My answer would have gotten lost after 4 pages of actual on-topic discussion. This started out as a question about my username, if anyone else is reading.
slugga: is that a real wolf pup? And the puma, aren't its claws dangerous?
Yes, that was a real wolf pup. It was his first time out with all those people around, so he was really nervous. He stayed on my lap the entire time (2 1/2 hours).
Is the puddy tat stuffed...because I wouldnt have gone anywhere near it if it was alive, and I have a penchant for big cats too! DB74
And no, Maya was not a stuffed puma. She was about 100 pounds (at the time; not fully grown) of real cat. She could have been dangerous, yes. I was one of only two people who was allowed to handle her. She liked me.
Here you can see her standing up, as opposed to laying in my lap: