Candle Lights, Bobcats, and Pumpkins! Oh My!

Those we honor on this day

Welcome back for more In-Sync Exotics news!  Last week we announced we were having our 1st Annual Exotic Animal Awareness Candle Light Vigil at In-Sync Exotics. We would like to thank everyone who came out to pay special tribute to the animals that lost their lives one year ago plus all the exotic cats that lost their lives while in captivity; we truly appreciate your support and solidarity.

Honored representatives

On Friday, about 50 people attended our special vigil; coming out to honor the animals' lives lost at Zanesville, Ohio, just one year ago.  Lisa Williams, our Media Director, gave a beautiful presentation on what happened that fateful day, described the current conditions of captive exotics, the laws regarding the ownership of exotics, the important role of  exotic animal sanctuaries, plus a special remembrance of our special animals that sadly passed away over the years.  

Afterwards, everyone observed a moment of silence to honor the slain Zanesville animals.

So, what do get when you mix about 30 animal-loving volunteers with tigers, tents, and fun? A camp-out at In-Sync Exotics, of course!  Every year, our volunteers come out to In-Sync Exotics for a Fall pot luck dinner and then stay overnight, listening to the sounds of the lions roaring and cats catterwalling.

Earlier in the evening, after everyone pitched their tents, and placed their tasty food in the visitor’s center, our volunteers and guests gathered for the candle light vigil.  After the vigil, it was time to enjoy some volunteer camaraderie; sampling the great food dishes brought especially for the big potluck dinner.  Once the mouth watering food had been consumed, everyone retired to the camping area where volunteers shared funny stories of the cats until lights out.  As usual, the campers were serenaded by the sounds of lions roaring and the cats’ playing with their enrichment toys all through the night into the wee hours of the morning.  What an amazing experience--especially for our new volunteers!

Bobcat House Renovation Project!

Our staff and volunteers have been very busy renovating the bobcat house with new platforms for the little exotic cats' convenience and comfort! Check out the great job everyone did!

Now all we need are some pictures of the bobcats enjoying the fruits of our labor! Please stay tuned for some great pictures coming your way soon!.

Pumpkins Bash Fun!

In just 6 days we will be hosting our Fall Festive & Pumpkin Bash--and you are invited!  Our Fall Festival will be held on October 28th from 11:00am - 4:00pm at In-Sync Exotics. This is another  fabulous In-Sync Exotics special event as our cats just LOVE to play with their pumpkins; your kids (the human kind) will enjoy great games & prizes, get lost in a maze; have their faces painted; bounce around in the bounce house; participate in our raffle; and much, much more!

Here are a few pictures of our cats enjoying their pumpkins from last year's event:

And who could forget Aramis tackling his pumpkin!

So be sure to place this special Fall event on your calendar so you don't miss out on all the great pumpkin fun!  Click here to read last year's great pumpkin bash review!

We hope you enjoyed today's blog posting! Be sure to check back tomorrow for more fun and informative information about our exotic cats and their friends of In-Sync Exotics! Don't forget to let us know your reaction to this posting by clicking on one of the reaction buttons below--and share this blog posting with others please ~ Thank you!

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Bobcats, Bobcats, Bobcats Abound!

Meet Moses (l) and Otis (r)!

In keeping with this week's theme--bobcats, bobcats, bobcats--we'd like to introduce you to Moses and Otis! Moses and Otis are two very adorable bobcats who have been living together for the last four years at In-Sync Exotics.

Let's meet our handsome boys -

Like Naomi, Moses was a wild-born kitten discovered by some people when he was about a week old.  He was found next to a creek that ran along their property. Since he was soaking wet and the water level was high due to heavy rainfall, they assumed he had been washed down the creek.

Hello Moses!

They took him in and called a local wildlife organization who advised them to take him back to the creek and place him in a carrier with the door open in hopes that his mother would return for her kitten. Unfortunately, the reunion never took place as the well-meaning people took him to the creek during the day and brought him back in their house at night to sleep in their bed. Since bobcats are nocturnal, the mama cat never came for him and the little kitten formed a bond with his new parents. After about a week of failed attempts to reunite the kitten with his mother, they contacted the wildlife organization who instructed them to take the kitten to a wildlife rehabilitator. The rehabilitator treated him for worms, coccidia and dehydration, but due to lack of space and prior commitments turned him over to a second rehabilitator.

The second rehabilitator worked with the kitten for months. She did everything she could think of to bring out his wild side, but to no avail. No matter how hard she tried to scare him, this sweet, little guy just kept purring.

The kitten trusted people....a death sentence for a bobcat living in the wild. On January 28, 2007, the rehabilitator gave the 9-month old bobcat kitten to In-Sync Exotics, knowing he would be surrounded by loving, nurturing people. Appropriately enough, we named him Moses.

Hello Otis!

Otis' story is a bit different.  He wasn't found as a wild kitten by well-intentioned people, instead Otis was illegally raised as a pet by a couple living in a Dallas condominium.  Since the couple did not know how to litter train or discipline their baby bobcat, Otis became increasing difficult to handle and needed to be re-homed.

So on June 15, 2008, the couple brought 2-year old Otis to our sanctuary for permanent placement.  It has taken Otis quite a while  to adjust to his new caretakers.  However, Otis and Moses bonded pretty quick, becoming fast-friends in record time!

Moses and Otis are inseparable, playing ball or enjoying their weekly enrichment together. We often see our two boys, beating the hot Texas summer heat, lounging on their platforms high up in the sky or in their building together!

Ever wonder how we can tell our handsome boys apart?  Well, Otis has large spots on his body, while Moses' spots are much smaller!

Lynxes Duchess and Trooper

So what's the difference between our bobcats and our lynxes anyway?  Well, our Lynxes are long and lanky with large "snowshoe" paws. They have very light spots - hardly noticeable. Our bobcats, on the other hand, are more recognizable as a cat. Ears are tufted, like the lynx, but they are quite spotted on the back and belly. Bobcats ranges in color from honey orange to smoky blue and his belly is white. This really makes their spots stand out. Both our bobcats and lynxes have “beards”. Oh, and as you may have noticed, both our bobcats and lynxes are pretty laid back in temperament!

Update on Neffi and Jasper!

Speaking of temperament, yesterday Neffi and Jasper interact for the very first time together!  It took some doing, but we were able to encourage Neffi to venture inside the building where Jasper was sleeping.  For about 15 minutes the two interacted--there were no hissing or fighting, which is a really great sign!  Jasper, the younger of two, was rather rambunctious, and we think he may have been a little too much for Neffi, as she was seen running out of the building.  We are hoping Jasper will reciprocate by venturing outside so he can interact with Neffi once again.  Baby steps, folks, baby steps...

We hope you enjoyed today's blog posting and will join us again tomorrow for more news and updates on our wild ones!  Don't forget to let us know your reaction to this posting by clicking on one of the reaction buttons below--and share this blog posting with others please ~ Thank you!

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