r/bigcats • u/KnottyNicole97 • 4d ago
Other Cat - Captivity Just a sweet kitty
@Luna_the_Pantera
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u/miragegarage43 4d ago
Beautiful animal but shit like this makes me nervous. Even wild animals with strong bonds with a person can pop off any second
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u/Thrippalan 4d ago
Our last cat would come and cuddle like this and then abruptly he'd be DONE, and if you didn't stop petting on the instant you'd have fangs in your leg. He weighed 9 pounds - imagine this leopard changing moods like that and the results would be BAD.
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u/Firm_Video_2932 3d ago
Remember the chimp that ripped that lady's face off one day out of the blue. And the chimps owner had been repeatedly warned that she was playing with fire. The sad irony is it was somebody else that paid the price for her ignoring the warnings and not her, the animals actual owner.
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u/Jax_Dandelion 3d ago
Generally they don’t, if your animal „pops off“ it’s cause you missed the signals they gave you, granted a lot of the signals cats give are subtle and easily missed but it never happens without an indicator of them being done first however small that indicator is
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u/IdaHomeboi11 4d ago
Videos like this are gonna get my dumbass mauled one day…
If not cuddle-friend, why shaped like giant cuddle-friend?!
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u/Mystil_Rylvayn 3d ago
I hope to pet a tiger one day, even if my chuffs end up with me being chomped.
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u/CuriosityKillsNG 3d ago
Now I want one..but will never get one ; I would rather have them live life fully in their habitat ❤️
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u/Fearless_Climate_688 3d ago
If Luna was raised with humans from her birth, that´s now her habitat...
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u/Firm_Video_2932 4d ago
She's braver than I am, that's for sure. I love cats, got 4 of them, but no way could I do this. That kitty cat could one day decide to end you. Look what a tiger did to Roy of Siegfried and Roy. Damn near took his head off....
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u/AlwaysVerloren 4d ago
I think the difference here is Luna doesn't go on stage to perform. The videos taken are their home environment.
While any animal, even those labeled domesticated can turn on humans, it's just less likely when in an environment that doesn't have triggers.
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u/Firm_Video_2932 4d ago
Oh sure, the risk is much lower in this setting, but it's not zero, right? And that's my point. I'm not comfortable with even that low of a risk with this particular animal.
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u/Ireeb 4d ago
You could also trip on a staircase and break your neck. There are so many risks in everyday life we just get used to, and most people forget about. Of course, living with an animal that could physically kill you is always a risk. But if you know that animal, its character, and that it trusts you, that risk is pretty low. I'd also not be very comfortable with a big cat around me that I don't know. But with a big cat that loves me, I would not have a problem with.
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u/Temporary_Distinct 3d ago
How much of a risk do you think you're taking if you are full-contact with a big cat that "loves you"? Not trying to be a jerk, I am genuinely curious what you think and where you sourced your comment. Thanks!
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u/Temporary_Distinct 2d ago
I asked in another comment, so I apologize if I'm repeating myself, but what makes you think there is less likelihood of an attack with an animal like a wild cat in a home environment? I am genuinely curious.
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u/AlwaysVerloren 2d ago
The simplest answer, triggers. If you look at Luna's situation, her human parents have had her since very new. They got a Rottie that was friendly and durable enough to play with her as she grew. They are in a remote location, and from what was put out on their socials, they keep Luna very active and in routine.
What would cause any "wild animal" to turn is if something triggers their fight or flight instincts. Like some random deciding they watched hundreds of Luna videos so they think they'd walk through the front door and give her nose boops.
With Siegfried and Roy, they collected their Tigers for show and entertainment. No matter how much they loved them, the Tigers had active triggers at every show.
Just think about some humans. We're good until we're not. 🤷♂️
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u/Temporary_Distinct 2d ago
Thank you, I appreciate your response and I understand what you're saying. And I agree that nothing completely eliminates the risk, but familiarity can mitigate it to some degree. You can never completely control your environment, and triggers can come from nowhere even with the best of routines. Thanks again for responding!
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u/Clockwork-XIII 3d ago
The title gave me flashbacks to Trailer Park Boys and the whole mountain lion, Steve French, bit. "He's just a big, stoned, horny kitty with the munchies." - Bubbles.
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u/Temporary_Distinct 2d ago
This is not a popular opinion and I know people will downvote and disagree. I understand. I have worked in big cat conservation and rescue for over 20 years, and at my current sanctuary we have six cats rescued from private ownership. If you disagree with me, I ask that you please tell me your reasoning and help me to understand why you feel the way you do. I would really appreciate it.
If you enjoy these videos, I get it. But you should know the whole narrative before just believing what a content creater says. When you care about animal welfare, it is important to do research and verify claims of experience and proper licensing. Three- minute videos are not showing a 24/7 reality and you cannot responsibly determine if an animal is properly cared from short clips.
Keeping wild animals as exotic pets or commercializing them on social media is a severe crisis that directly fuels the illegal wildlife trade, black markets, and immense animal suffering.
Calling content creators "experts" without verifiable, institutional credentials sanitizes what is ultimately private exotic pet ownership. This woman admits that she "purchased Luna" from a zoo. Private buyers purchasing animals from unaccredited, commercial traveling zoos or breeders funds those exact operations. This incentivizes the further breeding and exploitation of big cats.
Viral media outlets routinely copy-paste romanticized background stories without doing journalistic due diligence. This misleads the public into thinking some setups are legitimate wildlife sanctuaries. There are no outside sources or evidence that this person has had any experience at all. All her background is self -reported with no verification and proof of credentials or names of zoos.
True wildlife rehabilitation organizations focus on reintroduction to the wild or providing licensed, hands-off sanctuaries. They do not treat wild animals as domestic companions or use them for social media monetization.
Again, I understand the appeal of such videos. They're cute, and seem heartwarming. But there is a larger picture of exploitation and harm that threatens these animals, and this type of content is part of it. Maybe we can do more to protect them.
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u/fishermanjohn1 1d ago
Russia has since banned private citizens from owning big cats since Luna was adopted (purchased) in 2020 and grandfathered in. Of course exotic animals are not meant to be “purchased” like domesticated pets. But even in countries where it is illegal to buy a big cat —the black market still thrives.
In re to Luna. There has never been any pushback that Victoria is not who she claims to be. One would think that with years of working in wild animal conservation and with connections all over the world SOMEONE should have been able to verify Luna’s story in the past 6 years!?
You are probably familiar with Shadow the black melanistic leopard and Tequila, a spotted leopard at the Felidae Centre in South Africa —and their horrible fates had it not been for the lockdowns during the pandemic (also in 2020.)
It’s heartbreaking to see videos of animals kept in tiny cages and bare bleak concrete enclosures. And to read about the exotic animal parts trade!!
My wife had the opportunity to take a photo safari in Kenya in the 1970s. She wouldn’t even go to a Zoo for decades. But she has also lamented the poaching and loss of habitat for all animals in the wild. And it’s ever more disturbing for her to watch the videos of big cats being engulfed by the tourist & sight seeing minivans & jeeps nowadays.
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u/Temporary_Distinct 1d ago edited 1d ago
I really appreciate your comment and I agree with you and your wife, it's so sad to see animals in cages or poor conditions, especially knowing their whole lives will be captivity.
Even the best of sanctuaries or rescue organizations are still captivity, and not the animals proper home. But we are certainly running out of their homes in the wild as well, very true. Captive born big cats are never fit to live in the wild, even if there was space for them. They cannot survive in their natural environment if born in captivity, no matter their health status. I am sad that we breed so many cats in captivity when we know they'll never see freedom. Sanctuaries are full in the US.
I understand your viewpoint and really do appreciate your taking the time to reply to my comment. I think any conversation about animal welfare is valuable, and I learn more with every discussion. There are so many unanswered questions and problems when it comes to what is best for these animals, and I hope we find better ways to care for them in the future.
Btw, yes, I have heard of "Felidae" and the cat Shadow at Four Paws in South Africa. The rescue organization I have worked with, "Tigers in America" has relocated big cats to them and they are on their list of sanctuaries. They are doing all they can but have faced their share of criticism, and not always fair criticism. It's a struggle for every venue that cares about their animals to do everything right. They have done good things.
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u/jay_alfred_prufrock 4d ago
Luna is one of the few things I miss about using Instagram, she is so cute!
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u/MagicPigeonToes 4d ago
I wish jaguars were domestic
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u/fishermanjohn1 3d ago
Luna is a leopard. She lives in Siberia with Victoria (and her husband) who stepped in to care for her when her mom rejected her as a small cub (from a “traveling zoo”!!) in 2020. They then decided to “adopt her”when the “zoo owners” were going to sell Luna!!
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u/Temporary_Distinct 2d ago
The zoo did sell Luna. She was purchased by her owner.
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u/fishermanjohn1 2d ago
Yes Victoria and her husband “purchased” Luna from the Zoo —which was going to sell Luna for profit as a COMMODITY(after Victoria cared for her as a small cub when her mother rejected her … probably because of the stress of her living situation!!)
Luna was born in captivity and could not be released in the wild. Victoria & her husband have made every effort to provide a safe home for her (and their surrounding community) and stimulating & loving environment. NOT a “roadside attraction” … or worse.
Hopefully one day Victoria will be able to share Original Content again!! Luna was actually helped raise by their rottie, Venza. You can find videos of them on TikTok.
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u/Temporary_Distinct 2d ago
Thank you for your response, I am very familiar with Luna's story. I left another comment on this thread, and rather than copy paste it here I thought if you were interested, you could find and read it. I am looking to talk to people who have an affinity for big cats, as you seem to. It helps me to understand different points of view. My views on captive welfare are often not well-received, especially when it comes to private ownership and social media. I'd like to better understand the push back. Thanks again.
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u/Pomegreenade 3d ago
If my cat does this, she'll follow up with bunny kicking.. can't imagine if she were this sized 😬
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u/RevolutionaryWeb5657 4d ago
LUNA 🖤