4-Pound, Football-Sized Hairball Removed From Tiger

It is Vernon Yates’ biggest baby.

Ty is a nearly 400-pound big cat, most easily recognized as a tiger.

Ty is the son of Hobbes, another tiger Yates had until it died. The tiger family has been a major part of Yates’ 60 years.

“This tiger means more to me than any cat that I have” he said.

So, Yates was distressed when he found a four-pound, football-sized hairball was stuck in Ty's stomach a few weeks ago.

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Yates founded Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation in Largo in 1980. It is the only big cat rescue center in Pinellas County.

Yates might best be known in the Tampa Bay area as the trapper of the Mystery Monkey. The small rhesus macaque was on the lam for nearly four years, with sightings from Carrollwood to Clearwater before being caught in February.

Ty, 17 years old, is one of 17 other tigers at the facility and Yates’ most famous cat, he said. Ty was in infomercials and has been photographed numerous times.

Yates used to take Ty out on ATVs and boat rides — not so much now that the big cat is older. Their life expectancy in captivity is about 20 years, Yates said.

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A few weeks ago Ty stopped eating. After some diagnoses, a football-sized, four pound lump of hair and food was found in his stomach.

Ty usually eats about 15 pounds of meat a day, Yates said. Since he got ill, Ty is being fed about three pounds a day. The tiger lost about 100 pounds since the hairball formed, Yates said.

“I’ve seen some hairballs but nothing like this,” Yates said. “This is going to be a first.

After nearly two hours of surgery at BluePearl Veterinary Partners emergency hospital in Clearwater, it was removed.

Related coverage:

• Football-Sized Hairball to be Removed From Tiger

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