Category: C. Lynx

Bittersweet Goodbyes

On By Wildlife Education by BernieIn C. Lynx, Exhibitions, General News, Other Exotics, Parrot1 Comment

11/11/25…I have been trying to get this post written for over a month!

Well summer is gone. Although I was not a fan of the heat and lack of rain, I’m kind of sorry it’s over. I miss the late light in the evening in order to get outdoor projects done. Though, with the lack of rain for a month, I didn’t need to mow quite so often.

We were fairly busy with seven programs and two exhibitions at festivals. I have presented more in the past but I’m getting a bit worn. Max did wonderful and was very calm at all his presentations. Though a prescription helps take the tension off. I’m thinking of reducing it a so that he’s more alert. I don’t want him freaking out but would prefer a little more interaction from him. The majority of the programs were in July and I had to do programs for work, as well. So, it was crazy!

Max relaxing at the Eco-Arts Festival
Our exhibition at the Eco-Arts Festival

I had one program in August along with the Eco-Arts Festival that Max & I attend.

Then I scheduled finger surgery on the 7th with a month recovery. I had severe arthritis in my left ring finger which was not only painful but it deformed my finger making it crooked. So, that finger along with the pinky was not functional. I had been getting steroid injections for nearly three years and recently they stopped working. The next step was bone fusion. I was scared but am very happy that I had it done. Here it is three months later and I have a usable left hand. Yes, the finger is permanently bent and the only problems I’ve had is I forget to judge distance when reaching into tight spots. (Photo taken before & after 10/5, though it’s even thinner now)

Frannie’s final moments with me. She was barely breathing and was ready to cross the bridge
Frannie playing on the porch
Frankie and Frannie July 2024

September was a difficult month. My post-op appointment went well and my finger was healing nicely. On the 13th life changed. I was cleaning Frannie Ferret’s cage and noticed some blood in her urine and a small amount in one stool. So, I removed all the pads and while doing so, I put her in the carrier. She drove me nuts by digging at the cage door like a crazy weasel. She certainly didn’t act sick! The next morning, her stool looked fine but noticed she wasn’t interested in treats or food and she kept passing blood in her urine. That evening she was very lethargic, just lying in my arms. So, we snuggled. Monday, she wasn’t any better. My vet had no openings, not even for an emergency and thankfully, I had an appointment for Burt and Poppy at a different vet office. They allowed me to swap for Frannie. I got to hold her at the beginning but she started having difficulty breathing and became very still. They took her in the back for oxygen and while there, they discovered a mass in her abdomen. At least I got to say goodbye before they took her away because they gave her the shot while in the back and I wasn’t there for her last breath. They placed her in a box, wrapped nicely. Every veterinary practice is different when it comes to euthanasia. Not being able to hold your baby while they leave this earth is ever so difficult. However, after her breathing episode, she had a blank look on her face and I believed she was already fading fast. I was there when it counted. When I got home, I unpacked the girl, held her and buried her next to Frankie in the front garden. Looking back to December 2024 we had a mass removed from behind her leg. I’m sure it was cancerous but I really didn’t want to know. She lived life adventurous and fun. She gave lots of kids kisses this summer and made them happy. Now, she is with her beloved brother Frankie.

Several days later Max is throwing up his food and stops eating for two days. A new worry for me! We had a program scheduled for Saturday (20th) afternoon and I wasn’t sure if we would make it. I zipped on over to the vets that morning and picked up an enema and meds for him. He did pass a stool but I felt better knowing I would be ready in case there would be any problems afterwards. I gave him the nausea med to help with his upset stomach.

Our exhibition at the NYPA Wildlife Festival
All about the Mustelidae family with Max and Burt

The following weekend we had a wildlife festival which is a long day for us but it’s important to bring awareness to the public. There were many excellent wildlife organizations.

So, September was very busy and I still had projects to begin and some to complete since I was out of commission with my finger for a month. I also started physical therapy on my hip which leaves me with December 1st as my last appointment. It has been so helpful!

The first Saturday in October, Burt Parrot and I picked up 150 pounds of meat for Max. So, he is set for red meat for a few months. It’s a 5-hour round trip and another 3 hours cutting it all up into smaller containers for his freezer. This was our last Saturday event and since then I’ve been busy catching up on projects.

Fall came and went. It’s my favorite time of year with crisp air and beautiful changing trees. Okay, it’s still fall but the weather has changed to wintery. Max has been putting on the fur in anticipation for winter. He’s well and so is everyone else. We had our first snow today (11/10) and I’m sure he’s happy but I would have preferred it waited until December. I gave him some straw and just finished adding mulch to his enclosure the other day.

August 13
August 13
August 18
August 18
Max’s new enrichment – September 1
September 1
October 19
November 11 enjoying fresh straw

And the beat goes on

On By Wildlife Education by BernieIn C. Lynx, General News2 Comments

6-7-25 So, it’s been a minute. Max turned 14 on May 4th. He always get a special meal and this year he received a little hedgehog plush toy that has a ball inside. However, it has a nose that pokes out from its face and if you know Max as I know Max, he would chew it off. So, I pushed it inward. It worked! He carries it around mewing little noises and the little guy is still intact.

With a birthday donation from Patricia in Switzerland and Stephen in Oregon, Max’s area is getting a little overhaul. He’s marked the ground around the bench where I sit for our videos so much that the smell is overwhelming and also around the corner cubby and back panels. I removed all the winter straw recently and have been waiting for a decent day to start. Gee, it has done nothing but rain here in upstate NY every weekend. A few days when it wasn’t raining, it was wicked hot. It doesn’t leave much time working around my job and taking care of the homestead. Once I get a good day, I will loosen the soil, lime it, put down some new top soil and fresh mulch on top. After this, the covered area next to the garage where his bathroom is located will be next. My sister is coming up from Florida on the 11th for a two-week visit. This will be a perfect time to tackle this project because I’ll have a lot of time. She won’t miss me for a couple hours.

Another project is once again retrofitting his travel kennel. I don’t like the large wheels and will be going back to the smaller ones. I will need to use 6 of them but at least they lock in place. Poor Max would slide around the back of the car if I didn’t have him packed in tightly.

I would love to get new rough sawn wood cat walks but they need to be cut and painted. I still have rusted panels to treat and paint, so that project will need to be next year.

I’ve limited the number of programs for this summer. I’m slowing losing my mojo and I know Max is slowing down, too. I’ll be undergoing surgery on my left ring finger in August and recovery is a month. I won’t be doing anything physical during that time while it heals.

All the other animals are doing fine. Igor’s beak will never be normal again. The only spot that is growing is the very tip and its growing hooked. My poor little dove. I could kill Burt Parrot but she didn’t injure him on purpose. As they say, accidents happen. I continue to tube-feed him at night to maintain his weight. Some nights are easier than others and he is such a happy bird!

Here are some birthday pics of Max. Also, there’s a video on YT – Max 14th Birthday

Great News

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4/10/25 – When I posted the most recent video of Max, one of his followers thought he had lost weight. I had been weighing him and he was at 45 pounds. Well, I got him on the scale a few days ago and wow, he is at 40 pounds, 6 ounces! This is great news as Max has been on a diet since January 2024 because the boy maxed the scale at 51 pounds on 12/31/23. I would like to see him get back down to 35 in the summer and 40 in the winter. When he gets cranky, I know he’s hungry. If he leaves meat behind, then I know that he’s fine.

Goodbye 2024

On By Wildlife Education by BernieIn C. Lynx, General News, Other Exotics1 Comment

12/31/24 – You will not believe me, but I started a post on October 7 and never finished it because it has been crazy around here. I thought things were slowing down and I found some time to write but life happens and I never got back to it. So, here’s what I started writing…

10/7/24 – Finally, life is beginning to slow down some for us. I know it’s been since May when you last heard any news about us here on the website. There is a Home Repair video posted 6/16 and a “Summer’s End” video posted 9/7 on our YouTube channel.

In May, I had to say goodbye to Smokey. He would have been 18 in July. Smokes had multiple old age issues but was still getting around. However, his quality of life was fading and I made an appointment to say goodbye on 5/31 but the universe had different plans. He seemed a bit out of it over the holiday weekend, rallied and then became very wobbly by the 28th. I had to crate him to keep him safe. Theo crawled in beside him to comfort him. I called the vets early on the 29th and was able to bring him in. The old boy went fast without complaint or hesitation and my heart broke into pieces. He’s now with mom. The last of her cats to pass. It was like losing her all over again and I hurt terribly.

Pearl had a vet visit in May for her left eye and it was on the road to recovery. Now, here it is October and her right eye is winking at me. So, she has an appointment on the 9th. I’m hoping it’s not a lesion but if so, we now know what it takes to heal it.

In June I began the time-consuming task of rust treatment and painting of Max’s enclosure panels. A few of his broken plexiglass panels could be re-used but I was able to purchase several new panels along with extra paint due to the generosity of Christine and Evan Johnson.

June was also a busy month with car repairs, doctor appointments and animal care. I laid grass seed in Max’s enclosure where he paces watching the wildlife and kept my fingers crossed.

The heat of early July nearly killed us! Max was looking pretty sorry on the 4th and I made the decision to purchase a portable floor air conditioner on the 5th! Though I couldn’t keep it on the floor because the exhaust tubing was not long enough, so I set it up on the workshop bench which worked out well. I pointed it away from his indoor enclosure and had a floor fan at the other end to blow the cool air back. It took me several tries to get him to come inside to cool down. He only wanted to do so when I was in there. So, I tidied up the area while he played with toys on the floor. I ran it for a few weeks until we began getting cooler nights to where I could shut it off and then turn it on for the day time.

I had seven programs in July with Max presenting at one of them. Of course, it was one of the longest drives we had but he was a good boy. A family donated their hedgehog to me. Charlie doesn’t mind running around the yard but doesn’t want to be held or bothered. I basically leave her alone.

On September 1st a family visited for a special educational introduction to all the animals. Max was not impressed but he rarely is with visitors. Later they mailed a very generous donation to help out.

Now, to finish where I left off… Videos since October – Pumpkin Bust , Purrfect Morning, Thanksgiving 2024, Merry Christmas Eve, Christmas Toy Destroy and Goodbye 2024.

Pearl has been to the vets every two weeks since October. They keep treating her eye and it’s not healing. I refuse to visit the ophthalmologist when they checked this eye back when she was having trouble with the left one. There were no underlying problems. Both eyes were healthy. For some reason, this eye is being stubborn to heal. It could be due to Ruby Chin. They do rustle at times. Perhaps she’s beating up on Pearl. The next step is possibly another treatment (Jan 3rd vet visit) and maybe separating them. Or we skip treatment and Pearl learns to deal with it. There’s much to decide on.

Frankie Ferret’s health began going downhill. He lost pretty much of his fur and he was on steriods to keep him from itching. He had swollen lymph nodes, and became incontinent. I knew the time was drawing near when I would need to put him to sleep. Although he was eating and drinking water, I noticed he was frantic about using the bathroom and began whimpering while sleeping, peeing and sometimes while I held him. I made the tough decision to let him go on the day after Thanksgiving. My best friend Deb went with me. I wanted him to leave in a peaceful manner and not in an emergency situation like with Smokey. Frankie lies in rest in my front garden. A week or so later, Frannie Ferret went in to have a tumor removed from behind her front left leg. I wasn’t interested in having the mass tested for cancer as it really doesn’t matter. I’ll love her until the end. She is beginning to lose more fur and itching a bit more than normal. That’s the problem with ferrets. It’s important for them to be spayed/neutered but then it takes away their hormones and they get adrenal gland disease. So, it’s a no win situation all around which is why five years is average for these little guys. Frankie was 8 and Frannie is 7. I most likely won’t use her for educational programs next summer as I’m sure she’ll be hairless by then.

On Christmas eve I noticed Igor Dove with a bloody beak. He was sitting down on the bottom of his cage. I believe Burt Parrot got him through the bars. I don’t think it was aggressive. Igor will hoo and peck whoever is at the bars, and I think Burt got lucky and pinched his beak. My heart died. He hatched here on 11/11/2009 and he’s a fighter. Within a week of being born, his beak became scissored and bent. I did gentle pressuring over several months which helped it become almost normal. Being a holiday, you can imagine how many bird vets were available. That’s right, none. The day after Christmas, I contacted a rehabilitator and she set me up with another one who showed me how to tube feed him and gave knowledge of how much pain meds to administer. Luckily, Poppy Bunny is on them. We saw a vet on Friday 12/27 and I ordered medication and special diet. I have yet to receive the diet. They should have had some in stock at the vets office but I was lucky to have even been seen. Igor is trying to eat seeds but not enough to maintain his weight. So, I’m fighting with him over the tube-feeding. Lucky me. Prayers please that he will fully recover. I now watch Burt Parrot like a hawk when she is roaming while I’m cleaning her cage.

Programs… we finished the year with 19 programs. Three of them being festivals. A busy year for us! Max participated in eight of them. Thankfully, not all. He’s a lot to lug around.

In closing, I’d like to thank Stephen Meier and Patricia Seppey for their support towards special meat & expenses, Christine and Evan Johnson for panels & supplies, Donna Ryan for Max’s raised dog bed and the Patterson family for their generous donation. I wouldn’t have made it through the year without my best friend, Debra Myers. She keeps me mostly sane. Then there’s my sisters. I can’t do without them and lastly my Facebook family & friends who listen and send me positive juju. Here’s hoping 2025 will be a better year for us all! Much love, Bernie

Smokey as a kitten 2006
Igor 16 days old 2009
Handsome Igor after rehabilitating his beak. No photos of the current damage. Too awful.
June
July
Heat of Summer. Poor baby. July
Miss Charlie in late July
August
September
October
Thanksgiving – new bed
Goodbye to Frankie Ferret 11/29/24
December
Pearl Chinchilla’s eye not healing
Happy New Year!

Birthday Boy!

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5/5/24 – Max turned 13 years old yesterday! Whoop! The big floof is getting up there in age. Our YouTube video – Max Happy 13th. Max got 1.25 pounds of Atlantic salmon. He’s not use to eating a pound all at once because he’s been on a diet with half in the morning and half in the evening. So, he was a bit slow and picky. Someone suggested duck. Perhaps with the next holiday, I’ll try that if I can find it. Speaking of his diet, he’s down to 45 pounds from 51. I didn’t get Max any new toys but broke out some old ones. The kid’s tunnel was a hit along with two small balls gifted to him from my cousin last Christmas. He is so funny! I got some great footage and shots. So, check out our video. Here’s a few photos.

The Birthday boy!
Yum
Yum
Yum
I will get that ball!
I chew…
Taste good?
LOL, a stretch
A full belly and playtime makes for a sleepy lynx.
Deep thought

Day 1, 2024

On By Wildlife Education by BernieIn C. Lynx2 Comments

1-1-24 It was a great start to the new year. Although Max was not happy about getting reduced meals, he was thrilled to be taken out for a walk. He got to roll in the grass, weeds and dirt. He behaved quite well on the lead. Thankfully, we are trying to lose weight because his harness barely fits. The floof is 51 pounds. He needs to lose 10 pounds by summer. I won’t be able to walk him daily because I work and get home when it’s dark, but hoping for at least a few times a week. My resolution started as well with 20 minutes on the treadmill. The organizing will start soon enough. Baby steps.

1-1-24 In serious thought
1-1-24 Notice the wet fur from rubbing on the ground
1-1-24 Wish this one was clearer, but Max is difficult to photograph. Not sure what he was looking at.
1-1-24 Chilling after a walk

Book Discount & More

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10-30-23 – I apologize for being absent but it’s been extremely busy for us (me & the animals). I have news & videos but will share that when I get a few things straightened up around here.

Right now, I wanted to tell you about Lulu’s 20% discount off books and calendars. BTW, I was thinking about doing a calendar on Max but you would pay just as much for a calendar as you would for his paperback book. 400 photos verses 12 is a much better value. Don’t you think? However, I might add notebooks as a product since everyone uses them. We’ll see. Anyways….

The Early Bird Gets 20% Off! Seize this moment and save big on books and calendars! Use the code PREVIEW20 to save 20% on all print products at checkout. This code is only good until November 3rd. Don’t let it wiggle away!

To order a Max book, click on… I am MAX book versions

the Red Egg

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When my cousin, Genevieve was here last month, she brought a Jolly Egg ball for Max. Her dog, Cleo, didn’t want it. I finally got around to giving it to Max on June 4th and posted the video on the 11th. He was interested in it at first rubbing his scent on the ball but preferred to interact with me instead. I tried to play with him and he played a bit. I have found it in different places within his enclosure but I think Max prefers a toy he can carry around. He loves his fuzzy balls. Here are a few photos and you can watch Max’s Egg Ball video on YT.

New Year, New Goals

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1/17/23 – Happy New Year!

Oh boy, it has been crazy here… I’ll skip whining about all the negative and get to the positives. Ruby Chin has gained a bit of weight and is getting more friendly. Smokey old kitty is hanging in there. Actually, all the critters and Max are doing fine.

I was given an Owltron security camera to review and I love it. So much that I recently purchased one. Now I can check in on the animals when I’m at work and even speak to them. It’s encrypted, motion detection & tracking, 2-way audio, supports a micro SD card or cloud storage, night vision, panoramic patrol, takes photos or video. I’ve been setting it for local recording of events (motion detection) and then continuous video. I wanted to make sure Ruby was eating but it doesn’t seem to recognize the chin’s movements even though they are about 8 feet from the camera. Whereas my Stealth wildlife cam outside can detect a mouse at that distance. Sometimes the cats don’t trip it either but but the other day I was at work and got one ding after another. I looked at the notifications and all I saw was Tigger kitty sleeping on the couch. Perhaps he rolled over or perhaps Lil Bun was running around his cage. Not sure. It does better in the daytime than in the IR mode. Maybe it’s better at picking up movement from a dog than a cat. It sure picks up my movement! I’ll be creating a video this weekend after I check out a few more features. Downside… no user manual. There’s instructions on how to set it up and that was easy but nothing about what icon means what on each screen and how to use it. They have a couple videos and FAQs that you have to find time to ask the right question for the right answer. I’m not a techy kind of person, so it takes me a bit longer to learn stuff. Plus, I’m busy and it would be more useful to have an online user manual that I can flip through and learn all the stuff. I mean it has a “siren” icon… what the heck? I’m not touching that! BUT it’s a peace of mind for me and I can check in on my home & animals. I mentioned to my contact that they should consider creating one for outdoors. Guess what? They are working on it already! Ok, now I will be able to spy on Max! Although, he sleeps all day. By the way, the videos and photos on the SD card are encrypted and no way of transferring them to your computer. I guess that’s a good thing but what if I want to share? Well, when I playback a recording, I just record it using the app, and then it’s saved to the album on my phone. Yay. Same goes for the photos of events (motion detection). Like this butt you see… Theo 😂 Video: Wildlife Bernie’s little Owl(tron)

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And in other news… Remember I told you that I wanted to do another version of Max’s book? I should say, another format. I’m working on the abridged version but it’s taking me longer than I anticipated. I had cancelled my Adobe software for editing pdf files and lucky me they offered me a lower monthly fee. So, I reinstated it for a year. Though, before the end of last year, I published another format of his book. Yes, it’s a softcover with standard color on lighter paper, and identical to the first. The best news, $22.92 (USD) in cost. So, his premium hardcover is still $49.95 but this is more affordable for his fans if they aren’t particular about the quality of the photos. Standard isn’t bad. They are still beautiful photos, just not premium on glossy thick paper. The abridged, of course, will be less than $22 since I’ll be downsizing the photos. That’s the tough part… deciding on which photos to delete. I love his photos! And more good news, my cousin Genevieve’s sister wants to translate his book into French. So, there’ll be a premium, standard and abridged in French. How exciting is that? I had to purchase 10 ISBNs but will need them. Every time you change the format, even if it’s just the cover from hard to soft, you need a different ISBN. Both books can be ordered on Lulu.com. This is what the page will look like when you search for I am Max. They use “paperback” but I prefer soft cover as it sounds more professional. I will update Max’s website with this information shortly.

Screenshot 2023-01-17 231131

Lastly, as it’s getting late and I really need some sleep and I rarely get to bed before midnight anymore… here’s a photo of Max from 1-2-23. My camera has been repaired and is on its way back to me. I can’t wait. I’ve missed it. Hoping to get some good shots of Max. Although, the old one has been suitable.

Max 1-2-23

Max Book – Version 2?

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Help me out here…

When I chose to write Max’s story last year and it took me eight months to do so, I was thinking that the book would contribute to his legacy. He is, after all, the only ambassador for his species here in the Northeast. Yes, some zoos have lynx but Max travels our area to educate. He has a YouTube channel. You get a glimpse into his life like no other. So, I thought that a quality book with a hard cover and lots of beautiful photos would be wonderful. However, I’m hearing that the $49.95 price that I set last year is too expensive. Possibly. Owning a book on an animal like Max, I would think it would be priceless. I guess I’m biased. Last year when it published, the printing cost was $37.61 and I made a profit of $9.87. I didn’t believe that a profit of less than $10 per book was too much to ask as an author and as someone who has spent thousands of dollars on and for Max. Now, the printing cost has increased to $41.28. I don’t set the printing cost and Lulu Press is one of the lowest for printing books on demand.

My goal is to share Max’s story with everyone. So, yesterday I began thinking on how I could edit the book to make it more affordable. I would still offer the full version but I thought of condensing it. I can use the same size 8.5×8.5, eliminate the photo gallery in the back, reduce photo sizes and the number of photos per story. IF I can reduce it to only 80 pages instead of 159 pages and have a soft cover in place of the hard one, the cost would drop $20 per book. That means $29.95 retail price. It will still allow me a profit of about $10. 

It could be “I am MAX 2.0” with a black cover. The next book after which could be “I am MAX, the Story Continues” which will focus on the 2nd half of his life. If I ever find time, a children’s book…The Loving Lynx. 

This is where YOU come in… What are your thoughts about condensing his book to make it more affordable for people? I really want to know.

Thanks and Max sends his purrs.