Big Cat Rescue Reviews

Very educational, was amazing to see the big cats in a more comfortable setting, unlike when they're in a zoo. I would recommend this location to anybody that has a passion for cats, big or small.

These people take very good care of the cats that are residents here!

Was so looking forward to this trip with my brother as I got it for him for a Christmas and it was so disappointing. Yes the money goes for a very very good cause but our experience was horrible. Was to be an 1 1/2 tour was only an hour. Was rushed along and could have stayed with the few cats that were up. We had a girl that we could not hear a word she said she was talking before everyone had got to the stopping point. Its nothing like the pictures they show on line.

Did not see much, it's basically a tour for donation.

It was really great seeing all the animals and learning their individual stories. I would highly recommend going to both enjoy the cats and help contribute to their noble cause.

Wonderful place with a great mission. I'd love to go back in the future. The staff is great and explain everything and all of the animals' background stories.

While it is slightly heartbreaking to see such amazing animals, alpha predators, in captivity, they are housed in sizable enclosures and most (if not all) have been rescued from ego maniacs that think it makes them cool to house a tiger in their yard. The staff (mostly volunteers) are great and you can feel the love and concern they have for the animals. Not too many places you can be ten feet away from a tiger or black panther while they eat. Highly recommended.

Well run, great cause and you can tell the volunteers love the cats.

Great experience! Lots of cats and very informative. You can get very close to the cats to really appreciate them. I highly recommend this! Beautiful land, creatures, and exhibits.

The Sanctuary cares very much for the health and welfare of the animals that call this place home. The tour is worth the time and money, and the proceeds go to a good cause. The volunteer staff are knowledgeable and helpful and work hard to keep the animals engaged and happy. The only caution I have is to allow lots of extra time to get there for morning tours because of traffic and the difficulty in finding the dirt road entrance. Aim to be there at least 30 minutes before your tour starts.

Excellent tour. Very informative. Sad that a place like this has to exist. The cats are well taken care of. I highly recommend this tour.

AMAZING! We did Keeper Tour at BCR this past weekend and it was a great experience! We learned so much and got to ask questions directly to keepers. We saw about 30 of the kitties and made toys for them to enjoy. These cats are saved from backyard breeders, circus or as pets of owners that can't give them the care they deserve. THIS RESCUE SAVES CATS. Paying money to pet a big cat or get a picture with it hurts them- Most places like that drug and beat the cats to keep them submissive. BCR only cares about their well being, health and happiness. This is a retirement home for abused and mistreated cats. SUPPORT THEM!
BCR is a non-profit so every dollar donated goes to the thousands of dollars for food and vet care of the big cats.

My family and I went on the Keeper Tour. The tour was very informative, and we got to see many wild cats relaxing in their spacious enclosures and enjoying treats that the tour guide gave to them. We saw bobcats, tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, servals, and a few other species of cats. The tour guide and her helper were very friendly and answered all of our questions. The Keeper Tour tickets are expensive, but I think the added cost compared to the other tours is worth it if you can afford it as you get a longer and more comprehensive tour, especially if you are from outside of the area and will not be able to visit again easily.

Loved it. The guided tour was very informational & entertaining. This facility/volunteers are very ethical and caring stewards of these beautiful and powerful creatures. I posted a video on YouTube under "sole searchers".

My wife and I went to visit this sanctuary while we were in Tampa. It was one of the best parts of the trip. It was really cool seeing all the different types of cats that are housed there.

The whole experience was honestly depressing in my opinion. They tell you these awful stories about how they ve acquired the animals the whole time so to me, I would think that if they truly felt so passionate about the animals that their exhibiting, they would be in better living conditions. To each their own. I m not one to bad mouth. I love animals. I ve worked with wildlife practically my whole life and you will never see mine in the living conditions that a lot of those animals were in. Which is pretty sad considering the amount of donations they receive, you would think that they would be able to afford it.. again, I speak for myself. A little constructive criticism never hurt anyone. I strongly encourage anyone to physically go and see the place before donating.
- In response to your response-
I find it a little ironic that BCR Zoo s goal is to end exploitation of big cats in cages by charging the public money to view/ exploit, big cats in cages, because realistically and by definition you are a zoo... Not a sanctuary under Florida fish and wild life guidelines. In addition I also encourage visitors to research the difference between a zoo and a sanctuary before dontating because technically your admission that your paying to view the animals should be donation enough wouldn t you think?...

Four of us were booked for a 9AM a private tour. We showed up 30 minutes prior to our tour at 8:30AM as directed by the email. When we got there the gate was closed. We called and no one answered the phone or retuned our call. We sat in the car in front of the gate until a few minutes before 9AM when someone finally came and opened it up. So if you have a 9AM tour, you don t need to get there 30 minutes early. All the staff members were friendly and helpful. A pleasant surprise was that our private tour included a ride around the grounds in a large electric cart. Our guide was Ginny and she was great, very friendly and knowledgeable. She taught us a lot about the Big Cat Rescue and their mission to stop people from owning big cats and outlawing petting circuses. Which is all in addition to taking care of all the big and small cats along with managing their medical issues. We watch the BCR YouTube channel and the live webcams and know who some of the cats are and their stories. We all loved the tour and loved seeing all the cats we knew, it was fantastic! You can see and hear that the cats love it there and are treated very well. The smaller cats were purring and the bigger cats were chuffing. You get to be very close to them and most of them like the company. We live over 1000 miles away but the next time we re in the Tampa area, like Clearwater, we will come back to see the cats again and help support the BCR. We recommend going to see the cats, it s a wonderful experience.

A great experience and very knowledgeable tour guide, if anything the price is a little bit expensive, if they reduced it then I feel more people would go!

Amazing tour, by Denny, full of awesome cat information and the opportunity to see beautiful big cats, up close, in a wonderful environment. These cats have been rescued from bad situations and given the chance to live better lives and be cared for by people who truly care. I will definitely be going back to Big Cat Rescue.

Big Cat Rescue is a huge favorite of mine. I went once eight years ago and returned this year for my birthday. They take such great care of all of the cats and the tour guides know every single one's story. Their mission is noble and the education they provide is top notch. Being able to see these cats relaxed and peaceful is an amazing experience that everyone should get to have.

Worth the visit! Support a good cause and look at some kitties!

They have advertisements all over but if you re interested in going to see the cats and not just going randomly I recommend getting an appointment ahead of time for the tour! They only had a VIP tour the day we were in the area visiting and it was $150 per person!!!

I LOVE Big Cat Rescue. My family went in May while we were in FL for a beach getaway. My mom and I had been once before several years ago but we had to get my brother to come see and learn about it as well. Big Cat Rescue is an exceptional sanctuary for all kinds of big cats that have been treated poorly prior to their arrival at Big Cat Rescue. They have a wonderful and knowledgeable staff made up of paid workers and volunteers whose passion exudes as they take you on a tour and teach you about what you can personally do to help change legislation and make hunting and trading these beautiful creatures a crime.

Its my dream to go to Big Cat Rescue but I can't I wish I could see my favorite animal which is the tiger imperson I wish that a person will donate money to me so I can go Big Cat Rescue well I know that will never happen I'm so sad that I can go to Big Cat Rescue I'm wonder if it s as magnificent as I imagine.

Big Cat Rescue is a place to visit EVERY time you are on vacation in Florida! This is a true sanctuary! This is NOT a pay to play or photo type of place! There is no animals exploitation here! It is dedicated to rescuing big cats and educating the public of the plight of big cats. ALL money spent here goes to the care of the cats. Most cats you will see were at one time a family pet... but when realized that in a home a bobcat, serval, leopard, or tiger was not the place for them, BCR took them in. Others were previous circus cats, or other types of performing cats. And some due to accidents were injured and unable to be re-released back into the wild.

If you want to experience, first hand, the sound of a tiger chuffing, a lion's roar, a hiding bobcat or a the purr of a panther ( Aka as puma/mountain lion/cougar/screamer/painte) and see first hand the awesomely amazing people who care for these animals every day, BCR is a must do for your bucket list!!!!!

It is nobel what those people do to those beautiful creatures I salute all their efforts

My husband and I brought our granddaughter to BCR to celebrate her 10th birthday. We are avid supporters of organizations who rescue animals the right way. We were very impressed by the Big Cat Rescue and the wonderful work they do to provide a safe, clean, healthy and enriching environment for these beautiful cats to live out their lives. Our tour guide Pam was wonderful and very knowledgable about the cats, how they are cared for, where they came from and what we can do to educate others. We are grateful to the staff and volunteers for doing the work that they do.

They do SUCH good work here, and the tours are very affordable. Everything goes back into the rescue, so it's well worth whatever the price.

Giving only 3 stars since our tour was cancelled due to some lightening in the sky. I never received an email or a phone call. I wasn't notified it was cancelled until we arrived. They were nice and refunded us but sad we couldn't experience what we had planned for over a month.

Great non profit helping the big cats. Nice big enclosures and good size property. Tour was good just was a hot day so the cats weren't active just staying out of the heat.

Amazing place . They rescue and take care of exotic cats who each have interesting life stories.

Amazing staff. Lots of fun and excitement. Very clean and beautiful atmosphere. It was such a joy.

Excellent rescue facility with an educational guided tour.

They help big cats and provide the best possible life for them! Amazing organization!

The kids tour was absolutely perfect for my 5-year-old granddaughter. We all learned a lot but she enjoyed answering the tour guide s questions. Amazing animals and clean facilities. Highly recommend!

Terrific experience!!! The tour guide knew all the cats personalities and histories. The habitats are wonderful, clean and well cared for. A really fun outing for family and friends.

Great spot to see some big cats and learn about their efforts to support them. Tours start at 3 though, which is when most are sleeping.

Do take your self, friends, family to this wonderful Rescue. You will learn so much about how these cats got there, through no fault of their own and cannot be returned to the wild. Most came from horrible places.
Take the feeding tour..much value here and your money goes to help sustain these magnificent creatures who need our support.
No where can you get so close and the cats are happy and healthy, they even have a vacation area to run and enjoy. Tigers have a portion of the lake to enjoy safely. Much thought went into this habitat for the cats. Become a supporter. This is a wonderful experience.

Really great place to see big cats. A little depressing, but for a good cause.

Amazing and educational tour with a knowledgeable guide. The cats were beautiful and tou can tell well cared for. So sad that places like Big Cat Rescue have to exist to save them from bad owners or the fur trade. I highly recommend their tour.

Can't say enough good things about this place! They are doing great things to educate people and make life better for cats big and small!!

Amazing rescued panthers, tigers, so many cats! We were able to watch them in a natural habitat yet close enough to hear the snarling. Staff was wonderful.

Eye opening experience. Thank you big cat rescue for taking care of these forgotten souls.

Enjoyed seeing the big cats, itasca shame they have to be this way to survive
Some of there stories are so sad.

Looks like a great place to visit but you need to be aware of the hours. they are very specific. We were unable to get a tour by no fault of the rescue rather our ignorance of it. Would have loved to been able to get a tour.

I am following you on YouTube and as soon as i'm old enough i want to volunteer as much as I can!
One of my favorite cats you used to have is Rufus the blind bobcat kitten. Also i like Canyon the sand cat and all of you're other cats.

Amazing place. Love that they are non profit and are about enriching the cats' lives, not the guests' experience. It's possible that you won't see a cat on your tour, but supporting their cause is totally worth it.

Love this place! They take great care of the cats. Went on a tour for my birthday and we had a tornado come through. They were nice enough to give us a pass for another tour.

If you ever go to Florida. This place is a must see I love this place From Canada

No words, I loved these folks and all they stand for! Don t miss out! Beautiful and informative.

Big Cat Rescue is really great! They do amazing work there caring for big cats that would otherwise not have a safe place to live out their days. They are not a zoo, but an actual rescue. The cats always come first. Highly recommend a visit. You'll learn a lot.

I subscribed their channel also I love their cats so cute

This place was awesome! Extremely educational and the staff we're so engaging!!! Definitely recommend visiting it. Truly eye-opening!

Great educational experience. Finally a place that gives poorly treated large cats a lathe space to play and enjoy life.

I haven't been here and I know it is a great place, from watching the you tube channel. Joseph eating ice cream was the best!

My favorite place in the whole world. See beautiful cats up close and learn their stories from your experiences tour guide. The price for the tour is well worth the experience you'll have and the gift shop has lots of cool goodies

From what I have seen on FB, this looks like a must see destination. I am planning a move to Florida by 2014, and I can't wait.

We took the 90 minute tour and I've never seen such a wonderful place for big cats. They are so well cared for! They give them all kinds of different treats, toys, and "enrichment" to keep them from getting bored. They get excellent medical care and have been rescued from the most horrible places. They even have huge "vacation" areas where the y get to go for a change. Carol has really thought of everything and dedicates herself to them and to making life better for big cats through legislation and even re-habbing Florida bobcats. God bless her and all the people of Big Cat Rescue for their hearts for the cats.

We loved our experience here. Seeing the cats was so fun. Animals are #1 here and their needs are first, so you won't see all the animals, but you will still see a lot of them pretty close up. You will also wear a headset that will tell you the backstories of the cats as you go on the walking tour. We left feeling like our money had been much better spent than it would have been at a zoo. BCR is a great organization that is working hard to make a positive change for animals. Highly recommend. Make sure you schedule in advance or you can't get in.

Great place, sad so many animals have to be rescued. Very informative tour.

I took a tour. Found this place to be nothing more then a slave plac . This lady carol owns it runs it. Makes tons of money and she got all this volunteers and she works them hard for no pay. Just talking to of them i cane away. saying this is a slave run plac . Volunteers stop it. Shes rich. Stand up and request pay or move on

A beautiful refuge for these amazing creatures. Love it

This tour in my opinion was definitely worth the 65 bucks. I came on my vacation opposed to going to a zoo. The animals here are rescued and sometimes able to be rehabilitated to return to their natural habitat. Rebecca from Wales was our instructor and she was very very knowledgeable. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.

I appreciate the hard work that this organization puts into improving the life of these cats. However, I drove from wv to see the memorial site for my homie Canyon and they could not find where his precious ashes were put to rest. For this reason I can not give it five stars :(

Awesome place to visit and learn more about all the animals they have at the sanctuary. So much effort is put into keeping the animals happy and healthy. We had a great time on our visit and can't wait to go back for another one of the tours. It's wonderful to see people who truly care about wildlife and not exploiting animals for profit.

This is a wonderful facility that cares deeply about all big cats!

Very well. the animals looks great in clean and spacious enclosures

While I long for the day when places like Big Cat Rescue are no longer necessary, they are, so please support them. Big Cat Rescue is one of a small group of organizations whose sole purpose is to, hopefully, put themselves out of business. They work tirelessly to save these animals from horrible conditions, give them a quality of life that they would not otherwise know, put the unethical/immoral/illegal breeding facilities out of business AND raise awareness of these issues. I cannot suggest strongly enough that, if you have the ability to, go see them and take on of the tours. If however, you cannot do that, donate a few dollars to them by going to their website and clicking "Donate". If you can't do THAT, simply find their YouTube channel, turn off your ad blocker (if you use one) and watch some videos. That method allows you to donate by generating ad revenue for them.

You can also help by contacting your elected officials and urging them to support initiatives that discourage capturing/breeding of these amazing creatures, or if they already support such initiatives, thanking them for the support. Sometimes, the simple act of saying thank you can have a profound and lasting effect.

Top notch rescue facility. Animals are cared for in the best way possible and as natural as possible. Love their passion for all animals, and their efforts to stop the despicable trade of wild animals as well as canned hunts. 100% of the tour prices and gift shop purchases are for the animals in their care. Highly recommend.

I had been there many years ago and was so impressed even then. This time we took a private tour, and it was so worth it to me. It was a rainy day, but a lot of the cats didn't mind and they were out to be seen, and heard. You do not have to take the private tour, take one of their regular walking tours, and you will see what this facility is all about, and what a unique set up they have in order to care for, and educate people, about these magnificent animals. Once you go, you will understand, and like me, you will probably become a fan! I will go back whenever I am in the area, it is that important to me.

Our tour guide Sarah was very personable and so knowledgeable about the big cats. Will def be going back time and again. Especially with out of town guests. Keep up the good work you guys! Thank you for what you do!

I'm really sorry to see negative reviews here. Big Cat Rescue has been a lifesaver for these cats. If you look at the other 12 big cat sanctuaries in the USA, you will see Big Cat Rescue is just as good as others, and better than some. The shame is that these sanctuaries even have to exist. These big cats don't belong in cages, but because unscrupulous people have continued to breed them, there are only two choices........put them to sleep, or try to give them the best life you can. Running a business is complex and expensive, and no business is perfect. Big Cat Rescue is doing a great job caring for the cats they have. During my several visits to Big Cat Rescue, never was there a bad smell, or obviously dirty enclosures. I would encourage everyone to do their research and understand Big Cat Rescue is a sanctuary, not a zoo. Don't make up your mind on the few bad reviews. Visit Big Cat Rescue and see for yourself they are doing their best, and the cats are well cared for. I'm looking forward to visiting again in July of 2016.

While it is very sad to know that these cats have come from bad situations it is great to see the new life they have been given. I would highly recommend a visit to the Big Cat Rescue.

It was so cool to see all of these animals!! They were up close and you could tell that the employees really cared about the cats. It s also great how they save them and give them a great life here!

What an amazing cause! It's a shame these poor animals have to be here, but so thankful they have a wonderful place to go after there heart breaking stories!

Love this place. Unlike a "road side zoo," these folks CARE about the animals and recognize the need to end the exploitation of wild animals for human entertainment. DON'T EVER visit those other places that allow you to pet baby animals--they're often drugged repeatedly throughout the day to keep them under control for photo ops, and when they grow and are no longer cute and cuddly, they usually end up in horrible situations. I've been to a few of those places (Dade City's Wild Things, the Cherokee Bear Zoo, Space Farms, and Natural Bridge Zoo) when I was a kid and they just made me cry. But don't believe me--do your own research and learn for yourself the difference between an accredited facility and a side-of-the-road DUMP. Big Cat Rescue is working hard to end abuse! I really support their mission and appreciate what they're doing to end the suffering.

BCR's animals are kept in clean, spacious enclosures and my visit was an enjoyable one knowing the animals are content and about as close to the wild as they can get, given the fact that they are coming from private owners' back yards and apartments. DO NOT believe the bad reviews--they just want to keep making money off these poor animals and hate that this place is trying to stop them. Yes, they charge admission, but these cats have to eat and it's not free! The big difference between this place and some of those other atrocities is that the animals aren't forced to do unnatural things for that money. I'll definitely be back again!

Easily one of my favorite places in Tampa. I love their mission but am sad knowing the origin stories of the big cats (bought by garbage human beings who want to flex their wealth/power by buying tigers/lynxes as a status symbol who have no business owning them).

The illegal exotic animal trade is a depressingly large industry but I respect and appreciate the amount of care the team here puts in to taking care of the cats. The enclosures are spacious with bountiful climbing/hiding room, toys and regular feeding times for visitors to witness. Highly worth the time and money so go check it out!

Beautiful big cats well looked after by passionate, knowledgeable people. Took some brilliant photos and learned loads. Well worth a visit, and your money will go to the best of causes!

We visited Big Cat Rescue this past week and took the feeding tour. It was quite interesting learning about the different cats. This particular tour gives you a great close up view of each cat. This is a wonderful Rescue and I can't thank you enough for all you do for these animals. Had a great experience!

Beautiful place with beautiful cats!! Love that the cats have plenty of free space run, but also some places to hide if they are feeling shy that day!

Amazing. They treat the cats very well and educate visitors. Amazing people amazing cause. Tour worth every penny.

They seem to have a general concern for the animals and offer toys to stimulate their behavior. Along with sizable cages. Most cats appeared to be happy. I enjoyed the private group tour and walk around the facility. The staff was friendly and informative.

A wonderful place doing amazing work. I went with a friend and we both loved the tour and getting to see so many gorgeous animals. They re all very well cared for, getting high quality meat and plenty of space to run.