When it All Began /  Sherabies Story

It all started on a warm summer afternoon, my hus­band was leaving the house with my daughter, when they spotted something in front of the truck. He slammed on the brakes, my daughter jumped out and snatched up this lost or abandoned baby. Well, the baby was a wild born mother-raised Bobcat kitten, old enough to be weaned. I was now the proud owner of my first exotic cat. That's how it started. I didn't know then that this was the begin­ning of a whole new journey in my life. I must say it has become one of the best things in my life.

Ignorant of how to care for this baby, I phoned Lynn and Bart for some information on the proper way to care for this kitten. This journey was going farther now. Lynn came over right away to help me with the baby and gave me a few things I would need to take proper care of her. '" Sherabie grew into a beautiful loving spotted girl.

My domestics raised her, and Sherabie eagerly cared for their babies, to the point where I would have to hunt them down so their mother could feed them. This wasn't too hard, Sherabie would take them one by one and bring them into the closet in my bedroom. There she       would clean them and care for them.

She dearly loved the babies, and as she grew older the call of the wild came over her. She would cry out at night to the wild ones in the woods; it was the saddest sound to hear. She wanted a mate and babies of her own, but this wasn't possible, as she had been declawed on her front paws, and had no defense for existing in the wild. How could she hunt? How could she survive? She must remain here in her home and cage, as survival beyond her cage would be impossible, and she would surely die in the wild.

Then it happened! One summer day I was leaving the cage through the other door where her platform was di­rectly above the door. To this day I don't know how she did it, but she jumped from the platform and turned in mid air landing on top of my head, catapulted off and was gone in a second! We searched for days and weeks setting up live traps and walking the woods calling for her. She was gone and not coming back. Many tears where shed, for she had a special place in our hearts; but nature was calling her back to the wild and we could not compete with nature.

Months had gone by now and she was lost to us. I just prayed that she could survive without front claws. We had lost something very precious to us, and our biggest fear was that she would die out there. One afternoon while driving back from town, I was about two miles from my house, when I spotted a Bobcat crossing the field in broad daylight, running right in front of my car. I slammed on the brakes and jumped out of the car, and called out her name. She stopped dead in her tracks, turned around and sat down and looked at me. I stood there and talked to her for a while. She didn't run just sat and looked at me. It was Sherabie, and it was as if she were trying to tell me, "It's okay, I'm alright now. You don't have to worry, I'm happy and alive, and thank you for loving me."

I've seen her several times since then. It's like she wants us to know she is surviving and she's happy and well. I sometimes feel that she is watching from the woods, checking our home where she was loved. I half­way expect her to show herself someday with babies at her side. That is what she wanted more than anything – to be a mom, and have babies of her own. She came into our life a frightened sick little girl, but she returned to the wild a gown up, healthy strong bobcat, wanting to fulfill her need of babies. I’m sure that the woods around us has become home to her offspring, and I pray that wild will be kind to them, for living in the wild can be cruel. 

Now it's ten years later and we're still going strong. I have taken in Bobcats ,Canadian Lynx, Siberian Lynx, and Eurasian Lynx, the need for more cages continues to grow.

Organization information;

We are a newly established exotic feline rescue; we have come into existence because of the growing need for places like this, and because of one lost abandoned baby bobcat we named Sherabie. There are many shelters for domestics but far to few for the exotic feline.

Sherabie came into our lives when she was around 8 or 10 weeks old, she is the reason we are here today. The first part of her life was spent in the wild being raised by her mother. We found her in our driveway abandoned by her mother, she was frightened and alone. She put up a pretty good fight when you picked her up, but she was afraid and alone. We could not turn our backs on the poor frightened little creature; she needed help to stay alive.

We brought her into our home, she was alone and ill, and we nursed her back to health, in no time flat she was a part of the family, being raised by our domestic Persian. My domestics took to caring for her, cleaning and grooming her, giving back to her some feelings of security, and a mother figure. In a very short time Sherabie had settled in and become part of the family, no longer afraid or alone she was now safe and secure.

 As she grew she started having seizures, they became more and more frequent, she would have to be held down during the seizures to keep her from getting hurt. We took her to an exotic feline vet, he ran all kinds of test and did blood work on her. He gave us all kinds of medication to give her, well don't ever try to get a pill down a half grown bobcats throat, it's not going to happen. I did some research and found herbs that would do the same thing as the drugs. I started feeding her the herbs over her food; she ate it with no problem. I continue this for some time, the seizures were happening less and less now. In time they stopped all together, the herbs had worked and she now had her health back.

Until you experience the love they give, and run your hands through the soft thick fur of a Lynx while he purrs in your ears, or have a bobcat clean your face in the middle of the night while you try to sleep, you truly haven’t lived. To find a bobcat curled up at your side stretching and hogging the bed in the middle of the night, or to be woke up from a sound sleep while two bobcats start their play in the wee hours of the morning, hiding under your blanket while the other attacks from above. These are only some of the wonders those who have been truly blessed can experience.

I can open the door of my home and 2 bobcats enter the house from their cage, this is their home too, and when the weather is warm the doors remain open so they can enter and exit at will. There are times I get help at the keyboard as a 35 pound bobcat walks across purring wanting my attention, her backside turned to me so I know it’s her, and then the sandpaper tongue cleans my hands as she purrs.  We have been blessed with 3 wild born bobcats, all have given us their trust and love.

 Walk on the Wildside came into existence because of our love for one lost, frightened, wild born bobcat, Sherabie, and the love she returned to us. Sherabie rescued us and showed us what is important on this earth, she was a very special girl, Sherabie was the guide to our future, she is the reason we are here today asking for your help to continue our work caring for the uprooted and abused exotics. She came to us over 10 years ago, and since that time more have come, and others are waiting for our help, the need for more cages and money to care for them grows each day. Far too many need help and we will continue to give and care with your support