Growing up with Big Cats

I spent my formative years helping to raise tiger cubs, and helping to care for our grown, adult tiger who lived in our backyard. 

It’s always been one of those handy facts I can bring up in “Two Truths and a Lie” meeting ice breakers and at cocktail parties to generate brief moments of banter. But the success of the Netflix documentary series Tiger King has created heightened interest in my unusual background amongst my friends and colleagues. Unfortunately, my history isn’t quite as interesting as those depicted in Tiger King. There were no drug fueled sex parties or murder for hire plots but the series has made me reexamine my experiences and how it fits into the larger societal context.

After extensive conversations with me and the rest of the family, my sister wrote about her experiences. They are similar to mine except I was smaller and easier to eat.

Big Cat Confessional

By Kati Irons

I approached watching the Netflix documentary Tiger King with some trepidation. In general, I don’t enjoy documentaries that involve people exploiting animals. I don’t like watching animals forced into unnatural situations. I can’t even watch fictional movies where the dog dies.  So, Tiger King, which highlights a uniquely American brand of colorful sociopaths, insanity and … Continue reading