Project Survival’s Cat Haven

A wonderful opportunity to see some big, beautiful cats up close and personal and learn a little something about your favorite big cats. From cheetahs to lions, tigers, lynx and servals — they were all stunning animals and I left feeling rewarded that I could give back to a cause so dear to my heart.
For all the cat lovers out there, you’ll kick yourself for not going!

We had an amazing time visiting the Cat Haven this past weekend! What a wonderful job they are doing up there. Can’t wait for our next visit!

What an amazing place to visit ! Cannot wait to come back. Everyone needs to experience this. Forget going to the fresno Chaffee zoo and drive a little bit more to see these beautiful creatures

It’s a hidden gem up in the mountains. Have you ever been sitting home bored… wasting your day away? Head up here for an afternoon tour. The owner is incredible and has such a big heart for these cats and their conservation.
It’s worth it to get to experience these big cats in a healthy environments where they are being well taken care of. Keep in mind though that the tour is a bit of a hike. Wear comfy clothes, and shoes that are suitable for rough terrains. It’s not unbearable, I did the tour when I weighed almost 400 pounds prior to my weight is and I was able to manage it, I was just tired afterwards… so keep that in mind.

Great place to see and learn about lots of cats! The tour money goes to protecting cats worldwide. Very knowledgable guide. We got lucky and had a small tour, who was very responsive to all our questions, including those posed by my seven year old daughter. There were only 5 of us, including the guide, and when we noticed the jaguars staring at my daughter like prey, the guide had her turn her back to the animal, and wiggle… The jaguar snuck down, and tried to pounce on her, through the cage (we were all totally safe!) A very cool experience! Never got to see a cat like that «in action». My daughter was thrilled!

What an incredible experience. Cat Haven does amazing work using their cats as ambassadors for their global efforts. The tour doesn’t disappoint. You learn amazing things while getting so close to these beautiful animals. While we waited for the tour to begin, we were only 10 feet away from Kong the tiger (who was a bit testy about being woken up from a nap)
This is a must-​see place that gives you plenty of opportunities to do your part in protecting these animals around the world.

I often don’t like a guided tour and being forced into a group. However, having Wendy lead the tour was a treat. She is the president of Cat Haven and clearly has a very personal relationship with many of the cats. The tour was not rushed and most of the cats came to the fence for a scratch from Wendy. Looking forward to the cheetah run opening up later this year. A running cheetah is an amazing sight.

We have a family membership and love cat haven. We have been several times and always love seeing the cats. The staff is usually pretty friendly (some are kind of dry), but always a great experience.

My vocabulary is insufficient to describe the absolute wonderfulness of this facility. Having wanted to visit for over a year, I was finally able to come with in-​laws visiting from the mid-​west who read about Nacho and Libre in the newspaper. We had an excellent tour guide in AJ– friendly, professional, a wealth of information with a gray sense of humour and, like all who work here, a visible love for the cats. We were also able to meet and speak briefly with the person in charge of the facility, a fascinating woman named Wendy who is a true advocate for these beautiful big cats. This is so much better than a zoo, both for the animals and for the animal lovers who want to visit, learn about and help preserve them.
Well worth the scenic drive and the cost of the tour!

This hidden cat refuge is located on the top of a hill close to the King’s Canyon National Park entrance. The tours are $ 10 and last about an hour and a half. Our guide was very informative and told us very interesting stories about each cat. We learned a lot and it was so cool to see the cats up close. They seem to be a lot more active than when you see big cats at the zoo. Wear closed toe shoes! I made the mistake of wearing flip flops, but you are walking on a dirt trail so I was wishing for my tennis shoes.

How the hell did i not know this was here???
I was SO HAPPY to find this on Unilocal after we left King’s Canyon.
For $ 10 you get to get so up close to these beautiful creatures. It’s unbelievable. They stress that you stay behind the guide and on the paths. They aren’t joking. One lady fell during the tour (steep dirt paths in some areas) and the cats got real riled up. Tip: Wear sneakers or closed toe shoes with tread!
I loved having the opportunity to see these amazing animals up close but I was puzzled as to what they actually do here. The tour guide told us that they breed here and that some of the cats are animal actors. I thought havens rescued animals… not create more in captivity? I did miss the first 5 mins of the tour so maybe they explained it there?
Either way, being so close to a real lion that day made me cry. It was amazing.

In a beautiful setting in the mountains, you will find a wide variety of exotic feline species; Tigers, Lions, Jaguars, Leopard, Clouded Leopards, Pallas Cat, Cheetahs, and many more! The tours are very nice and offer the chance to learn about conservation and about the cats themselves. The docents are very friendly and well-​informed. The facility is very clean and welcoming.

After leaving sequoia national park on the way to Yosemite we saw the signs for this place and we thought, «why not!»
$ 10 per person for an almost private tour of all the cats. The first 15 minutes or so is a speal on the different places to donate to. With two young kiddos if this was a tad shorter that would have been perfect.
It was very hot the day we went. Close to 100. Bring water! Also, I feel they should require closed toed shoes as a few people almost slipped and fell on the dirt trails leading to the different cats.
The tour was great lead by their intern from the Netherlands! Very knowledgable and very willing to answer any questions.
Highlights for sure were the bigger cats especially the Jaguars, lions and tigers!

We went today with our cousin’s. We all loved it. Make sure if you have any kind of problems walking up hills to wear sneakers and they have golf carts if you let them know ahead of time. The walking was very steep but worth the walk. Very interesting our tour lasted a hr. We will be back!

This experience had everything I love wrapped into one: educational, interesting, fun, and a good cause! What more can you ask for?
For $ 10 a very knowledgeable tour guide takes you around the area and introduces you to the cats. They tell you educational facts, plus personal facts about the cats, the organization’s mission and their accomplishments. For example, we learned that thanks to Project Survival Cat Haven, people are paying to visit small towns where snow leopards frequent in hopes of seeing them. The people are making a living off of this instead of killing the snow leopard for eating their farm animals.
We visited on a warm summer days and many of the cats were… trying not to die. I would suggest going when it cooler out to see the cats in a more active state.
We did get to see a white tiger catch a catfish and leopard (siblings/​friends?) wrestle each other in the water.
DO NOT TRUST THE GPS! It was take you about 6 miles past it. I would suggest pairing this with Kings Canyon National Park because of the proximity.
Kids would love this place!
It did make me a little sad that these cats will never be wild again… but once you learn their stories, you realize their options were pretty much captivity or death. At least this way, their captivity benefits the greater good of their species.

What a neat surprise! We saw their sign along the road (Lions and Tigers… no bears) and were curious enough to take the short drive to find an Impressive collection of midsized to very large cats. Each had a decent enclosure and all seemed very relaxed and content. The cheetah even started purring when our guide greeted him. We were particularly surprised to see the bowling ball that had been given to one of the big cats for a toy. They had to remove it when he cracked it with his teeth and jaws!
So glad we took the time to see what was up the road. It was a well — spent hour or so.

Cat heaven is a great place to visit. The Twilight Tour is the best time to be and see all the big cats. This is only 2 times a year and if you have never been there, then your are missing out on seeing them and the dinner is great too.
I have been to Cat Haven about 4 time and have done the Twilight Tour 2 times and I can get some great photos of the Big cats. So wonderful to see.
Try to make a time to go. You will not be disappointed in seeing them.

Everything about the experience was amazing, we had Tori as our tour guide. She was very knowledgable about the cats/​history of the cat haven and it’s founders. The haven was a much better experience than the Chaffee zoo. It’s in a reclusive, private location; so the experience is that much more personal.

This was a surprise find as it is located outside of Sequoia National Park on the King Canyon Road. Basically it is a Big Cat Sanctuary. They have a large collection of Wild Cats from the common Bobcats to the ultra-​rare White Tiger. This sanctuary faced tragedy in the form of losing a lion and an intern. It seems like it bounced back by getting a new lion, which by the way was so adorable and friendly. The price was about $ 9 for adults and is Tour Guide only. The cages appear to be a bit outdated since a finger could fit through the spaces; the Tour Guide has to keep reminding people not to do that.
I’ve been to the San Diego and L.A. Zoo and their big cats are lazier and much harder to get close up to; it is a bit easier in the Cat Haven, but you won’t have much time to take photos since it is tour based only. It is an idea mostly for families and children. The best cat (imo) was the Bengal Tiger. Its cell contains a giant pool and tropical plants to make him feel like he is living close to home. The tigers love to roar and it is loud, which is great!
Just watch carefully for the sign on the King Canyon Road not far from the Sequoia National Park entrance as the Cat Haven is an uphill location. There’s plenty of parking spots and the staff is very friendly. They also have cold water and soda for about $ 1 which comes in handy. Many of the Big Cats are basically rejects by Movie Studios mostly due to behavioral problems. Anyway, next time when you head to Sequoia then this place is worth a visit and you will learn a lot about big cats. They need to improve those cage.

This place is amazing. Great cats, a great facility, and run by great volunteer staff. Worth the drive from anywhere in the state.
The best time to visit is when they have «twilight tours» — explore the park with volunteers at each cat enclosure for hours when the cats are most active.