By Victoria Cumings
Meet Lion, an UWS kittycat wielding a fierce name and adventurous spirit, but also possessing a gentle, calm, and sweet nature, which perfectly complements her feisty roar.
Born in New Jersey on July 4, 2020, upon being the last adopted from a litter of kittens, baby Lion moved to the Upper West Side at eight weeks old and has since become a fixture in the neighborhood. Growing up big and strong, Lion has taken the City by storm, calling the shots in her classic walk-up apartment, enjoying leashed strolls and chasing fireflies in Riverside Park, and, with her fun antics, keeping her proud pet parents amused and on their toes.
Lion got her name from the football Lions at an UWS institution, Columbia University, which her pet mom attends. A gorgeous, gray-toned tabby, Lion’s beautiful stripes and markings could equally have seen her called Tiger, but her name suits her perfectly given the boldness and intrepidity she’s shown since a young age, and her resemblance to her namesake!
Very little fazes Lion – she won’t hesitate to grab at a pair of passing legs when asking for a snack, will dribble a full-size soccer ball around the room, attack a toy mouse, scare puppies in the park, and even once bit a vet helper trying to administer a vaccination, thereby getting banned from PetCo (story for another time!). Contrast this, however, with the quirky and cute ways Lion keeps herself and others entertained…playing hide-and-seek with Q-tips is a favorite pastime, as is rummaging through tissues and paper bags. Quite remarkably, Lion is also adept at leaping into arms held open for her, as well as giving ‘high-fives’ (usually in return for a treat).
Due to her fearless and outgoing nature, Lion is very sociable and has a special knack for making friends. Not long into a visit at home from a doggie pal, after a brief introduction and some playtime Lion persuaded her buddy to participate in a mutual siesta, the two furry friends relaxing on the floor side-by-side, completely at ease, enjoying the moment and each other’s company.
As with all cats, big and small, Lion loves to sleep. When tired-out from her exploits, she’ll stretch across a chair, curl up on a warm computer keyboard, or slip into a pillow fort or her pet-tent for a good old-fashioned catnap. Other times, in the search for somewhere warm and dark to hide, Lion has been known to pull out all the clothes from her parents’ under-bed drawers, creating a messy but cozy little nest. Anyone visiting might fear the apartment had been ransacked by a thief, but those in the know realize it’s just Lion making room for a comfortable kip!
Because Lion’s pet dad works from home, the two are lucky enough to spend a lot of time together. During lunch breaks, Lion often joins him in a hammock in Riverside Park (which of course draws curious onlookers). She also loves meowing hellos to the occasional apartment bug she spots on a wall, as well as being taken up to her building rooftop to sunbathe and glare at pigeons. Quite the character, Lion has a life about as perfect as any cat could hope for.
Lion’s mom and dad hope a kitty friend may be in Lion’s future. Meantime, she thrives on being the center of attention, showered with affection and with all her wants and whims catered to by her wonderful and devoted pet parents.
Lovable Lion – likely snoozing in a hammock in a park near you!
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Goodness, what a pretty girl! And so fierce!
Wonderful story and pictures–high-fives to Lion and her rightly proud pet parents, and to Victoria and the great West Side Mews! Lion is absolutely adorable, with such an exuberant and friendly disposition, I’m just amazed at how adaptable she is, enjoying forays outdoors wearing her trusty harness and leash! I’ll keep an eye out for her in Riverside Park, settled in next to her dad on a well-deserved hammock break!
(And if, by the way, Lion’s mom and dad do decide to adopt a kitty friend for her, I hope they’ll look into the great and very kind local cat-rescue group led by Alicia Harding, NYC Animal Rescue Girls: https://www.instagram.com/nycanimalrescuegirls/?hl=en)
Love the story and the pix, esp the Columbia lion and Lion!
What beautiful big eyes, Lion! Wonderful to meet you. How wonderful that Lion can get outside – I hope to meet you in your Riverside Park hammock!
Warning about a “kitty friend”: unlike dogs, cats do NOT like friends! Know this from long-ago experience when we brought newly-adopted little black kitten (“Midnite”, of course) to meet long-time Queen-of-the-House multi-colored “Rusty”.
We walked in holding Midnite, said, “Look, Rusty, here’s your new friend!”
Rusty hissed, poor little Midnite lost bladder control, and that was that!
But, they DID learn to co-exist; they’re long gone, but are still missed.
As others have said, it depends. I brought a new young cat home to my current resident who’d been with me for a year. My friend and I went out to dinner, leaving them alone together. We (and they) were lucky–when we got back, the new girl was stretched out over the back of the sleeping current kitty. Over 14 years, they never fought.
Actually, bringing in a new cat (or kitten) into a house where a single cat has reigned supreme up till then is better handled as a slow introductory process. If possible, you need to put the new cat in a room with the door closed at all times at first. Be sure to put food, water and a litter box in there, too! Let the older cat start sniffing the new cat from under the door for a while. Throw a few cat toys into the new cat’s room and let him/her play with them a day or so. Then take one or two of the toys out and toss them in with your old cat’s toys. The aim is to get the old cat to become accustomed to the new cat. Eventually, let them sniff each other in a controlled situation (in Lion’s case, it might be a good idea to have him wearing his harness so the owner can reel him should he decide to attack the new cat). It’s a slow and tedious process and can take several days to carry out, but if you want to add a new cat to your home, it’s the best way to do it.
It depends on the cat. When I brought a street-urchin kitten home, my 4-year-old, 15-pound (male) cat took the situation in hand. It was as if he had said, “We have a kitten, she’s dirty, I’ll clean her.” They became fast friends, even though the kitten was always somewhat of a brat . . . but always tolerated by the older cat.
I think it depends on the cats involved. We once brought home an injured homeless kitty. Our resident feline was fiercely opposed … then, less fiercely … and by the time we re-homed the new cat they were fast friends.
Sweet story. Thank you.
Yet another wonderful cat story–keep this column going!
Lion is lovely! And what a brave kitty to go on adventures, even with a dog!!
Love Lion!
Another great article. Thanks.
Fun story and cat. My cat has similar coloring, and has been called a pastel tortoiseshell.
Another excellent paws piece. And I ain’t lion!
Oh, how I enjoyed reading about spunky little Lion. She certainly is living her best life and bringing joy to those she meets (maybe not the vet tech but, oh, well…) Wishing beautiful Lion and her parents continued happiness in 2023.
Roar Lion Roar! Great cat ! Banished from Petco? Ridiculous !