I have a shotgun that was made exactly for the close in follow up of cats! It is a Valmet lion O/U, 12 ga, with 20" barrels, and express sights, and a single trigger. I use it with Brenneke slugs, and it will put both barrels in a tea cup out to 15 yds! That is about as good as a shotgun will get, because at 5 yds, no matter what shot pellets you use they will hit as one bullet, and farther away the pattern is too IFEY with buck shot. On top of that buck shot doesn't penetrate well on tough muscle, and hide. They are so well known for wounding, that the Texas Game laws refuse to allow buckshot for whitetail hunting, and require a slug if a shotgun is used for deer. If that stuff wounds that many whitetail, I certainly do not want to go into the weeds with a pissed off 400 lb lion! The slugs are far better, in my opinion, and a light double rifle chambered for somthing like a 450NE 3 1/4", or 450/400 makes my day a lot better. Thank God I haven't had to prove anything I've stated here, in the bush, with a mad lion!