Tammy Thies of The Wildcat Sanctuary in Minnesota was didn’t expect to be taking care of a tiny tiger cub named Dash. She was looking for homes for four big cats when Dash ended up in her life.
Dash weighed about three pounds, and he was a very vocal kitten. If he wasn’t saved, Dash probably would have been living in a cage as part of a roadside zoo.
During Dash’s first week at the sanctuary, he had a tiger stuffed toy that he cuddled with. His ears were folded down, and his eyes had not yet opened. The second week he was four pounds and very happy.
By the third week, Dash had almost doubled in size. He went from crawling to walking, and his apex predator instincts started to kick in. His ears popped up, and his eyes were fully open.
Seven weeks in, he was much bigger than his stuffed toys, and he was incredibly playful. They gave him the nickname “Dash the Destroyer.” Then they moved him to a bigger room.
Dash weight around 20 pounds by the eighth week, and everything was prey to him. He would stalk and be stealthy while playing around. Then he finally got to see the outside.
The outside became his favorite place, and he loved the snow. On his eleventh week, he was climbing perches and scratching logs. Dash found joy in everything.
