Whoever gets to spend the night at Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary in Caledonia could wake up to the sound of tigers roaring just outside their guest house in the early morning.
At least that’s the hope of Claire McDougall, development officer at the sanctuary. Cedarhill is home to 10 tigers, three lions, three bobcats, nine horses, five pigs, four exotic birds, 14 dogs, one rabbit and about 200 cats. For one weekend, it will also be a home-away-from-home for four human guests.
For the first time ever, Cedarhill will hold a raffle to allow visitors a weekend getaway at the sanctuary. Cedarhill staff will draw the winning ticket on Jan. 1, and that winner — along with up to three guests — can pick their weekend.
Tickets are $20 or three for $55. To buy them, visit the Cedarhill Facebook page or call at 662-356-6636.
“This is really like a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see what life is like here every day, kind of like getting a golden ticket,” McDougall said.
The sanctuary is not typically open to visitors, and only a handful of supporters who have donated large amounts of money have ever stayed on the property, McDougall said. Because almost all of the animals there have been rescued from neglectful or abusive situations, the staff and volunteers at Cedarhill try to give them as stress-free a life as possible.
Still, the staff is excited to show off the sanctuary and the animals in it, said Nancy Gschwendtner, director of the sanctuary.
“This place is good for your soul,” she said. “It really is, whether you’re an animal or a person. I truly believe that. This place rescues people just as well as it rescues animals.”
“We’re excited to show our babies off,” McDougall added.
Each Cedarhill staff member thought the raffle would be a good way to thank donors and make money for during and after the holiday season, when funds tend to dry up, McDougall said.
And response was swift. The night the raffle was announced on Facebook, McDougall said Cedarhill sold $500 worth of raffle tickets.
Retreat itinerary
The guests will arrive at the sanctuary on a Saturday afternoon of their choice and get settled in. Staff members will take them out to eat at Broussard’s in Columbus. The guests will spend Saturday night in a two-bedroom house overlooking a pen that houses two tigers.
The tigers — Mr. Big and Kumar — will be up at the break of dawn, and the guests may very well hear them throughout the night, said McDougall, along with the grunts and growls of one of the 16 other big cats on the property. That’s to say nothing of the neighs of horses and the barks of dogs, some of which are penned near the guest house as well.
At a little after 7 a.m. on the retreat’s Sunday, guests can sit out on the back porch and watch Cedarhill staff feed the tigers — though McDougall stressed the guests won’t be any closer than that, for everyone’s safety.
The guests will also receive a gift and get a tour of the sanctuary. As for the rest of the time, they can walk dogs, groom horses, play with the pigs or pet the cats in one of two domestic cat houses — one for elderly and disabled cats and one for the more active cats.
“A lot of it will just depend on who wins and what they’re interested in,” McDougall said. “If they want to sit and pet cats all day, the cats would love that.”
Guests won’t be allowed to feed or pet the exotic cats or ride the horses, McDougall said. They also won’t be allowed to bring their own pets or children under four feet.
A full list of rules is on the Cedarhill Facebook page.
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