I am probably being far too cynical and un-trusting. In the video below you will hear the story of three, tiny, 13 ounce, new-born American bobcat kittens who were brought into a veterinarian’s clinic with a request to the vet tech that she/he raise the kittens (and I presume socialise them) so that they were made ready to be given to the hunter’s children. The vet tech agreed to take them but, it seems, on the proviso that they were, when ready, released back into the wild. She contacted Big Cat Rescue in Florida.
Big Cat Rescue stepped in and organised the raising of these kittens by a surrogate mother who is a domestic cat with a bobtail (actually a half length tail). You can see in the video that she immediately takes to the bobcat kittens and is happy to nurse them and no doubt she will do a wonderful job in raising them. She was specially selected as a mother
who had given birth to 6 kittens and who was fostering two more. All but two of the kittens were fostered out and then the mother, whose name is Bobbi, and her two remaining kittens were brought over to Big Cat Rescue to see whether she could be a mother to the three bobcat kittens.
The reason why the kittens were not raised by humans is because, as mentioned, the intention is to release them back into the wild and therefore it is essential that they did not form any relationships with humans.
Now to the ugly part of this story which I regret came to my head when I read it. I just have this rather sad, gut feeling that the Alabama hunter killed their mother. That point is not discussed in the video and I don’t see anything about it on the YouTube page where the video is presented so I am guessing and I may well have guessed completely incorrectly. I am, in fact, surprised that the question has not been asked. Perhaps it has.
There is, incidentally, quite a big trade in selling wild cat kittens of various species. People have a fascination with looking after a wild cat. Some wild cat species can be domesticated to a certain extent and make pets of a sort. However, the bobcat is not one of those cats so the idea that the Alabama hunter had was misconceived completely.
I don’t doubt at all that the hunter was thinking of “pets” for his kids. Fascinating how the killing of animals for selfish purposes comes so easily. There was not conscience at all taking these babies from their mother by taking her life. 🙁
Good ending though! Thank you Big Cat Rescue!
Yep, some people just don’t get it. They just don’t have any sensibilities towards animals and the fact that they have a right to life and to be left alone. They don’t see the possibility that they have emotions not that far from ours. Thanks for commenting Kristina.
I’m nowhere near religious, but I have to bow my head to a mama cat that nursed 6 of her own kits, 2 foster kits, and these 3 bobcat kits. I hope that she finds a loving home that will appreciate her generous spirit.
I felt, too, that this hunter killed the mother and had some sort of monetary outcome in mind for these precious babes.
Like you and Irish, I hate hunters, even more than I hate breeders.
This hunter couldn’t have had any other goal in mind for these kits than to make money. What? Was he really wanting to make them house cats for his children? PHEWWWWWWWWWWW!!!
Thank goodness for Big Cat Rescue and the vet tech that contacted them and saw right through this idiocy.
Bless this poor mama cat that has done the work of 6 mamas and hope that she gets a forever, loving home and can retire.
The hunter appears to be a complete idiot on several fronts. Mind you hunters + idiocy often go together.
Have I said I HATE HUNTERS? if not then I HATE HUNTERS and wish they would meet their demise on their next hunt!
Me too. Hunters disgust me. The fact that they exist tells us that the world is still uncivilised.