The Cat House

Many Tehachapi residents have been to The Cat House or Feline Conservation Center, in Rosamond but newcomers may not have heard about it and there may be those long-time residents who have not heard about it, also. Guess the point here is it is such a wonderful place, it seemed a reminder of its proximity to Tehachapi might be timely.

The Exotic Feline Breeding Compound/Feline Conversation Center, located on Hwy 14, will be hereon in referred to as the EFBC/FFC or compound. Acronyms can be overdone, but in this case they may save a tree given the length of the full name.

Guests travel a dusty dirt road in order to arrive at the compound and may ask themselves, "Where are we going?" Admittedly, one may think let's just turn around and forget this day trip.

Please don't. Suddenly you pull up to a large gate, surrounded by the dusty, dry desert. Upon walking through the gate you find you have entered another world. It is kin to an oasis. Lush palms, cool breezes and a quiet that makes one want to whisper. Currently the compound houses over 80 wild cats that range in size from Mar-gay to Leopards and Jaguars.

Beautiful peacocks roam the grounds as you wander down the paths, at your own pace. There are no moats and often you are as close as five feet to the cats. To be so close you can see the color of a jaguars eyes is spell-binding. It is not an overwhelming compound in size and can be enjoyed in its entirety in a single visit. There are volunteers throughout the compound, and they are always willing to answer questions and talk to visitors about the compound.

Several special events take place throughout the year. The Twilight Tour is an adults only event and $20 per person. The next Twilight Tour is June 21, followed by an early fall Twlight Tour on Sept. 20. A barbecue, raffle and special cat enrichment demonstrations are part of the evenings entertainment. Due to legal constraints, children are not allowed during the Twilight Tours, due to entire facility being available for viewing which contains some older cages that do not have safety fencing.

Contact information will be disclosed at close of this article.

Aug. 9 is The Fabulous Feline Follies, a fundraiser. A catered dinner is featured, which includes a no-host bar, raffle, silent auction and animal presentations. Fee is $75 per person with advance reservations required.

Kids Day is coming up Oct. 18. There are activity tables, face painting, an educational animal show and more. The admission for this day only is $10 for adults and $7 for all children.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Tuesday. The compound is closed on Wednesdays, Thanksgiving day, Christmas day and Aug. 9. General admission is $7, Seniors are $6, children ages three to 12 are $5, and children under three years-old are free. Parking is free. Group tours are available for schools and organizations.

To access the EFBC/FFC at 3718 60th Street West, take exit the Highway 14 Rosamond Blvd. exit. Go west 3.5 miles, turn right on Mojave-Tropico (at a stop sign) then left on Rhyolite Ave. For further information regarding tours call

661-256-3793 or visit http://www.wildcatzoo.org.