Carol Baskin was wrong.  Tigers are not big, cuddly cats. And as you find yourself with one on top of you, you'd better hope you don't become a rodent in this deadly game of cat and mouse. The tiger is the largest of the cat family, Felidae, and rivals the lion, Panthera leo, in strength. If you think you can take on a tiger, consider the fact that they are 20 times stronger than the average human.  In the words of Joe Exotic, tigers are  "A real-life tornado, and there ain’t nothin’ you can do besides protect yourself. "