Our Cats & Their Stories
Tabatha Tiger
Tabatha came from a terrible situation in Pennsylvania called Waterwheel Exotics. This was a breeding facility for exotic animals. They wanted out of the business so instead of trying to rehome their animals, they put them in a dark basement and left them to die. We were originally called to only take a few but upon arrival, we decided to take 18 total. There were seven cubs, four tigers and three lions, living in very small cages. They were all around 14 months old and weighed between 50-80 lbs a piece. Lions and tigers that age should weigh about 200-250 lbs. The severe malnourishment at such a young age stunted their growth and that group of cats was called “the Munchkins”. All the tigers were blind with cataracts, but once that whole group was healthy otherwise, they were able to go for cataract surgery. Now, in her old age, Tabatha has scar tissue that clouds her vision, but she gets extra special treatment from her keepers. Tabatha is a very sweet old tiger who loves to come out and talk to people when they go by on tour.
