Glory Glory
(Deceased Cougar)

Glory was bought at an auction for just $175 , "due to her poor condition" at just a few days old. According to Carole she had a chronic kidney problem and "has always had a hard time of it. Carole writes that "Many sleepless nights we had to hold her between us in order to keep a life giving catheter in her veins".  

However, Glory's chronic bad health did not keep the greedy Carole from breeding her. Glory gave birth to her first litter of three kittens in 1996. There is no further mention of these first three cubs, so they  were probably sold. Carole tells us they were raised along with Callie's 3 cubs who are also unaccounted for. Bred to Cocoa, a litter the following year included Enya and Fleetwood, who were declawed and used as 'cabin cats' to entertain Carole's bed and breakfast customers. Unless you believe that you buy cats from auctions and breed them to sell their cubs or pimp them out to paying customers, these 11 cats, Glory, her first 3 cubs, Callie, her three cubs, cocoa, Enya, and Fleetwood were not rescued.

The Evolving Stories

Wildlife On Easy Street 1997

"a female South American Cougar born 9/15/93. She came to us through an auction at only a few days of age. In her poor condition, she only auctioned for $175. She was born with a chronic kidney problem and has always had a hard time of it. Because of her kidney failure, she has never been litter trained, but she lived in the house with several varieties of cats, until her playfulness became too dangerous for the smaller cats. Glory, Glory prefers people to other cats, which is a good thing since she has to spend so much time being cared for by humans. Many sleepless nights we had to hold her between us in order to keep a life giving catheter in her veins."

Wildlife On Easy Street 2000

"Glory came to Wildlife On Easy Street at only a few days of age from an auction. She was auctioned for only $ 175, due to her poor condition. She was born with a chronic kidney problem and has always had a hard time of it. Many sleepless nights we had to hold her between us in order to keep a life giving catheter in her veins. She was never litter trained because of her kidney failure, but she lived in the house with several varieties of cats, until her playfulness became too dangerous for the smaller cats. Glory, Glory looks just like a Florida Panther with her scrawny kinked tail, small build, and big eyes. She has blue eyes, which is very rare in adult cougars. She did not grow at the same rate as her mate, and subsequently fears him to the point that she will over groom her tail if she is caged anywhere near him. She gave birth to her first litter of three kittens in June of 1996. Glory, Glory prefers people to other cats, which is a good thing since she has to spend so much time being cared for by humans. She has done photo fundraisers for schools and loves to get out and meet the public.  We quit breeding cougars in 1997."

Big Cat Rescue (present)

“When I started volunteering at Big Cat Rescue in 1999, I had no idea what a life-changing decision I had made.  At first, as I cleaned cages, I was unaware of the unique personalities these cats possess.   To me, they were all the same.  But, within a few weeks, I had noticed that one of the cats was paying more attention to me than all the others.  She was a beautiful blue-eyed cougar named Glory.  She was a very shy cat, and whenever I cleaned by her cage she would hide in the palmettos and watch me.  Eventually, one day she lost her shyness and came over to say hello.  From that day on, when I first approached her enclosure, she would hide, but as soon as I crouched down next to her cage, she would jump out of her hiding spot and run over to me.  It was then that I realized the cats pick who they like, and we have no choice in the matter. 
I worked with this wonderful cat for three years.  Unfortunately, after a brief illness, she passed away in 2002.  Glory was the first cat I loved and the first cat I lost.  She will always hold a special place in my heart.
 
I have always had more empathy for animals than I have for people.  They are truly innocent creatures and it always broke my heart to see them abused or neglected.  As much as I loved Glory, and appreciated the relationship I had with her, I have always wished that she had been given a chance to run free and live the way she was intended.  
 
As a volunteer, once you develop a deep bond with one of the cats, you begin to understand that you become a voice for them.  That is why I have continued to volunteer at Big Cat Rescue.  It is by making our voices heard that we can improve the lives of cats now, and in the future”