Flapper with her pet lion

(watercolor illustration on paper, 2006)

"I never thought much of the courage of a lion tamer. Inside the cage he is at least safe from people."
George Bernard Shaw

"A lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing."
William Shakespeare

"Cat: a pygmy lion who loves mice, hates dogs, and patronizes human beings"
Oliver Herford

"Only in art will the lion lie down with the lamb, and the rose grow without thorn."
Martin Amis

"It is better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life"
Elizabeth Kenny

As a fan of He-Man, as a young girl I used to dream of owning a large feline like Cringer for a pet. Then I heard about the Berberov family from Baku that was mauled by their pet lion and after that I decided to stick to small felines i.e. domestic cats.

Of course, my cat Tihon, just as all the other domestic cats, fancies himself a lion, regardless of the fact that he is only allowed to go outside on a leash. He accompanies my dog Ginger on her daily walks and is much better in walking on a path than she is. He carries himself with a lot of dignity, his head held high, his tail swaying gracefully as he walks. As I walk behind him I often forget about his small size and see him as a king of the jungle. I imagine that instead of a cat I'm walking an actual lion and it makes me feel as if I myself were some kind of a fairytale or cartoon character.