See the way to solve this problem is to adopt a baby Cougar (Legally) and raise it as your own.

That will help, and scare off claim jumpers!
A Cougar is also on my list of biggets fears, also Big Cats worry me too.
(See what I did there? LOL!)
I do want a prospecting buddy with me though in the future, I have been thinking about a German Shepherd or Lab Mix like my old long gone friends were.
I can count a few times when having a 4 legged friend alarmed me and my father about bear long before we ever saw them and scare them off for us too.
I have also always wanted to adopt a Cougar, ever since I was a kid and Maveric (A Cougar) came to our Middle School here in Redding with his handler who also adopting him and went around schools for programs that taught kids and made us aware.
My high school was Foothill High School (Class of 2000), our mascot is a Cougar and we had an adult Cougar stuff in our main office, huge huge huge Cat.
Just be careful when you are out, extra eyes and ears and ALWAYS looking around and wearing an extra set of sunglasses backwards on Cougar land is a very good way not to be dinner.