Catera - (Deceased Bobcat)
Catera was born at Big Cat Rescue of breeders Shiloh and Indian Summer along with 2 other kittens who did not survive. Carole claims this breeding was accidental but that is who Carole was in 1997....a breeder who sold her cubs as pets along with her book, Exotic Cats As Housepets. Carole's multimillionaire and much older second husband Don Lewis mysteriously disappeared a month after these births, and although Carole blamed all the breeding on Don, Carole continued to breed until 2001. Why does Carole omit the fact that she raised Catera and kept him in her bedroom? Unless you believe that you rescue cats to breed more cats, these 5 cats, Catera, Indian Summer, Shiloh and 2 more kittens were not rescues.
The Evolving Stories
Wildlife On Easy Street - 1999 - (source)
His parents, Shiloh and Indian Summer had been a bonded pair for seven years before coming to live on Easy Street. They had never reproduced, so we left them together and of course a littler of three resulted in just a few short months. The mother, on the third day, began killing the kittens and by the time Don and Carole could get to her, two were dead and she was biting the last one on the chest and abdomen. Carole snatched the bleeding kitten away from her and took it to medicate and bottle raise. It wasn't long before the Lewis' discovered why the mother had brutally attacked her offspring. Catera (named for the Cadi that zigs) was obviously brain damaged and from the condition of all three kittens, it was apparent that they had not been nursing although the dam had stayed with them faithfully. It took hours to feed Catera and every time, it was as if it was the first time for him. It took him a year to get on to solid foods and again, every meal was like the first he ever had. If Carole walks out of the room and walks back in ten minutes later, he has forgotten who she was and only through the vocalizations they have shared over and over and over does he again recognize her. Every day is new and exciting to Catera and he is quite possibly the happiest cat living on Easy Street. Catera runs incessantly in circles and attacks everyone he can't remember, which is everyone he knows. He shares a bedroom with Carole and probably always will as he is unable to make such decisions as wether to sleep out in the pouring rain or not.
Big Cat Rescue - 2006 - (source)
His parents, Shiloh and Indian Summer had been a bonded pair for seven years before coming to live on Easy Street. They had never reproduced, so we left them together and of course a littler of three resulted in just a few short months. The mother, on the third day, began killing the kittens and by the time the Founder could get to her, two were dead and she was biting the last one on the chest and abdomen. She snatched the bleeding kitten away from her and took it to medicate and bottle raise. It wasn't long before the she discovered why the mother had brutally attacked her offspring. Catera (named for the Caddy that zigs) was obviously brain damaged and from the condition of all three kittens, it was apparent that they had not been nursing although the dam had stayed with them faithfully. It took hours to feed Catera and every time, it was as if it was the first time for him. It took him a year to get on to solid foods and again, every meal was like the first he ever had. If his surrogate mother walks out of the room and walks back in ten minutes later, he has forgotten who she was and only through the vocalizations they have shared over and over and over does he again recognize her. Every day is new and exciting to Catera and he is quite possibly the happiest cat living on Easy Street. Catera runs incessantly in circles and attacks everyone he can't remember, which is everyone he knows. Catera has shown much improvement over the years and is doing very well with his operant conditioning sessions. He has learned 3 behaviors in only a few months. Catera has his own Cat-a-tat that provides plenty of running room.
Big Cat Rescue - Present
His parents, Shiloh and Indian Summer had been a bonded pair for seven years before coming to live on Easy Street. They had never reproduced, so we left them together and of course a littler of three resulted in just a few short months. The mother, on the third day, began killing the kittens and by the time the Founder could get to her, two were dead and she was biting the last one on the chest and abdomen. She snatched the bleeding kitten away from her and took it to medicate and bottle raise. It wasn't long before the she discovered why the mother had brutally attacked her offspring. Catera (named for theCaddy that zigs) was obviously brain damaged and from the condition of all three kittens, it was apparent that they had not been nursing although the dam had stayed with them faithfully. It took hours to feed Catera and every time, it was as if it was the first time for him. It took him a year to get on to solid foods and again, every meal was like the first he ever had. If his surrogate mother walks out of the room and walks back in ten minutes later, he has forgotten who she was and only through the vocalizations they have shared over and over and over does he again recognize her. Every day is new and exciting to Catera and he is quite possibly the happiest cat living on Easy Street. Catera runs incessantly in circles and attacks everyone he can't remember, which is everyone he knows. Catera has shown much improvement over the years and is doing very well with his operant conditioning sessions. He has learned 3 behaviors in only a few months.
