I like what you said about lions. Here's a little essay I did on cats a while ago. It should ring a bell or two.
...... I’ve discovered that the way people react to cats is a good indicator of how they will react to people with vision. A certain number of people are totally freaked out by cats. These same people are freaked out by visionaries. This is really unfortunate. In reality, cats have at least seven admirable qualities that every person who would desire vision would do well to emulate. First: Cats are nocturnal creatures. When everyone else is asleep, the cat is alert and aware. Likewise, visionaries do their best work when everyone else is sleeping. You snooze, you lose. Second: Cats have astonishing eyesight. They see things nobody else sees. They are particularly sensitive to things that change; their eyes are custom-made to detect the slightest movement. On the other hand, they are totally colorblind. They are not distracted by the showy, the colorful, and the flashy. They only see what is important to see. Third: Cats are totally oblivious to public opinion. A cat neither knows nor cares what anyone thinks about him. He simply goes about his business. He doesn’t surround himself with yes-men (or yes-cats). You will never see a committee of cats. Cats never ask permission. Prophets and visionaries, likewise, have a gift for thinking on their own. Fourth: Cats slip into and out of tight spaces with ease. They are lean, mean, and adaptable. They are totally unencumbered by entourages and bureaucracy. Fifth: Cats have insatiable curiosity. If something in their universe changes in the least, they want to know why. They know there’s always something out there to explore. They take nothing for granted. Sixth: Cats are quiet (for the most part). They don’t waste a lot of energy bragging about their exploits before the fact, or trying to explain them afterwards. They know that nobody would understand them, anyway. And finally and possibly most importantly: Cats tithe. In fact, a cat will usually leave considerably more than a tenth of his latest hunt on your doorstep. You may not feel you have any pressing need for a third of a gopher, but that’s entirely beside the point. A cat understands a tithe is not for your benefit, but for his.