SANDSTONE — It started with one encounter with some large cats, which led to a phone call with a movie star.
Tammy Thies, a recent Bright Spot guest on the KAXE Morning Show, was working as marketing director when some big cats were brought in for a photo shoot. She figured they were with some kind of biologist or conservationist. But, to her dismay, they were brought in by someone who was breeding these cats purely for entertainment purposes.
Not long afterwards, Thies saw an article in Parade magazine featuring actress Tippi Hedren and her work with the Shambala Preserve in California. There was a phone number listed in the article. Thies called it, expecting to reach some sort of company. Imagine her surprise when Hedren herself answered the phone!
Hedren became a mentor to Thies and helped her found The Wildcat Sanctuary, located near Sandstone.
The 220-acre sanctuary is currently home to 160 cats, ranging in size from hybrid domestic cats to tigers and lions. There are 17 species in all. It is not open to the public in order to give the cats a truly peaceful home.
"We're kind of the last safety net," Thies explained.
The Wildcat Sanctuary gets calls from people who realize they are unable to care for a wild cat as it grows, or from the U.S. Department of Agriculture when they are closing down a private breeder due to neglect. They've also helped cats in bad situations around the world, including war-torn Ukraine.
When cats arrive at the sanctuary, they receive veterinary care and get acclimated to their new surroundings. It's a slow process of introducing similar cats to each other.
"We love it when cats will merge, for not only does that give us more space to rescue, but more importantly, it gives them a lot more stimulation," Thies said.
But some cats prefer to have their own space, and The Wildcat Sanctuary can accommodate them.
"Sadly, the animals we take in can never live free," Thies said.
Individual donors are the sole source of funding for The Wildcat Sanctuary. It accepts one-time donations or monthly gifts at its website.
Many of the cats arrive at the sanctuary and can live 20 years or more. The Wildcat Sanctuary wants to ensure they have funding for each cat's entire life, which is why supporters can choose a specific cat to sponsor.
"We are trying to give them the next best thing: a free-roaming sanctuary with food, enrichment, solace and peace, veterinary care ... but to keep their stories alive, so that we don't have more cats needing rescue. Our goal is to put ourselves out of business," she said.
Listen to our full conversation above to hear more, including how much (most) cats love the snow and how Thies' life changed when she started rescuing wild cats.
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The Bright Spot is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
