"What do you mean?" Shasta inquired.
"Stop acting like an animal. You're my husband, John, not a circus tiger." Susan replied.
"Don't be ridiculous. Of course I'm a tiger. I've been a tiger all my life." the animal stated, as he flicked his long furry tail.
"Okay then. So, 'Shasta'" Susan implied, as she made air quotes around the fictional name, "what do you want to do today?"
The brainwashed man purred thoughtfully. "I know! I'll show you where I live!"
Shasta roared happily, and bounded off on four legs towards the animal enclosures, tail swinging wildly.
Susan turned to her kids. "Emily, Ben, don't encourage your father. He's clearly not in his right mind. I don't want to be embarrassed any more than I have already been. I want both of you to promise not to encourage him."
They dutifully responded, "We promise not to encourage him...", although Ben had his fingers crossed behind his back. The family followed the newly minted tiger, wondering what would happen next.