Posted on 05/18/2006 10:20:40 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
MELVIN, Ky. -- Barry Collins' neighbors don't say 'here Kitty Kitty' when they see his pet cat prowling around.
Maybe that's because his Kitty is a 400-plus-pound adult lion who roams a 300-square-foot cage in the family's back yard in Melvin.
While Collins said Kitty is just a family pet, some Floyd County, Ky., residents disagree.
Collins' neighbors in Kentucky don't like the idea of a backyard lion.
County officials may try to force the Collins family to find a new home for Kitty soon. A county ordinance that would bar animals deemed "inherently dangerous" by the state is up for a vote Friday.
But Collins and his wife Melissa said there's nothing bad about their big cat. They said they call him Kitty because he's so cuddly.
If the ordinance passes, Kitty would no longer be allowed to stay in Collins' back yard . County officials said he could be placed in a zoo or wildlife habitat.
The family said they plan to fight the measure.
Yep, an elephant, lion, bear and some other beasts can be very dangerous if they escape.
Unless they started off being there first and had a zoo permit, I don't think they would have the right to do that.
I can imagine the owner forgetting to lock the gate one night. I've done it with horses, dogs, and every animal I've owned - it's human nature. A loose lion would be scary though. I don't think the old shaking the feed bucket trick would work.
Lions aren't naturally aggressive. It's all in how you raise them. We have a 500lb. lion who wrestles with our toddler. He's less dangerous than a Golden Retriever.
Let's see, a 300 square foot cage would translate to what, 20x15 foot enclosure. Yeah, that's definitely the proper place to keep a lion. Elsa, where are you?
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