Big Cat Rescue Reviews

The big cat rescue is a place with cats that are saved and in a more well home mabey there home was destroyed or was tooken always from them if that happens then the big cat rescue comes in and will take care of them if you go there you can feed the big cats or just pet them the bug cat rescue has lots of websites you can go to , Big Cat rescue . org or look up The big cat rescue and learn a lot more

The staff was educated and really delivered great information about all the cats.

BCR has set the bar for animal sanctuary. The free form enclosures allow the animals to roam without the confines of a crate. The animals have enrichment activities every weekend, AND a funcation where the cats rotate through a 2 week stay in a MASSIVE enclosure. The care these animals receive is top of the line. No petting, no shows, just respectful care and a safe place to live. Come and support this amazing cause.

A Wonderful exhibit. Jinx will melt your heart. Beautiful creature. A most see

Support this cause. It is worthwhile. Big cats do not need to be kept for profit or pets.

This place is amazing! They have the highest certification for rescued animals, they do not touch the animals, breed them or anything. The habitats are built to be as natural as possible, the tour guide was fantastic. An overall great experience.

Beautiful sanctuary for cats. The owner is lovely and the staff are courteous and love their job!

I have been to Big Cat Rescue on several occasions, and have always found the tours to be informative and fun. The cats all look happy and healthy, and I learned that a bear cat is not a cat :)
I'm sorry that you have to put up with all the fake reviews- anyone who has been there knows the truth.

I love kitties with 8. I love that you can see these magnificent big kitties so close up. I'm also a foster/rescue for cats and this is a place that saves lives and gives them a quality of life. A place that does make a difference. I have respect for anyone who cares and is teaching that they do matter.

i knew BCR from Chris a.k.a Cole and Marm / Jugg and Zig Zag Dad. i've watch a lot of their video much of it help me knew the reality that most of this animals face. thanks BCR for saving their lives! i hope those big cats which some of it has been released back to it's nature by BCR doing well!!

Wonderful place. Unique experience. Friendly and knowledgeable guides.

I can t say enough good things about this place. Everything was fantastic. You have to go here yourself to experience the best! Keep up the good work!!!

Good place but my heart belongs to Joe Exotic!!

Go Joe Go

I'm absolutely in love with these big cats and the volunteers that take care of them

Well run, fair prices, amazing well cared for animals.

Been there a few times. Last time i was there couldn't see Arthur, because the tour boy wouldn't walk up there. Now i won't get to see Andre again. Hopefully I'll get to see Nikita again, but there's no word on her after video going black. *YEA , YOU KINDA GET INVESTED IN OUR FURRY FRIENDS*

They are wonderful for saving so many big cats. I just wish they didn't have to look though 2 wire cages.

Well run shop with a higher blend of items. But limited due to space. Our personal go to place. Not too much men's wear, but better than average decorative items.

Did the keeper tour in June 10th and had a wonderful time. The staff was knowledgeable and cared about the animals

I was able to visit BCR and loved every minute of it. They are so loved and well cared for, it is wonderful to know they are no longer abused and mistreated. Carole and her staff are awesome and love these cats beyond belief. I am proud to be a supporter of this wonderful sanctuary.

We had a great experience here. The facility is very well kept, the animals are well taken care of and obviously loved. Rebecca was a great tour guide and gave us a lot of information. We would definitely recommend and come back. Thanks!

Lived in Tampa, St Pete for 9 years and never visited this place. I've always heard stories of friends going and having an amazing time. Heard the stories how the visits changed their view the treatment of animals in zoos and circuses. It did not disappoint. Very informative and personal tours...yes even the $37 el-cheapo ticket is well worth it. The love, pride and affection is evident on each and every volunteer and paid associate.
I do have a few recommendations. I would probably take the early tour over the afternoon tour. I would also pay the extra for the privilege of feeding the cats. Did I forget to mention you will be just feet away from the 500 pound massive animals? The experience is above and beyond my ability to accurately describe its impact. Check this place out while it's still a cool intimate experience.

I really love the way you treat the cats. Big cats are my favorite wild animals

My friend & I had the opportunity to stay at one of the cabins many years ago. I am an avid traveler, but this trip was the experience of a lifetime & one that I will never forget. We were taken on an extensive tour. Told about the individual cats, etc...
I cannot say enough about the dedication of the staff here.
There will never be a place big enough for these animals and I'd rather see them here than in private hands and being abused.

This place is very informative and is doing their best they can for the cats. The equipment they provide was faulty. It is sad that we could not pet the cats but we were told that it is for their and our safety and their comfort that we do not get to touch them. I would say as a viewing thing it is not much but the work they do is great. I would definitely say donate towards their efforts but as far as going to see the cats I would say it depends.

While visiting Tampa, me and my boyfriend were able to get a private tour, and this place is great! It's really nice to be able to see animals that you can tell are well taken care of and happy. Everyone working there is 100% committed towards taking care of these animals, as well as helping improve the future welfare of exotic animals. I would take this place over a zoo any day! We knew it was a good cause before we went, but the tour really convinced us to become regular donors.

I live in Tampa, and I take all my visitors to Big Cat Rescue. Every single visitor has been impressed with the care and knowledge expressed by the volunteers, the visitors' proximity to these majestic big cats, and their individual stories. Better still, it's a sanctuary, not a zoo, and the cats come first.

Visitors take a one-hour guided tour along shady paths over soft sand. I would recommend taking the morning tours during the hotter months.

If you're active or retired military or law enforcement and expect to get the 10% discount listed on the ticket page, you won't, unless you book the least expensive tour. There is no mention of this limitation anywhere I saw, and the person answering our query on the phone didn't know about it either. The only person that seemed to know about this was the manager. If you want to thank us for our service with a discount, either do so unconditionally, or not at all. At the very least, advertise the limitation. I chalked it up as a donation; it made the deception easier to deal with. On the positive side, it was an amazing experience, and when you put the cost in perspective with the immense and expensive task of feeding and caring for these animals, I felt my "donation" was going to a worthy cause. We took the keepers tour, and what a great tour that was! Maureen was friendly and unhurried, and really went out of her way to show us as many of the cats as possible, sharing their stories with us and answering all of our questions. Seeing the cats peaceful and well cared for in a safe environment and getting to be so close to them was a truly unforgettable experience. I would highly recommend a visit, and the keepers tour in particular.

Purrr-fect Wedding! I had my wedding at BCR in December, for a "different" kind of wedding it was great. They charge $200 + $35pp for a one-hour tour (normally $50). My wife and I felt great knowing we weren't just giving our money to some hall.

We got married on their beach right by the tigers and visited by pea cocks and guinea fowl. They provided benches and a golf cart with driver for those who couldn't walk the hour tour. We were even given a special gift by Sherry, the wedding coordinator.

All the staff is super knowledgeable and friendly. More important they really care about the cats, they accept no government money (that comes with govt rules), they won't sell cats even when offered tons of money for them, and they don't compromise care - just textbook integrity there.

We loved it - GO!

I have had Big Cat Rescue on my list of things to do when we vacation in Florida for a while. This year I finally got there. It was well worth the wait. This is no zoo or animal park - it is very obvious the staff are there 110% for the cats. Very educational tour and very impressed with every aspect of the Rescue. Needs to be at the top of everyone's to do list no matter where you live.

The tour is interesting and informative. The tour took nearly 2hrs. The staff really cares about the cats and it was nice seeing that the cats would live out the rest of their lives in good care.

It is wonderful to see these beautiful cats being given a special home after a tough start to life. A great place to get an education on these animals. Please support this amazing organization!!

Great place. I loved Barbara who showed us around she's a class act

My boyfriend took me on my birthday and I can't express how beautiful the place is and how informative the tour guide was. I've learned quite a bit since then and have made it my mission to get the word out there about BCR and the issues on exotic animals being privately held. Please visit BCR and get involved in supporting legislature that will prevent the sale and ownership of exotic pets such as lions, tigers, bobcats, and the other big cats!

It was a fun day and I was super happy to support the cause but the whole experience wasn't what I would call entertaining. Everything is so far away and a vast majority of the cats are nocturnal so there wasnt much to see. I feel like it would be more entertaining to have cameras set up in the enclosure and live stream that for paying customers. Support local rescues!!!

Had a great time.
It was a guided tour - it felt like less than a mile, but over an hour with the stops and stories.

Going here was one of the best experience I ve ever had!

The experience was amazing and the stories behind the big cats were sad but so inspiring that I wanted to do something for them too.

I fully support Big Cat Rescue and highly recommend it! I flew across the country to see Big Cat Rescue, and I was not disappointed! It was such a wonderful experience, the travel was well worth it! My highest regards to the people who work so hard to help the big cats!

Such a cool place! Got to see a Tiger up close and he was playing with a pumpkin. His claws went through it so easily. They are so powerful and yet can hop and run so gracefully. Amazing animal!

We did the Zoo Keeper tour, it was awesome. We saw a lot of cats and it was very informative. We plan on taking our kids soon!
Only down side to our experience was the entry way, pot hole galore.

Big Cat Resue work hard to provide the best care for their rescued animals. Staff are friendly and provide tons of information on the animals. All animals have natural habitat with adequate size for each animal. You can tell they care about the cats in there care. Takes about 1 1/2 hrs to walk thru the park. Well worth the money spent and it all goes to taking care of the cats.

To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. I was expecting to see an environment of passionate people eager to share their love for big cats with people who are interested to be a part of this. Instead I was greeted with workers who were clearly burnt out and completely lacked the passion I had expected. During the tour, the girl more was egar to be finished with the tour than to answer questions and let us learn more about these cats. All of her explainations of the cats were about how scary they are and how horrible the people are who own these animals as pets or profit off of them. Now, I understand that is something that does happen, but before you assume that I am only here for personal gain, please remember that I paid really good money to be here today and maybe I just wanted to learn more about them and help a good cause. I expected to feel appreciated for having donated my money to the cause and I was left wondering what the cause really was. The whole time I was there I felt like an inconvenience and that she was upset to be doing a tour. It is such a shame they have such horrible energy surrounding these beautiful animals. I would never visit this place again since everyone working there seemed jaded and hateful. If you don't like your job or don't enjoy working with people, find something else to do and don't take it out on the animals.

Went on a kids tour and it was awesome! Lisa was an amazing guide.. very knowledgeable and personable! They are doing a wonderful job for a great cause!

My husband & I went on the feeding tour and it was an incredible experience! You can tell they take excellent care of all the Big Cats. I love how they advocate for the cats in the wild and in captivity.

Amazing tour and place! I learned so much during the tour. They succeed in educating people about big cats and law or rather lack of laws and regulations on owning and treating big cats. I love their cat vacation idea to let these magnificent animals roam around. Thanks you for a wonderful experience and highly recommend this for everyone!

We took the keeper tour. It was excellent. All the cats came up to visit us as we passed. I never saw cats the way I saw them here. The people running this place are good people taking care of animals that need help. I will certainly go again. Whether you go or not please read on their website how to help protect the big cats.

Not what we expected
Cats are not very happy, Tour guide was pretty bossy

This was something I've wanted to do since I heard about it years ago. I was not disappointed. The staff never touches the cats or forces them to do anything they don't want to do. There are plenty of places for the cats to hide, so you will not get a good view of all the cats, but there are so many you will not be disappointed. Kids tours are Saturday and Sunday at noon. There are water stations placed throughout the walking path. Can't wait to return.

Very limited hours for tours, weren't able to see them. Call or go online before going there.

If you havnt gone. You must. They are a good cause and a great place. Healthy happy cats. Great staff. A MUST on ur bucket list ^^

It is a wonderful place for exotic cats to be cared and loved at.

Big Cat Rescue is a must! Ethical big cat sanctuary. Beautiful animals, at Big Cat you can get an up close experience. Go!

Never been, but was checking the distance between Orlando WDW & BCR

We just did the annual Wildcat Walkabout. What an awesome experience! We were able to walk the tour path at our own pace. It seemed crowded before the tour started, but once people started on the trail, it spread out and we were able to see the big cats up pretty close. The caretakers had provided the cats along the tour path with enrichment items, so most of them were out where you could see them playing with pumpkins and enjoying their special popsicles. I will definitely sign up for this next year!

The volunteers were very knowledgeable and helpful. The big cats are very well taken care of!

My daughter and I took a personal tour and I was so impressed. These animals are well-cared for and the sanctuary is beautiful . They know what they are doing. Educational!

If you like cats and would like to see them up close in a safe happy environment then look up Big Cat Rescue when in the Tampa, FL. area. Non-profit organization that gives their cats a fantastic life after rescue!

Great educational tours about cats, big ones and smaller ones as well.

GOD BLESS YOU, YOU ARE SO GOOD PEOPLE, BECAUSE YOU HELPIN HELPLESS BIGCAT THANK YOU ALL WHIT ALL MY HEART

This place is absolutely extraordinary. The animals seem so calm and happy to be there. The staff is so helpful and friendly. It's something you definitely need to see at least once in your life. I'm really happy I went there. They tell you the animals back stories of what happen to them before they got there and it makes me sad to think anyone would ever hurt these beautiful animals. I'm very happy that they are finally happy in their new home.

Absolutely wonderful place that rescues big cats from bad situations and gives them a safe habitat and care. Such an amazing experience!!!! I would highly recomend visiting Big Cat Rescue. It was very clean. The cats looked and acted very well cared for. The guide Jennie was very informative and really sweet. Elizabeth the volunteer was a total sweet heart too. Everyone was great. Such an amazing experience!

Awesome. Grew up in the area but never made it out to this. Visiting from California now and took whole family. Love that they had a golf cart available for my disabled family member. You can tell the cats are happy and healthy and the tour guides give valuable information about the cats. Big thanks for what you guys do!

Awesome place to This is a great place to visit! Be sure to pre-book a specialized tour on line before you go.

Awesome experience.

My fiance and I brought his mom and my parents for a Day Tour as a Christmas gift. His mother is an avid follower of the BCR FB group, so we figured she would love it. She did.

The tour guide was super informative and friendly. I learned a lot, some of which will make you very sad and angry at people who mistreat animals. Their mission is important and they do a great job at educating the public on the dangers of private exotic animal ownership.

It had just rained super heavy before our tour began, but we still got to see plenty of the cats. Well worth the money, especially knowing it's not for profit and all of the profit goes to the animals.

I also felt that their enclosures were set up nicely. I didn't leave with a feeling of concern for the well-being of these animals. I truly believe the staff and volunteers here do everything they can to keep the animals as healthy and happy as possible. Remember, the animals here cannot be returned to the wild. They must go somewhere, and this is a good place for them to be. BCR even does a fantastic job about explaining their position on anti-cage for their animals, even though they use them. They wouldn't need to be caged now if people didn't fail them to begin with.

We took a private tour at BCR back in November. After watching the cats online (webcams and YouTube) for about a year, it was like going to see celebrity cats! The tour guide was great, and allowed us to see the cats we most wanted to see. On a private tour you are taken around on a golf cart, which was extremely helpful. The best part was seeing baby bobcat Flint wag his tail like a puppy. And Jasmine Tiger chuffed to get our attention. The cats are obviously well taken care of. The enclosures are enormous, many of them have more space than we do at home. It's not ideal for a wild big cat to be in captivity, but for those cats who are stuck in captivity because they can't be released, this place is truly like a spa for them! Thanks BCR--we can't wait to come back!

A must have visit for all cat lovers! Please help them on that great work! We had that lovely tour guide Cassidy, thank you so much!

We had a fabulous day at Big Cat Rescue! From the very efficient parking assistance, greetings upons arrival and what can only be described as an incredibly informative and interesting tour, it was a blast. This place is a must for kids and adults alike, there is something for everyone and as a devoted animal rescue advocate (personally, I rescue dogs but love all animals!) I commend Big Cat Rescue on their amazing and critical efforts. Check it out - you will not be disappointed!

Pretty awesome feeding tour! Guide was great with 20 yr experience. Cats seem so much happier and interactive than a Zoo. Cats have large cages to roam! Blessing for abandoned exotic cats or even domesticated kittens needing help.

The best for big cats, no petting or touching allowed. Free to be themselves. If you must touch go to the kitten cabin and spend the day.

even though I've never been here just by watching the videos on their YouTube channel, has changed my understanding of wild cats completely.
That is why I want to go here in person & for a 15 year old like me I am very interested if I get to come here SIGN ME UP! Thank you for opening my heart to understand to real battle of exotic cats. Even though the cats may look cute they are still wild animals, but on another note my favorites were Zabu & Cameron Rest and love in peace PURRfect couple and some of the smaller cats that go nom nom nom when they eat. PS: great enrichment programs & wish I could rate 6 stars.

Took the zoo keeper tour. Overall it was good experience but a bit expensive for what it is IMO. At least the money is going to a good destination. We had a really annoying woman in our group that walked in front of everybody and thought she was special.

I have visited Big Cat Rescue several times. Every time I come to the Tampa area, I have to go again. The serenity of the location, and the cleanliness and earnest care for the big cats, are amazing. They represent everything decent about animal rescue and preservation. What would this world be like without big cats? That is exactly what I wonder every time I visit. I am awed. The majesty and fierceness of the big cats are evident. They are not to be treated carelessly. With places like this, we can be assured that the public will be educated, alerted to abusive situations nationwide, and will be grateful for their efforts to protect and preserve this beautiful, powerful animal. Thank you Big Cat Rescue!!

Excellent tour with a very knowledgeable guide and beautiful cats!

Good tour. You will see a variety of cats, but pricey for the experience.

Extremely knowledgeable staff and a truly enlightening learning experience. It s really luck of the draw when it comes to how many big cats and how close they come for viewing so I considered myself fortunate to be able to see as many big kitties as I did and get some insight on their stories.

I very much enjoyed my time on the property. It was the feeding time appointment so was more fast paced than I would have liked. We were not allowed to see the lions for what appears to be for their benefit. The guides are volunteers, knowledgeable and caring. I would recommend going to the Big Cat rescue. I will be going back. I am hoping I can spend more time on the property.

I did the keeper tour and had a wonderful time. It's incredible to see these huge, ferocious cats up close but still know that they are being treated and kept humanely. It's clear that the volunteers and staff care deeply for these animals. They do a great job.

Great place with a great cause. Really enjoyed my 90 minute tour here.

What a great organization and a great experience! We have loved following them on social media and YouTube and were thrilled to be able to finally visit. We took the day tour, which has recorded descriptions of the cats and an intern to lead it. That was cool, but the Night Eyes tour was amazing! Led by keepers who really knew the cats and told us lots of in depth information. So informative and enjoyable. Definitely worth the trip!