This place is AMAZING! If you enjoy the big cats and want a unique, reasonably priced opportunity to see them up close, this IS the place for you! They are well cared for and the people who run it CLEARLY love these animals! Do yourself a favor and bring the kids for a wildly fun day! No kids? Bring yourself! I literally cant say enough good things about it!

What a GREAT cause and experience. My husband and I enjoyed this so much. It is wonderful to know they are here to help these animals from otherwise a terrible fate.Please visit and help the organization to keep up the good works of these people.

We always love visiting wildlife sanctuaries. This is one of the ones I absolutely love. The staff were friendly and answered our questions. They arent doing tours right now so you just go in and walk around but there were plenty of staff around to answer questions. The animals were very active when we went and it wasnt busy. We got there close to the time they first opened. By the time we left (which was probably 45 min to 1 hour), they were starting to get more people in but everyone was social distancing and the staff wore masks. We will plan to visit again when in town.

Loved this. Volunteers were so helpful. So awesome to see these beautiful animals up close. Thy are very well lov sand taken care of

Mostly rescued American tigers. Good place to see them up close and personal. Most of these seem to have been acquired from private sources that couldnt handle them anymore. Staff seems knowledgeable, but the tour we took was self guided. Tigers seem healthy, some of the enclosures have ample room, but a few seem a bit small for such a big cat.

Such a cool, close up and personal experience. There are more cats than we thought there would be too! The staff are very friendly and welcoming to any questions you have.

Second visit to Catty Shack. Love seeing these majestic animals. Highly recommend coming for night time feeding if you can, but still a great visit anytime!

This was a really neat place. The staff was very helpful and always offered a ton of information. How wonderful to have this sanctuary.

Such a beautiful experience. It was our first time seeing wild cats so close. We are definitely going back. Must visit place.

I cant say enough about how fantastic our visit was. These animals are truly magnificent! They are all so healthy looking & truly taken good care of. Im so glad that I was able to see them during snack time. Thanx for such a great visit.

Ive been here twice. Its a unique way to see these big cats. They have lions, tigers, and a bunch of smaller cats. They even have a bear.Inexpensive and fun. A must do. Take about 90 minutes to 2 hours to get through.

Pack your boots because its a outside adventure. Amazing staff , amazing care for these animals. If i could give 10 stars i would. Its nice to see these animals comfortable in their forever home. The staff was very passionate about these animals. Super kid friendly and we will be back !

Absolutely one of the coolest places to check out in Jacksonville! Off the beaten path and you can tell how well they take care of the animals and the team members! Everyone working there seems very happy to be there and its truly a worth while place to visit and support! You dont get that much support if you arent taking care of animals and people the way you are supposed to!

This is an excellent place to see very close up these amazing animals in a safe way. It is also a great experience for children (and adults), better than the zoo in my opinion.Catty Shack is totally run by volunteers and receives no taxpayer funds. They are totally dependent upon donations and ticket proceeds. They provide daily professional care by vetinarians, food, water, large open spaces for each animal, and plenty of love.Please support this great, humane work to care for these rescued animals. They rescue sick, injured, or abandoned animals and give them loving care and a large, happy place to live.

Great opportunity to get safely close to lions and tigers and one bear, plus bobcat, lynx, cougar and more. Staffed by friendly and knowledgeable volunteers.

Staff is very friendly. Tiger King and Carol Baskin gave the whole tigers in captivity thing a bad rap. These people have rescued and rehabilitated these animals. Was pleasantly surprised to see a black bear there too!

Amazing experience! Went to the night time feeding. Loved watching the tigers play in the pool was great.

My girls love going here you get to be really close to the beautiful big cats here check it out you wont regret it

This place is AMAZING!!! They do not breed them and they take extremely good care of these animals

We were a group of 13 and we had so much fun. Most of the animals was out so we were so amazed at how big yet gentle they looked. It was a joy to go to and we will be back again!

The personnel is a huge part of the Ranch. They are so willing to share history and information about each animal. That makes your visit even better.

Went on the evening tour. We got to watch lions, and tigers, and bears during feeding time. Being able to watch these giant cats eat and and hear the bones from chicken meat crunch like a kid chewing on ice is crazy. Come support these animals and knock off an item from your bucket list that you did not know was there.

Catty Shack is an amazing place! They adopt and care for wild cats of all kinds, as well as a few other things like foxes, that are injured (or were illegally raised around humans), and need a safe place other than the wild to live out their lives! Its completely non-profit so they can use all the help they can get spreading word of mouth and receiving donations. This will enable them to inact their hopes and plans to expand the habits for the animals. You should definitely support this place and go check it out!

Educate yourself prior to going on animal stress behaviors (if you dont they will be more than happy to). Also look at AZA restrictions on what animals AZA accredited zoos can take in (no you cant just drop off a tiger at the Jacksonville Zoo or Zoo Atlanta and have them take it in). After that go here. Its the best way to really understand the incredible work theyre doing and the true quality of life they provide these animals! There are few options open for rescued animals like these and these hit the jackpot! Well done and cant wait to go back!

What an unbelievable experience! This place is the real deal! My family and I really enjoyed the 2 hours we were there and learn so much about the wild cats (all the lions, tigers, panthers, lynx, etc.). They even have a white tiger!! They really do rescue and take care of these animals. The love they have for them is amazing. Hint. Go at the evening 6-8pm hours because the feeding part is the best.

Very nice. we had a good time. no expensive and the kids loved it

I love all the big cats here, and the staff is very good at guiding the visitors through the different things they should know about the animals. For example, one of the tigers is known to spray people he likes, and a staff member told us in advance about this behavior. Plus, theres an affordable and tasty snack stand here. The snow cone I got was delicious.

We had a wonderful time, the caregivers told alot about the different cats and bear here.

Absolutely no doubt that this place needs to be visited by anyone that comes within 100 miles. Hourly tours that take you around the sanctuary. Great personalized stories about the resident animals and where they came from. Sanctuary has plans to expand and add more enclosures so please stop by, maybe even adopt an animal. This place receives no funding from the government only from entrance fees, donations, adoptions, and memorabilia. All staff are volunteers who just want to help take care of some special animals.

I really enjoyed my visit. Everyone was friendly and helpful. Look forward to visiting again.

I take my kids here and its always been a fun and educational experience. All these animals get medical care and theyre truly loved. Ive been fortunate enough to see behind the scenes and its a true rescue operation for majestic creatures. Im still waiting to get peed on by a tiger, though.

Amazing! Nowhere else could you get this close up to these majestic creatures! The tour guide was so wonderful and informative. She gave such a great tour and was so knowledgeable and great at answering questions! We cant wait to go back for another time night time feeding. I would suggest you be there right at opening and pick a spot by your favorite group of animals. Some are more playful than others and they display such a playful behaviors before getting fed and after. They also have Educational Tours.

Ill start by saying that I had a great time seeing these beautiful creatures up close and being able to see them break into their natural instincts when food is present. I give 3 stars for a few reasons:1. The tours were far too large. By the time my party was through the checkout, the movie presentation was already over so Im not sure what that included. Also, once the tour started the tour guide moved on very quickly and from the back of the group you could not hear. From what I could hear, once I was able to get to the cage, the tour guide was already moved onto another cat. I could not hear a lot of the stories and felt very rushed through.2. I do not feel like I came out more informed about these beautiful animals. I did not learn any facts about them nor how we can help save them. All they talked about was which zoo they obtained the animal from and how I can donate.3. I feel like the cats are in very small structures and some had sores on them even though they were alone in the cages. I know they need money to build larger but I feel they should stop obtaining new animals if they dont have the funds to properly care for them.All in all it was a decent time but I felt like there was no structure and I was rushed through the tour just to have another group come in halfway through. I would also like more of an educational piece to the tour. Maybe they could incorporate an app with information or pamphlets if they are limited on staff.

Really cool place. Got to be up and close with tigers and lions and other animals. We were there for about an hour and a half.

I went a few days ago for the night feeding. $45 for 20 minutes of half assed feeding when they advertised 45. Totally not worth it. Ontop of that the owner brags about having 250 acres but the tigers barely have 5! My house is bigger then most of their cages. I find the owner needs to give those animals the space they deserve. At least give each big cat a acre! I will never be returning here. If you want to see animals with properly sized enclosures for half the cost just go to the Jacksonville zoo.And seeing how they reply to other comments complaining about cage size. Talking about how they are about the minimum standard...I find to be bullshit. They beat the minimum well by minimum. I learned nothing on my trip. The owner only talked about how they got the tigers, how much land he owns, and how much he spent on a recent expansion for more small cages.

A little pricy for VIP but its cool to see the big cats eat

Great staff. Everyone truly wants you to have a good family fun experience. And the animals are pretty cool too. The feeding time they have a Hangry attitude. Lol. Must visit.

Ive gone here year after year. I really love it. They have lions, tigers, black panthers & other smaller animals. Its really fun around Halloween time. They have the haunted trail. Kids would love this. I will always be back.

Went to the night feeding. They take everyone in by tour. You get to learn about each animal...name, age, origin, personality, etc. And watching these beasts feed on chicken was mind blowing. Ive never been so close to one. Its a small place, but they have heart. Full of volunteers to take care of these animals every day that others abandoned.

Catty Shack is a very family friendly experience and quite unique! God bless the volunteers!

Fun place. Nice to know there are places like this that rescue these big cats.

I volunteer there. The cats and other animals are so well treated! Its a great place and the night feedings are exciting to watch!

Came here for the nightly feeding... If you ever seen the Tiger King, this seem to be a very similar concept. Wild animals belong in the wild, if you trully want to help save these creatures then you should release them into wild conservatories and not try to milk them for money.

The animals are adorable. The volunteers and staff were very helpful. Clean, and they are always working on improving the enclosures for the animals. I definitely recommend!

This place is amazing. You can tell they love their cats. We went for a night feeding, it was cold and it was absolutely amazing. The big cats were all super active, verbal and playful. We had an absolute blast and will be sure to let everyone know how great this place is. Thank you.

Myself and 3 young adult children were in town for just a few days and read that this was one of the top things to do. Glad we went. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Not much info posted but the volunteers are good at answering questions.

Amazing facility run by a director who is hands on at all levels every day. The volunteers are well educated, passionate and full of stories about the animals. Recommend the evening feeding tour - the personalities of the cats come out very clear before dinner as they play in pools and chuff hellos to the guests. You can easily see how happy the cats are with their lives.

This was the most amazing visit! We watched the big cats get fed in the evening, and they sure put on a show for us. From age 5 to 72 we all had a fantastic time.

An amazing place that gives refuge to big cats. Its fantastic to get to learn about the organization itself and each of the individual residents. I cant wait for their expansion and to be able to go back to see the changes. Very highly recommend going and bringing the entire family. Walk the grounds, take the tour, watch them all be fed, take lots of pictures, and get yourself a snack and a souvenir or two. Great place and I look forward to visiting again asap.

This Place is awesome!! You can see all the wild cats from really close!! The places is very well maintained and the staff is super friendly. There is a lioness and a lion and a super duper white tiger. There are multiple other tigers in enclosure. These animals are given food in the evening and tickets can be purchased for the same. good care is taken of all the animals and the animals are in very play full mood. When we went there; there were these 3 tigers running behind each other and jumping in water. It was thrilling to watch. But when you see such a big cat running towards you; you will definitely miss a beat. Awesome Place!!!

Pretty awesome place, so many Tigers. The staff are very friendly and they seem to love telling stories about each one. We went on a Saturday night when they did the haunted trail, I have to say they got me a few times, really well done. Its sad that these Tigers didnt have the right start in life like they were meant to have but its nice that they will live there life here in the sanctuary and be taken care of. I would recommend a visit.

Came here to check out a night feeding. This place is AMAZING! Our tour guide Kurt was very informative. The residents seemed to be happy and interactive. They couldn’t wait to chow down on their food, even one of the coatimundi came out. This place raises the bar on what you can do and how you can change the life of even just one animal. I will for sure be back.

Wonderful! Amazing creatures close as you can safely get and you can tell the people care for these animals and are trying to give them good lives. Im against captivity of any kids and unless they are rescues, like these poor animals. Worth the money and I encourage you to make donations if possible - 5.00 or 10.00 extra dollars wont break the bank. Go see these magnificent creatures and bring the whole family.

Absolutely loved seeing the cats! The employees are very friendly and knowledgeable. My only complaint would be, do not buy any souvenir tshirts. We spent $45 and didnt even get to wear them. I was heartbroken as it was my birthday and this was part of my celebration.

Gorgeous tigers ..up close and so many. Well taken care of love that they are all rescues.. Only possible down is if u go on a really hot day .. Its HOT

One of the best places , non profit organization, they take good care of animals . Very friendly staff , we went for night tour , tiger feeding, alot of valuable information. Really enjoyed it. Highly recommend

Definitely a great place to take the family. I have never been so close to a tiger in my life. Watching them feed and hearing them growl was worth the money. I didnt think the cost was expensive knowing that they are a non-profit. I would recommend seeing the animals at night during the last tour.

We really enjoyed the Catty Shack residents and the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. We look forward to returning for the night feedings!

Beautiful day w/ my wife Breanne and son Drake.

Had an amazing tour and really enjoyed the staff!Thank you so much!If I lived closer Id be there almost daily!

Love this place! Great family fun, the tour was amazing, the night feeding was so awesome to watch definitely worth the price of the tickets! The staff is very knowledgeable and really have a love and passion for the big cats! They have reasonably priced refreshments and souvenirs! Definitely recommend wearing closed toes shoes as it is very dusty and dirty, along with sunscreen and some bug spray! You will love this place!

What an amazing evening. This big cat sanctuary was incredible!!! It is obvious the cats are loved and part of the family (as much as one can be). I was expecting a stale, zoo like environment but was pleasantly surprised to see what a personal experience this was. Highly recommend going to see the night feeding if youre in Jacksonville!

The staff was awesome, instrutionable, and informative. Cant wait to revisit!!!!

Wonderful Staff and Volunteers who talk kindly and Listen to questions. I would reccomed this to ANY cat and exotic animal lover. Its worth the money. The animals are treated with love and you can tell (Watch out for spraying Males!!). I hope they never run out of money.

The Catty Shack Ranch is awesome!! They take amazing care of their cats. The staff and volunteers are amazing and you can tell that they love these animals. We did the night time feeding and had a great time.

I absolutely loved my visit here! I am a double amputee and in a wheelchair, so instead of making me try to roll thru packed dirt and grass I was able to ride a golf cart with my fiance and the tour guide driving. Very knowledgeable and informative so if you get a chance to see these beautiful animals, I can 100% say you wont regret it! Very affordable too!

Non Profit making a Roar! Doing a lot for needy animals is hard for standard residential pets, but mix in a couple thousand pounds and razor sharp nails, and it’s a whole new ball game. Adopting these cats is the best way to give back for the month and everyone should check that out. If you haven’t been, take the trip. Support a good cause.

Beautiful animals who have been rescued & now have a very nice home where theyre very well taken care of & loved by lots of people.

What an amazing foundation, I strongly suggest you have a visit and make a contribution to their cause. We went to the day tour and night feeding which was great because we got our pictures and the feeding experience with their executive director was the cherry on top of the experience. You can tell that he loves his job and that his big cats love him too. All staff were very kind to us and knowledgeable & You can tell that the donations go into the care of the animals.

It was nice the boys really enjoyed all the big cats... The tour guide was good and knew what she was talking about.. we even hear the lion roar twice

This place is so cool! I am so impressed with the way these animals are so well loved and cared for. The volunteers and handlers really love what they do and you can see this in the way the cats interact with them. We went for the night feeding and it was such a neat experience for the adults and kids! You start with an educational video and then get a tour from a volunteer telling you about each of the cats thay have been rescued.

Cute place that definitely puts a lot of care and effort into their animals. The cats always seem very sociable and content. The admission fee is very cheap and it shocks me that it isnt higher given the quality of the place.

It was a nice experience to see wild lions, tigers and a panther, but it was very hot and the only convenience stand was up at the front. The animals seemed miserable in the heat and many were laying down and hidden.Overall the staff were very friendly, but perhaps free water would be fair. If you decide to go, bring a water and make sure its during a time when they are giving the lions something to do. It was entertaining to watch, but difficult to stay long with the heat.

Went for the enrichment tour.. so cool! Interactive feeding- it was around Christmas, so they gave each animal a “gift” that they tore into.. the lion got a catnip gift! So awesome. Guides are extremely knowledgeable and friendly

Amazing time seeing the way the staff and volunteers care for the animals. All the animals are donated from folks and businesses who can no longer care for the animals or shouldnt have owned them in the first place. If possible show your support by visiting or donating to them. No breeding or selling occurs with them. I give them the highest of recommendations!

Great experience. Staff extremely nice and answered all questions. Would definitely recommend. Donate extra money if you can.

We loved our visit to the Catty Shack! Took the kiddo during Halloween so we got to see the big cats and walk the haunted forest! Wasnt too scary during the day for my four year old but set up well enough that at night it is probably excellent for adults. The employees and volunteers were very friendly and knowledgeable. Getting up close to these beautiful creatures was an incredible experience.

A great place and cause.

Pretty awesome. All the cats have a story to them. Its good to see them getting taken care of now. They seem pretty sweet and content with their lives there. Running around, playing with the giant ball, playing in the water pool, playing with each other. Go there at night time, you can see the feeding. The tour guy is pretty fun too. Kids will love it

Well maintained, clean restrooms, awesome service and a cool little catty snack shack with great prices

Guests get so close to the Tigers, it is unbelievable! All of the 40+ big cats are rescue animals, so they act domesticated and came to the fence to greet us. Volunteers led us on a guided tour. It is clear they genuinely love these animals. Their knowledge of each individual animal, incredibly comprehensive. The man who founded the sanctuary treats the tigers like family (see video of him petting them).

We had an absolute great time. The volunteers are sooooo sweet and knowledgeable at Catty Shack. I cant wait to go back and take my granddaughter.

This place is just amazing to come and see, if anyone is looking to come it is worth every penny....

My husband & I went to the night feeding tonight & it was such a great experience. You can tell that all of the volunteers here are so passionate about these animals & truly care. It was such a unique experience to see the animals feed, you never get to see that anyplace else. I am excited to go back & see the changes & upgrades they continue to make.

Awesome place to visit!! Highly recommendable!! The admission fee is a bargain in comparison to what you get!!

Great intimate big cat experience, volunteers are knowledgeable and love their animals.

Beautiful, well kept large cats of all types. Educational and interesting. The staff was knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. A great family outing or for anyone that loves these awesome animals.

We love this place! We have been here several times. It is one of our go to places whenever we have out of town guests staying with us, which is quite often. Everyone we take here enjoys it just as much as us. The staff are always so friendly and knowledgeable, and it is clear that they really love the animals. We always go for the tour and feeding time. Getting to stay and watch the animals being fed is always the highlight. So I would definitely recommend timing a tour with feeding time, which I think is three evenings a week; its on their website. We would highly recommend this place!

Cool spot to check out on the northside of Jacksonville. Just around the corner from River City Marketplace. They are planning a big expansion and upgrade to the facility so looking forward to revisiting once that is complete.

Staff was so nice, people were friendly and even though there were a lot of people for the feeding they were nice enough to make sure everyone was able to see and kids got to go up front.

The tigers and lions were lined up in small enclosures. Some of the cats shared cages whereas others were alone, but able to come in contact with other cats through the sides of the cages. Nearly every cat was pacing their fences; they looked very stressed. Cats (big cats especially) are solitary animals so I was shocked to see how many could see each other. I imagine that it must be very stressful for them.Along with the cats, there were different animals as well. There was a fox (an arctic fox if I remember correctly) in particular that was just constantly pivoting in a circle. It looked as though she was blind. I understand that she is most likely a rescue, but she seemed to be the worst off out of all the animals.I really wanted to enjoy my experience, but in my opinion, the cats didn’t have enough room and were clearly unhappy. I think I only saw 3 cats that weren’t showing signs of being stressed. These 3 cats had a bigger and newer enclosure with a pool though. The animals at this sanctuary clearly are rescues though and I feel as though the owners are trying their best. I hope to visit again, and when I do, I hope to see the first row of enclosures upgraded.

I love it is real nice places to visit...

This place was AWESOME I saw many cats in the place. I love how well their taken care of and how loved they all are. When the volunteer walked to clean some things the black panther started to purr and rubbed up against the cage. It was amazing how close they are to these animals. All the animals are beautiful and well taken care of. They get all the food they need and all of the medical care that they need to live long happy lives. I highly recommend it.

This is my first time in Jacksonville, Im visiting for another event in town but came early to spend more time in the city. My husband and I visited the zoo earlier in the morning and spent several hours there. In the evening, we decided to visit the Catty Shack for the tour and feedings. Rain and storms were in the forecast for the evening, but Im so glad we decided to go anyway. Were both cat people and after going to the zoo, being able to see the tigers and other big cats so close, was such an amazing experience. We arrived around 6:15 and stayed until around 8:00, which allowed us to wander freely after the tour and see the feeding of the big cats. There was plenty of rain and some mud, but it was manageable with an umbrella.I appreciate so much of what these people are doing, especially glad they implemented a no breeding policy. None of the cats are from the wild, but are clearly wild animals and treated with respect by all the volunteers. We bought a few clothing items to support the cause. If I come back through the area, Ill definitely take time to visit again.

Great place to take the kids to see some amazing animals.

I have lived in Jacksonville for over ten years and finally visited Catty Shack for a night feeding. It did not disappoint and offers a unique experience that is very different from the Zoo.Parent Tips- For night feeding, dont come right at 6 as they feed the cats at 7:30 p.m. which can make for a long two hours in summer months and depending on kids ages.- Put everyone in tennis shoes. Ground is clay dirt/sand and can be messy for sandals or flip flops.- Strollers are allowed but ground is not paved. You can also babywear comfortably. There is not tons of shade but there are quite a few benches and picnic tables to rest.- There is a concession stand for snow cones and such. I didnt look at the pricing. You seem to be able to o bring in bottled water as long as you recycle there (yay for being Green, Catty Shack!).Overall, I was pleased to see and learn quite a bit. Unlike a zoo, all of these are rescue animals and some have ailments. Like sharks, the cats are most active for feeding and such in the early morning and at dusk. Park was clean and volunteers leading tours were very nice. Ill definitely go back.

What a great place with a great mission. Our volunteer guide was full of energy and information. It was a beautiful day to sit and just watch the animals after our guided tour. Plenty of restrooms and even a snack shack for refreshments as well. Great visit and will surely come back for another visit.

Awesome experience for the price! Animals look healthy and relaxed. Have a variety of animals. Really enjoyed the tour and information shared by tour guide.

My family had a great time. The nighttime feeding was amazing. I had no idea there were so many cats

One of a kind experience. So many awesome cats. The best part is the night time feeding. Good for the whole family.