NORTH AMERICAN PUMA
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Apache was orphaned at three weeks old, most likely when his mother approached a house to closely and was shot. Upon the realization that she was nursing, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife took in her cubs and placed them at various rescues. Apache was given to us here at Cat Tales.
Though he lives a mostly uneventful life, Apache did his best to worry us in late 2008 and early 2009 when the tip of his tail was discovered missing at night. Our veterinarian, Dr. Brian Hunter decided to do a repair in the morning - but when morning came, Apache had removed another seven inches of his tail. We made the decision to amputate. And despite worries of balance, he's proven that not only does he love life without his tail, he thinks he has the cutest butt around. So much so that most guests who try to get a photo of his face have him immediately turning around to give them an entirely unexpected angle! |
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Kachina was born July 19, 2018. She came to live at Cat Tales at 2 months of age. She became part of the Cat Tales family in September 2018. Spotted fur at birth, when she turned ~4 months old her spots went away practically over night. Cougars (Pumas, Mountain Lions) have blue eyes at birth. At ~2 months of age the eyes change in color, normally to a golden brown, and the pupils begin to focus. When the cubs are born their claws are not retractable and they cannot control their claws until they are about 2 months old. This is also the time the last of their baby teeth are coming in. Weighing less than 2 pounds at birth, at 4 months of age she weighed over 20 pounds. She will reach her adult size in the spring of 2020.
(More info coming soon) |
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Jewel was born in the spring 2007. Jewel is Kachina's grandmother.
(More info coming soon) |
NORTH AMERICAN PUMA
Often referred to as cougars or mountain lions, the puma is a big cat that averages around 1.5 - 2.7 m (5 - 9 ft.) and can weigh an average of 68 kg for males (150 lbs), 45 kg for females (100 lbs). Often their status as a big cat is argued for the simple fact that a puma is unable to roar, lacking the specialized larynx. Instead pumas can make a variety of sounds you would often hear from a domestic house cat, and are also known for their sudden 'screaming' sounds - often misheard as being cries from other animals. Most pumas have tawny coats, though silvery or red varieties are known to exist. Their underbellies are a creamy white, with dark spots sometimes on their flanks and tail. These spots are never fully black, as pumas lack the melanistic qualities to create a pitch black color.
What makes them stand apart from many other big cats is their ability to live in nearly any ecosystem throughout the wild. From mountains, deserts, to sea level, so long as a puma can find access to prey and shelter the species can grow. And as obligate carnivores (animals that must live off of only meat), there are plenty of options for a puma to eat. They will devour insects all the way up the food chain to a creature weighing 500 kg. Deer are their preferable prey. However, there have been noted clashes between pumas and farmers when they attempt to kill and eat farm animals after having little to no success on hunts. When they do successfully hunt and kill, a cougar will drag the carcass back to his or her shelter where they'll hide it and eat it in the coming days.
If you would like to adopt one of our pumas, the cost is currently $50.00 US dollars monthly. This money takes care of any veterinary check ups, habitat enrichment and feeding - all the things a happy puma needs.
What makes them stand apart from many other big cats is their ability to live in nearly any ecosystem throughout the wild. From mountains, deserts, to sea level, so long as a puma can find access to prey and shelter the species can grow. And as obligate carnivores (animals that must live off of only meat), there are plenty of options for a puma to eat. They will devour insects all the way up the food chain to a creature weighing 500 kg. Deer are their preferable prey. However, there have been noted clashes between pumas and farmers when they attempt to kill and eat farm animals after having little to no success on hunts. When they do successfully hunt and kill, a cougar will drag the carcass back to his or her shelter where they'll hide it and eat it in the coming days.
If you would like to adopt one of our pumas, the cost is currently $50.00 US dollars monthly. This money takes care of any veterinary check ups, habitat enrichment and feeding - all the things a happy puma needs.