to be between $15,000 and $20,000 per year.Geoffrey Jones, chairman of the Stoddard Conservation Commission, said following the bobcat season proposal was an eye-opening experience for him in terms of how Fish and Game operates.  “As we’ve all found out, people are pretty upset, and they’re not only upset about opening a season on a species that’s still in recovery, but I think people are upset about the process,” he said.  Jones said he didn’t think the Fish and Game commission ever listened to people’s concerns.Fish and Game received approximately 6,000 comments, with just about 250 in favor of the season, but voted to hunt bobcats anyway.  Changes need to be made in how the department runs to represent the interests of all people, according to Jones. “We’re so relieved that New Hampshire’s bobcats and lynx are safe from hunters and trappers,” Collette Adkins, a Center for Biological Diversity attorney and biologist, said. “At public expense, these bobcat seasons would have benefited only the few who’d like to kill these beautiful animals for sport or ship their pelts overseas to China for profit. The state heard loud and clear that people value these cats in the wild and don’t want to see them cruelly trapped or shot.4/20/16 Florida is still working on changing their rules, but sent this letter to licensees:The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has determined that newborn and infant nondomestic cats four weeks (28 days) of age or younger (neonate or neonatal) have special handling and husbandry needs. Please see the attached letter and Tech Note from APHIS regarding these requirements.  Any question you have in regards to these new guidelines may be addressed to USDA’s office in Raleigh, North Carolina at 919-855-7100, or in Fort Collins, Colorado at 970-494-7478.USDA Tech Note- Neonatal Nondomestic Felines.pdfUSDA Letter – Neaonatal Nondomestic Felines.pdf4/20/16  After the successful launch of The Jungle Book, Disney points to their policy of not using captive wild animals for their movies.  “We’re not allowed to actually shoot exotic animals that are kept in captivity for movies. You can do cats and dogs, but you can’t do anything like a tiger or an elephant … you can never get them in a trained environment,” Rob Legato, a veteran visual effects artist who worked on Jungle Book, told a crowd at a panel during the National Association of Broadcast conference.  The aforementioned policy outlines that Disney productions are, in general, not allowed to use exotic live animals outside of a zoo, sanctuary habitat or natural environment. It applies pretty much across the board — television or film productions, photo shoots, any media broadcast, special events — with only occasional exceptions, providing the said animal is not an ape or other large primate.4/17/16 Jim Kellogg resigns from the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, protesting the appointment of non hunters to the commission, and stated “I’m not willing to accept the changing world,” he said. “The animal rights people who don’t favor hunting and fishing have more horsepower than they did before.”  The shift away from having a board that is only comprised of hunters, when less than 1% of CA’s population are hunters, started under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who appointed commissioners who supported efforts to protect marine life off the California coast.4/16/16  The California Fish and Game Commission denied a proposal by the California Trappers Association to repeal the bobcat trapping ban that was put in place last year. The commissioners* stayed firm in their decision to support the hard-fought bobcat trapping ban. 

Earth Day News

Hope you’re well! One Green Planet launched the Food Monster App, which marks the ever-growing trend toward planet-friendly plant-based food!  The Food Monster App hit the Apple App Store on Earth Day, April 22, 2016.https://youtu.be/2EYCJtLMbxEMore than ever, people are waking up to the fact that animal agriculture is at the heart of our current environmental crisis. This destructive industry is not only responsible for the more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector, but it uses 23 percent of the world’s freshwater resources and covers over 50 percent of arable land.Not to mention, is also the leading driver of deforestation and habitat loss which has pushed countless endangered species on to the brink of extinction.While this might sound daunting, by choosing plant-based foods, instead, people have the incredible ability to halve their carbon footprints and giving species a fighting chance – and with the help of the Food Monster App, it doesn’t mean giving anything up.The Food Monster App features a whopping 5,000+ vegan recipes with 500+ search options and 10+ new recipes added daily.  We’re talking hearty burgers, cheesecakes, decadent desserts, and more! Featuring incredible multi-image, 3D-touch enabled HD photos, vegan never looked this good!Get it here:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/food-monster-5000+-recipes./id1052988561?mt=8 

More Than One Way to Go Green

Big Cat Rescue is proud to choose clean energy with Arcadia Power. We encourage everyone to support an environmentally friendly lifestyle by doing the same at home, and Arcadia Power is even offering all Big Cat Rescue supporters a $20 account credit plus a donation to Big Cat Rescue's efforts! It's so easy to sign up. It only takes a couple minutes from start to finish, and you don't have to switch utilities or install anything. All you have to do is link up your utility account to their clean energy platform, and they purchase clean energy on your behalf from the same renewable energy markets Google, Whole Foods, and other progressive companies have had access to for years. In 3 minutes your home or apartment's electricity usage can be covered by 100% clean, renewable energy. Check it out here: arcadiapower.com/bcr