Constrained by the aesthetic limitations of paw painting, the animals at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge are putting other body parts into their art.

“We have some tigers who use their paws,” said Kelly Farrell, 24, of Stafford, Va., an intern at the big-cat refuge near Eureka Springs. “Some use their face. We even had one tiger who used her butt.

It’s whatever they want to do. But it’s definitely the cats who do the painting.”

Eleven paintings made by animals at Turpentine Creek sold through an online auction Monday for a total of $1,706. That money will be used to help rescue big cats from Riverglen Tiger Shelter near Mountainburg, where owner Betty Young, 72, has been downsizing from 34 to about 10 animals. The auction was promoted through Turpentine Creek’s Facebook page.

The online auction, which also included many donated items, brought in a total of about $5,000, said Farrell. She and Alexa Godfrey, an intern from San Mateo, Calif., handled the auction for Turpentine Creek. Farrell said it was the refuge’s first online auction.

Kyle Jorgensen , staff zoologist and spokesman for Turpentine Creek, said therefuge began experimenting with paw paintings in February. Prints and magnet miniatures of some paw paintings are for sale in Turpentine Creek’s gift shop, he said. Monday’s auction was the first time the actual paintings were for sale, said Farrell.

Of the 11 paintings sold Monday, six were done by tigers and one each by a lion, a cougar, a black bear and a grizzly bear. In addition, one auction was for a custom painting by an animal chosen by the auction’s winner.The custom painting auction went for $180.

The paint is nontoxic and edible, said Farrell. Perfume is sprayed on the canvas to get the animal’s attention.

“Calvin Klein Obsession seems to be a big favorite,” said Farrell. “They go crazy for the perfume.”

Bam Bam, a grizzly bear at Turpentine Creek, was different, said Farrell. He preferred a raspberry spray, which may explain why he tried to eat the canvas.

The online offering for Bam Bam’s painting stated: “Enjoy an 11x14 [inch] paw painting - complete with claw scratch marks!” The narrative tells about BamBam arriving at the refuge in 2009 and how he likes to splash in his pool, occasionally drenching visitors with water.

The painting that fetched the highest price, $215, was by Rayn , a 6-year-old female tiger that previously belonged to a private zoo in upstate New York. Rayn was also responsible for the paw painting that brought the second highest amount at auction - $205.

The offerings include photographs of the animals painting on the canvases.

Farrell said the bobcats refused to participate.

“For whatever reason, the bobcats were terrified of thecanvas,” she said. “They all just ran away, so we didn’t get a bobcat painting.”

Jorgensen said the refuge has raised about $90,000 toward its goal of $238,000. The organization based the goal on the cost of building cages and infrastructure for all 34 cats that were at Riverglen at the beginning of November. Seven of the 34 cats have already been moved to Turpentine Creek. Another four went to Cedar Cove Feline Conservatory and Education Center near Louisburg, Kan.

Turpentine Creek has 116 big cats. The refuge bills itself as “America’s premier big cat rescue facility.”

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 01/03/2013