Star and her sisters Runty and Sprout arrived at Catty Shack Ranch when they were about 17 months old. They had lived in a private zoo in Wisconsin that closed. We were asked by a national big cat rescue group as well as by the facility’s owner to provide a forever home to some of the tigers. Curt and John (a longtime volunteer) drove to the frozen north to bring 6 tigers to their new home in sunny Florida in January 2013.

When the Ranch volunteers saw the sisters’ thick luxurious coats (needed to survive in snowy, cold 5 degree winters!) and noticed that the 3 tigers were all very chubby, we nicknamed the trio “The Fluffies.” That moniker stuck. We followed our traditional practice of keeping their original names also. Star and her sisters quickly shed their extra coats and pounds and grew sleek and fit as they aged.

Star is distinguished from her sister Sprout by the star-shaped marking on her forehead between her eyes. It is very visible in her portrait on their enclosure and after studying their faces, once you see it on her face, you’ll always immediately notice it.

Star and her sisters love the extra attention they receive from visitors as they chase one another around their enclosure through their elevated den box and splashing through their inground pool. After a rigorous play session, frequently all 3 sisters indulge in a power nap on their porch or stairs. Whomever wakes up first initiates the next round of play. They delight in stalking one another, pouncing on a sleeping sister and surprising visitors standing by the perimeter fencing.

Knowing how active and fun loving the trio is, volunteers construct elaborate structures out of boxes, cardboard tubes and papier mache to provide new experiences for the tigers to enjoy and demolish. When cleaning their home, we are never sure what treasures will be retrieved from the bottom of their pool.

At Catty Shack Ranch, Star enjoys a healthy diet of raw meat with vitamins and supplements appropriate to her species, age and current health conditions. All our animals receive regular veterinary care and are very much loved.

Born: August 14, 2011

Rescued: January 16, 2013

Gender: Female

Classification: Panthera tigris tigris (Bengal tiger)