Our Week in Review!

Goodness, this week has just flown by!  Let’s recap the event of this week:

On Monday, we learned that cats are the undisputed sleep champions of the animal world!  Thanks to our viewing audience, we were able to put together a short video of domestic and wild cats sleeping styles.  Due to the large number of photos, we were unable to include the wonderful captions submitted with the photos—however, the photos truly speak for themselves! Whether it’s a cat finding comfort on a man’s shoulders, stealing our favorite blankets, curling up in our sinks when we need to get ready for work or taking over the doggies’s bed; cats have the unique way of taking over our lives—even when they are sleeping!

So click HERE to view the video and remember, even if your cat is sleeping, he's probably dreaming of you…

Tuesday was Valentine’s Day—a perfect day to celebrate Kenya’s life, the tiger who inspired the formation of In-Sync Exotics.  To read more about Vicky’s love for this amazing tiger that was once dubbed as an “ugly” cub by his former owner, click HERE.

Wednesday:  What happens when the sun sets, the bones are distributed to the cats, and all animals are fed every Sunday evening?   It’s “Bone Race” time!  Several years ago, we started a “bone race” where five tigers raced through an empty adjacent enclosure looking for one hidden bone.

Mohan, Saber, Lucca, Nadia, and Emma have gotten pretty good at finding the bone, no doubt because we have limited places where we can hide the tasty treat; it’s just a matter of time before one tiger finds the bone first!

Below is a bonus video of last week’s race, from a different prospective! 

We also welcomed a new Intern to In-Sync Exotics!  So put your two paws together in welcoming Sascha Myrthue to Team In-Sync!

On Thursday we covered Nugget’s trip to the vet.  Why did he need so see his doc?  Well, a few weeks ago, we noticed that Nugget had what looked like a rash on his “hind quarters.”  Concerned that this might be a bacterial infection….(read more HERE)

Well, we hope you enjoyed this week's blog and will return next week for more fun, entertaining and informative updates on the animals of In-Sync Exotics! Have a fun and safe weekend -- and don't forget to visit the animals if you happen to be in vicinity of In-Sync Exotics!

All of us at In-Sync Exotics hope you have a roaring great weekend!

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Nugget's Afternoon With The Vet

Nugget, our adorable coatimundi, had quite a day yesterday as he had a scheduled appointment with his veterinarian.  Why did he need to see his doc?  Well, a few weeks ago, we noticed that Nugget had what looked like a rash on his “hind quarters.”  Concerned that this might be a bacterial infection, Nugget’s living quarters were thoroughly cleaned, top to bottom, with a disinfectant, and he was administered Clindamycin.  This type of medication is used to treat certain types of bacterial infections and we hoped this would resolve the issue.

When it appeared that the rash was not going to go away, we decided it was time Nugget went on a road trip.

Road trip!

So we enticed our coatimundi in his transporter, with the assistance of some dog food tossed inside the cage, and whisked him away to the vet’s office.

Up to this point, Nugget was very cooperative...until he entered the examination room.

In order for the vet to examine Nugget, he had to be sedated since coatimundis have very sharp teeth and they can move very fast in small quarters.  Sedating the little coati turned out to be rather challenging.  Who knew this little guy could move so fast, dodging the tranquilizer needle at every turn of his tail!

Time to bring in the comforter!

After several attempts to sedate the little guy failed, a large comforter was brought in to fill in the transporter’s “extra space,” essentially trapping Nugget in one corner of the cage. 

Success!  Nugget was sedated and his examination began shortly thereafter.

Not knowing what type of bacterial infection Nugget may have, a biopsy and culture was taken and sent off for testing. 

Meanwhile, the vet thoroughly cleaned the infected area and we were directed to continue giving Nugget his Clindamycin. 

While Nugget was fast asleep, the vet administered his annual vaccinations and drew blood to run chemistry and CBC profiles, just to make sure there was nothing else going on with our little coati.  Plus he received a thorough brushing and had his nails trimmed--he looks so handsome!

Hopefully, we will learn what type of infection he acquired very soon, but until then, the vet ordered a change in Nugget’s sleeping quarters.  

Nugget sleeping in his modified "house"
with his favorite blanket

He wanted to make sure that Nugget did not sleep on a hard surface where his “hind quarters” were not properly ventilated.  Instead, he recommended that a flat elevated board with ventilation holes be placed in his “house” so air would continue to circulate around his body while he slept.  

Nugget happy to be home again!

Last night, Nugget was feeling a little sleepy from his trip to the vet, but over all he seems happy to be at home again.

We will keep you posted on Nugget’s recovery and pray that whatever ails our little coati goes away real soon!

If you would like to make a donation towards Nugget's health care, we thank you!  Donations can be made HERE.

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New Intern and Old Traditions Do Mix!

Once the sun sets, the bones given out, and the animals fed, it is time for the late night Sunday tradition to begin!  Several years ago, we started a “bone race” where five tigers raced through an empty adjacent enclosure looking for one hidden bone.

Mohan, Saber, Lucca, Nadia, and Emma have gotten pretty good at finding the bone, no doubt because we have limited places where we can hide the tasty treat; it’s just a matter of time before one tiger finds the bone first!

Our five tigers usually mind their manners as they search for their bone—no fighting allowed; however secretly spiriting away the treasure from one another is allowed!

Poor Mohan!  He worked so hard to find the bone, but before he could enjoy it, Emma spirited it away!  Next time, Mohan, next time...  While the bone is the ultimate prize, the other four tigers get to enjoy a few tasty meat pieces as consolation prizes!

Our tigers enjoy using their natural talents to find the hidden treasure since it keeps them on their tiger toes.  Fortunately, we have really great staff, interns, and volunteers working hard to keep our tigers in tip-top shape everyday!
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Velkommen til In-Sync Exotics, Sascha!

Please welcome our new Intern, Sascha Myrthue!  Sascha traveled all the way from Taastrup, Denmark to intern at In-Sync Exotics;  no doubt about it, Sascha traveled the furthest to get to In-Sync! Thanks to the World Wide Web, Sascha found our website and was intrigued with our exotic wild animal programs.  She is pursuing a zoology degree and one of the school requirements is she must intern at an exotic wild animal facility, putting her newly acquired knowledge to the test.  Since she is fascinated by big cats, Sascha decided In-Sync Exotics would be the perfect place to intern.

We've already put Sascha to work!

Sascha comes to us with zoo animal experience as she worked for the Lintrup Safari Zoo Park for a year.  Sadly, the zoo she worked at did not have any large exotic wild cats—just the small cat variety, such as Lynxes and Servals -- she even worked with Hyenas and Dingoes!  So needless to say, our large tigers are quite fascinating to Sascha!  She doesn’t have a favorite exotic cat yet, but we figure by the time she returns home next month, she have several big cats she’ll be following for years to come by way of our blog and Facebook pages, all courtesy of the World Wide Web! 

Welcome to In-Sync Exotics, Sascha!

Interested in our Internship Program?  Click HERE for more information!

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