My Pet Lioness

[Candys]

Well I finally dug through the photo album and scanned pics of the family pet - Dandilion. I was 9 years old when we got her from the San Diego zoo. They needed a home for some lion cubs and heard that mom had ocelots and was a member of the Long Island Ocelot club. She was 5 weks old when she arrived - a roley poley butter ball of fur. Clumsy big paws and sweet round (and curious eyes). We lived on a ranch which made it easy to keep her. She had her front paws declawed later and her canine filed down. It never fazed her. She loved to run and play with us. She went on rides in the pick up - one day saw a skunk and jumped out of the pick up, got sprayed 3 times and headed back - we scrambled so fast to all squeeze in that pick up cab. No one wanted to ride in the back with her that day. She eventually had a super-sized multi-level cage and a leash run. She was always there when I needed a friend to talk to. Here's to you ol' girl - love Dandi Girl.

 

[Melonie]

Wow what a great childhood expirience.

 

[sydkat7]

That's pretty cool, Candys. Not everybody can say that they've had an real lion as a pet!

 

[klreese]

WOW!!! my mouth was on the ground while reading this- mostly because i'm SUPER jealous!!! how cool, i couldn't imagine how it must have been like.
How long did she live for? Did you guys keep her, her whole life?

 

[ilovemysphynx]

Wow it is nice to hear a story like that with all the new showes on tv they all seem to be pointing to wild animals as pets that turn and do bad things. How cool as a 9 year old when the teacher asks do you have any pets and you say yes maam I have A lion, she is thinking sure you do keep dreaming kid

 

[Hairlesslove]

Wow that's AMAZING! My mom had a monkey when she was a little girl and she still cries when you ask about him,She says he was just like a little boy,He used to cry and everything!

 

[Mug-ys mumma]

That's so cool1 What a fab experience!

X

 

[gizmo6370]

Great story...thanx for sharing

 

[Candys]

WOW!!! my mouth was on the ground while reading this- mostly because i'm SUPER jealous!!! how cool, i couldn't imagine how it must have been like.
How long did she live for? Did you guys keep her, her whole life?

We kept her until she was 18 years old - she died in an accident. She was living at my Granny's ranch, Granny open the cage to feed her and she got out - my Uncle got all crazy scared and shot her. She did live a full healthy life. Got terribly sick only once - she ate a garden hose and it blocked her intestines.

 

[marlene]

What a beautiful girl she was. You must have so many happy memories of her.

 

[ckutkuhn7]

Wow, what an amazing story!! Im sure the majority of us dreamed of having big wild exotic pets when we were little...heck,,I still do!! lol Thanks for sharing,,the photos are amazing!

 

[MissMySphynxBoys]

What a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing it and the pictures.

 

[Bella07]

NO. WAY!!! I am insanely jealous. It has always been a dream of mine to own a Lion! I have seriously contemplated moving to Africa to do so. How amazing, and what a wonderful childhood experience! Really, wow, wow, wow! Plus, she was so gorgeous! I live in the city, and if it weren't illegal, I would love to have a pet lion.

Tell us some more stories ones about her! I would love to hear!

 

[Candys]

At 3 months Mom decided to put her leash on an old tire - that way she could not jump the fence. When she started walking - she noticed the tire following her. She decided to run from the tire - and the tire followed. In shear panic she went into a break-neck run through the small acreage around our house. At that point the tire was bouncing up and down, spinning, rolling and bouncing. Exhausted - Dandilion dropped to the ground panting. Mom and I ran to her, disconnected the leash and loved on her. Poor baby - we never did that again.