An apex predator can eat 'bloody Valentine' with ex's name. Here's how
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- This Valentine's Day, one Oregon cat sanctuary is providing scorned lovers with the revenge fantasy of a lifetime - feeding a heart with your ex's name on it to an apex predator.
The accredited WildCat Ridge Sanctuary, located in Scotts Mills, is home to almost 90 wild cats who were born in captivity, but rescued from abuse and neglect.
For the third year of their "Be My Bloody Valentine" fundraiser, the sanctuary will write your ex’s name on a "bloody heart" made of gelatin and meat, then record one of their wildcats gobbling it up.
With a $50 donation, you can participate in Anti-Valentine's Day here. The sanctuary will then make the "heart," record the cat eating it and send the video to you for your infinite viewing pleasure.
The sanctuary will also post the best videos on Valentine’s Day on their social media pages.
While this may be a therapeutic experience for most, Associate Executive Director Ian Ford says this not only spreads awareness of WildCat Ridge and secures donations, but also enriches the animals.
"For me, the really fun part is seeing the cats doing something entirely new for them, and really, really getting into it," he said. "We have a video of one of our Asian leopard cats. They're really small, and she grabs the heart and she just takes off with it and she's growling and eating it. And, man, it's cathartic."
Despite the seemingly violent nature of the gesture, Ford assures it is "all in good fun."
During the other 364 days of the year, WildCat Ridge provides a "retirement home" to these cats who, prior to being rescued, would perform, entertain and be exploited for profit.
Two of their lions and two of their tigers were even rescued from Joe Exotic, most known for being featured in the Netflix docuseries "Tiger King."
"Every facility in the country has one animal at least, that came from him," said Ford. "He was prolific in his breeding and didn't care about anything beyond just pumping out cubs. And then once they're too big to handle, they're a massive bill and so either you euthanize them or you find a place to to move them."
Ford added that, given the lives all of their cats once had, WildCat Ridge gives them the opportunity to live out their life in as natural environment as possible, without being on display.
"Here they are rolling around in grass, they're chasing each other, they're smacking at each other, they're just being cats," he said. "And there's nothing more rewarding for me anyway, than to see that considering the situation that so many of them came from."