Letter to the Editor

Center provides shelter for 'Big Cats'

Sunday, November 7, 2010

To the Editor:

In society today, people are acquiring baby cubs such as lions, tigers, leopards and cougars.

It is legal in Indiana to buy a license to breed these beautiful cats.

I believe it should be unlawful for any person to go and buy a license to take advantage of these cats just for money.

If we don't have any big cats, the world would be a terrible place to be.

The other non-carnivorous animals would over-populate and eventually, starve.

Wildcats are an important part of the life cycle. It is also very wrong these innocent cats have to go through being captured, caged and underfed. It is also very wrong to acquire the cubs in the first place because of three main reasons.

First, the cat would get to be quite large. The bigger they are, the more they will eat. If a wildcat is hungry enough, it will start to attack the people who live in that household. If that home has children, then this is going to create an even bigger problem. The person or persons would not be able to sell the cats to the zoo and since they might not know about any large cat rescue center, the person would have no choice but to release the wildcat into the woods.

Secondly, any large cat taken as a pet would be quite costly to care for. Wildcats eat red meat, which could endanger the livestock in that area. Many people do not realize the risk they are taking when they bring a wild animal into domestic situations.

Most importantly, another reason not to take in wildcat cubs is that when a cat gets to full size, depending how kind the people are in that one house, the cat might start to attack the children. Often, these kinds of accidents occur when the cats are just playing. The cat has good intensions, but does not handle the situation correctly.

But never fear, the EFRC is here. The EFRC (Exotic Feline Rescue Center) is a wonderful organization that will take in any large cat who needs a home. They are located in Center Point, on Ashboro Road. The EFRC gives a safe, permanent home to the cats who need it most and will not sell or breed big cats.

The EFRC is the home of more than 200 wildcats.

We as a community need to protect our Earth and its many wonders. The EFRC is strictly run on donations. Start today by taking the time to give donations and visit these awesome roaring cat friends.

Amelia Seward,

Brazil