Spokane, WA

This past weekend we had some out of town visitors, one of which had visited the Cat Tales when she was here last summer and wanted to go back. Being of hardy Spokane (albeit transplanted) stock, we braved the elements of a brisk November afternoon to visit this wonderful zoological park located just a few miles north of Spokane at N. 17020 Newport Hwy, Mead, WA 99021.

Now you might think that wandering around an outdoor zoo in November a bit crazy, but the smaller crowds made viewing the beautiful cats much easier, the tours are much more personalized, and the big cats are more active as they move around their enclosures to maintain body warmth. Speaking of body warmth, if you do chose to visit Cat Tales during their winter hours, which during October - April are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am - 4 pm, do make sure to bundle up with hats, gloves and warm coats. It just makes the visit much more pleasant when you’re prepared.

In regards to the zoo itself, they are home to many incredible animals such as leopards, jaguars, lions, rare tiger species, bobcats, lynx, pumas, as well as bears, reptiles and birds. Many of these animals have been rescued from unfortunate circumstances. You can walk through the zoo on your own or one of the zoo volunteers can take you on a tour. The tour provides a lot of great information, not only about that particular species, but also about that individual animal. Some stories are sad, some colorful, some laced with famousness, but the best part is that they are now at a place that understands them, loves them and has their best interests at heart.

The petting zoo was closed on the day that we were there but a quick call to Cat Tales at (509) 238-4126 or a visit to their website at http://www.cattales.org will let you know about current activities. The admission fees of $8.00 for adults, $6.00 for students and seniors and $5.00 for children helps to support this unique non-profit zoo. Seniors are free on Sunday, by the way.

Although we were glad to turn up the heater in the car on the way home, we had no regrets about thinking outside of the normal “tourist-time of year” box and visiting this year round park.