Thursday, March 31, 2011

Busy Week...

And I mean BUSY!!!
Blew up the third transmission in the Dodge
Three day spot in Frisco
Gave away a couple tigers
Changed the props, and act
I will run through the chain of events later...


To sum it up quickly...
Cleo had a bad case of ringworm and we were concerned
It might pass to the other cats
We were inspected by the USDA last week
They are currently enforcing that the arena must be 12' above
The highest prop inside, or be completely enclosed on top
Since we don't carry a net, much less a cable net that
Completely encloses the top
I opted to cut the seats down to 8"
Everyone was satisfied by this move
The cats are fine with the short seats
This is how the act looks now



You will also note that Kandahar is missing
My home inspector was concerned about his length
In comparison with the length of his cage 7'11"
A great tiger facility in Boyd Tx wanted him
So everyone is happy now...
After changing the seats to be so low I was having a very
Hard time walking the females past him since he could touch
Them as they passed
I consider it a win-win scenario that he has a new home
Serri is doing great
I will have more for the blog shortly...

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to see the changes. With the pyramid you were going to do and the 7 tigers it was starting to look like an act worthy of the big shrine dates. I know the changes are not all your doing, but the act just looks small time now. I hope you're thinking about doing what it takes to get the taller seats back and the pyramid. Kelly-Miller won't last forever, and then what?

Casey McCoy Cainan said...

Anonymous,
I hate to even dignify the comment, but I am a sucker for an argument.
1. I feel pretty good about Kelly Miller out lasting what you call "The Big Shrine Dates" have a look at the list of "dates" that exist today just in comparison with five years ago.
2. Besides the Hawthorn/Nerger act please tell me an act out there doing "The Big Shrine Dates" with more then six cats.
3. Although I agree the pyramid is nice to look at, it is hardly a real trick. I would much rather do a wheel, roll over, sit up combo with all the cats then just chase them from one seat to another to sit them up.
4. I am considering completely removing the seats all together and having the whole act be group tricks with all the cats. When that happens you will probably really be let down.....(brace yourself)
5. Then what???? Do you think that there haven't been offers to go do other seasons/dates? Really?

Anonymous said...

I am not a sucker for argument's, in fact I don't like them much, so I just just wondering about something for my knowledge. I thought a group rollover meant 3 or more animals rolling over together in unison? Or can it also mean 3 or more tigers rolling over one at a time like the video? How big does a cage have to be if seven ft. elven inches is to small. I saw some big tigers at the shrine circus at ft. Worth last year.
Thanks Andrew

Anonymous said...

Will Cleo return to you? I sure hope so.

Casey McCoy Cainan said...

Andrew,
I was unaware that the cats were supposed to roll at same time, I trained mine to roll when I say their name, so as to have control of the behavior. I also like the way it looks myself. Keep posted and I will show you mine rolling at same time, so you arent confused or thinking they don't.
On the issue of the cage. I was informed that the particular cat (Kandahar) was very close to not being able to make postural adjustments with out touching the sides of the cage. I was not told the cage was too small, but it was mentioned that a different inspector might decide it was too small. As great of a looking cat as he was, he had several bad habits he had picked up over the years. With unlimited time and resources, I may have chose to keep him, but moving everyday I would have had to neglect something other aspect of training to give him the proper concentration of time.

Casey McCoy Cainan said...

Anonymous,
No she will not be returning. She was donated to the place that has her (willingly) and though the treatment of ringworm was working, it was working very slow. Fear of her passing it to the other cats made the decision to donate her to a facility where she could be quarantined and treated the right choice.

Other Anonymous,
Yes that is her. I am not going to post your link because we are currently having a "beef" with this place. They were not to advertise her as anything other then a tiger with ringworm. They have since called her arrival a confiscation (Which it was not) They have said her growth is stunted and she is malnourished (which she is not) We are currently taking action against them through the USDA and other avenues, so this will be the only mention of it for the time being. I am not censoring your comment for any reason other then I can't show their name here at this point.
Thanks

Crystal said...

Casey,

DISLIKE on the rescues/sanctuaries that pull crap like that. And that's all I am going to publicly vent about that...

I hope everyone is doing well on the road and I am sorry I couldn't come out and visit everyone while ya'll were in central TX. Maybe catch ya'll on the way home.

Should be interesting to see the act without seats and with group tricks. It would probably look like it was moving alot faster too. Post a video if you decide to change it up!

Safe travels.

Anonymous said...

Crystal... Does the act look like it is not moving fast now? I have never heard that seats slowed an act down. Usually it is another factor.
Andrew

Crystal said...

I feel like the people who now have Cleo have come to the hospital before. We aren't supposed to be mean to the clients, but I would think a stern chiding would not be unacceptable.

Andrew, I don't know. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing this particular act in person this year nor am I an animal trainer, but it still takes time for a cat to jump back on a seat I suppose. So knock of that fragment of a second and I think that makes it faster. Less time = faster.

Michael Newton-Brown said...

WOW, Casey. So sorry to hear of all the BS coming your way. I've watched your act grow, and change. It must be disheartening after all your hard work.

Question. How hard / expensive would it be to incorporate that overhead net?

Casey McCoy Cainan said...

Michael,
I will probably go the net route soon. It isn't a matter of cost so much as, this is a relatively new thing being enforced so I want to see what satisfies the USDA after the dust has settled before I go another route. I am not disheartened at all really. Everyone is doing what they are supposed to do. The USDA is doing what they feel is best for these animals. Even if I disagree with their choices, I don't for a second feel they are picking on, or targeting me, or the circus industry. Everything will adapt, it always does.

Casey McCoy Cainan said...

Michael,
I will probably go the net route soon. It isn't a matter of cost so much as, this is a relatively new thing being enforced so I want to see what satisfies the USDA after the dust has settled before I go another route. I am not disheartened at all really. Everyone is doing what they are supposed to do. The USDA is doing what they feel is best for these animals. Even if I disagree with their choices, I don't for a second feel they are picking on, or targeting me, or the circus industry. Everything will adapt, it always does.

Anonymous said...

3 transmissions,do you know how to shift??
Keep up the good work the act looks great!
Phil

Anonymous said...

3 transmissions do you know how to drive???
Phil

Anonymous said...

Questions:
are they starting to sit with their feet on the ground yet?

Is your cheerful acceptance of the new 'look' more one of gratitude for not having to heave the taller pedestals around?

Is your insistence on leaving out the "easy" tricks that people enjoy such as pedestal jumps and pyramids because you're above all that now, or simply because pyramid pedestals are heavy and take up room in the trailer?

Ryan Easley said...

Anonymous,
What are you talking about? I'm the one that moves all the props.

No, they all keep all four feet on the seats.

Casey McCoy Cainan said...

Anonymous,
That cracks me up!!!
Mine keep their feet where I ask them to. Do yours??? Lol
What makes you think the public enjoys fire hoops and pyramids? Did you ask them? And I don't mean, well after I did a lay down sit up, rolled one tiger over, and did a plank walk, they clapped REALLY loud for the fire hoop and pyramid. I by no means feel I am above anything, I am just trying to do something a little different. Feel free to be upset with that, I promise I won't lose any sleep over it.... Haha


As far as the props. Hauling not an issue, I have lots of room, and radar loads every one of them. I loaded all of them for several years before Dar got here, now I am lucky enough to have a good groom, and be able to afford it.

Casey McCoy Cainan said...

Thank you anonymous,
Lawyers are on it...

Anonymous said...

What's with the barrel racing rodeo queen outfit? LOL

Casey McCoy Cainan said...

Anonymous,
You're kidding right?? Lol Very unlikely anyone could wear that jacket and barrel race on a horse. The 20lbs of rhinestones would really effect the center of balance...lol

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