Ever heard of anyone having a big cat as a pet?

[raccoon]

I'm not going to try this at home, just curious.

[China_cat]

1. Friend of mine had an African lion. Got it as a cub.

Didn't understand its nutritional needs and it died at 2 years of age. And a tenant in the house I managed for a friend had a puma (as well as 40 or 50 snakes). He got arrested and the cat went to the zoo.

[IndianaJones]

2. a cougar named Karen. nt.

[Sanity Claws]

3. Josephine Baker had a cheetah

[CottonBear]

4. Cheetahs are the one big cat that can be domesticated and kept as a pet (outdoors).

See the current issue of Smithsonian magazine for an article on Cheetahs and Cheetah conservation.

The Pharaohs kept them as pets.

[Wcross]

5. My parents had a friend that owned a male lion.

It was a big mo-fo, they allowed it inside the house. I always thought it was kind of cruel, it should have had room to roam outside but all it had was a cage in the backyard (attached to the house). As far as I know it died of old age.

[LibertyLover]

6. Several years ago I visited my best friend who had moved to Florida

and we went to the home of one of her new friends. They had regular day jobs (CPA and nurse), but were also very good amateur magicians. In their magic act they used a lioness whom I got to meet and pet and play with. Sheba was adorable. Her purr was so loud and when she wanted to be petted, she rubbed up against you just like a domestic cat. Sheba lived in a large fenced in paddock and had access to the larger (5 or 6 acre) fenced in back back yard and the smaller (1-2 acre) fenced in back yard. She was allowed to roam several times a day. She also was brought into the house during thunder storms because she didn't like them. They also had a tiger cub, Chucky, who was about 3 months old and lived in their house. They planned to use him in the act too. He was very cute, but was practicing his pouncing so we were standing around talking and the tiger cub would sneak up on us and pounce on a shoe. They had a Golden Retriever who kept the tiger cub in line. She would cuff him if she thought he was being too rough. She would also pick him up by the scruf of his neck to move him to where she thought he should be.

[raccoon]

8. I would love to hear a big cat purr. nt

[LibertyLover]

9. It was pretty neat -

I was petting Sheba as she was purring and it was like the sound vibrated my entire body. I'm a Leo, so it was cool. But then these people had a decent set up for their cats. They also had 2 mountain lions who had been abused and they rescued. The one was very old and grouchy. His entire job was to lie in the sun and eat. The other mountain lion was younger and reasonably well behaved. He did tv ads. He had just done a shoot the day before we visited and was still a bit hyper so we only admired him from outside his pen. He did come over for pets and we carefully petted him through the wire mesh. When he had had enough, he walked off.

[Brigid]

7. No, and don't try it at home,

like you said. Anybody who does this is an idiot. Even a house cat can be a handful at times -- let alone an adult lion or tiger. They usually end up at big cat rescue places. It's a sad sight.

[Flaxbee]

10. yes; a friend rescued a tiger cub desined for a 'caged hunt' here in

NC (FUCKING IDIOTS! HORRIBLE SCUMS OF THE EARTH!! I CANNOT FATHOM ANYONE DOING A CAGED HUNT!!!!!)

Anyway. Can't think about it too much or my head will explode.

She had the tiger - Siberian tiger - for 10 years in a cage in her backyard. The cage was damaged by wind, and it wasn't safe anymore for her to have Tia, so she had a rescue group in NC come and take her. She still lives in a cage but it's a pretty big one, it's all she's ever known, and there are many other tigers, lions, etc - it's a carnivore conservation group - for her to roar at and socialize with.



I think it is a horrible thing to do, but I understand why my friend adopted the cub -- just wish she'd found a better home for the cat earlier. Her stupid ass (now ex) husband got his macho rocks off, though, telling people he had a tiger. :eyes:

[graywarrior]

11. I knew a guy who had a bear as a pet in his apartment.

[Kajsa]

12. Rant- I hate captivity for animals

who can sustain themselves in the wild.

If they are injured or incapable of fending for themselves
due to domestication/captivity that's one thing.

But big cats belong in the wild.Period- end of story.

There are few things more awesome than seeing an animal
up close in his/her natural setting.

End of Rant. :rant: