I cannot believe this majestic handsome tiger is gone... I am so heartbroken right now... May God bless and protect Mac's soul in Heaven forever and ever...Amen.
The Silence is Deafening . . .
Sanctuary life isn’t easy, day to day challenges are faced every day, decisions are made to the best of our ability, but they aren’t made lightly, especially when it comes to our rescues. Most times it’s simple things, but then something devastating happens and we find we can’t breathe. Our world is turned upside down and we’re left heartbroken and helpless to change what’s happened. This past Saturday was one of those days. Our precious Mac has lost his battle with cancer.
We’re still trying to come to grips with it, but Mac told us he was done fighting and we made the difficult decision to give him the final gift of freedom, as heartbreaking as it was. I’m struggling to find the right words to describe how much he meant to us and all of the people who were touched by his story, it’s just too painful and fresh. But I wanted to share with you all and thank you for loving him as much as we did. He was such a special boy and we miss his gentle spirit. Safe travels Mac, our lives are forever changed. We’ll see you on the other side . . .
Jan Vales, WCH’s Development Director wrote this special tribute: “
Mac and his sister Shirley came to WildCat Haven in October 2010 – the Year of the Tiger. They had come from Wild Animal Orphanage when the USDA issued a decree that the facility had to be shutdown. WCH had prided itself on its care & expertise in small wildcats but here were two big cats that needed help – how could we say no. When Mac and Shirley came our fears over taking care of 450 lb cats were soon gone. Mac was the sweetest soul – always had a chuff hello for the staff and volunteers. Curious about the new toys to play with and trees to dismember he exhibited an amazing zest for life despite all the previous neglect he had endured. We did see that he had a cyst that was weeping on his shoulder but thought that with a better diet, antibiotics, and TLC it would heal up. The weeks rolled into months and we saw the cyst was growing despite our efforts. So a team of veterinarians came and did surgery on his shoulder. When the biopsy came back it was positive for Malignant Fibro-sarcoma – an aggressive form of cancer of the muscles. Cheryl and Mike were determined to do everything possible for Mac so he was driven from Oregon to Los Angeles for surgery to remove as much from the cyst area as possible. Everyone was happy when the pathology report came back saying no other cancer was found. As the days and months went on Mac charmed everyone who saw him either in person or via video on Youtube. A few months ago the staff noticed some more tumors that were growing very fast. We still hoped that Mac would make it until the move to the new property at Scotts Mills happened. Sadly, as often happens with cats, he started going downhill – losing his appetite and weight.
Sometimes he would only eat for Renee or not at all. Late last week we realized that we had to end his pain and let him go ahead. Cheryl, Mike, Renee, and Aaron were by his side as he left for a better place. Mac will be missed by many but most of all by his sister Shirley – who was totally bonded with him. Maybe on the other side Mac can be free in a way he never could here on earth – simply because he was born in captivity. Goodbye Mac – we love you.”
A Tribute to Mac
A very heartfelt tribute to Mac by Aaron Chapman, who along with his wife Renee, had the privilege of caring for Mac & Shirley from the day they first arrived from Texas. Everyone loved Mac, it was impossible not to . . .
Every so often in life we are afforded the opportunity to become part of something. It’s someone or something that allows us to look outside of ourselves. It gives us cause for compassion, understanding, joy, hardship, & un-compromised satisfaction. It forces us to become a better person. In this case “It” happened to be a tiger, and that tiger’s name was Mac.
After a rough start to life Mac along with his sister & life partner Shirley were able to come “Home.” They arrived at Wildcat Haven on 10/10/10, which not coincidentally was the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac.
To quote one of the rescuers that helped transport Mac from his former facility in Texas- “You are really lucky, you couldn’t have asked for better cats as your first tigers.” I’m not sure he knew how prophetic those words would become. I don’t think anyone of us could. It didn’t take long for us to realize how truly special Mac & Shirley were. Rescuing tigers was a huge step for Wildcat Haven, one that everyone hesitantly agreed to due to the dire situation Mac & Shirley were trying to leave behind. Coincidentally, it turned out much the same way Mac liked to do things…all in, full speed ahead.
His boisterous good morning “moo”, his continual chuffing, or the constant easy going way about him, Mac always made those around him, be it human or feline welcome & comfortable.
Mac’s enormous size was only rivaled by his gentle nature & unrelenting thirst for life. Some of his favorite things were soaking in his pool while dunking his head to grab one of his balls, chewing up cardboard boxes, bending & rubbing against trees, playing with Shirley, or just leisurely relaxing while getting misted with the hose. Mac embraced it all with a rejuvenated sense about him. He took advantage of every luxury afforded to him, like he somehow knew to embrace every moment for what it was.
When we discovered Mac had Fibrosarcoma, a very aggressive and severe form of cancer we were all devastated. Finally Mac found his forever home and now he had to overcome yet another obstacle,
one that was life threatening.
In true Mac fashion he was brave, strong, and trusting. He allowed for two surgeries, one that took him all the way to California to be worked on by some of the top Veterinarian specialty surgeons in the country. Though it was a long road to recovery Mac was thriving once again. We all knew that this condition had the possibility to return, but in taking a page from Mac’s book, we just relished in the fact that things were going great even if just for the time being.
If you were to only know Mac through the eyes of a camera or the pictures on a page, you might see a beautiful tiger, a top feline predator whose wild counterparts are facing extinction, or just another example of the current domestically bred, big cat problem the country faces. When I looked at Mac what I saw was a gentle giant, one whose personality was bigger than life. I saw a living, breathing example of forgiveness for all he had previously been put through. I saw a soul with determination not only to live, but to live with dignity, courage, pride and love.
I can’t begin to count all that Mac has taught so many of us. You can try and utilize all the
right adjectives; you can describe the many nuances, you can hope to evoke emotions, and convey the beauty… However the glimpse into his soul that he allowed will remain with us all forever. By understanding that his journey in this world had reached its limits, we were able to repay him the best way we could. We enabled him to embark on a new journey, a new freedom. One with no fences and more importantly no more pain.
Thanks for helping give me a direction in life Mackey. After 37 years of searching for “something” it took you to teach me that it’s not about money; it’s not about a title. Don’t sweat the little things, follow your passion. It’s what we do with our limited time in life that’s important.
“Once in awhile you get shown the light in the strangest of places, if you look at it right.” – R Hunter
Mark Hernandez I am greatly saddened by the loss of Mac as I've known him for about 9 years (WAO). How is Shirley doing? This loss must be doubly hard on the girl. Is she okay? May we have an update on Shirley, please? Thank you!
May 14, 2013
- WCH Sanctuary Shirley is doing well. She is chuffing and rubbing and greeting us as usual. We honestly believe she knew before we did that Mac was ready to go. Animals have such an incredible ability to see what we don't.May 14, 2013
Later:
Now sweet Shirley lives alone...
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