It was worth the drive to come here. Trying to make the most of our weekend we decided to take a little family trip to see the cats. Not only was the scenic route on our way here beautiful; the location was in a remote area, creating a bit of a mysterious adventure. Staff were professional and knowledgeable. This is definitely a fun trip for kids, including adults! I highly recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes. If you have a baby as I do- I highly recommend a carrier rather than a stroller since the walking path is loose dirt. There's definitely room for improvement but once you see the cats it's all worth it. read more

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This place is awsome highly recommend very fun and pretty kinda like zoo please come here.

I'm not fond of zoos, aquariums or any place that uses animals for profit, but I have to admit this place was pretty neat! The tour guide was informative and knew a lot about the different types of 'cats' preserved at this place. Animals definitely shouldn't be kept in cages but the ones here have a longer life span since they won't fall victim to predators that would otherwise kill them. Worth a look see! read more

This place is awesome! Not only doing great work helping these cats, but also bringing so much awareness and education for the cause. Our guide, Taz, was knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the cats. Highly recommend a stop here - it only takes about an hour to do the tour and you get to support the wonderful work they're doing with your entrance fee. read more

Warning: SUPER long review to do justice to what Project Survival Cat Haven does and represents! This review is from 11/15/16 ... Full Day Tour. I found this on a whim as I was searching for the perfect birthday gift for my Cat Lady gf. I stumbled upon Project Survival's Cat Haven. Initially, I thought it was a cat sanctuary for our little domestic cat friends. Boy, was I wrong?! Upon navigating through the website, my mind was blown! This was a sanctuary for wild cats. WOW! Cat Haven provides several package and tour options. They range from $15 for the basic group tour to $600/person for the ultimate private, 6-hour tour. Wanting to impress my little lady and wanting to go big or go home, I went with the latter package. I still wasn't sure what it encompassed, but I knew we were in for a treat! Driving out to Cat Haven was an adventure in itself. Being from Sunnyvale, we decided to drive the night before to ensure we made our 9am appointment. There were a few hotels/motels about 45-mins away from the location. We stayed in a cozy Best Western out in the boonies. The stay was comfortable and did its purpose. We arrived to Cat Haven at about 8:50am to ensure we had time to check-in. We were greeted by a friendly intern. We immediately noticed their house Cat roaming the gift shop, my girl was already getting excited. Here's what our $600/person package entailed, which was worth EVERY single penny! And trust me, this is coming from a (previously) strictly dog-only, non-Cat person. -Breakfast with Lions: We got to prepare the tigers/lions meals. We got to get our hands dirty, cutting up the meat and weighing to ensure it was the correct portion for each animal. We even got to add their vitamins and medicine into their meal to ensure they got their nutrients. We had an intern explaining the whole process along the way. Afterwards, we were shown how the staff gave the cats their meals, making sure to take every precaution, so both parties are kept safe. -Continental Breakfast: The staff had set up a great spread for us near the lions den. They had a GREAT assortment of food (muffins, pastries, eggs, bacon, juices, and coffee). This definitely hit the spot since I'm all about variety when I eat. While eating, we were shown how the lions are cared for and we're actually quite cuddly with the Founder, Dale. -Grand tour of the entire park: We were given a VERY detailed tour of pretty much every Cat at the Haven. It was as though we were able to learn the background and personality of each Cat. Dale and Wendy were AMAZING hosts, so knowledgeable and passionate for what they do. We got to ride around a golf cart, while the other patrons, which made us feel like VIP for the day. Lunch: Delicious! Once again, they hit all the stops with the Mediterranean inspired meal. I can't quite remember what they served, but it was all delicious! I had thirds. -Walk with a Cheetah: This was probably my partner and I's favorite part. We got to accompany an intern and Dale with a walk up the hill with Jazz, the cheetah, which you can see in my profile pic. Jazz was a younger cheetah with tons of personality. He played like a house cat, but he was BEAUTIFUL! My partner wanted to cuddle him so bad, but they have a strict policy about not touching the animals. However, we got really close, without touching, him for pictures and throughout the walk. If you want to do this alone, I believe it's $200. I say, that's WAY worth it! Last was Tug-o-War with a tiger: Diane, one of their white tigers, was in the fenced in area. They had cut out an opening in the fence and placed a rope on that side of the fence while we had the other end of the rope. They enticed Diane with pieces of meat to get her to pull. She was strong! She wasn't really in the most competitive mood, which allowed us to win. Needless to say, this was an experience of a lifetime that I would probably do again! The staff at Cat Haven, especially Dale and Wendy, were great hosts. We received VIP treatment throughout the day. My partner and I both walked away with a deeper sense of awe and love for the big cats we encountered. Kudos to Cat Haven for loving these big, gentle giants like their own family. read more

Great organization. They clearly believe in what they do and are passionate and dedicated. Our tour guide knew so much, and I'm glad we found the time to take this tour. My only suggestion is that the guide be more discerning when answering questions as there were at least 12 very young children on our tour. The guide was very kind and addressed and answered all questions which turned what should have been a 15-minute affair into a 1.5 hour ordeal as it was the middle of the day with temperatures ranging between 80 and 90 degrees. That said, I am still very grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to their cause, and you do get to see large cats up close, and the affordable price of the tour makes it totally worth it! read more

I want to rate this place higher just for what they do and it's actually a really neat experience. Or it would've been if our tour guide wasn't so mean. The girl with the glasses and beenie. I mean literally the whole crowd noticed how rude she was. She just kept barking at people to move faster. We barely got to look at the cats...she would yell at us for stopping. My mom has a limp and she had no patience for her. read more

Took our family of 4 here while camping up in Kings, Taz (our guide) was very informative and great at answering all the questions my younger kid had. They were a great sport with all the dad jokes my husband kept making along the tour. It was infact very hot when we went however there are trees along the trail that provided some nice relief. It was a decent sized hike my kids did very well on considering the time of day. The brochure mentions all sorts of cool packages or tours you could do depending on the time of day you go so we will definitely be checking this out again on our next trip! read more

We went a few weeks ago and had Taz was our tour guild. Can we just talk about how amazing this young lady is! She gave us so much information. Great performance and personality. She is super motivated on conservation. I can see this young woman being a future conservation for cats in the wild!! read more

Awesome project. The cats are very well taken care of. The volunteers are very informative and knowledgeable.

Awesome experience and great organization. We had an great time seeing and learning about all the cats.

The Cat Haven is a treasure in the central valley, not only providing a wonderful environment for amazing animals that would probably not survive in the wild, but providing tremendous education for the visitors who get to experience them so close-up. Visit, learn, donate; you'll be glad you did. read more

Project Survival's Cat Haven - White tiger in repose - Zoos Near Me - Dunlap, California

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Place is amazing, tour guide was amazing. Very well kept. Plenty of chances for good photos or video. Some steep hills at the end of the tour. Wish there was less people on my tour but that's a preference thing. Gift shop has reasonable prices. read more

Great place if you have never been before, wasn't what I was expecting it was even more and the tour guides answered every question I asked them. If u haven't been I highly recommend. read more

I was so happy to see they were still doing guided tours during the pandemic! I wanted to support the organization and see the big kitties! The tour guide was great and enthusiastic about her job! Very knowledgeable! Would go back again! read more

We happened on Cat Haven and I'm really glad we did. This was a great educational adventure and chance to learn about things about cats that I never would have imagined. The tour and walk is suitable for all ages. Our tour guide was awesome and knowledgeable; he is clearly dedicated to this place. I feel like at zoos I've visited, these are the animals that are often hiding, so it was great to see them closer up and active. I highly recommend stopping here if you're in the area. read more

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What a wonderful hidden attraction in our beautiful Central Valley! Project Survival's Cat Haven has definitely become one of my top favorite places to go. All tours are guided and start on the hour. Tour guides are all very knowledgeable about the featured cats. All of the cats appear to be happy in their environment and it's pleasing to see. Try and visit on a cooler day as the tour is pretty long and requires some uphill walks. If you come in the summer try and catch the earliest tour so that you can be out of the heat. They offer a great membership which I have fully taken advantage of and will continue to purchase for the coming years. If you run into the owner, he is a great guy and will enjoy telling you all about the cats and the experiences that the Haven has provided. Definitely a wonderful place to visit and contribute to. read more

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$15 very well spent. Went during a heat wave so the cats were a little lazy. However, our tour guide Sati made sure we all had a good time. She knew a lot about cats and these cats in particular. Store sells bottles of water for $1 that you can carry during the tour. Highly recommend. read more

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. read more

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Great place with wonderful assortment of cats. The tour requires a guide. We stopped for 'informative chats' at each enclosure. With 2 small children, a 10-15 minute delay at each location was inconvenient and difficult. Recommend the stop, but not with small children. Our guide was rude and pompus, I hope they aren't all like her. read more

I brought my two kids today for a tour, along with a friend and her two kids. The woman who helped us in the gift shop was very kind and signed us up for the 2:10pm tour. However, our tour guide was incredibly rude to us and our children. My kids (1 and 3) were a bit fussy as he was introducing the tour, and he pointedly asked me if the kids would behave on the tour. Anticipating a hostile interaction, I chose to remove us from the tour and wait in our car instead. My friend took her two kids, and the guide scolded her son for something on the tour. He is autistic, and started crying, to which the guide responded that his crying would attract the mountain lions. I was shocked to hear this treatment of a child, let alone one with special needs. I understand your rules to be quiet and calm around the cats, but it seems as though this tour is not appropriate for (or this guide is not fit to handle) kids under the age of 5. I'm disappointed and will be reiterating this experience to other parents before they travel here. read more

Wow. This was the closest I have ever been to so many huge and beautiful animals. There were lions, tigers, leopards, and so much more to see. The guided tour was a lot of fun and Audrey was very knowledgeable and funny. I really felt that they took good care of all of the animals there and I am happy that they're doing their part to help protect and conserve these beautiful cats! read more

Project Survival's Cat Haven - Zoos Near Me - Dunlap, California

I finally got to experience the Cat Haven and was disappointed! I gave them 2 stars because I think they do truly care about the cats and it seems they take care of them...but it was $15 to take the tour and we were told it would be around 1.5 hours. We started the tour and we had a bigger group around 12 people. We felt rushed through the tour and it only took 45 mins. We were towards the back of the group so when we would stop the people toward the front would start taking pictures as they stopped in the perfect place to take them and by the time those of us toward the back would get up to where we could see the cats we wouldn't get time to take pictures as the tour guide would yell that we needed to keep up with the group and the couple of us that were trying to get pictures would be told we were slowing down the tour. We could only hear half of what was said anyway. I wish everyone would have got the same experience. I also felt bad as some of the cages were tiny for these big cats. After the tour we went to the gift shop and I spent $10 on suckers that we got for our niece and nephews just to get home to see the best by date is Dec 30, 2018. That is crazy as its 2020 now. I don't mind overpaying for a sucker, but to overpay for an expired sucker is ridiculous!!! read more

Project Survival's Cat Haven - Zoos Near Me - Dunlap, California

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. read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

Project Survival's Cat Haven - Rose, the jaguar, inspecting my daughter! - Zoos Near Me - Dunlap, California

Well worth the time. The park is so much more intimate than a traditional zoo. You go on a guided tour through the facility and get to see each of the animals and learn abiding them. Closest I've ever gotten to these big cats and still felt safe. Tons of kids around as well. The staff is extremely educated and answered everyone's questions. Everyone there is extremely friendly and most importantly very passionate about their animals. The animals were all happy and moving around unlike most zoos I've been too. The enclosures are large, natural, and clean. The animals all seem very very happy and the staff is very connected with each of the cats. They were also very conscious of the cats feelings and tailored the tour based on how the cats were feeling that day. Really special experience. Well worth the time and the money. They are a non profit and share about the amazing charity work they do. Great people. Great work. Great animals. read more

10$ for adults and $5 for a kid. We waited for about 20 minutes before starting our tour. The tour guide was friendly and informative. Tour lasts about an hour and a half. The paths are hilly and can be muddy. The cats react to the care keepers and they were more mobile and visible than the typical zoo. The most interesting part was seeing how they acted like housecats wanting their butts scratched and purring. 2 lions, 3 bobcats, 3 snow leopards, 1 white tiger, 2 cheetahs, 5 or so Jaguars/panthers, 1 mountain lion, and a few more smaller cats. THIS IS NOT A ZOO! Remember this as you visit and support their cause and passion. read more

So many amazing cats to see, great tours, very educational. Recommend if you are in the area.

I wanted to rate this higher however the guide ruined our experience. She was very condensing to several people on the tour and clearly had her own agenda--often stopping in the middle of the tour saying she would not continue until everyone stopped talking and listened to her. read more

Definitely worth the visit. Walking tour of beautiful, large cats. Good close up viewing. The cats interact with the tour guide, purr, chuff, etc. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. It was hot but each stop was in a shady area, a very enjoyable afternoon A must for animal lovers. read more

Found this hidden gem driving up to Sequoia National Park and decided to take a tour since we're not in Fresno so often. Overall, our tour was pretty intimate, about 5 people total on a Friday morning. Our tour guide was very informative, and its apparent that this organization is passionate in their work.. my only concern is how small some of the enclosures are. Other than that, I recommend close toe shoes as you are walking in dirt and some of the walkways are steep! read more

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. read more

Project Survival's Cat Haven - Up close and personal - Zoos Near Me - Dunlap, California

Great place to see some big cats. The guides are great and the cats are majestic. Definitely coming back for the twilight tours. read more

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My husband and I visited the Cat Haven for the first time over the weekend. From the moment you arrive you are greeted by very friendly staff. The tour started off with a brief background about the Haven and projects that they are involved with all over the world. The tour itself lasted over an hour and a half. The terrain is dirt and a little steep in some parts but its quite manageable. Sneakers or a good walking shoe is recommended. The do have golf carts that 2 visitors can ride in if needed. Our guide was was very friendly and knowledgeable about all the cats. Most of the cats were visible with just a few lounging on perches up in the air. I think one of our favorite parts were seeing the Mountain Lion they call Sam. He saw one of the keepers and was meowing at her and she talked to him and he came up to the fence to say hello. So thrilling to be able to see this gorgeous animal up close. This is a wonderful facility and we will definitely be going back soon. read more

Project Survival's Cat Haven - Fell in love with Sam. - Zoos Near Me - Dunlap, California

We did not take the tour, but did stop by and go into the gift shop....while walking up to the gift shop there was a black panther in a very small cage on the right side. He was MISERABLE in there and was constantly biting his tail which had a lot of fur missing. Was able to see a few more cats around the gift shop area and was sad to see them all in such small enclosures. These amazing and beautiful animals should be in the wild, not in cages for people to see. This place broke my heart. It was so sad. read more

Wow this place is amazing. They have a lot of amazing cats. Never seen a full size black jaguar 3 feet away. 450 lbs male lion 5 feet away. Cheetahs, lynx, mountain lion etc. The only thing that bothers me is the cages are very small. Kinda sad considering these animals are designed to be on the very top of the food chain. Instead they're in a 30ft by 30ft cage looking anxious. I guess it's either that or extinction. read more

Project Survival's Cat Haven - The king of the jungle. - Zoos Near Me - Dunlap, California

This is definitely a place to stop while in Kings Canyon. It's so cool! You are truly up close to the cats and it's amazing. The animals are well taken care of and so beautiful. It is definitely an experience to see these creatures as well as educate yourself on current wildlife issues. We paid for the $15 tour - which is done in groups. The entire tour was about an hour or a little less. Next time we are back in Kings Canyon we want to do the private tour which is $25/ticket. This is a great place to stop & check out!!! read more

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This was a very cool adventure! I have wanted to come here for years with my family and finally made it up here this Easter break. I am so glad we did! The drive alone was amazing!! It was $15 for each of us and we just barely made it on the 10am tour, getting there at 10:30, I was surprised they didn't make us wait til the 11. The guide was great. She was super informative and had good interaction with not only the cats, but the people as well. The hike was nice and the weather was pleasant also. We will definitely return. read more

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Fun day trip especially if you like cats and a bit of nature. There is a golf cart tour you can book in advance if steep pathways is a problem for you. It was a good experience overall. I noticed a class was there on a field trip and they were in the picnic area in front of the gift shop eating lunch before their scheduled tour. That was so lucky for my friend who needed that cart but booked the wrong week for the golf cart so we were able to be accommodated before the students would need it. Nice winding drive to the reserve. Nice day trip. read more