Mrs. Claws' Story

A rehabber rescued Mrs. Claws as a tiny kitten in Christmas, FL. Mrs. Claws had sustained injuries from an unknown animal and needed immediate medical attention. With treatable wounds, she fully healed during her six weeks with the rehabber; however, due to her injuries, Mrs. Claws would require additional care and training to prepare her for life in the wild. The rehabber brought her to an accredited sanctuary in Florida in 2015. The sanctuary team quickly began training her on hunting and wild behaviors. This training included challenging her to find food in new ways and providing her with various types of prey that would be hard for her to catch, like birds and squirrels. It also involved hiding Mrs. Claws’ food and rearranging her environment. This training would evaluate whether or not Mrs. Claws could be released back into the wild. Unfortunately, she did not pass, as she could not learn and react consistently.

In early 2023, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge (TCWR) agreed to take 33 wild cats from the Florida sanctuary accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS). Mrs. Claws was one of those cats, and she now calls Freedom Field her forever home. She loves to sleep in her igloo and generally keeps to herself. If she is in a good mood, she walks up to the fence and makes noises or growls at her keepers. She loves carrying her food around until she finds the best spot to eat. Surrounded by other wild cats, Mrs. Claws also likes interacting with her neighbors, greeting them, and walking along the fence line with them.