Max II – In Memory

In memory ~ January 2018

Cougar Max – his spirit was bigger than he was

With tears, we said good-bye to one of our sweetest residents, Max the cougar.  After being treated for constipation, he had a few good days before he declined quickly due to a mass on his liver.  Our hearts are broken, but also filled with love for this gentle giant.

His story is a little long, but every aspect of Max’s story is so important to share.

Have you ever known an animal is meant to be with you, but you don’t know when and how it will happen?  Life has a funny way of bringing things full circle and those are the moments you really want to pay attention to.  Because something truly special will come into your life, just like Max the cougar.

I know we say every cat is special and they truly are.  And we rescue so many gentle giants that have no reason to forgive us, but do.

Max was privately-owned in Iowa before needing a home due to a divorce.  When I received the call and heard his story, he really touched me, and I wanted TWS to be his forever home.  But I also had to make the best decision for him, and we had just taken in the ‘5 wild’ cougars who were still in 3 separate groups. 

A small, temporary pen would need to be constructed for Max, and that wouldn’t have been fair to him.  We reached out to other sanctuaries, but it was at a time the industry was bursting at the seams and no one had space.

An accredited local city zoo in Duluth had been looking to help a rescued cougar.  They had a habitat, trained staff, wonderful vet care and little foot traffic.  They also wanted to help educate the public that wild animals should not be kept as pets. Max’s story would do just that.

Several years passed, but we continued to follow his story. Max became the most popular resident at the zoo.  He educated many about the plight of wild animals kept as pets and enjoyed his ambassador role. He chirped to guests, purred at caregivers and was receiving first class care for his broken teeth and arthritis.

Then a flood hit the zoo and damaged enclosures.  We learned from the USDA that they were looking for a home for Max. Of course, we jumped at the offer to take in this special boy, once and for all.

Max arrived at TWS a few years ago at the age of 16.  His sweet disposition made his transition easy and he fit right in next to the other cats. Every day he was relaxed in his hammock, chirped hello and the roar of his purr was constant.  He didn’t mind living next to big tigers like Zeus or rambunctious ones like Daisy.  Max kept his own pace, a calm, confident one.

We knew with his degenerative arthritis that Max wouldn’t be with us forever, so we cherished every day – and so did he.  He enjoyed enrichment, crated on his own for habitat moves and was kind to each neighbor he met.

We were cautiously optimistic when on his first day ever of leaving food, the vet staff saw him immediately and treated him for constipation.  We were hoping it was just that, but we know that can often be a symptom of something larger.  The next few days, he was outside and acting like his old self. 

Our hearts were hoping.  But then he curled up in his hammock and became lethargic again.  We knew it was something more.  And as difficult as that realization was, again we had to make the best decision for Max. His liver was failing, and it was time to say good-bye.

Saying good-bye to any resident is so very hard.  But saying good-bye to one who thanked us each day for our work with chirps and purrs leaves a little bigger hole.  We all need that reassurance that we’re making a difference in their lives, especially when there are so many we cannot save.

Thank you, Max, for playing a bigger role in your life to share your story.  We will make sure it lives on – always.