Rescued Tiger is Happy, Well-Fed
Tiger rescued by Humane Society of North Texas makes improvements.
Deborah Ferguson
Hamilton: "Scratch mah kitteh belleh."
The tiger rescued by the Humane Society of North Texas is doing better. Workers at the shelter on East Lancaster Avenue in Fort Worth said Hamilton is a different cat than three weeks ago when they rescued him from Hamilton County, west of Waco.
The Bengal tiger is friendlier, calmer and gaining weight. The other afternoon as workers cleaned his cage, Hamilton waited patiently on a pile of hay then turned over on his back with belly exposed almost inviting someone to give him a good scratch.
Workers discovered Hamilton loves chicken, but they're putting more beef and muscle meat into his diet to fatten him up. He weighed about 250 pounds when the HSNT first got him. Facility manager Charles Thompson said he needs to be at least twice that size, and slowly he's putting on the pounds.
The shelter wants to place Hamilton in a sanctuary, and operations director Tammy Hawley said the agency is working to move him to one in Texas or Colorado.
Until then, Hamilton appears adjusted to his temporary home. And the shelter is still accepting donations as it looks for a permanent place.
Posted Friday, Jul 17, 2009 - 12:49 AM CST
