Welcome to our little sanctuary.
"RAWR!" That means "welcome" in wildcat. We rescue and provide lifetime care to unreleasable wildcats and those who were illegally owned or seized and would otherwise be euthanized. We never buy, breed, or sell animals. We are are a true, no-contact sanctuary whose mission is to educate the public that while these animals are beautiful (even adorable), they are not pets. We don't touch or pet our wild ones – we respect their wildness and let them live as true to their nature as possible. We also care for a number of domestic cats who were discarded or have various disabilities. Thanks to our amazing supporters, these cats will never know hunger, pain or fear again. Just love and safety.
Watch our live bobcat cam:
We are a small 501(c)3 nonprofit sanctuary located in Rhode Island. We're accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, which means that we meet strict standards for safety, nutrition, veterinary care, sanctuary management and financials. We receive no federal or state funding and rely entirely on donations from animal lovers like you.
We're a 100% volunteer-run sanctuary so every penny of your tax-deductible gift goes to the care and feeding of the cats. We are so grateful for your support. It means so much to us and the cats.
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We hope you enjoy our live bobcat cam! (We never tire of watching Meemie's hijinks.) A note to new viewers: the camera is aimed at one corner of her habitat. Her entire enclosure is much larger.
Meet the cats!
Meemie was found in a barn as a days-old kitten, abandoned by her mother. She was rescued and raised by a wonderful wildlife rehabilitator in NY, but due to being raised by a human, Meemie didn't develop fear of them and can't hunt on her own, so she can't be released into the wild. The woman who saved her placed her with us for lifetime care when Meemie was 3. We are honored to give this special, quirky bobcat a home.
Moxie came to us with Dakotah when she was 7, and has lived with him her whole life. Like Dakotah, she was purchased from a breeder when she was a kitten (before they came to us; we do not support breeding--especially of wild animals). Despite being born in captivity and being raised by humans, Moxie is as wild as they come. We don't believe in handling the wildcats or petting them, and Moxie is a great example of why. She is a ferocious girl, who loves to stalk, hunt, growl and spit. We love that she can be her wild self here. She is the complete opposite of her mate Dakotah - with endless energy for exploring and patrolling her enclosure.
Gelfing is a Maine Coon cat who was surrendered to us by a family who bought him from a breeder, very quickly after they realized he liked to use the bathtub for a litterbox, and could be a little aggressive with certain people. We were happy to take him. Turns out, he will use the cover of a plastic bin for a litterbox. Sometimes you just have to get a little creative. He's the funniest, sassiest cat, and the house wouldn't be the same without him. We find his quirks funny and adorable. We even had to add child safety locks to our doors because Gelf can open them.
Kang & Kodos were found dumped in a puddle. They both have cerebellar hyperplasia (CH), a neurological condition that affects motor skills. Both have trouble walking, but their quality of life isn't impacted - they don't know they're disabled! They're great cats who we are happy to provide forever care to. Due to their condition and poor start in life, they will remain very small cats their whole lives.
Manka was found abandoned as a kitten in a garden in western NY. She was rescued by Abbe-Freeland Animal Sanctuary, where she lived with another unreleasable bobcat, Preston. Unfortunately, Preston passed away, and Manka was left alone at 7 years old. Her caretakers wanted her to have a better life where she could receive more attention and have other bobcats around. We were thrilled to offer her a home. Manka settled in quickly and is a super sweet and happy girl. She chirps, rolls, plays in boxes, and loves her new life. We just love this girl.
Linus came to us from the same rehabber who saved Meemie the bobcat. His rear foot was caught in a hunter's leghold trap and he lost most of it. The kind woman who saved him had to convince the person who found him not to shoot him. Likely due to this trauma, he has a lot of behavioral and litter box issues. But, we don't mind. We love giving him the life he deserves, where he never has to worry about being hurt again--and can pee wherever he wants ;)
Yori is the shyest cat we have. Beautiful and elusive, she only trusts a couple of people. She was adopted because she was deemed 'unadoptable' by a shelter - all she did was hide there. But, she is very loving and friendly to the people she trusts. She lives in a separate wing of the house with her friend Pixie, where she feels safe.
Lynx and Rufus were rescued from a feral cat colony. Both were suffering from advanced mange, which was treated before it could do permanent damage. Today, they are still somewhat feral but enjoy playing and snoozing together. Their names come from the Latin name for 'bobcat': Lynx Rufus.
Dakotah was privately owned with his mate Moxie until he was about 9 years old. Changing life circumstances caused his owner to have to rehome him and Moxie. We were happy to offer them a lifetime home. Dakotah was very bonded to his owner, and even though she was responsible in rehoming him, it's still very difficult on a cat who doesn't understand why his life changed. He enjoys his new home with trees, grass, and tons of enrichment. He is a big, handsome boy who loves to lay around all day.
Pixie was rescued by our local animal control officer after she and her sibling had been thrown from a car into a parking lot in the middle of Winter. Sadly, her sibling did not make it, and Pixie suffers from vision issues. Luckily our ACO is a caring person and worked with us to provide her with a lifetime of love and care. She lives in a special wing of the house with her buddy Yori, where she can't get hurt by falling off of anything due to her vision problems.
Arya and Mudra (Mudgey) are siblings who were adopted by our founder years ago. Mudgey spends his time cuddling with Arya and following Gelfy around. Unfortunately, in 2020, we found out that Arya had been going blind due to detached retinas. She's doing great though, and her quality of life hasn't decreased at all. In fact, she's even more spoiled now--as she should be!
Karle, pictured here with Linus, is our Founder and Executive Director. She was born a Cat Lady (although she is allergic to cats) and loves all animals. Karle had all sorts of pets growing up and as soon as she was old enough, she volunteered at animal shelters and eventually wildlife rehab centers and sanctuaries. She mostly worked with birds of prey and then wild cats. She always dreamed of running her own rescue. After visiting Wildcat Ridge Sanctuary, she decided this is what she needed to do with her life. After years of volunteering, shadowing professionals, saving money and refusing to give up, she founded RAWR in 2017. The rest is history!
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