Cedar Cove Feline Conservation

This place was so cool! Not your typical zoo where there’s the aesthetic stuff to keep humans happy, but more focus on the animals. They took us on a guided tour and the volunteer explained very well what each cat (or wolf) does and where they are in the wild, as well as their conservation status, but also told us each individual cat’s story, and why they are here now. The animals all seemed very happy, healthy, and comfortable, and all had relationships with the trainer, allowing us to see each animal up close, and act very comfortably. The story behind the facility and the amount of time, and love, given to all these animals was amazing. It was cool to go through the facility with somebody who had such a devotion to these animals, and see all of the other volunteers there doing the same thing. It was a great activity for a weekend, and very family and kid friendly. Well for sure be going back this summer to see it all again when it’s not so cold.

I have visited Cedar Cove four times now, and have never been disappointed. The animals are beautiful and well cared for. They all have a story, and the volunteers are eager to share their knowledge. I love sharing the experience with friends and family, and they are always surprised and delighted by this hidden treasure. I hope Cedar Cove continues to grow and preserver while saving precious lives!

This place is a must if you live nearby. The prices are reasonable and you’ll get so much information about the animals. My kids all love it– ages 5, 3, and 1!

Loved this sanctuary! It was quite hot when I went and there were some mighty bugs terrorizing me (haha) but other than that the animals seemed to have a good amount of space to be happy and live their life. The guides are great, full of information and very friendly. I learned a lot and I’m glad it wasn’t like going to the zoo where you just walk by and look at animals. That’s what makes this place different. Not costly to get in and you can make donations as well! They also have wolves which I wasn’t expecting! Would defiantly suggest, may be boring for very small children but if they are a little bit older they would certainly appreciate it!

Definitely an awesome place! A staff volunteer takes guests on a tour of the facilities to see all of the animals. This allows them to tell the guests about each animal, where they got them, their personality, etc., which was a great way to learn about them!
They have tigers, 2 lions, 2 wolves, a couple leopards, mountain lions, and a variety of other small exotic cats. My favorite was the beautiful 10 month old tiger!
Feeding time is 2 o’clock on Saturdays. I’d recommend getting there around 12:45 or 1 and taking the tour through the facilities first. It’ll let you end a few minutes before the feeding starts. That way you’re able to enjoy seeing the powerful animals totally devour their meals!
I’d recommend stopping by!

Went here yesterday with a couple friends from church! Never knew about this place before yesterday. Informative staff, and it was fun watching all the animals, especially during feeding time. I’d go back again!

Taking a drive on Sunday morning, we literally just passed by this place. Not knowing what to expect, we headed inside. The kind woman behind the desk explained that this was a place for large feline animals (tigers, leopards, etc.) that were either at other facilities or were taken from places where people tried domesticating them. Being mainly a non-​profit organization, they rely heavily on word-​of-​mouth and are only open to the public on the weekends.
We started on a tour (adults are $ 7, kids 3 and under are free) and had many others join along the way. We learned about how the animals arrived at the sanctuary and how they are taken care of. My son got a little tired (it was a hot day) and my infant daughter wasn’t in the best mood so we didn’t complete the tour, but really enjoyed the portion of it we experienced.
It’s not a state-​of-​the-​art facility, but it obvious that all of the animals there are loved and well taken care of. I just can’t believe I didn’t know anything about this place and am so glad it exists! We will definitely return (possibly minus the kids) to finish the tour!

I love this place, and it definitely has 5-​star potential. It’s just not there yet.
What is there is really a treasure that now many people in the KC area know about yet. I’ve been down a handful of times, and each trip has been memorable.
It’s pretty small, but worth the drive to Louisburg and the small entry fee to get in. It’s worth repeat visits, because each time there is a little more development. Maybe a new animal or two with interesting stories of how they arrived.
While it is a dedicated cat sanctuary, they do have a variety of other rescue animals, as well, including wolves, which are an interesting addition. I also highly recommend attending a public feeding to see the animals doing what they do best — being scary and eating.
Having visited a couple other similar facilities, I do hope that they can improve their gift shop and fundraising. Any nonprofit could definitely use additional funds, and I feel like they could have gotten deeper into my pockets with a more direct and meaningful appeal for funds (maybe like adopting a specific animal for a timeframe and getting photo updates through the year) or even selling mementos from the park, like professional photography of the animals, instead of generic cat-​related merchandise. I could go anywhere for a stuffed cat toy, but I’d love a framed, professional photo of Tonka, and I probably would have paid $ 15 or $ 20 for it. I bet a lot of other people would, too.

Five stars because these guys are doing an incredible job. It’s worth the drive to see these beautiful cats and support this cause.
Our guide was very friendly and had so much information to share regarding the animals.
As Steve B mentioned, they have wolves and even a couple of coatimundi (raccoon relative).
Check the glass case when you come in (that’s where Jackie, the domestic cat, likes to sleep).
Winter hours: Open on Saturday and Sunday 11−3pm.
First Saturday of the month they have a public viewing of the feeding. They are open until 4pm that day. Be there by 2:15pm if you want to see that.

My wife and I heard about this place by chance a few weeks ago and, having a lazy Sunday to play with, we decided to go check it out. Wow. This place is pretty amazing for the work they do. Even more so when you realize they survive solely on donations and a meager ($ 5) entry fee.
The Cedar Cove Feline Conservatory is a very small place dedicated to the preservation of and education about large wild cats. Most of the animals they have there were illegal pets or abandoned at one point.
They have a great selection of animals, including 2 different kinds of Tigers, a Leopard, Mountain lions, Lynx, Caracal, and Serval. They also have some wolves that we got to see! You can’t just wander around; everyone gets their own private tour guide. Our guide, Katie, was as helpful and friendly as they come, offering plenty of information about the cats and the conservatories’ operations. We could tell that she really really loved those cats.
One of the really great things about the whole experience is that you can get very, very close to most of the cats. The Leopard, named «VooDoo», is sometimes inches from you. I got some great pictures!
I strongly encourage a visit to this place! It’s only a 20 – 30 minute drive south of Kansas City, and the work they do is very important. If you like big cats, you won’t find better for cheaper localy. Even the KC Zoo isn’t as good when it comes to Cats! If you have kids, they would absolutely love this place. There were a couple of young kids there while we were looking around, and they were going absolutely agog at the animals.
However, don’t come expecting anything fancy… this place is run on a shoestring budget and it shows. All spare money goes to taking care of the cats, as it should. It’s very «folksy» feeling. That’s not a bad thing. Just warning those who demand A/​C and carpeting and Mineral Water everywhere they go!
The small housecat in the lobby was a bonus!