[Lunareclipse]

My friend Tom brought his cougar, Thor over today. You should have seen him playing with Buster. Thor is a rescued big cat. Some people think it's a good idea to have a big cat as a pet. And then they get too big, eat to much, play too rough, ect... and people give them up or set them free. Shortly after Thor was born, his mom got out of her enclosure and was shot by the neighbors. So Tom took Thor in and hand raised it. He is now 4 years old and is living happily indoors with Tom, his wife, their new baby, a rescued alligator, and a rescued land tortoise. Thor also tried to give my baby a bath. She didn't like it. Thor's tongue is kinda rough.

[Yogi]

love it, a breeder friend of mine in CA took in a Bobcat some years back. Park Ranger found the mother killed in trap. There were two kits, a male and female. He remembered that her Siamese had lost its kittens. Took the 2 which were only 2 days old to the Siamese and she nurse them to health. He kept the male and my friend kept the female. Later, the female was pictured in a pictoral in Life magazine in the early 1960's. She was later turned over to the LA Zoo when they moved from the country. They did not count on the problems a female Bobcat howl can cause when in season, especially in the city with neighbors so close. The whole time they had her she always looked at that Siamese as her mother. She had full range of the house and would even sit on the kitchen counter watching their daughter do dishes. I will try to scan the photos one of these days. She was approx 40lbs and gorgeous.

[pinsnpugs]

Aww, love the Big cats. Had a guy in our old town that used to house Big cats. Loved going to watch them. He never allowed us in with them for liability reasons....I prefer to admire from afar anyway!

[Lara's mom]

Cougar...As in mountain lion....Very large cat with equally large teeth and claws..."Tasting infant"...I'm so glad I didn't read this last night. I'd have had nightmares!!!

I'm very curious as to what Sammie and my very good pal Buster think about this particular feline.

[Lunareclipse]

Buster played with Thor and Sammie ignored him. Thor is very well behaved. He doesn't open his mouth up when he licks someone. He just sticks his tongue out a little bit. Big cats can be dangerous, but I believe the baby has more chance of being bit by Sammie than being bit by Thor. Thor knows so many commands, he can put peoples agility dogs to shame. Tom has a course set up his his backyard for the cougar. He has added a few things that dogs can't do though. He has a rope, and the cat jumps up and catches it and runs to the other end upside down.

[Lara's mom]

Amazing! You must live in one of the very few places that doesn't have a law about keeping "exotic pets".

[Lunareclipse]

I live in town. We do have an ordinance again keeping exotic animals, but out in the country doesn't have this law. Tom lives about 12 miles outside city limits. But luckily the city doesn't have a law against exotic animals coming to visit. lol

[Lara's mom]

I would dearly love the opportunity to see that cat!!! In my youth which was a VERY long time ago, I was in a commercial with a cougar! What spectacular creatures they are!!!

[Lunareclipse]

He sure is. You should hear him purr. It sounds like he's growling. It is really loud, like Sammie's snoring.

[Lara's mom]

It must be amazing to have the opportunity to interact with him!

[Lunareclipse]

His paws are bigger than Sammie's!

[Lara's mom]

I remember well sitting with a cougar with a paw over each of my shoulders!

[Lunareclipse]

Did the commercial ever air? Post it!

[Lara's mom]

It was 30 years ago!!! Long before all this modern technology!

[Lunareclipse]

wow, ok. Maybe you can contact the company that did it. They might have a copy laying around.

[Lara's mom]

Hmmm. That would require looking through a lot of old papers but, I'll try. It will be a good time to chuck away all the junk I've been hanging onto for years!

[Yogi]

These are pics of "Checkers" at the time I think she was 6 months. Also a shot when she was 3 days old nursing off the Siamese she got to know as her mother. She is a Bobcat who's mother was found when the kits were 2 days old dead in a trap. The Park Ranger knowing my friends cat had lost its kittens asked to see if she would nurse the kits. She did and when they were weaned, he kept the male and she kept the female. A photographer from LIFE magazine saw her in the back of the car going down the hiway and proceeded to follow my friend til she stopped. he asked if he could take some pics and she said ok.
The pics of the cat and her infant daughter were the ones shown in LIFE Magazine in the mid 1960's.

[Lara's mom]

Wow!!! There are just no words to describe a rare and beautiful sight like that...

[Yogi]

Yes, but unfortunately with the move to San Bernandino, there was the issue of when she came into season. You cannot spay a Bobcat adn her howls could be heard for a mile. Not conducive with city environment. Checkers was turned over the LA Zoo if I remember correctly where she was quite the attraction.
Her favorite game was leapfrog. Anytime you walked in front of her and bent over, she would leap over you from behind.

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by Yogi

Yes, but unfortunately with the move to San Bernandino, there was the issue of when she came into season. You cannot spay a Bobcat adn her howls could be heard for a mile. Not conducive with city environment. Checkers was turned over the LA Zoo if I remember correctly where she was quite the attraction.
Her favorite game was leapfrog. Anytime you walked in front of her and bent over, she would leap over you from behind.

Really enjoyed all the pics you posted! Very interesting about all this. One thing that I wonder about---Hope Checkers wasn't too unhappy about being put in the zoo. Prob. got a lot of attention but it still bothers me that she ended up there. (Ya, I know--guess it couldn't be helped--too bad somebody who lived in the country couldn't of taken her though.)