re: Whats that myth/urban legend about black panthers not exiting? Not in the US or something?

Cheetahs seem like they would make good pets.
They usually keep them with dogs in zoos so you know they get along with other animals too.

I don't know about Jaguars though. (A panther is just a black jaguar)

Actually, black Panthers don't exist anywhere as a separate species. They're just a genetic mutation of other large cats, although a dark brindle that looks black from a distance seems the norm in Jaguars. The real point of contention in Louisiana is the LDW&F's position that no big cats have been killed in Louisiana since the 1930s and there have been no "reliable sightings" since the 1950s. That "reliable sightings" part seems to really set people off but right or wrong that is the official position.