Where Do We Live?

SIZE MATTERS:

How big is a cat?  As big as it needs to be!  Large, powerful cats like lions and tigers hunt the large, powerful animals of the African Savanna and Asian forests.  There are also a lot of fascinating small cats that stalk through the bushes and tall grasses in search of rodents and birds.  This division of jobs and living space allows several types of cats to live in the same environment.

IN GROUPS, OR NOT:

Lions hunt together in groups called "prides."  Cheetah brothers stay together for life.  The other cats spend a great deal of time alone except for mothers and their young.  Still, there are times when cats seek out the company of their own kind, and not just during the breeding season.  Tigers play, jaguars tussle, and feral cats form groups called "clowders."

UP, DOWN, AND ALL AROUND:

Some cats like leopards spend a lot of time in trees.  Others like ocelots almost never come down.  Lions spend most of their time on the ground though some sleep in trees.  Servals try to bridge the gap between both worlds, hiding in the tall grass and making spectacular leaps to catch low-flying birds.  Tigers climb rather well, but only when they have to.

WHERE THEY CAN:

Sand cats live in hot deserts where their oversized ears help him stay cool.  Snow leopards have a different problem...they live in an icy, windy world where only their thick coat and long, bushy tail keeps them warm.  Cats are found in jungles, mountain passes, grasslands, almost everywhere that they can find enough to eat.

WHERE THEY ARE TAKEN:

Animals released where they do not belong often die off or spread too fast.  In Australia, rabbits brought in for hunting multiplied out of control.  Domestic cats were brought in to control the rabbits, but they ended up killing native wildlife.  The adjustment of a cat to his world is a delicate and special thing that deserves our respect...and caution.