New York, Nov 15 (IANS): An American woman has been arrested for keeping three tigers, a skunk, a cougar, a fox and several monkeys at home.

Trisha Meyer, 34, lived in Houston with her 14-year-old daughter as well as the animals. After a month-long investigation, police charged her with theft and child endangerment on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meyer had permits for the tigers but her keeping of other animals was illegal. Furthermore, she has records of scamming other people.

Investigation against the Texas mother started with a California man who paid Meyer $3,000 for a Savannah kitten but failed to receive it.

She told police she usually let her animals wander freely in the house and only locked up the tigers when she was out even though the tigers could be dangerous at their age and some monkeys were "vicious" and had attacked people before.

After the landlord of the house in which Meyer was living got to know her pets from police and kicked her out, she fled the Houston home and ran away with all her animals. The authorities finally pinned her down in Nye county in Nevada.

She is now in custody and her tigers have been confiscated.