misha

Misha, a cougar, was two months old when she was placed with us by Georgia U.S. Fish and Wildlife. A civilian purchased her illegally as a pet and was given ten days to place her with a licensed facility. TWS was recommeded as a facility that would be able to provide Misha with a lifetime of care.

Just a few days after Misha was placed with TWS she quickly became lethargic and vomited frequently. Shortly after, she went through emergency surgery due to an intestinal blockage. While living in her previous owner's home Misha had eaten many household items that became lodged in her intestine. Since the initial surgery, Misha has undergone two additional surgeries to help correct the damage.

Due to Misha's condition, extra care is taken to make sure she is not given any object which she may injest that would cause further damage. Therefore, Misha's enrichment program includes items such as phone books, vegetables, and meat hidden inside cardboard boxes. Misha thoroughly enjoys ripping apart boxes and tearing each page out of phone books creating quite a mess throughout her habitat.

Misha has overcome a great deal and grown into a beautiful adult cougar.