Mistaken identity seems to be a recurrent theme in our phone calls and messages. Many of you likely recall the viral story about our bobcat patient Arwen, whose finder mistook her for a stray domestic kitten and made an unintentionally hilarious post attempting to rehome her. In much more frustrating cases, we’ve had people cussContinue reading “How to Tell A Bobcat from a House Cat”
Tag Archives: pets
Let Livestock Guardians Do Their Jobs!
One of our most important goals as an organization is to promote peaceful coexistence with wild animals. We strive to make sure that owners of livestock seek effective, nonlethal methods of protecting their herds. Instead of killing native predators— a futile, cruel, ineffective approach— many ranchers make the excellent decision to employ livestock guardian dogs.Continue reading “Let Livestock Guardians Do Their Jobs!”
Do Coyotes Lure and Kill Dogs?
We humans have a strange urge to create monsters. For many, it’s not enough for believe in predators that hunt prey. We have to also project strange, sinister, and even supernatural forces onto the creatures who share our planet. Since the beginning of time, we’ve created and exaggerated stories of dragons that abduct maidens, giantContinue reading “Do Coyotes Lure and Kill Dogs?”
Your Cat Can’t Raise Wild Animal Babies
You’ve likely seen— and possibly even shared— those cute viral photos and videos of domestic cats raising wild animals. Stories of cats raising wild animals are always adorable and heartwarming, but the sad truth is that most of these stories are fake, and most attempts to recreate them end in tragedy. Take, for example, theContinue reading “Your Cat Can’t Raise Wild Animal Babies”
Killing Coyotes Makes More Pups
Coyotes are among the most persecuted wild animals of North America. Have you ever wondered why they’re still very common, despite being heavily hunted? When an adult coyote is killed, the social structure of its family, and nearby families, will fall apart. Its pups will be forced to disperse sooner, its territory will become wide-open,Continue reading “Killing Coyotes Makes More Pups”
The Truth About Euthanasia at For Fox Sake
We keep hearing about nasty rumors being spread about For Fox Sake. Most recently, someone publicly accused us of gassing all of our raccoons to death. (We has the less-than-professional reaction of, “Wait, WTF?” upon hearing this.) So we’re here to clear the air because we value transparency and honesty. And here is the honest,Continue reading “The Truth About Euthanasia at For Fox Sake”
Your “pet” raccoon will be killed. It’s your fault.
Folks, we need to have a talk. This isn’t a pleasant, cute, or cuddly talk, but it’s one that we Tennessean animal lovers need to have. I get calls all the time from people who find baby raccoons and, instead of calling a qualified rehabilitator, they choose to raise the animal as a pet. ByContinue reading “Your “pet” raccoon will be killed. It’s your fault.”
Bobkitten or Regular Kitten?
Take a look at this kitten. This is a 100% domestic cat… not a bobcat, and not a hybrid! We were disappointed in some of the responses to Arwen the bobcat, who was brought to us by a well-meaning woman who had mistaken her for a domestic kitten. Several people called her names like “stupid”Continue reading “Bobkitten or Regular Kitten?”
The Domesticated Raccoons of Cuba
Early invaders from Spain described a strange animal, farmed and raised by the Taíno people of Cuba. These “mute dogs,” as they were described, were friendly creatures that were small, agile, and extremely intelligent, but didn’t look like normal dogs and didn’t bark or howl. The indigenous people of Cuba raised them as pets andContinue reading “The Domesticated Raccoons of Cuba”
Pet Body Armor Protects Against Wildlife
Hawks, coyotes, bobcats— and in some areas, wolves and bears— can be scary for owners of pets and working animals. But killing wildlife is inhumane, ineffective, and often illegal as a method of protecting pets. So what’s a pet owner to do? The best way to protect pets is to keep them either indoors orContinue reading “Pet Body Armor Protects Against Wildlife”
