Big Cat Rescue

I love cats. I love this organization for the good that it does to rescued big cats. I love their educational initiatives to help the public understand the plight of big cats and why they are meant to remain wild and not be kept as «pets.» I took my first tour during the hot afternoon when the cats were sleeping so there wasn’t much to see, but I’m looking forward to the night-​time and feeding tours in the future. This is a great place and they are doing great things. Well worth the money, the open minds, and open hearts!

3 of my friends and I purchased the feeding tour, which is a little over $ 60. I want to start off by saying you don’t PERSONALLY feed them, and no, obviously not calling them into your lap, but you get the idea. I was unfortunately under that impression, and it didn’t disappoint me as much as it disappointed me the small portions they get. A separate volunteer wheels a wagon around with the food, places it in a space with a giliten door, then opens it up for them to eat.
We get a brief overview of their feeding schedule. Most of them have either very poor canines (or none at all) so no bones or cartilage included. Others with a sensitive stomach. It honestly didn’t dawn on me that the portions they were getting+how many times a day they were eating didn’t seem adequate until 1 of my friends mentioned it. I’m no biologist, but it was questionable. Now, would I say $ 60 is worth for this tour, yes, if you’re an optimist. Because obviously this money is helping them out. But it’s certainly not «WOW, WHAT A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE».
Our tour guide, I regret to say I forgot his name, I thought was great. He seemed very passionate about these gorgeous animals. Now to the space itself, it is sitting on a very vast land, beautiful drapery of trees overhead, and the weather definitely helped. As for their enclosure, I remember reading a review, with a Unilocaler mentioning the «wired cages», and with all their funding and recognition they receive, they should be able to afford open space, and I totally agree. I would say it’s even disheartening, even the Miami zoo don’t have the big cats in cages.
When my friends and I conversed our thoughts and I mentioned their small enclosures, 1 said «it’s basically a hospice for them». I did ponder as that being a valid point, because what they endured won’t allow them to return to the wild (and anything is better than being in a fur farm, road side zoo, or pets in tiny city apartments). So it’s definitely another debate to add to the well being of animals in captivity.
Another thing I wasn’t too pleased with was we felt a bit rushed on the tour. A good handful of cats weren’t «part of the feeding tour», that we had to miss out on, even the lions. I find that to be a little bit of a «cash cow» tactic. If you just really want to get super close to these wild animals, even the exotic ones you can only find in the desert, then this is a 5 star for you. But if you really are more concerned about the rehabilitation and well being for the cats, I would give a firm 2 ½ stars (rounded it to 3 because I was mesmerized by them overall).

I was pleasantly surprised about how much I enjoyed my afternoon at Big Cat Rescue. The staff was all very knowledgable and pleasant and the cats were majestic and beautiful. The cats are well cared for and the enclosures are quite large. My teenage children had a great time here and want to visit again!

Great for adults AND children, also big cat lovers! Our tour guide was Pam and she was very passionate about the animals and was very nice. She provided us with more education on the cats and how they handle things at the reserve. The animals are very well cared for, as we saw, as they each have their own diets. The grounds are very clean and the animals get to go on «vacation» 2 weeks at a time to a much larger enclosure. Your tours and any items you buy all go to the cats, as to just care for one tiger, $ 10,000 is needed so it would be great if you could help this cause. Many of the animals were abused, such as being hit with a shovel or being a circus cat, so it is nice to see they have found a loving home!

I visited a few weeks ago, and I was not happy with my visit. The tours are expensive, and I did not feel it was a total RIP off. The cages are cheaply made, the cats seem listless, and the cages way to small. This zoo is also not well maintained, and I noticed algae growing in some of the bowls of water. The water they played in looks dirty and disgusting. There was a great deal of vegetation in the cages. Could not one of the big cats use this to escape? How can the employees properly sanitize the enclosures? The girl that directed the tour was boring, and almost put me to sleep. I asked a few questions about Jamanji, because I know this was a pet of the family’s at one time and not a rescue. She seemed pretty ignorant. There is a great deal of mud and standing water. Why are some of the cats forced to live in mud?! Some of the smaller felines had plastic igloo houses for shelters?! Really?!
When I saw a hybrid cat in a cage like a wild animals I asked why that poor car was not in a home with a family, the girl was rude about my question. She stated that hybrid cats, such as Savannahs and Bengals are wild animals. I started laughing and told her maybe she she tell that to my four! I then had to listen to others admonish me for owning these kitties. My husband lost his patience and Just about told some of the guests off. What is it their business that I own these animals?!
I was relieved when the tour was over. The only true part was interacting with the kittens. As I missed my own cats. I refused to support their stupid bans and laws. I refused to sign anything supported by them.
A zoo should be a place to educate on animals and their behaviors, where they come from? How can we help their species continue. Not a animal rights lecture, especially when I find most of it offensive.
How can that place be remotely taken seriously. If they actually took decent care of the animals, and made them the priority instead of their idiotic ideology. I am from California, and zoos are awesome! So I maybe spoiled when it comes to zoos. My local small zoo blows this ramshackle zoo out of the water. You should be ashamed of how you are keeping those poor wild kitties! Stop being cheap and get some decent enclosures! I am beyond disappointed. Also, do something about the bugs! It is just gross making people deal with that many mosquitoes! Do something about the mud too! Hybrid cats do not belong in a cage but a home. They are a domesticated cat! Geez, what a waste! I should have gone to Disneyworld!

It took a visitor from California to get me, a resident of Tampa, to go to Big Cat Rescue. This «discovery» for me was quite an adventure, and eye-​opener. Anyone who has an admiration for these animals will not be disappointed.
You may want to begin your trip with a visit to their website.
This is a definite on my list of «things to see in Tampa», for out of town friends. I will go again.

Why 5 stars? Because the wait was well worth it.
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I’d wanted to visit Big Cat Rescue for years, and I have no idea what took me so long. It was just always that thing that I’d be like, «oh we should do that this weekend,» and then it would never happen. But finally… I made it! And it was a really neat experience.
I have to say that I gained a huge appreciation for the people that run this organization. Everything they do is for the better of the animals, regardless of if it benefits the business. If an animal wants to sleep or hide during the tours? So be it. And the only way that a staff member ever touches one of the cats is if it needs veterinary care. Otherwise, food is provided in a way that no contact is required.
If you’re wondering how a visit plays out, here’s the step-​by-​step:
You are told to arrive 20 – 30 minutes early and receive a wristband. This early-​arrival allows you a few minutes to park and peruse the gift shop. Eventually, they will call your color wristband out, and welcome you out back. Here, you watch a couple of videos on the rules and go over safety with the group leader. They also provide audio players and headphones that will play info about each cat on the tour. The best part? Yes, the headphones are not re-​used, so you don’t have to worry about dirty ears on those things :) Once that’s all covered, you begin your walk through the rescue.
As I mentioned above, if a cat is not in sight, you’ll simply walk past its area without stopping. But for the cats that are out, the leader will play a brief audio clip, explaining that cat’s history, and answer any questions the group might have.
All in all, our tour lasted about an hour and a half. I’m sure that could fluctuate depending on how many cats are out when you visit.
I found the whole experience to be very educational, and it made me proud that such a great organization can be found right here in Tampa. What they do for these often abused/​neglected cats is nothing short of admirable!

What a wonderful group to be advocates for these cats! I really enjoyed my tour and learned so much! They put the welfare of the animals before everything. I’m so glad they are building awareness. They even encourage a phone call to local delegate at the conclusion of the tour to push for laws to protect the cats. Wild cats aren’t meant to be pets. Some of the cat’s stories are beyond sad. Its good to know they are in a safe haven for the rest of their life! Thanks big cat rescue!

I really enjoyed big cat rescue. I really liked that this place put the welfare of the animals first by ushering the tours away from cats who were stressed out by our presence. The tour frequently mentioned how they’ve neutered their cats to prevent breeding. I’ve never thought that for profit zoos put the animals best interests first. Conversely, at zoos they breed their animals to sell for profit. Ok the cages are not the best here but they try to provide shade and emulate the animal’s natural habitat.

Book your tours early! I went on both the Feeding Tour and Day Tour because the Keeper Tour was sold out. Both tours were great but if you want guaranteed sitings for photos, go on the Feeding Tour. Cats behave differently when food is their midst. The Day Tour really educated me on the mission and story behind the cats you do see, and their stories are heartbreaking. It changed my mindset and approach to those cute, cuddly tiger cubs Mike Tyson flaunted. Looks harmless, but it’s so wrong! Loved the staff and volunteers, and supporters who make this place so special. We need to do our part to help end suffering.. one cat and one mind at a time. MUST SEE!

Finally got to visit this amazing place after being a follower/​supporter for many years. Everyone was very helpful and knowledgeable during my visit.
These amazing wild cats are being taken care of better than they could ever dream, considering some of the horror stories of how they got here. The smallest enclosure is around 1,200 square feet — that’s like an apartment/​condo! The vacation enclosures are amazing. The animals decide whether they want to come by and say hi (or spray!) or just hide and check us out from their safe spaces — there’s lots of foliage and hiding areas, so they are completely comfortable and laid back.
It was great visiting and learning more about the great work. Don’t forget to check out their live cams on
— the rescue kittens are adorabolical.
I hope to come during a feeding tour on my next visit, with my mom, who’s also a fan.
Thank you guys for all the great work you do, I’ll be supporting for years to come!

Brought my niece and nephew here today to take a tour. Turned away because of their age — apparently they only allow small children on the weekends… I think this is a great place that offers great service for big cats in need of rescue but considering we are from out of town and that we would like to support this organization by taking the tour, tour is not free, during our visit — it would have been nice if they could have accommodated us. I have done this tour and there is no activity that is unsuitable for small children. That being said it is a great organization and I highly recommend visiting — that is, if they let you in.

Visited BCR yesterday and had a wonderful experience. Although the cat’s histories are sad, it is uplifting to know they are in better hands now, and that maybe some day those horror stories will be a thing of the past. Most of the workers are volunteers, so your money is truly going to the care of the cats. I will continue to support BCR in the future.

Just visited BCR last week. Been following them on FB and was really excited to be able to go. Loved the place for the love and care they have for the big cats. The tour was 1.5 hrs and we were able to see many cats — I appreciated being told that they don’t make the cats come out for visitors, and the cats’ wishes are respected. The sad stories of most of the cats brought tears to my eyes. I’m glad they found a forever home at BCR though. The volunteers are very knowledgeable and they do share my love for cats big and small, which I really appreciated.

I had gone here a long time ago, about a decade, and I loved it. Visited again and loved it still. The cats all have pretty sad lives up until they came here. A lot of them are ex-​circus animals. And a lot were owned by drug lords and other people illegally and were treated horribly. Seriously abused and neglected. This place rescued them and now those cats get to live out the rest of their lives in a much nicer place with people who care for them. It is more expensive than they used to be but that goes to taking care of the animals. I recommend this place.

Well worth the cost. I felt the money I spent here truly did go to a good cause. This is a good organization made up largely by volunteers that are passionate about what they do.
I scheduled the feeding tour. You get much closer to the animals than you do in a zoo and the animals have a much better habitat. Also you learn interesting facts about the various species and the individual animals. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable.
The animals are vocal which to me was very unusual to experience. A cougar and a lion were very vocal during my visit. The first tiger fed was no more than four feet away from us.

This place is amazing and I am so happy that we took the time to tour this facility. The cats all seem extremely happy! They were kept in large cages with toys, shade, and natural ground! Our tour guide was were friendly and the stories of how the cats arrived in the faculty were extremely interesting and gave you a great appreciation for what the people there dedicate their time to do. We accidentally went to the big cat habitat because we mixed the two places up. I hope one day that the big cat rescue and put the big cat habitat out of business! The cats were not kept in anywhere near as good a condition as the ones at the big cat rescue! So glad we were able to spend the afternoon here!

Today was my second visit to Big Cat Rescue. I love what the owner has done for these animals. I’m a huge animal lover and try not to support parks like Sea World who don’t have proper enclosures for animals such as the Orcas they have in captivity.
I love how close up the animals are to the trail. You are able to get some great pictures. I’m happy to see that a large play enclosure was built for the cats to be able to roam around like they would do in the wild.
I think the educational portion of the tour is exceptional and throughly enjoyable. I hope it would make people think twice before getting anything other than a domestic cat.
The only thing I didn’t like was that radios with earphones are now used to tell the story of how the cats came to the park instead of the volunteers. I understand why it’s done. Financially its a better option but I found the radios to be unreliable. Mine kept going in and out. It had lots of static. I missed some of the story due to this. I also think human interaction is missed by using electronic devices.
I will definitely continue to support this cause.

We took a trip out to BCR today with family from Boston. The tour was very informative as well as interesting. This place is a great sanctuary for these lovely animals to spend the time being well taken care of. I have wanted to go for years but never went til today. We are very glad we made the trip. And took a lot of great pictures to share.
The money goes to a great cause. So it’s definitely worth the trip.

This place is a lot of fun. Here’s the quick break down. It costs $ 36 plus tax, but they have a AAA discount. You’re given a radio that your tour guide uses to talk to you and to play you tapes about the cats. (Talking loudly to the group isn’t a good idea; the cats are right there.) Then you walk around the grounds and look at most (but not all) of the cats they have. (The place is too big to see everything within the time allotted for one tour.)
The cages are made of wire and vary from small to very large. The largest cage is a temporary «vacation» cage for the really big cats. I was sad to see how small most of the cages are, but if you consider where these cats would otherwise be, you feel a little better. Also, it’s clear that the people who work there really care about the cats; the employees clearly don’t see the cats as money-​making animals.
Overall: It’s a little pricey, but it’s fun, educational, and the money goes to good cause. I’m glad I went.