"The "Coalinga Kitty" was California Highway Patrol officer Jack Tarkington's pet mountain lion named Oscar, who followed Tarkington around Coalinga and rode on the back of his motorcycle.

Tarkington got Oscar as a 4-day-old cub from a circus in 1926. Oscar grew to 8 feet, from the tip of his tail to his nose, and weighed about 200 pounds. Oscar was reportedly a startling sight perched on the back of Tarkington's motorcycle. Oscar lived in a cage during his later years. He died in 1937."

Via: CHP Forums