SPOKANE, Wash. —
Cat Tales Wildlife Center executive director Lisa Grey said extreme heat turns away crowds. So when temperatures get hot, the center offers heat specials to help keep business going.
“When it’s this hot, it’s usually a $5 entry after noon because if you’re going to be here and the animals are sleeping we want to get your money’s worth,” Grey said.
Grey said the heat also causes the animals to be less active and sleep more.
She said this change in behavior changes how staff feeds them.
“They don’t consume as many calories so we have to make adjustments throughout this period of what we feed them so we don’t have food waste.”
Grey said the center has about 40 animals. She said the animals are used to higher temperatures in their natural habitats, but staff still have to make sure they’re staying cool and comfortable.
“We have overhead sprinklers, hand-held sprinklers, we do our best to just keep the grounds at a cooler temperature," Grey listed. "Shade tarps around the park and we can water those down as well so they drip down and that can give them shade too.”
Since July 26, Cat Tales has been running a "hot weather" fundraiser on its Facebook page. Grey said community donations are a major contribution to keeping the center open.
