The Catty Shack

In Jacksonville, Florida,  there is an animal sanctuary for big cats...... called "The Catty Shack."  Wonderful place, filled with full-grown tigers and lions............ all in proper cages with lots of room to walk and play..... volunteers to take care of the animals (once abandoned by their owners)............ and the entire property was the idea of one man who just couldn't understand why people would buy lion cubs and tiger cubs and think they'd make good house-pets.

I'm sure that lion and tiger cubs are irresistible when they're cute and cuddly and just born... but honestly, does any sane person think they can take care of such an animal when it's 900 or 1200 pounds?  Give me a blessed break......... even Siegfried & Roy couldn't control one of their tigers......... and we all know how that story ended.

It was a sweltering day when we visited the Catty Shack, but the owner and his volunteers were all there taking care of the lions and tigers..... the animals were happy, they responded when called by name......... the volunteers/tour guides were well-educated and trained in what to do and what not to do with the cats.  We walked around to all of the enclosures.... the cats have wooden cottages with porches......... they stayed out of the hot sun, and seemed to be just as curious about the visitors as we all were curious about them.

Just amazing to me, that one man's dream has saved so many big cats from having to be 'put down.'  And it also makes me sad that there aren't laws in this country that prohibit 'every-day people' from buying those animals in the first place.