Back in the 1950's, ocelots and margays were commonly sold in retail pet stores. People who knew nothing about the proper care and feeding of these non-domestic cousins to the domestic tabby sold them to others who were equally ignorant of their special dietary and environmental needs. This resulted in calcium deficiencies, intestinal blockages, unnecessary canine teeth removals and worse. Something had to be done and Catherine Cisin, a caring lady from Amagansett, New York, was the woman to do it. She formed theLong Island Ocelot Club, and designed it to be a clearinghouse of husbandry information.

Early LIOC newsletters depict an era long past. Back then, most ocelots and margays were jungle caught and legally imported into America as kittens. The majority were a by-product of the fur trade, and the mortality rate was 50%. If left when their mother's were killed for their pelts, all would have perished. Captive-breeding was in its infancy, a trial-and-error learning process. In the November, l959, LIOC Newsletter, Lillian Ward of Los Angeles, California, shared the news of Cheetah and Sheba ocelots, expecting the birth of their third litter in as many years. Jesus was born December 7th, 1957 and twins were born in November of 1958.

Yes, times were different, but wild cat ownership, even though largely confined to the small felids, unlike today's plethora of Panthera, still created controversy. These jungle cats were different, interesting, and to some, frightening. This was reflected in the human-interest stories published in national newspapers such as the one which appeared in the Daily News in Garden Grove, California on November 11th, l958, entitled This Fearless Pair Raises Ocelots. Or theTame Cats Supplement Diet of Hamburger with Occasional Shoe, Bathmat, Blanket, Daily Hampshire Gazette, North Hampton, Massachusetts in August of 1958. The Ontario Gazette, in Niagara Falls, New York, publishedOcelot startles Residents as it Strolls in Falls. And The Daily Breeze, in Redondo Beach, California, printed Ocelot Angered, Holds Men at Bay in February of 1959. The unpublished punchline to that story was the fact that the ocelot was actually a 9 pound margay. Moods were swinging, as moods always do, and now owners were getting defensive.Ocelots Don't revert to Wild She Says was printed in the Westwood, New Jersey, February 26th, 1959 edition.

Undeterred, private owners continued their captive breeding efforts. Breakthroughs appeared and by the late 1960's, a proud but humble beginning to the future of captive bred exotic felines was making LIOC headlines. In 1967, Chuck & Harriet Leake of Sherman Oaks, California announce the birth of leopard cat babies. Exotic cats were becoming more common. The March/April edition of the LIOC Newsletter informed members that Sears & Roebuck Company in Oakland, California offered a fairly young jaguar for sale at a cost of $1,100. In May of 1968, the National Zoo declared ocelots "semi-domestic" and therefore no longer worthy of exhibit.

The domestic births continued. In May of 1968, two chaus were born to second generation parents owned by Juleen and John Jackson; twin ocelots were born at Lydia Sportleder's in New York and a margay kitten at Marianne Howard's in Maryland.Among the Newcomers in the September/October, edition of the LIOC Newsletter listed 17 ocelots, 1 margay, 3 cheetah, 1 leopard cat, 1 bobcat, 2 lions, 3 cougars, and one jaguar. In November, Sadie Douglas announced another domestic born margay - the second for the parent pair.

The 70's in the LIOC were to mirror America's society in general and heralded in a decade of change like none before. A Commentary by Dr. Michael Balbo (LIOC's Director of Conservation) titledConservation Relative to LIOC, stated that LIOC members must develop successful breeding strategies, rather than continue to import jungle-born kittens. He asked the hard questions of "When will we grow up?" and "What about tomorrow?" he quoted current advertisements which state "Furs all the Rage", and "Leopard is so chic". His extensive research into the plight of wild cat conservation revealed and unexpected and chilling possibility - wild cats were threatened with extinction! Today, that's hardly surprising, and in many ways, we are faced with so many species facing extinction that we have grown numb. Back in the early 70's though, it was a shocker. The age of innocence was over.

In the 1970's private captive husbandry was in full swing. Ken and Jean Hatfield announce three ocelot births in 1971. Also that year, Floyd Houser offered captive born leopard cat kittens for $150. Robert Baudy's Rare Feline Breeding Compound produced 33 cubs representing 9 species. Snow leopards previous had only been successfully bred seven times in over 900 world zoos over the past 100 years, yet they bred at RFBC in l971. This compound also produced a litter of cheetah and the second ever breeding of black jaguars. Amurian leopards, native to west Korea and Siberia were also bred successfully as were both Siberian and Bengal tigers.

In 1972, Arnette Barnet of Saugerties, New York shared the birth of Asian Golden Cat via LIOC's Newsletter. Dave Salisbury's leopard produced an unheard of litter of 5 and domestic born ocelots were being sold for $500. It was in 1972 that LIOC held its first Convention in Dallas, Texas, hosted by the SouthWestern Branch - one of fifteen branches in existence at that time. At this Convention, in response to a rapidly changing world, the motto of LIOC which had existed since its conception was modified. Gone was the word "pet" in front of "ocelot" and instead, LIOC would now be "devoted to the welfare of ocelots and other exotic felines".

The year 1973 will always be highlighted by the passage of the Endangered Species Act, designed to protect threatened and endangered species by prohibiting their importation from the wild, while encouraging captive breeding. LIOC supported it. In LIOC 1973 was memorable for its continued captive propagation of these newly designated endangered and threatened felines. Pepper Perry announced margay kittens. Carol Weinhart detailed the birth of leopard cubs. From 1970 to 1973, the Hatfield compound produced 29 ocelots and 3 margays. From 1964 to 1973 ocelots belonging to Barbara Bond of Hialeah, Florida produced 12 kittens and Herman Brooks of Orlando reported 13 ocelots in six years. Charles and Sadie Douglas, also of Orlando produced 14 ocelot kittens and 18 margay kittens. Ironically, while these births proved that captive husbandry of exotic felines by private individuals was successful, offering a suitable alternative to wild caught felines, they were now hard to place due to stringent rules imposed by the Endangered Species Act.

The framers of the Endangered Species Act can be forgiven for their assumption that endangered species could be saved simply by curtailing the fur trade and its adjunct the pet industry. At the time the impact and extent of habitat destruction were not fully understood. The operations of U.S. Customs were far less sophisticated than they are today. Importation of wild-caught endangered species cold not be stopped without serious legal impediments to the ownership of those species, whether captive-bred or not. But the close bond of love and trust that LIOC members had developed with their wards compelled them to extend that love to the entire species, and to be among the first to truly comprehend the seriousness of the situation. Captive breeding was more than a side show in the circus of human folly. It was imperative - a Noah's Ark. When zoological institutions made the same realization, they turned to the LIOC pioneers for the priceless knowledge of successful animal husbandry, and it was freely given. Not only knowledge, but stock itself for many zoological collections was enhanced by LIOC member's contributions.

In 1973, LIOC published a membership listing by species owned. This fascinating piece of history revealed just how common the ocelot had become. Members reported 94 ocelots and 55 margays, far and away the most common exotic feline in private homes. Cougars numbered 26, bobcats 20, jaguarundi and leopard cats 13. And interestingly even rarer cats were reported, golden cat, kodkod, fishing cats, and cheetah. Today's common cats, were rare then. Only one serval, 1 jaguar, 1 geoffroy's, 3 tigers and 8 leopards.

In spite of the government's efforts to hinder sales of captive bred endangered species, LIOC members continued to breed their felines. Chuck and Suzi Kindt reported the birth of Golden Cats and jaguarundis; The Douglases reported the birth of twin ocelots as did Ethel Hauser. Susanne Ropeke's jaguarundi produced a litter of 4 kittens, the second such litter for this mother. And the Treanor's shared the details of a margay birth.

At the same time the disastrous effects of the laws were being felt in the zoo community. Bill Hodge of the Olympic Game Farm returned from the meeting of the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums to report that their members were being asked to write letters to their Representatives stating that they were being forced to separate breeding pairs because of the difficulties in placing animals caused by the new regulations. LIOC members were asked to do likewise.

By 1975, the Hatfields had become nationally recognized experts in the behavior and reproduction of ocelots. They reported 33 births, with 23 surviving that year, 15 ocelots, one margay, 3 geoffroy, 3 cougars and 11 jaguars. The Treanors announce a rare feat - oncilla births - two sets of twins as well as another margay kitten. Liz Ghent's golden cat kittens graced the May/June Newsletter cover. By July, Vic Huddleston announced another LIOC first, the birth of four black chaus. The Hausers ocelots produced twins and Stan & Jean Townes reported twin servals.

In May of 1977, another LIOC first occurred, proving again that captive born felines could be counted on to produce the next generation. A domestic born male geoffroy's owned by John Perry produced a second-generation of kittens. Jean Townes' cats produced cougar and chaus kittens and a rare and interesting margay/ocelot hybrid was born at Barbara Brocks. Both the ocelot mother and margay sire of this little "marlot" were captive bred.

September 17, l979 saw the passage of the Department of the Interior's final rules on captive- bred wildlife. gone was the suggestion provision for Captive Self-Sustaining Populations rules, and with it any allowable "trade" in pet wildlife. Ocelots and margays, which were so plentiful were now in total government control and permits for interstate commerce were not being issued. The decade of the 80's demonstrated just how final these rules were. A stable and prooising nucleus of ocelot and margay founding stock were quietly dying off. The result has been a government imposed genetic bottleneck of these magnificent felines.

By 1982, it was obvious times and attitudes were changing. So too were the demographics of the Long Island Ocelot Club. There were more other cats than ocelots among the membership. And that membership was no longer centered in Long Island, rather it had become international. It was no longer enough just to have a pet; we must also breed those we possessed and conserve those that remained in the wild. To this end, the Long Island Ocelot Club ceased to be. Keeping the initials LIOC (to honor our Founder and our roots) we added, Endangered Species Conservation Federation, Inc. and incorporated as a non-profit organization. As LIOC's founder felines grew old, members began sharing the medical history and final departure of their beloved companions. In the 1984, September/October Newsletter, Danny Treanor wrote of the passing of Poco and Sundae margays, who both succumbed to Feline Leukemia. Richard Dyck wrote about the necessity of euthanizing Teager margay, who suffered from arthritis and diabetes. Herb Wilton shared the passing of Chili ocelot whose kidney's finally failed.

The "Births" column reflected the species shift in private ownership. Bobcats from Gayle Schaecher; cougar and bobcat for Jean Hatfield, caracal, Siberian lynx and bobcats for Penny Andrews; serval for Suzi Wood; lynx for Murray Killman and tigers for Jeanne Maynard.

The founding felines of LIOC have passed on and with them the decade of irony. In a time not so long ago, a generation of Americans shared their lives, their homes and their hearts in a magical, unrepeatable experiment. Pet ocelots and margays, those were times both of joy and pain, with lessons to be learned by all.

Natural diversity is being destroyed forever. Rainforest destruction encircles the planet, nature is being slowly destroyed. An extinction crisis is upon us. At the same time though, the technological society that precipitated these tragedies is also working to reverse the trend. Captive husbandry of wildlife has become more professional, sophisticated and technological. Embryo transfers, artificial insemination, Specie Survival Plans, all in the name of conservation.

Today's LIOC member is more likely to be a caregiver for cougar, bobcat, serval and caracal, chaus or Geoffroy's. The species may change but the love affair with the cats will never truly change. And as more pressure is applied to wild populations, more caring persons feel compelled to breed, house and attempt to save the feline. An army of contemporary "Noah's Arks" are still needed. The 90's have been christened the "Decade of the Environment", and as we face an extinction crisis of holocaust proportions, private owners of exotic felines work to preserve felines by propagating priceless genetic material and the future promise it holds.

There is still a great need for talented and dedicated persons to provide the husbandry needs of captive species. Towards this end, and to honor our first President Kenneth Hatfield, it was decided in 1995 to establish ascholarship fund to encourage veterinary students to take courses in exotic medicine. This will ensure knowledgeable veterinarians in the future who will be familiar with the special needs of our charges.