Very small establishment, took us 10 minutes to walk through the "park" and I believe it was $10 per person. Some animals had large enclosures but a majority of the cats were in small, chain link fence cages. The smaller cats slept in what looked like a chicken coop. I'm usually not one to get worked up about these kinds of things, but I felt bad for those cats.
This place is very small and subsists almost entirely on donations. Most of the cats are Tigers but there are also Lions, Cougars, Pumas, and a few other cats. They give the larger cats larger cages and they are trying to expand. The more people visit and the more they donate the larger the enclosures become. They have room to expand but not the funds to do so. These cats were not brought here in order to be showcased they are all rescue cats that cannot survive out in the wild, because they lack the survival abilities they would have gained if they were brought up in the wild. By visiting Cat Tales you not only get to see Large Cats in the Spokane Area, but you're also helping a good cause finance the rescue and care of them.
It was nice to go see the cats at cat tales. This is really good place for the kids to visit. I would have been nice ce if I could have feed one of the big cats.
I am not prone to visit 'zoos' normally, so this is probably an unfair review. Stuck between the Newport Highway and railroad tracks Cat Tales has limited space. The cages were clean but small, and the cats are big. I asked about the limited amount of space and was told that since the animals were given their meals they no longer required space to run. Really? Other than an occasional ball or large rock nothing was provided for the animals to play with - isn't boredom a cruelty? One cat had lost most of its tail. When asked the young person, leading the tour, replied that this had occurred during a very cold winter and the tail had frozen and later was amputated. However, I was assured, the wooden boxes (no doors) kept them warm because they were packed with straw during the winter. Hmmmm - I know one animal that would beg to differ. Spokane is not a box and straw kind of place most winters.On the positive side, the students training there are lovely, sincerely involved young people who want to tell each animals' story. They are not lacking. The facility is lacking.Skip the gift shop. There is a jaw dropping lack of merchandise.My granddaughter, who was the reason for this adventure, liked Cat Tales and did not have my criticisms. However, we both agreed that Wolf People in Idaho was a truly amazing place. One that even grandma would be willing to revisit.
We fed both the white cats and the orange cats and had a great time. I highly recommend this if you love big cats.
The reviewers who berated this attraction trouble me. The enclosures were clean, secure and the cats appeared to be well fed and in good health. There are a few things critics need to consider. Throw a $20-30 million dollar upgrade and a multi-million dollar annual operating budget at Cat Tales and it would be spectacular. Now to the reality of the situation. For many of these cats this park is a home of last resort. If you take the time to read the more often than not very well done histories on these individual animals you get a picture of what's really sad about this park ... that the animals have to be here at all rather than in their natural environment which for many is entirely out of the question. As another reviewer pointed out Cat Tales has a limited revenue source and saying what's wrong, and chasing people away, doesn't help this park to expand on all the things that are right about it. Visitor admissions and donations pay the way, the staff seems caring and devoted to improving the lot of these unfortunate cats and they have done an admirable job of presenting the animals and their stories on a limited budget. Help them do better and increase your own knowledge and understanding. It sure isn't Disney's Animal Kingdom but it is a spot just north of Spokane that is well worth visiting.
I visited Cat Tales with my grandchildren whilst on holiday from the UK. I was very sad to see big cats being kept in such cramped and poor caged conditions. I thought the caging of animals in such conditions was no longer tolerated - The cages and enclosures were much too small and in some cases lacked any facilities for the animals to reduce their obvious stressful behaviour.The magnificent white tiger deserves a better environment and the lion's tiny cage was a disgrace.
I liked that the cats were being saved and taken care of, but they need a bigger area.I also liked being able to feed the Tiger, He is so majaestic. Please Help the Big Cats
Entrance fee was T-- $10 adults, $8 for students. The "zoo" was very small, it had maybe a dozen cages. Went through the entire place in about an hour and we felt like we took our time. Don't expect Seattle Zoo or anything, its a local, modest, non-profit place providing shelter & food to rescues. What was a little unnerving was the house cat that the zoo kept on the grounds. We saw him in the gift shop, lounging on the front desk. I was allowed to pet him but when I did, he/she felt emaciated! Literally just skin and bones. But with his fur, you couldn't visibly tell how skinny the house cat was. I could feel every protrusion of his cat skull when I went to scratch the back of his head. Unnerving to me, especially since I have 2 cats of my own... The cages definitely looked a little small for such large animals but probably was that way due to financial circumstances. It's definitely not a place you plan a trip around, and so gets circumstantial foot traffic. We had decided to go there after a google search 1 hr prior as we were on our way home after Silverwood Amusement Park
Upon arriving, I believed the zoo extended behind the cages giving these big cats some freedom to roam. I was wrong! The cages were small, the cats looked sad. The area smelled. While I feel the staff was doing their best with what they have, these large cats need some space!! Our drive back to our campsite was a quiet one.