What a wonderful unforgettable day we had at Catty Shack Ranch on New Year’s Eve Day, 2011. Five little girl tiger cubs arrived at the Ranch, their new permanent home. They were 2 sets of sisters – 2 being 5 weeks old and 3 being 3 weeks old. All were nameless. They came from a facility (a licensed breeder) that could no longer care for them. We remain so grateful that we were asked to give these precious girls a forever home.

The three younger cubs became Nikki, Cayenne and Jade. As a youngster, Nikki wore a pink collar. She does not have a trident mark on her left cheek like Cayenne and Jade. Rather, she has a small horseshoe shaped ring over her left eyebrow. Nikki delights in the company of visitors and flirts and rubs against her enclosure mesh as she converses with volunteers. She spends much time in the pool, usually with one paw resting on the edge. Her paw is on the lip of the pool regardless of the water level. She loves to play in the stream of water flowing into the pool and tries to swallow every drop that enters her wide open smiling mouth.

Nikki is named in honor of Nikki Kimbleton of local Channel 4, WJXT. Nikki K. is on our Board of Directors. When the 5 girls arrived, we received much media coverage. The cubs were instant stars. We held special visiting hours at the Ranch when the public could watch the girls play in a special area and splash in a kiddie pool. The Saturday the cubs made their public debut, all our parking areas (as well as neighbors’ yards) were full of cars. Visitors stood in line from our entrance building (then, a tent), out to the road and down the sidewalk, waiting to see the cubs. Since their arrival (and that of the Cheeseheads a year later), Ranch attendance has greatly increased. All the newer enclosures, Ranch enhancements and our property purchases were enabled by these youngsters’ arrival.

At Catty Shack Ranch, Nikki 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: December 9, 2011

Rescued: December 31, 2011

Gender: Female

Classification: Panthera tigris altaica (Siberian tiger)