Trapper’s Story
Trapper was born here at Carolina Tiger Rescue as part of the former breeding program. Trapper was a fan favorite here at Carolina Tiger. For many years, Trapper was a star on the tour route. He liked to hang out in the back of his enclosure, but when a tour came to his stop, he loved to come out and meet the guests. The moment guests were in earshot, Trapper would begin his ocelot grumble. Sometimes people would worry that Trapper was upset, but more often than not, I think he was just telling them about his day. When he was feeling particularly spry, he would balance on the PVC tube that covered his heating pad cords to make sure they knew he was there and ready for his treat!
Trapper’s Passing
March 17, 2017
I have sad news to share about Trapper Ocelot. A couple of years ago, we ran routine blood work on Trapper. Those test results showed the start of kidney disease. Kidney disease can either progress slowly or quickly. The best “treatment” for late-stage kidney disease or failure is hydration. This can be done either through an animal’s food or by giving them fluids subcutaneously (under their skin). Fortunately, our animals already receive a diet that is moist (as opposed to dry cat food) but they don’t always appreciate getting subq fluids.
We kept a close eye on Trapper and knew that eventually his kidneys would fail. During the past few months, we have watched him slow down more and more and begin to lose weight. Several weeks ago, we moved him off of the tour route and into a quieter enclosure. This week his disease had progressed to the point that euthanasia was necessary.
As with any health care decision made at Carolina Tiger Rescue, we always want to make the right choice for our animals, even when that choice means saying goodbye to an old friend. Trapper’s silly antics and engaging personality made him easy to love and will make him hard to forget.
