After rescuing two lynxes from a fur farm, Anastasia gave them a chance at a whole new life. The two wild cats joined an already huge fur family, which included three horses and eight dogs. Anastasia also rescued most of these animals; with the addition of the cats, she now has 13 pets. She named the lynxes Geralt and Bulochka and said they act just like smaller house cats.
“Most of their traits are similar to those of domestic cats. They love climbing, playing with teaser wands, and cuddling with their humans,” she said. “That’s why I gave them a lifelong home.”
If Anastasia hadn’t adopted the lynxes, they would’ve ended up as someone’s fur coat, sadly. She didn’t have the heart to let that happen to them all, so she rescued the first kitten in 2018. A year after picking up the first one at the fur farm, she got asked to rescue another kitten also rescued from the farm.
The rescuers hadn’t tamed her, so Anastasia had a lot of work ahead of her.
Adopting an exotic pet
If you want to adopt lynxes or any animal, you have to make sure you have the time and resources to dedicate to them. Anastasia says, “when you decide to adopt or rescue a pet or help an animal in need, it’s crucial to remember that rescuing is just the beginning. You have to assess your resources and willingness to provide the one you rescue with a good life.”
Because of her love for animals, she decided on a career in biology. She also dreamt of having an animal family of her own and loves caring for all her fur babies.
“I loved animals ever since I remember myself. I always wanted to work with animals, and because of that, I’ve chosen my education. I’m a biologist – now, my dreams came true.”
Judging by the video clips, it looks like the lynxes love their new home and family. They love eating delicious food like grapes, playing fetch with tennis balls, and watching the clothes spin around in the washing machine.
They also enjoy going on adventures to the local lake to watch the ducks, and, like most cats, they love climbing on stuff! It seems like they get along great with the other members of the fur family.
“By adopting and helping all these animals, I create my own world.”
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“It all started with a husky; in fact, with Banshee – a little puppy left in the clinic. We took her home and cured her disease.
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To be honest, all our animals, except Geralt, found us themselves. The standard scenario was like: I was surfing the web aimlessly and accidentally found [a] post about an adoption. I fell in love, assessed my resources, doubted – and then we took our new beast home.
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I never wanted a lot of animals, but it somehow happened so. And I don’t regret a thing.”
Here are some facts about the newest lynx in the family:
– They named her Bulochka (the Russian word for sweetbread) because she’s delightfully sweet.
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– She spent the first 3 months of her life with her mother.
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– She came to Anastasia untamed, but they worked hard to train and housebreak her.
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Here are 10 more main facts about both of them:
1. They eat raw meat (chicken, rabbits, turkey, and so on).
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2. They use a simple cat litter box.
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3. They refuse to pee without the litter box.
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4. They are trained to walk on a leash.
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5. They are friendly to dogs.
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6. All their claws and teeth are in place!
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7. They have gnawed three monitor displays and one notebook (an unfortunate part of owning lynxes).
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8. Bulochka always steals slippers, and Geralt prefers pillows.
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9. They are both neutered, so there will be no offspring.
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10. Their favorite sleeping spot is on the top shelf.
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If you ever should want to (and can) adopt lynxes, the owners have provided some important tips:
Lynx at home: checklist
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✅Food. The most basic and important thing is healthy food. It is very important that the diet consists not only of meat filets but also includes bones and offals.
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✅Supplements and vitamins. Lynxes from the fur farm tend to have weak bones and joints, so they need support. Our cats receive additional salmon oil and vitamin courses.
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✅Toys. Lynxes are active cats. Ours prefer running after a cat teaser with a toy mouse on a string.
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✅Litter box. Lynx can be taught to use the toilet, but ours use a large cat litter box.
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✅Treatment for parasites. We use vermifuge and flea drops on schedule. Usually, dog medicines are used for the lynxes.
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✅Equipment. Lynxes are large, strong, and flexible animals, so the usual ammunition from a pet store does not suit them. It’s from our own experience. We use a collar from @ykka_collar, a harness from @dogwithlog, and a Flexi tape for giant dogs.
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Final thoughts on adopting lynxes
Even though a lynx would make a unique and amazing pet, you should only adopt them if you have ample room and resources. They need a lot of time for training and attention, and you’ll have to put up with items getting chewed up frequently. Since they’re wild cats, they will have certain instincts that will stick even with training. However, they can become domesticated and get along well with humans.
Lynxes need a warm living space with plenty of things to climb and play with. You’ll also want to have a strong foundation in your house with well-built walls, so they can’t claw or chew their way out. As you can see, you have so much more to think about when you adopt wild cats, but for kind people like Anastasia, it’s well worth the effort!
