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Jasmine (A wonderful story)
Apr 8, 2009

In 2003, police in Warwickshire , England , opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog.. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had clearly been abused.

In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a Greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock and known as a willing haven for Animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need. 

Geoffand the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved.

They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home.

But Jasmine had other ideas. No-one remembers now how it began, but she started welcoming all Animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It wouldn't matter if it was a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, any other lost or hurting Animal, Jasmine would peer into the box or cage and, where possible, deliver a welcoming lick.

Geoff relates one of the early incidents. "We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them."

"But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them and it helps them to not only feel close to her but to settle into their new surroundings.

"She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose."

Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary's resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and 15 rabbits.

And one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, 11 weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster mum role. Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the Roe deer with affection and makes sure nothing is matted.

"They are inseparable," says Geoff "Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary.

It's a real treat to see them."

Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next Orphan or victim of abuse.

From left, Toby, a stray Lakeland dog; Bramble, orphaned Roe deer; Buster, a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; Sky, an injured barn owl; and Jasmine with a Mother's heart doing best what a caring Mother would do...

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Posted: Apr 8, 2009 12:30pm
INSPIRATION--Becky and Her Wolf
Mar 23, 2007
From Artisina to me, and


With all her big brothers and sisters off to school, our ranch became a lonely place for our three-year-old daughter, Becky. She longed for playmates. Cattle and horses were too big to cuddle and farm machinery dangerous for a child so small. We promised to buy her a puppy but in the meantime, "Pretend" puppies popped up nearly every day.

I had just finished washing the lunch dishes when the screen door slammed and Becky rushed in, cheeks flushed with excitement. "Mama!" she cried. "Come see my new doggy!

"I gave him water two times already. He's so thirsty!" I sighed. Another of Becky's imaginary dogs.

"Please come, Mama." She tugged at my jeans, her brown eyes pleading, "He's crying -- and he can't walk!" "Can't walk?" Now that was a twist. All her previous make-believe dogs could do marvelous things. One balanced a ball on the end of its nose. Another dug a hole that went all the way through the earth and fell out on a star on the other side. Still another danced on a tightrope. Why suddenly a dog that couldn't walk?

"All right, honey," I said. By the time I tried to follow her, Becky had already disappeared into the mesquite.

"Where are you?" I called.

"Over here by the oak stump. Hurry, Mama!"

I parted the thorny branches and raised my hand against the glare of the Arizona sun. A numbing chill gripped me. There she was, sitting on her heels, toes dug firmly in the sand, and cradled in her lap was the unmistakable head of a wolf! Beyond its head rose massive black shoulders. The rest of the body lay completely hidden inside the hollow stump of a fallen oak.

"Becky," My mouth felt dry. "Don't move." I stepped closer. Pale-yellow eyes narrowed. Black lips tightened, exposing double sets of two-inch fangs. Suddenly the wolf trembled. Its teeth clacked, and a piteous whine rose from its throat. "It's all right, boy," Becky crooned. "Don't be afraid. That's my mama, and she loves you, too."

Then the unbelievable happened. As her tiny hands stroked the great shaggy head, I heard the gentle thump, thump, thumping of the wolf's tail from deep inside the stump. What was wrong with the animal? I wondered. Why couldn't he get up? I couldn't tell. Nor did I dare to step any closer. I glanced at the empty water bowl. My memory flashed back to the five skunks that last week had torn the burlap from a leaking pipe in a frenzied effort to reach water during the final agonies of rabies. Of course! Rabies! Warning signs had been posted all over the county, and hadn't Becky said, "He's so thirsty?" I had to get Becky away.

"Honey." My throat tightened. "Put his head down and come to Mama. We'll go find help." Reluctantly, Becky got up and kissed the wolf on the nose before she walked slowly into my outstretched arms. Sad yellow eyes followed her. Then the wolf's head sank to the ground. With Becky safe in my arms, I ran to the barns where Brian, one of our cowhands, was saddling up to check heifers in the North pasture. "Brian! Come quickly. Becky found a wolf in the oak stump near the wash! I think it has rabies!"

"I'll be there in a jiffy," he said as I hurried back to the house, eager to put Becky down for her nap. I didn't want her to see Brian come out of the bunkhouse. I knew he'd have a gun.

"But I want to give my doggy his water," she cried. I kissed her and gave her some stuffed animals to play with.

"Honey, let Mom and Brian take care of him for now," I said. Moments later, I reached the oak stump.

Brian stood looking down at the beast. "It's a Mexican lobo, all right." He said, " And a big one!" The wolf whined. Then we both caught the smell of gangrene. "Whew! It's not rabies," Brian said. "But he's sure hurt real bad. Don't you think it's best I put him out of his misery?"

The word "yes" was on my lips, when Becky emerged from the bushes. "Is Brian going to make him well, Mama?" She hauled the animal's head onto her lap once more, and buried her face in the coarse, dark fur. This time I wasn't the only one who heard the thumping of the lobo's tail.

That afternoon my husband, Bill, and our veterinarian came to see the wolf. Observing the trust the animal had in our child, Doc said to me, "Suppose you let Becky and me tend to this fella together." Minutes later, as child and vet reassured the stricken beast, the hypodermic found its mark. The yellow eyes closed. "He's asleep now," said the vet. "Give me a hand here, Bill." They hauled the massive body out of the stump. The animal must have been over five feet long and well over one-hundred pounds. The hip and leg had been mutilated by bullets. Doc did what he had to in order to clean the wound and then gave the patient a dose of penicillin. Next day he returned and inserted a metal rod to replace the missing bone.

"Well, it looks like you've got yourselves a Mexican lobo," Doc said. "He looks to be about three years old, and even as pups, they don't tame real easy. I'm amazed at the way this big fella took to your little gal. But often there's something that goes on between children and animals that we grownups don't understand."

Becky named the wolf Ralph and carried food and water to the stump every day.

Ralph's recovery was not easy. For three months he dragged his injured hindquarters by clawing the earth with his front paws. From the way he lowered his eyelids when we massaged the atrophied limbs, we knew he endured excruciating pain, but not once did he ever try to bite the hands of those who cared for him.

Four months to the day, Ralph finally stood unaided. His huge frame shook as long- unused muscles were activated. Bill and I patted and praised him. But it was Becky to whom he turned for a gentle word, a kiss or a smile. He responded to these gestures of love by swinging his busy tail like a pendulum. As his strength grew, Ralph followed Becky all over the ranch. Together they roamed the desert pastures, the golden-haired child often stooping low, sharing with the great lame wolf whispered secrets of nature's wonders. When evening came, he returned like a silent shadow to his hollow stump that had surely become his special place.

As time went on, although he lived primarily in the brush, the habits of this timid creature endeared him more and more to all of us. His reaction to people other than our family was yet another story. Strangers terrified him, yet his affection for and protectiveness of Becky brought him out of the desert and fields at the sight of every unknown pickup or car. Occasionally he'd approach, lips taut, exposing a nervous smile full of chattering teeth. More often he'd simply pace and finally skulk off to his tree stump, perhaps to worry alone.

Becky's first day of school was sad for Ralph. After the bus left, he refused to return to the yard. Instead, he lay by the side of the road and waited. When Becky returned, he limped and tottered in wild, joyous circles around her. This welcoming ritual persisted throughout her school years.

Although Ralph seemed happy on the ranch, he disappeared into the surrounding deserts and mountains for several weeks during the spring mating season, leaving us to worry about his safety. This was calving season, and fellow ranchers watched for coyotes, cougars, wild dogs and, of course, the lone wolf. But Ralph was lucky.

During Ralph's twelve years on our ranch, his habits remained unchanged. Always keeping his distance, he tolerated other pets and endured the activities of our busy family, but his love for Becky never wavered. Then the spring came when our neighbor told us he'd shot and killed a she-wolf and grazed her mate, who had been running with her. Sure enough, Ralph returned home with another bullet wound. Becky, nearly fifteen years old now, sat with Ralph's head resting on her lap. He, too, must have been about fifteen and was gray with age. As Bill removed the bullet, my memory raced back through the years. Once again I saw a chubby three-year-old girl stroking the head of a huge black wolf and heard a small voice murmuring, "It's all right, boy. Don't be afraid. That's my mama, and she loves you, too."

Although the wound wasn't serious, this time Ralph didn't get well. Precious pounds fell away. The once luxurious fur turned dull and dry, and his trips to the yard in search of Becky's companionship ceased. All day long he rested quietly. But when night fell, old and stiff as he was, he disappeared into the desert and surrounding hills. By dawn his food was gone. The morning came when we found him dead. The yellow eyes were closed. Stretched out in front of the oak stump, he appeared but a shadow of the proud beast he once had been. A lump in my throat choked me as I watched Becky stroke his shaggy neck, tears streaming down her face. "I'll miss him so," she cried.

Then as I covered him with a blanket, we were startled by a strange rustling sound from inside the stump. Becky looked inside. Two tiny yellow eyes peered back and puppy fangs glinted in the semidarkness. Ralph's pup! Had a dying instinct told him his motherless offspring would be safe here, as he had been, with those who loved him? Hot tears spilled on baby fur as Becky gathered the trembling bundle in her arms. "It's all right, little . . . Ralphie," she murmured. "Don't be afraid. That's my mom, and she loves you, too.
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Posted: Mar 23, 2007 8:17am
Raising Oprhaned Ocelots, Bobcats and Other Wild Cats
Apr 5, 2006
My Male cat is a mix between a bobcat and a domestic, so I thought this would come in handy to those of you who raise these types of animals, or for future reference!

courtesy of All Creature Care

R.S. Hines, DVM PhD

Ocelot and Bobcat kittens raised on a diet of powdered KMR or Nurturall Kittten Powder mixed at a ratio of 1 part powder and 2 parts water generally have good weight gain and development. Multi-MilkS (Pet-Ag, Inc.) has the same ratio of protein to fat content, but the fat content is from butterfat, high in lactose, not coconut oil, which is used in some of the other milk substitutes. Esbilac similarly, it has the same protein and fat percentages, but fat is derived from butterfat. The lower the lactose-containing ingredients in whichever formula you use, the less the tendency to bloat, flatulence and respiratory distress. Use of these products in very young ocelot kittens may cause diarrhea.  If a kitten is not thriving on a particular formula or not posting expected weight gain (in the absence of other limiting factors such as illness or parasites), try another mixture. Unless the kittens are exceptionally small, use a human infant nursing bottle with a juice nipple or a formula nipple with holes large enough to pass the formula in response to the kitten's suckling. Feed the young ocelot in a ventrally recumbent position (tummy down) , not on its back or sitting up. Sit with the kitten in your lap or on the floor or table on a pad, hold the head with the chin parallel to the floor and let the kitten nurse from natural position. As the kitten's strength and coordination develop, it may brace its front end up on its forelegs. Later, it may sit back on its haunches or stand and take the bottle in its front paws. Once it starts eating from a dish, beware. Ocelots are very protective of their food and dishes, and removal of a dish without an immediate substitute may result in a slashed hand.


Upon intake, kittens should be warmed and stabilized before any feeding is attempted. First feedings should be of a warmed electrolyte solution such as Lactated Ringer's Solution, one half strength or Lactated Ringers' Solution with 2.5% Dextrose, or a similar physiologically ally balanced solution which, along with appropriate syringes, is available through my web page. Once the kittens are hydrated and sucking well, gradually introduce mixed formula with the electrolyte solution, 25% per day, until the kittens are taking full strength formula. Some kittens may not take well to the electrolyte solution, so the process of introducing formula may have to be accelerated. If diarrhea occurs, dilute the formula and work back gradually to full strength.


Ideally, kittens should be fed every 2 hours over a 16-hour day, or at least 8 times a day, for the first 10-14 days. Smaller feedings at a higher frequency may be needed to meet the caloric needs of the infants and to prevent bloating or diarrhea from overfeeding. Ocelot kittens should receive 35-40% of their body weight in daily feedings as a rule of thumb. Reduce the number of daily feedings gradually, starting after the eyes open at 9-10 days. Strained baby meat, rice or high-protein baby cereal may be added to the formula in small amounts, keeping the mixture fluid enough to pass through the nipple without danger of aspiration to the kitten. If your fearful that they did not receive colostrums, you can add amoxicillin @ 10-20mg/kg three times a day to their formula.


Small bites of chicken, turkey, beef and fresh fish, with appropriate vitamin and mineral supplements may be offered after three weeks of age. Kittens should be encouraged to lap at four weeks and take solid foods from a dish starting at six weeks of age. Weaning should be complete by two months, when their teeth have fully erupted. Then gradually wean them to a high quality diet such as ZuPreem ‘s Canned Exotic Feline Diet, Nebraska Brand Wild Feline Formula, Mazuri’s small wild feline formula or other brands of frozen food with no less than 23% protein and 15-20% fat. Killed mice and chicks should be part of the diet by 2 1/2 months of age. You can start live prey training at 2 ½ - 3  months of age if the animal is to be released. But in the evenings, offer  a balanced diet throughout the time the cat is in your care. Chicken necks and backs are not adequate for good health and should not be feed. They contain over 50% minerals (ash) leading to kidney stones as well as a reverse calcium/phosphorus ratio leading to rickets. The youngsters should be hunting well and killing prey by four or five months of age. Depending on the season, and threats by hunters, you can release them at four to six months of age - once the animals are repeatedly successful in hunting living prey such as rats, mice, rabbits, lizards and fish. A pyrethrin or rotenone dust available through our web page can be used to control fleas and other external parasites. Internal worming medications are also available here.


I recommend a multi-vitamin supplement during the entire captive period, as well as added taurine and Anti-oxidants - especially if you are preparing your own diets. . Special attention needs to be paid to providing just enough Vitamin A and D. Calcium and phosphorus should be in the ratio of 2 or 2.5 to 1 if commercially prepared diets do not constitute the bulk of their food.


Adult ocelots and bobcats in rehabilitation, weighing between 25 and 35 pounds, will eat 1 1/2-2 pounds of food per day on average. They average 4-8% of their body weight eaten per day. Younger, growing animals should eat 15-25% of their body weight per day. They may not recognize commercial diets as food, so every effort should be made to provide natural prey items such as mice, rats and rabbits (occasionally chicks or quail). I recommend a vitamin-mineral supplementation with Vionate (Rich Health), at 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds or a good pediatric multivitamin at about one drop per pound of body weight. Later, a cage, and tree branches for climbing will require a cage 4'x 4' x 4'for a litter of ocelot kittens. Until they are completely weaned, the kittens must still be accessible for capture and bottle-feeding.


Once small wild felines are weaned, they can be moved outdoors into a natural-like enclosure. I construct mine of vinyl-coated 18 gauge galvanized welded wire or chain-link fence. I prefer concrete floors for sanitation, but chain-link can be buried a few feet down into sandy floors, sloping inward and the animals will not escape. However, if you do that, hookworms, toxascaris, strongyloides and other parasites tend to build up numbers on the dirt floors and these floors are hard to keep clean. Even a steam jenny will not kill ascarid eggs on cement so periodic worming is a necessity. A secondary fence is a really good idea – both to prevent escape and to prevent feral cats, raccoons and opossums from transmitting diseases to the cats through the wire of the primary enclosure.  The top must be securely covered. I like log platforms of different heights, and areas where the cats can hide. Grass floors do not stand up to cat traffic and cannot be sanitized. Some might use sections of Astroturf that can be washed and dried but I like to use old tree stumps on heavily trowels, non-broom finish cement. They can become quite slippery but stumps and snags help you keep your footing. The floors should never remain wet or damp for long periods. Fecal specimens should be checked monthly for parasites. Nemex is safe and effective in small wild cats and is often given monthly to prevent hook and roundworms; it is available through our web page as are all pharmaceuticals.

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Posted: Apr 5, 2006 3:08pm

 
 
 
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