Big cats –
some of the most famous predators in the world.
With big teeth, long claws
and an incredible mix of strength and agility,
they have a fearsome reputation in the animal kingdom.
But one thing we often forget is that really
big cats are just big cats.
Their behaviour is remarkably similar to that of house cats,
simply on a larger scale.
Let’s look at five ways leopards and your house cat
are indistinguishable.
For leopards, looks are everything.
Our house-proud cats spend plenty of time
bathing themselves with their sandpaper-like tongues.
And this big cat is no stranger to personal hygiene either.
Imagine the size of the furballs.
One of the things that makes cats cats
is their larger-than-life personalities.
At home, they may face off with
the neighbourhood dog double their size.
But in the wild,
this leopard faces off with hyenas much bigger than her.
And even stands her ground
when an elephant comes her way.
And all those antics aside,
what’s more popular on the internet than cats?
Kittens!
And, yep, leopard kittens are exactly as cute
and playful as you’d expect.
As joyful as this looks,
it is theorised that being playful when young actually forms
a very important function in animals.
These tumbling, pouncing behaviours
could actually be preparation for when they grow up.
This playtime is crucial to learning the basics of the techniques
which let them survive as an adult.
From one cat cliché to another.
How about climbing trees?
With varying skill, most cats are at home in the branches
and, in fact, leopards are one of the most comfortable in trees.
They even use it as a larder
to store their kills out of reach of anyone
who might steal their food.
And with a jump like this,
there’s no risk of them getting stuck up there either.
If there’s one thing cats do better than anyone else,
it’s catnap.
And leopards are no different.
Sleep is life for these furry felines,
napping everywhere from the rough ground
all the way to the branches of the trees.
They love to sleep.
In fact, during the day, leopards will spend more time
asleep than doing anything else.
Not quite what you’d expect from this notorious prowling predator.
No matter their size,
cats are, well… cats.
Maybe next time you look at your cat, you’ll see a
little leopard there instead.
