Photos: Mountain Lion checks out cat in Boulder
Posted Oct 18, 2011
By mleyba
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder. Gail Loveman, Zeus’s owner, said she was busy in the office of her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch.
Close
-
1 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
2 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
3 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
4 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
5 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
6 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
7 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
8 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
9 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
10 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
11 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
12 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
13 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
14 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
15 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
16 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
17 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
18 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
19 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
-
20 of 20
Zeus, an 11-year-old Maine Coon cat, had a curious encounter with a young mountain lion in Boulder, with the pair safely separated by a sliding glass door.
The cats checked each other out at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Pine Brook Hills area of Boulder.
Gail Loveman, Zeus's owner, said she was busy in the office her home when she heard a noise and turned to see a young mountain lion on the porch. (Photo courtesy of Gail Loveman)
Love the bear in the background checking out them both!
This is a reminder why cats should be kept inside. This kitty is alive because he has a responsible owner.
Awww, freakin adorable. Except for the part when the mountain lion jumps on you, scratches your face off and eats it.
Other than how dangerous mountain lions are, it is really cute and snuggly. If you can buy these, I want one.
Beautiful photos of the Mountain Lions, your kitty was lucky that big cat looked mighty hungry.
I’m envious and I’m flipping jealous of you! You saw all that right in the back yard of your home?
That magnificent creature is awesome and I’m glad it’s in the wild and not in zoos.
I maybe terribly envious of you but I do hope that you get to see more and don’t forget to post more of these pictures.
Sidetracking a bit here..I’m sure you see millions of stars at night.
Wonderful!Rare and enjoyable photos!
I hope we could get photos like those,but here in Finland we does not have any Mountain Lions except in the zoo.The nearest Mountain Lion we get in our nature is the Lynx.That is also a beautiful but shy creature.
Such beautiful cats… Both of them! What an experiance… Thanks for sharing!
Makes me think of Lou Barlow’s Ballad of Daykitty.
Beautiful and awesome photos! Thank you for sharing!
It’s funny I should see this, right after my first trip to Colorado. My sister had posted something on Facebook about a bear going into her garage and getting into the dogs’ food. I’d never seen her house, and assumed she lived surrounded by wilderness. The first things I did, when seeing her house, in a development with sidewalks, small fenced yards, and not much space on either side, was to gasp and say “Do you mean to tell me this bear just walked down your block and entered the garage as if he were putting the law mower away?”
For the entire time I was there, every time I opened the door to let the dogs in or out, I was expecting to come face to face with a critter.
I stopped to take a picture of deer on someone’s lawn, and a car zoomed by, with the passengers yelling, “They’re just deer.” I wished I’d had time to explain. We see lots of deer where we live; but they are shuffling around on a small piece of land, during the day, just feet from the home’s occupants, not to mention passers by. These deer stared lazily at us, and continued to munch the grass, instead of fleeing in terror, as I would have seen home. I wouldn’t be surprised if come December, they would be found wearing Santa hats and posing for the family pictures.
Wow, you were so privileged, I am just in awe!
Just distant cousins meeting for the first time.
I love the way the Cat just sat there knowing full well that Mountain Lion could not get in. Thanks for the photos, they are great.
Oh man I wish I was there with my rifle.
Probably the kid has learned to hunt for house cats and obviously is not afraid of humans anymore. Very lucky people that did not have a “doggie door”.
Keep tear gas and a pellet rifle or bb rifle. From a safe location another window put a couple in the rear of kid and Mom. They learn fast and hopefully that will be enough for them to avoid at least this house in the future. If they come back, repeat.
Thanks for beautiful pics.
I was thinking the same thing. That MTN lion needs to learn to fear humans ASAP for its own safety.
If it is comfortable in your yard, it is not long for this world.
I’m sure Zeus is all proud of himself and feeling like the big man on the block since he “won” this starring contest and the other “kitty” gave up and walked away. LOL
Good thing the kitty was inside otherwise he would be lunch. My neighbor here in Texas came home one day to find a cougar in his yard with his cat in it’s mouth.
Cougars find pets easy prey and this woman needs to be cautious because people have been attacked near their own homes. Several years ago a woman was killed by a mountain lion outside her mobile home just south of Ft. Worth.
We protect our wildlife on my place but we know that
when wild animals come near human habitation they are hungry and looking for an easy meal. As the weather gets cooler they need to put on fat and they go searching for easy to get meals.
Nice pictures but be cautious when you go out.
That cougar wants to eat your cat. we have them were I live and my dog chased one out of the bushes right by the carport. If I had been alone I would have never seen it. my dog was chasing it and I was running and yelling with a flashlight on it. I was so scared it would turn and get my dog but it jumped the fence and was gone. a ranger told me that humans have a much better chance of being attacked in a populated area then the wilderness area because wilderness cougars don’t lose there fear of humans and their smells. That cougar has most likely already ate a few pets, stray cats and now is getting way to bold. I would not be taking pictures, I would be scaring it away.
I love it when the mountain lion then goes over and looks at the statue of himself! Or herself!
I love the last in the series where the real mountain lion is staring at the sculpture with a look of pure bewilderment about him.
I love Colorado!! Way to take some very great photos!! And of such a stealth creature. The flat ears shows how our domestic cat really is not all that different from the truly untamed cat, in that mannerism alone. Really like that photo. Beautiful moment.
Other cats don’t feed on other cats, instead Mr. Mnt Lion would have just broken Mr. Maine Coons neck to insure Mr. Mnt Lions territory was not hunted on by another hunter. To secure his food. And that is the way nature works.
Too wonderful and so glad to see it. It is a marvelous feeling to not let fear rule and to witness respect for Mother nature. No violence or murder! Thank you for the beautiful pictures. They are powerful.
Was the cougar initially attracted by the statue of the cougar? Too big a coincidence, otherwise. How many people have a statue of a life-sized cougar in their yard?
I think the house cat was just a distraction for the cougar; after the cougar saw, from a relatively long dstance, the statue, and came to check it out.
Anyway, this is a really neat story, and a welcome break from all of the mayhem and heartbreak in the typical news of the day.
Thank you, Denver Post
We live close to the entrance of Pattee Canyon in Missoula, Montana. I have never encountered a lion, but my daughter has in Pattee Canyon. They have been at married student houses and around the University of Montana at times.
Fabulous photos!
Thank you so much for sharing it. I just read about the police attacking the Occupy Denver protesters and I was depressed. This made me feel better.
Clearly a case of the have and the have nots. (joke) Gorgeous photos. Thanks for sharing.
I love Maine Coons>> she was just so calm! I love the safety of the door I must admit…
So they have a statue of a mountain lion to attract mountain lions then???
Thank you for giving us such awesome, beautiful pictures of two “cousins” meeting for the first time. I’m a true blue cat lady with three indoor only kids. Yeah, it’s cool how the Coon just sat there, confident and relaxed. I know from the window action here that there was some mean sceamin’ going on!! Great ad for keeping your little ones inside. So entertaining…and I’m jealous of your unbelievably cool home in Colorado! With a pool, yet!!! Wow, keep up the pics and treat us with some video!!
Does anybody not see the high fence in all the photos.Seems this lady keeps these cats in her yard and this is a normal thing. If that cougar wanted that cat it would have been a done deal.
Thanks for sharing that great series of photos! What a great reminder to have a camera handy at all times!
@ron: Cougars are cats. They laugh at fences (those fenceposts in pic 19 make it easy for any feline to get in and out of the yard).
What a beautiful face!
Ron – really? You’ve never seen a house cat jump? Just think of the claws and muscles on a mountain lion – he/she could easily jump/climb that fence in a heartbeat!
Just wanted to say that I’ve also known mountain lions to go straight THROUGH sliding glass doors if they felt up to it. Generally not because they wanted to but if they’re startled or angry you’d be surprised the strength they have.
i hope you read this but i hate to tell if you dont already know but it will come back when you least expect it. My friend had both his dogs eaten. Same situation. Sorry
My old girlfriend had a cougar jump through a window to get into her bedroom, and jump through a different window to get back out again. Luckily she wasn’t in bed or even at home when it happened! I would NOT stand around so nonchalantly with a lion outside my glass door, this fool is damn lucky and they don’t even know it!
Awesome! Refreshing to see something beatiful & positive. We want to see more…
Good on you for having a camera close by – the photos of the lion are such a treat. I think people forget how beautiful they are – really, what a gorgeous face. I have a Maine Coon too and I love how your guy sat calmly watching the lion from his side of the glass. It’s all in the cattitude, bro.
WOW. beautiful animals
Sigh.
Maybe people were more responsible when I was a kid but the first thing _I_ learned when I was taught to hunt is you never, ever, EVER kill the children and mother.
What kind of jerk wants to kill a mother and her child?
And if you say ‘they were in your yard’ bear in mind you are first in THEIR yard. We all moved into THEIR neighborhoods, not the other way around.
Mind you I am not saying you should run out and cuddle them.
That’s probably a VERY bad idea.
But I still think anyone whose first reaction to seeing this beautiful mother and child is ‘Wish I had a gun so I could kill them’ is a total jackass with no concept of proper hunting. Only the totally irresponsible, or those with some kind of ‘hate hard-on’ kill females and the young.
poor mountain lion. looks skinny.
So awesome! I love animals. All animals. The main coon AND the mountain lion are both majestic beauties. I hope the lions are ok. They’re just trying to live. They’re not looking for trouble.
Karen and Mike are right. Those are beautiful photos, an exquisite experience, but rest assured, they have located an easy meal and will be back. Lions are territorial, and your property has become part of that territory. Chances are they’ve seen you or your cat outside before. Mom is even teaching the little one that it’s safe to be there. The best policy is to haze them with bean bags and convince them that your yard is no place they want to be. It is not only in your best interest, but theirs as well, that they learn to fear humans, as a natural mountain lion should. You have to be cruel to be kind, and safe. More passive experiences like this one inevitably will lead to more encounters… inevitably one without a window pane in between…
I love how the housecat looks bored, even when the wildcat is hissing and trying to scratch the door.
Typical.
Absolutely gorgeous. We don’t have obvious mountain lions in our part of Texas, but we do have our indoor “lions”–Maine Coons like Zeus. Just gorgeous. You should really consider publishing these pictures.
I don’t think the lion wanted to eat him, he wanted to bust him out!
The people on this site who talk about how wonderful the pictures are and so cute and the occupy denver stuff are just stupid. Wildlife will stay away unless they are encouraged to lurk by promises of a good meal. Save the lion and scare it away! I lived in Colorado for 15 years and there are plenty of elk, deer, rabbits, etc for these predators to stalk and eat. Do leftists think these cute animals live on tofu? Not to be critical of you. Many of us are just trying to get educational info out to people. Living in the mountains requires responsibility, unless you want the lion killed or children and pets attacked.