Sanctuary

A sanctuary must be a safe place for the cats, and a permanent home. If we rescued cats then later sold them, loaned them, or even gave them to others then Tiger Haven would not be a sanctuary.

A sanctuary does not breed cats just to have cubs that will draw more paid visitors who want their pictures made with them. A sanctuary should not take a cat temporarily, accept the praise for the rescue, then find someone else to shoulder the permanent responsibility. This we feel strongly about.

​

Keeping Cats in Captivity

Obviously, we feel that cats can be kept in captive situations and still be happy and content. One reason our great cats are becoming extinct is that they have no place to live.

There are few cats in this country that were wild caught. Most were born in this country, in captivity. If released in the wild they would likely starve because they do not know how to hunt (or, more importantly, what is appropriate to hunt). Many are de-clawed and could not catch their prey. We do not like the alternative, so we will continue in our efforts to give them peace and contentment in their captive situations.

​

Touching the Cats

We believe in touching the cats. And

rubbing their bellies and hugging their

necks. We believe in one-hundred

percent interaction with any cat who

wants it. Some of our cats are content

to be left alone with their mates or friends.

Some come from unknown backgrounds

and are friendly at the fence, and that is

enough for them. We do not force

ourselves upon them. Most of the cats at

Tiger Haven want love and affection from

their human friends. Nothing else will love you like a lion. They are even jealous of any attention you give to other humans and animals. And tigers will moan and whine, while rubbing the fence closest to you, until you give them attention. As long as the big cats depend on us for their food they will never be wild. Maybe not tame either, but we must not fool ourselves by thinking that if we do not touch them, if we do not let them develop affections for us and us for them, that they will be like wild caught cats.

If we cannot give them the wild, we must fill that void with something else they want. We think that something is affection. We know they want affection, and many want interaction with us. We will not deprive them of something they want that we can give to them.

Many of the cats at Tiger Haven were raised, at least in the first few months of their life, as pets and had become accustomed to handling and affection, so they want and expect it. As such, we give it to them.

Touching and handling the cats is part of the Tiger Haven philosophy. We are not suggesting that anyone else should do what we do, nor are we saying that no one else should. It is just part of our philosophy.

 

                                                 Enclosures
                                                 No creature who has boundless energy should ever be forced to stay                                                   inside a cage where it cannot exercise. Enclosures should be large                                                         enough for the cats to run. Even adult cats like to run and play. There                                                     should be enough space that the cat has a feeling of a "territory" that                                                     belongs to him or her. It should provide a view beyond the enclosure.                                                   It should have access to water for the cats who like to play in water.                                                       The cats' enclosures are their homes for life. It should be as interesting

                                                 and comfortable as possible while providing items for curiosity. 

                                                 Most of the enclosures at Tiger Haven fit this description, and new                                                         enclosures are constantly being constructed. The enclosures must                                                         also be safe, both for the cats and people. An escape anywhere is                                                         rare, but it is usually the cat who is killed or injured rather than a person. All enclosures for climbing cats should have tops but still things to climb. All enclosures should have double gate entries for safety. Our entire sanctuary is surrounded by an eight-foot perimeter fence. Incidentally, Tiger Haven has never had an escape.

 

De-clawing

It should never be done. It is cruel and useless at best and it provides a false sense of security. Properly handled tigers and lions do not use their claws on their people after they are a few months old. Should they ever become aggressive enough a tiger or lion can hold and kill a person without using claws.

Climbing cats - leopards and cougars - use their claws to

climb, and their enclosures should have climbing materials

in them. Without claws they run the risk of injuring themselves

in a fall. Without claws a cat will never have the satisfaction of

sharpening them on a log or tree, and cannot even scratch

behind their ears. 

If we must mutilate the cats in order to touch them or have

pictures made with them, we are missing the point

somewhere. I would suggest that if one must de-claw a cat

that they pull out their own fingernails first to see how they

get along without them. Then try to scratch an itch.

​

Breeding

Because of the looming extinction of the big cats in the wild, breeding to perpetuate the species must be done in captivity if the species is to survive. But it should not be done simply to create more cats. It should not be done just so the public will pay to see and/or pet the babies.

The mission of Tiger Haven does not involve breeding. We cannot be sure of the backgrounds of most of our cats, nor if there are any genetic deficiencies.

We cannot guarantee there will be enough funding to sustain them for the duration of their natural lives, and cubs would take the space for other cats that could be rescued.

We prevent breeding in several ways. Obviously if there are only males or females in the same enclosure there is not a problem.

We do not like to spay the females because it is a major and risky operation for the big cats. We neuter the males, as it is a simpler procedure. However, we do not neuter the lions. If a male lion is neutered, their mane will fall out (due to the loss of male hormones), so they get vasectomies instead.

 

Selling

We do not sell our cats. Period.