Our Mother’s Day post written by Gracey was one of our most popular. So Annie and Eddie thought they would follow in her paw prints and celebrate this Mother’s Day with their own tribute to the things mothers do for us for which we are grateful whether we are lions, tigers, cats or humans.
Photo by metalmaus
photo courtesy of Greg du Toit, Wildlife Photographer
In our post 3 Big Cat Instincts Your Cat Shares, we talked about how in the wild, big cats know lowering their heads to drink water puts them in a vulnerable position. The big cats prefer an unobstructed view to keep an eye on their surroundings. In the photo above, you see a pride of lions at a water hole. Notice that while some of the lions drink the others are keeping watch. But even the lions that have lowered their heads to drink are keeping their eyes on their surroundings.
1) Testing the WaterHave you noticed your cat lowering their paw into their water bowl or swiping through the stream of water in their fountain? Sometimes your cat might even dip and then lick the water off of their paw before lowering their head in what we think of the standard way a cat drinks.
Gracey, The Tiniest Tiger reminding us to not allow big cats to be confined in circus wagons.
Big changes are underway under the Big Top in the United Kingdom. Traveling circuses have started their season but for the first time no circus will be entertaining the crowd with performing big cats. The Great British Circus was the last show to feature tigers doing tricks and they sent their cats to an operator in Ireland just in time before the new animal welfare regulations became active last month.
The Victorian era ushered in circuses with performing elephants, lions and tigers on tour. The last time the circuses toured without exotic animals was around 1768 when the first modern circus entertained the spectators with horses and riders performing daring feats. Wild animals did not debut in the circus until after the British empire expanded in the 19th century. Wild animals were captured and brought back to be put on display at a time when the average person had little chance of seeing a live lion, tiger or elephant let alone watch them performing tricks.
Over the last couple hundred years, our world is a very different place. We have access to learning about and seeing lions, tigers and elephants from many sources, whether that be a zoological park, a sanctuary, learning via the internet or nature programs on television. We also know more about the big cats that share our world and most people are concerned about how they are treated and find physical abuse unacceptable in modern society.
Even if crowned the king of the forest, a lion’s life is anything but pampered. In addition to loss of habitat, conflicts with humans, and being a target of trophy hunters, the male lion must defend his territory from younger lions on the prowl to establish their own kingdom. While the females hunt, the male sleeps because it is his job to defend the pride from intruders. When a male lion grows older, he will no longer be able to protect his throne from the stronger males keen on forcing his abdication. The older lion is often killed or forced to leave his home territory and pride. The law of nature, circle of life is understood and accepted.
photo courtesy of Gir Forest-Only One Place of Asiatic Lions
Sometimes it is easy to take for granted all the things that our mother’s do for us. On this day, I thought I would share with you just a few things mothers do for us for which we are grateful whether we are lions, tigers, house cats or humans.
Photo courtesy of Bushbaby Travel
There are many paths to choose from while we learn our way in the world. Mothers do their best to guide us down the right path. It is up to us to listen.
Part Two
Image used with permission from Dee DeSantis
Friends, our big cat cousins as well as bears, elephants and other animals need us to speak out for them. Right now in the United States House of Representatives there is a bill H.R. 3359, the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act. H.R. 3359 is focused and a great step in the right direction to protect animals used for amusement. We need to speak up and be heard to stop the abuse of our fellow living beings.
Contact your Member of Congress to Support the Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act
Super Hurrah and Congratulations to Barbara McIntosh the Winner of the Imperial Cat Hearts and Stripes Chaise Scratcher. Thank you everyone for participating and for being members of The Tiniest Tiger community.
Photo by Joanne McGonagle
xoxo Gracey, The Tiniest Tiger
In honor of Valentines day and of both Lions and Lyin’ Around, I thought an Imperial Cat chaise lounge would be a perfect giveaway.
Imperial Cat M.A.X. Hearts & Stripes Chaise Scratcher
Welcome Friends to my first art exhibit.After I displayed my first painting, A Cat Artist’s Interpretation of an Amur Tiger, that I created using my iPad and the Paint for Cats app by Hiccup, I could not believe the outpouring of support for my art.
I truly appreciate your kind words so I thought I would try to paint some more of the things that inspire me. This required a lot of thinking time and play time with my TipsyNip Tickle Pickle.
It took me quite some time to find the right color combinations to convey my interpretation of what inspired me and to then get the paint on the canvas. I sure hope you like my paintings too.
I have been thinking about the film The Last Lions, An Incredible True Story of Survival from National Geographic Entertainment ever since I watched it for the first time. I was so moved by the film that I wrote a review here on our Conservation Cub Club. The film was made by Dereck and Beverly Joubert, award-winning filmmakers from Botswana, Africa. The Jouberts have been National Geographic explorers-in-residence for over four years. Their body of work has produced five Emmy’s, a Peabody, the World Ecology Award, and induction into the American Academy of Achievement.
I just can’t seem to get the film out of my mind. I was swept away from the opening scene and followed Ma di Tau’s struggle to survive throughout the film. A great documentary film with a message should leave the viewer thinking and I have been thinking about the lions in Africa ever since. Have you seen The Last Lions yet?
