Well that all sounds interesting in theory, but here is an actual example that shows that your theory is bogus
Cougar Has Claws, Hiker Has Pistol (Orange Co., Cal)
Cody said he was out for an afternoon jog near Modjeska Grade Road and Santiago Truck Trail when the cougar leaped onto the trail about 20 feet in front of him.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1136276/posts
The cat jumped down "a 5-foot embankment onto a pretty narrow trail," he told KCAL-TV Channel 9 news. The animal, he said, "stopped and stood there on the trail looking at me."
Having a cat present itself as a target out in front of you is about as likely as winning the lotto. Drawing your gun, spinning around to face a cat attacking from behind, shooting and hitting a charging cat and achieving lethal shot placement is even less likely. (Assuming you heard the cat coming.)
Oh, so now my theory is 'bogus.' That's funny, Max Combined. Why? Because if you look at the vast majority of big cat attacks, they all come from the back or from an oblique angle at high speed. The example you gave was not of a cat attacking a human, but a cat that was probably trying to scare the person from its territory. A hunting cat doesn't leap in front of a person (or animal) and start doing theatrics. Come on sir ....that is common sense.
Apart from common sense, look at current data. In all continents with large feline predators (be they large catus like the cougar, or ture Felis like the Tiger, Lion, Leopard and Jaguat), ALL ATTACKS ON HUMANs (and animals) that are part of hunting/killing come with stealth and speed. In India for example the natives wear masks at the back of their heads to 'confuse' tigers (although when a tiger is a true man eater, instead of just an opportunist, masks don't help). In Africa leopard attacks come from above, the sides, or behind. Lion attacks from an oblique angle. And all the Puma attacks I've seen reports of come from behind or an angle.
The one you reported (and used to say my 'interesting theories' are 'bogus,' was a cat trying to frighten someone away from its territory. Now, it would still have attacked the person (and it is good he had a weapon), but it was not hunting him.
You will never head a cat that is hunting you. Never. And people have died because my 'bogus but interesting theories' came true. Thousands of people have been killed around the world by cats, and even today hundreds die in remote areas of India and Africa (and every now and then a lone jogger in wilderness trail in America).
And virtually all of those attacks (removing the ones where the cat is protecting its young ....in which case it will make noise before attacking ....or defending its territory and/or kill) are done using what you describe as 'bogus theories.'
Again ...use your logic. Why would a hunting cat leap '20 feet in front' of a person? Even common sense would show that cat was doing everything but hunting (my guess would be territory). Seriously ....this is common sense! Look at what the guy said again: The animal, he said, "stopped and stood there on the trail looking at me." What cat hunts by leaping 20 feet in front of its target, stopping, and standing there looking at the target? Unless there is some type of Feline Hypnotism from Thundera or something where the cat mesmerizes the target to come hither!?!?
And if you don't want to accept that, do a simple search of how big cats hunt. Any big cat ...take your pick (cougar, jaguar, lion, leopard, tiger). All of them (including smaller cats like Ocelots, Servals ...even house cats) are built for speed and stealth ....and they all hunt the same way ....with speed and stealth. Oh ....and one more thing about my 'bogus theories.' Some of the ex-hunters I've talked to lost friends to those bogus theories. For some strange reasons those cats did not leap 20 feet in front of them and take a kungfu stance before attacking. Beats me why ....but maybe it is because the cats were trying to kill those men. Again, you only know you are being attacked (attacked ...not warned off nor threatened) when the cat impacts. Good luck to you if you expect that (if you hike, and if you hike in cougar country) that any malevolent puma will leap 20 feet in front of your trail and lick its paws while it waits for you to draw your gun, aim, and drop it. If you are lucky you will encounter some cat trying to fend off its territory, in which case that may happen and you'll get a good trophy and a great story. If you are unlucky the cat will be trying to get meat, in which case I pray you manage to get your gun and shoot the cat before it does too much damage to you.
Maybe when you read my post you thought I was anti-gun totting in nature or something like that. I am not. I even said when hiking i would carry a weapon ....but to use against 'funny' people (trying to harm me) and bears. When it comes to cougars the gun would be to end the attack ....not prevent one. Again, check for yourself how cougars attack.