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Description
Image 2 out of 4

Series Images:

Control: it's something that as humans, we like to do. We try to control our future's outcome, our children in the grocery store and even how another person behaves, but there is one thing we as humans do not enjoy: someone controlling us. It's a vicious cycle of wanting control but not wanting to be controlled. We take this into nature, controlling the landscape and even wildlife so it's safer and more convenient for ourselves. But what if nature doesn't want to be controlled? What then? Wild and big cat's have been a target for humans to control either for profit, as a pet or for entertainment. When a wild cat gets out of our control, it can be disastrous and result in death for either the human and/or animal. It's upsetting when an animal acts on its instinct and is killed because of their inability to act domestically.
There are still fur farms in America where Bobcats and Lynxes are being bread and raised only to be slaughtered for their fur. Tigers in America are on the black market where their bodies are worth more dead than alive. White tigers come from inbreeding and yet most people who pay to see a white tiger have no idea of the health issues that lay underneath their fur- they just look pretty. It's the same concept we do to ourselves: we will do anything unhealthy, like starve ourselves, just to fit into a pair of jeans. Unlike humans, animals do not connect through the same senses as we do. Once we smell, touch, watch or listen to someone, it's personal and can create a connection between two people. But it is not the same with animals. Most people think a domesticated cat is showing affection when it rubs it head on a person’s leg, but in reality the cat contains glands on the side of their mouth that they are using to mark their territory.
I myself am still researching and pondering the fine line that exists between preserving and educating ourselves about animal species versus controlling them. Being in an enclosure is not always the healthiest environment, nor are the animals truly free but programs in zoo's help people learn more about animals and how we can take part in conservation.

About Natasha
Female-Siberian Lynx

Natasha was rescued, along with 27 other cats, from a fur farm. She cost more than any of the other cats because she is exquisitely beautiful. She has survived poisoning and a very scary seizure in 1996. She was diagnosed with heart worms in 1997 and recovered very slowly. We had never seen heartworms in the exotic cats, and as a result of her infestation have made it a policy to treat all of Big Cat Rescue’s animals with Ivermectin, which is a de-wormer, as a preventative. Natasha shares a Cat-a-tat with Willow, they love each others company and are two of the very first cats seen on our guided tours. One of Natasha’s favorite things to do is chew. She, like most Siberian lynx, have a love for chewing. She will chew just about anything, sticks, pine cones, cardboard tubes, but her favorite of all are pineapple tops. She does not eat these things, but rather tears off tiny pieces of them with her front teeth and then spits it out. She will continue with this until there is nothing left of whatever item fell victim to her chewing. Natasha is lovable and fun-loving and considers no one a stranger.

[link]

Prior permission from Jeff Kremer (the Director of Donor Appreciation at Big Cat Rescue) to use Natasha in my senior show and information.
Link to Original text: [link]

All other content is copyright under my name "Amanda McNeil" and my studio name "Amandas Sketches".

All done in "Photoshop CS5"

Special thank you to the following for their critique and support:

You can support and/or donate to Big Cat Rescue by sponsoring a cat! [link]

Description
Image 2 out of 4

Series Images:

Control: it's something that as humans, we like to do. We try to control our future's outcome, our children in the grocery store and even how another person behaves, but there is one thing we as humans do not enjoy: someone controlling us. It's a vicious cycle of wanting control but not wanting to be controlled. We take this into nature, controlling the landscape and even wildlife so it's safer and more convenient for ourselves. But what if nature doesn't want to be controlled? What then? Wild and big cat's have been a target for humans to control either for profit, as a pet or for entertainment. When a wild cat gets out of our control, it can be disastrous and result in death for either the human and/or animal. It's upsetting when an animal acts on its instinct and is killed because of their inability to act domestically.
There are still fur farms in America where Bobcats and Lynxes are being bread and raised only to be slaughtered for their fur. Tigers in America are on the black market where their bodies are worth more dead than alive. White tigers come from inbreeding and yet most people who pay to see a white tiger have no idea of the health issues that lay underneath their fur- they just look pretty. It's the same concept we do to ourselves: we will do anything unhealthy, like starve ourselves, just to fit into a pair of jeans. Unlike humans, animals do not connect through the same senses as we do. Once we smell, touch, watch or listen to someone, it's personal and can create a connection between two people. But it is not the same with animals. Most people think a domesticated cat is showing affection when it rubs it head on a person’s leg, but in reality the cat contains glands on the side of their mouth that they are using to mark their territory.
I myself am still researching and pondering the fine line that exists between preserving and educating ourselves about animal species versus controlling them. Being in an enclosure is not always the healthiest environment, nor are the animals truly free but programs in zoo's help people learn more about animals and how we can take part in conservation.

About Natasha
Female-Siberian Lynx

Natasha was rescued, along with 27 other cats, from a fur farm. She cost more than any of the other cats because she is exquisitely beautiful. She has survived poisoning and a very scary seizure in 1996. She was diagnosed with heart worms in 1997 and recovered very slowly. We had never seen heartworms in the exotic cats, and as a result of her infestation have made it a policy to treat all of Big Cat Rescue’s animals with Ivermectin, which is a de-wormer, as a preventative. Natasha shares a Cat-a-tat with Willow, they love each others company and are two of the very first cats seen on our guided tours. One of Natasha’s favorite things to do is chew. She, like most Siberian lynx, have a love for chewing. She will chew just about anything, sticks, pine cones, cardboard tubes, but her favorite of all are pineapple tops. She does not eat these things, but rather tears off tiny pieces of them with her front teeth and then spits it out. She will continue with this until there is nothing left of whatever item fell victim to her chewing. Natasha is lovable and fun-loving and considers no one a stranger.

[link]

Prior permission from Jeff Kremer (the Director of Donor Appreciation at Big Cat Rescue) to use Natasha in my senior show and information.
Link to Original text: [link]

All other content is copyright under my name "Amanda McNeil" and my studio name "Amandas Sketches".

All done in "Photoshop CS5"

Special thank you to the following for their critique and support:

You can support and/or donate to Big Cat Rescue by sponsoring a cat! [link]