CFAR:  Thanks for the time, Kitty.

Kitty Slider:  Glad to do it.

CFAR:  So, tell us about the upcoming event?

Kitty Slider:  Well, Central Florida Animal Reserve and the Kelly Slater Sculpture Project are teaming up to present a Casino Night Party as a way to raise funds for both our organizations.  The Sculpture project is trying to make a bronze statue of everyone's surfing idol Kelly Slater, and CFAR is trying to build me and my fellow big cats a new home.  It should be a blast.

CFAR: All of the residents at CFAR are special, but you seem to have picked up a unique skill.  Can you tell us about that?

Kitty Slider:  Well, I have always liked the water, but that's no different than my brothers and sisters.  No different than any tiger, really.  We just love to splash around and make waves.

CFAR:  We have noticed that you spend more time in the tub than most of the other cats.  Is that where you learned how to surf?

Kitty Slider: (sounding embarrassed)  At first I just sort of soaked like everyone else.  But we got to playing one day and I put my paws up on my bro's back and he started pacing around, kinda irritated.  I wasn't clawing him or anything, honest!  I just, was fascinated by how it felt to be moving above the water.  Watching it go under me was just very neat.

CFAR:  But you're a tiger!  Surfing must have seemed like an impossible dream!

Kitty Slider:  Well, it was kinda tough at first.  I could never get a good wave going in my tub, and got scolded a couple times for splashing all the water out right after it was full.  But I didn't give up.  I knew that I would need to have a surf board.  So I started working on my claw logs to make one.  (he pauses)  It was not my finest moment.

CFAR:  That, plus some of your other swimming exploits have earned you an unusual nickname, hm?

Kitty Slider: (laughs) Everyone calls me "Tiger Shark" now.  I thought it had a nice ring to it.  It sounded even cooler when they explained what a shark was to me!

CFAR:  Have you ever seen a shark?

Kitty Slider:  A couple of times, out there searching for waves.  Some of them can be real jerks, but we kinda have a 'predator's agreement' to leave each other alone.  Of course, that was also the time I first saw Kelly Slater too.

CFAR:  What was it like having that experience?

Kitty Slider:  Oh, it was so neat!  The way he surfs is amazing.  I just had to try it.

CFAR:  Tell us how you ended up with your first board.

Kitty Slider:  Well, it took a lot of begging and whining, but I finally got the volunteers to bring me out to the beach.  We were walking along and that's when I spotted this dude lying on the sand with the most perfect board I could image.  So I sorta...ahem...liberated it and hit the waves.

CFAR:  How do you liberate a surf board?

Kitty Slider:  When you're a tiger, you generally get what you want.  Especially if you run toward something really fast with your 'serious' face.  He ran off when I got near it.  Screaming something about being eaten or some nonsense.  Blechh.  But the board...the board was perfect!  I hit the waves immediately, and never looked back.

CFAR:  I understand that we are going to get a more personal look into your life over the next month or so.  Are you excited about that?

Kitty Slider:  (laughing)  Well, I just want to do what I can to help.  If a snapshot of life as a surfing tiger helps the event, then I'm all for it.  Besides, I don't think there's anything too embarrassing in there...

Central Florida Animal Reserve and the Kelly Slater Sculpture Project present: Casino Night Party Saturday, August 29th, 2009 6pm to 11pm Cocoa Beach Country Club 5000 Tom Warriner Blvd Cocoa Beach, FL 32931 Get your tickets early!

CFAR:  The Casino Night Party is going to be August 29th, 2009.  Tickets are a $50 donation in advance and $100 at the door.  Are you planning on being there?

Kitty Slider:  I sure hope I get to come!  There's going to be Texas Hold'em Tournaments, a Blackjack tournament, a silent auction, prizes, and so much more!  I don't think they'll let me play, on account that it tends to make the humans nervous--but I'm ready to do my part to spread the word.  The more people that come to support the event, the sooner me and all my other friends here will get a new home.  And the sooner that cool statue of Kelly Slater can be finished!  I want to take a picture with it!

Kitty "Tiger Shark" Slider   Photo: MXR