The BEST Bake Sale Ever!

By chance, did you happen to attend Monday's bake sale?  If you did, then you already know it was the BEST BAKE SALE EVER!!!  We received word from Corby Bryant last night that Monday's bake sale was the BEST ever held in six years -- as she put it "we had a pretty awesome day!"

Before we share with you the details of the event, we'd like to take the opportunity to say "thank you" to everyone who came out and purchased gift cards and baskets, sweet treats (some even sugar-free), Scripture Gems, and of course, our In-Sync Exotic 2013 calendars!

Corby shared with us why she thinks this year's bake sale was the best ever:

"I think we were so busy because of several things:  (#1) we have return customers so each year our prior shopper list grows and grows;(#2) you guys did an awesome job of promoting the sale frequently; (#3) we had In-Sync Exotic calendars, Scripture Gems, CityVet gift cards, and gift baskets to sell. All of that adds up;  (#4) we had several new baked items this year including sugar-free so we can accommodate special diets; (#5) and most importantly, I felt from the start that this year's sale had God's special blessing on it and would be one to remember! We encountered a lot of challenges and spiritual warfare during the planning and baking, and that usually means you're on the right track if you're getting that kind of resistance from the enemy.  Overall, it was our most successful event to date and we couldn't be happier!"

When asked what stood out most in her mind regarding the event, she replied:  "The most memorable part of the sale this year was just how busy we were. We usually get busy during morning coffee breaks, lunchtime and afternoon sugar cravings, with lulls in-between. This year though, from 9:30am until 3:30pm we were slammed with customers non-stop. There wasn't time for photo-taking, tweeting, facebooking, lunching or taking pit stops."

Corby was able to send us one tweet during the event, letting us know that several items had already sold out before lunch time!  Bless her heart, it was the one and only tweet we received from her!

By the end of the day, there were very few goodies left! Corby kindly sent back the leftover treats to the volunteers working at In-Sync Exotics to enjoy! No doubt our volunteers enjoyed the tasty treats!

We'd like to recognize Debbie Congdon,  In-Sync Exotics' volunteer who worked the event the entire day.  "We loved having her work the event with us; she was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the cats. People got really great insight into In-Sync Exotics, and I think she made everyone want to drive out for a visit with their families. Plus she's become a good friend to us!" Two high-five tiger paws to Debbie for providing outstanding representation at this great event--thank you, Debbie!

Okay, are you ready to know how much was raised thus far (as checks are still coming in)? Remember, last year Corby and her baking crew raised $4,175 in sales and $4,175 was matched bring the total donation to $8,350.

This year, thus far, Corby, Janet, Kristen, and Lauren raised $7,156!  When this total is matched, dollar for dollar by Venable Royalty LTD, the new donation balance, thus far is $14,312!  Corby believes this amount may grow to about $16,000 by the time all the incoming checks are received!  There was a special In-Sync Exotic volunteer who donated $2,500 at the event which was doubled to $5,000!!  Thank you very much special In-Sync Exotics' volunteer!!

We are very grateful that Corby, Janet, Kristen, and Lauren chose to help raise funds for the animals once again!  These talented ladies truly "out did" themselves this year, raising the bar, once more, for next year's event!  Corby is already looking forward to the next bake sale, hoping that we'll have second matching partner who will sponsor this event in 2013!

Send an In-Sync Exotics' e-Card Today!

Want to send a special e-card to your friends and family?  We have set up a special e-card featuring Jynxie and Sabu!  Click HERE to send an e-card today as this service is for a limited time only!

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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Interns, Tiger, Lion, and .... Surprise!

We have lots of exciting news to share with you today!  First off, we have an introduction to make!

Please welcome to the In-Sync Exotic’s family, our new Intern as of December 12^th, Kimi Frazier!  Kimi is currently attending Southern Illinois University and expects to graduate in May 2014 with a Major in Zoology and a Minor in Animal Biology.  While this is her first internship, she is no stranger when it comes to working around animals, as she is also volunteers at the Dallas Zoo since January 2012.  While she is interning with us, the Dallas Zoo will hold her volunteer spot until she returns!

So if you should see Kimi, out and about at In-Sync Exotics, be sure to give her a warm welcome!

Remember our 2012 fall intern, Julie Vrla, who finished her internship with us earlier this month?  Well, she has a great video of her working with Kazuri!  It is very important that our staff, interns, and senior volunteers work with our cats, so they feel comfortable around us when we need to perform simple medical procedures such as taking the cat's temperature, giving shots, drawing blood, performing skin biopsies and perform visual examinations, all without having to anesthetize the cat.  Julie shows us how the cats are trained to perform simple tasks that may be life-saving some day!

So without further ado, here's Julie working with handsome Kazuri!

It takes a lot of time and patience to work with the cats, but the rewards are worth all the hard work.  Thank you, Julie for sharing this video with our fans! 

Time for a medical update on Aramis...

Today, Aramis will be making a clinic visit so our vet can perform a sonogram, endoscope, and take x-rays to find out why our boy is still having trouble holding down food.  He was eating fine for about 10 days, then for some unexplained reason, he starting throwing up his meals.  Last Thursday, our vet paid a "house-call" to see how Aramis was doing.  We agreed that Aramis should eat four times per day, feeding him about 1 - 1 1/2 pounds of meat per meal. Aramis seems to be able to handle small amounts of food, but is unable to hold down larger meals.  When he still had trouble holding down the small amounts of food on a regular basis, we decided it was time for Aramis to see the vet at the clinic so a more thorough exam could be performed.

We will keep you apprised of Aramis medical progress as news comes available.  Please say a little prayer for our boy's swift recovery!

In the meantime, we have a special surprise for you today! 

Meet Matthew, Mark, and Luke!  These three babies are from Frisco, Texas. Sad to report—local homeowners saw that the mother bobcat had been hit by a car, leaving her babies all alone.  Fortunately, they had an idea where the mother kept her kittens, so they were able to find, retrieve, and take them to Collin County Animal Control.  Thankfully, Collin County Animal Control knew to bring the little guys to us, so we could help find them a more permanent solution to their short-term care needs.

These little guys did not stay with us very long because they were young enough to be rehabilitated and hopefully released back to the wild.  After spending a quiet night with us, exercising their little claws on our legs, and listening to us provide “wise” bobcat guidance on how to survive in the wild, it was time to give them a kiss good-bye the next day.  The bobcats were picked-up by our friends at Plano ISD Holifield Science Learning Center where they will work with the little guys until it’s time to release them.

We hope you enjoy this video of the little ones eating their dinner...

and this video of the little ones resting for the evening...

...aren't they adorable?  Hopefully in about six or seven months they will be running and playing, wild and free again.  Until that time, we hope Matthew, Mark, and Luke will remember our words of wisdom and live long and happy lives!

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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As We Count Our Blessings!

The year we've been so busy of late that we haven't announced our monthly cat's birthdays, arrival anniversaries, and sadly, the passing of our beloved animals.

Thankfully, December is a great month to take stock in all that we are grateful for--and that includes our exotic residents.  They are truly blessings to our sanctuary and as such, we'd like to recognize our December cats!

Let's start off with Diva, a beautiful black-spotted leopard who arrived at In-Sync Exotics on October 3, 2005.  Diva and Jett were rescued from a facility close to Houston.  We were told that Diva and Jett could be housed together although neither had been altered.

Keeping with our belief that rescue centers and sanctuaries should not breed, we arranged for Jett to arrive a month earlier than the other cats so he could be neutered and have enough time to recover before Diva arrived. 

Jett adapted quickly and was quite a clown.  Diva had a difficult time adjusting to her new home at In-Sync. She had to adjust to new people, new surroundings and a new roommate. At first she was intimidated by Jett and stayed hidden inside the den. We sat with her and talked to her to get her more comfortable with us and her new home. Although not as sociable as many of our cats, Diva eventually came up to the fence for a back rubs.  Most often we found her snoozing up on one of the high platforms.

Sadly, Diva passed away on December 4, 2009.  Our beautiful girl battled terminal cancer in her throat and abdomen.  Eventually, she let us know when she was ready to cross the Rainbow Bridge when she stopped eating.  We miss Diva very much -- she was an awesome cat!  Jett loved her and she loved to chase, catch and eat squirrels--that's how we'll always remember her--our silly girl!

Chance!

Can you believe it's been one year since Chance, our little bobcat, arrived at In-Sync Exotics?  Chance arrived on December 9, 2011 and he is no longer that shy bobcat that peeked from underneath his blanket when he first arrived!  Happy 1-Year Anniversary, Chance!

Malikai and Dinari!

Last week marked what would have been the 12th birthday for Malikai and Dinari.  Even though both boys passed away in October 28, 2010 and May 5, 2011, respectively, we still miss them very much!

For those of you who did not get to meet the two handsome brothers, here is a cute video of the two of them playing together!

 

We will never forget our two beautiful boys...

 Samu!

This coming Saturday, December 22, 2012, marks Samu's 13th birthday!  Happy Birthday, Samu!  If you haven't read Samu's arrival story, then please click HERE (and have a few tissues handy -- she is one of our "miracle" success stories!)

Dakota!

On October 3, 2005, Dakota came to us along with two other servals, Gypsy and Tramp, from a sanctuary that claimed the three lived together with no problems. Based on this information, we built one large enclosure to house the three servals so they could continue to live as they were accustomed.  Being such a friendly fellow, Dakota quickly became a favorite with the volunteers and staff.  He emitted a certain sweetness that could clearly be seen in his eyes. He apparently had been a pet prior to being placed with the previous sanctuary. 

Not long after we took the servals, Dakota and Tramp began fighting. It became obvious to us that the two had probably never been housed together and that we were told an unfortunate falsehood by the previous owners in hopes we would find it easier to accept and accommodate their three servals. At the first signs of aggression, we began to build another enclosure so that we could separate Dakota from Tramp. 

Sadly, Dakota did not live to enjoy his private new enclosure we were building for the . On December 27, 2005 we found Dakota curled up in his bed asleep forever. Dakota had suffered heart complications after a scuffle with Tramp during the night and died a senseless death because of false information.  Sweet, gentle Dakota touched our hearts and his memory lives on with all who knew him.

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One of the greatest joys is to celebrate our cats' birthdays and anniversaries.  One of the saddest moments is to say goodbye to loved ones.  We hope you've enjoyed our blog postings as we shared our journey with you--striving to provide our exotic wild ones a loving place they can call home.  If you like the work we are doing, would you please consider making a kind end-of-year donation towards our animals' care?  Your thoughtful gift is truly a blessing to In-Sync Exotics!

Tomorrow, we'll be introducing you to our new intern, show you what one of our interns has been up to lately,  plus share a letter we received from one of our volunteers.  No blog posting would be complete without an update on our cats, so be sure to check back tomorrow for more news and updates on the animals of In-Sync Exotics!

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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