I have lived with many cats, and they have never ceased to amaze me. In observing their appearance and their behavior, I was often reminded of the big cats such as Tigers.
One might wonder how closely related our Domestic Cats are to Tigers. Read on to find out.
Table of Contents
Are Domestic Cats and Tigers the Same Species?
Let’s first learn about “biological classifications”.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, genus is defined as “biological classification ranking between family and species,…..”.
So the ranking would be family, then genus, then species.
Tigers and Domestic Cats are both of the family Felidae.
Tigers are of the genus Panthera, whereas Domestic Cats are of the genus Felis.
Tigers are of the species Panthera Tigris, whereas Domestic Cats are of the species Felis Catus.
Domestic Cats did not descend from Tigers, but rather evolved along with them from a common ancestor believed to have existed several million years ago.
With all that being said, members of the Felidae family, display many common characteristics. One obvious difference between Tigers and Domestic Cats is size, but otherwise they are remarkably similar.
A study published in the newsletter nature communications found a 95.6% genetic similarity between Domestic Cats and Tigers.
Although there are differences within the Felis Catus species, our Domestic Cats, the differences are mostly about coat hair length and/or their facial structure.
11 Ways Cats Are Similar to Tigers
1. BELLY: Cats and Tigers both have a saggy belly called a primordial pouch. I have a blog post on the cat primordial pouch titled Why Does My Cat Have a Floppy Belly? that you are invited to visit.
2. DIET: These two cat species are hypercarnivores, also known as obligate carnivores. As such, their primary diet is meat protein with little need for carbohydrates.
3. TEETH: Both have pointed teeth front and back which are good for tearing meat. We humans have flat teeth in the back, good for chewing vegetables. My blog post How Do Cats Chew Food? will give you more information on this.
4. PAWS: These animals have retractable claws and also pads on their paws. This combination allows them to walk in almost complete silence.
5. HEARING: Domestic Cats and Tigers both have really great hearing, much better than humans.
6. SIGHT: These two animals have sight that is exceptional mainly in their ability to see in low light. They mostly hunt at dusk and dawn, and this low light sight gives them a great advantage. They cannot see in total darkness however. Go to my blog post What Are Those Slits in My Cats Eyes to see more about this.
7. SMELL: The sense of smell is very similar in Cats and Tigers, and they seem to use it a lot to explore objects, people and other animals. They may be trying to detect pheromones left by others, or their own pheromones to know their whereabouts in their own territory. For more astounding facts about your kitty’s smelling abilities, go read my blog post Why Does My Cat Sniff Everything?
8. HUNTING: If you let your house kitty roam outside, it will most likely hunt. Even if you have fed them very well, their instincts will drive them to hunt very much like their Tiger relatives. They will use all their incredible senses, including their quickness and stealth.
9. MARKING: Your Domestic Cat and Tigers mark their territories using cheek rubbing, paw scratching, and urine spraying. Hopefully, your kitty does not do the urine spraying in the house.
10. SLEEPING: Just like your house kitty, Tigers also spend a good deal of time sleeping
11. GROOMING: An important part of the lives of Domestic Cats and Tigers is grooming themselves.
4 Ways Cats Are Different From Tigers
1. WATER: Tigers like to swim, most Domestic Cats do not:
2. EARS: Tigers have ears that are rounded on top, Cat ears are more pointy:
3. TAIL: A hallmark of happy Domestic Cats is walking around with their tail pointed straight up. Tigers do not typically do this.
4. VOCAL: Tigers can roar, Domestic Cats cannot. Meow is the best Domestic cats can do.
The Cat Family
The characteristics described above can be found throughout the family Felidae. I have focused on comparing Domestic Cats with Tigers, because the Tiger seems to be the big cat that often comes to mind when we are thinking about how our house kitties are related to their wild cousins.
Lucky for us that cats started hanging around us humans about ten thousand years ago with the advent of agriculture and the storage of food that attracted rodents that attracted cats. Centuries later, here we are with our very good friends living with us.
Cats really are amazing. Isn’t it great that we get to spend time with them? Learn About Cats is my blog post that will show you even more reasons to love and appreciate these animals.