Felidae

Felidae is the biological family that comprises all modern cats, from the domestic cat (Felis catus) to the large wild cats. It is divided into two subfamilies: Pantherinae (big cats such as lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars) and Felinae (smaller cats such as domestic cats, lynxes, pumas, and ocelots).

Felids are obligate carnivores with sharp canines and typically retractable claws. They possess acute vision and hearing, sensitive whiskers, and dental adaptations for slicing meat. Most are solitary, territorial predators, with hunting strategies ranging from stealth ambush to fast chases, used by different species including the sprinting cheetah and the ambush-oriented lynx or leopard.

Felids are found worldwide except Antarctica, occupying diverse habitats from forests and grasslands to deserts and high mountains. Most species are solitary and rely on defined territories. Reproduction varies by species, with litter sizes ranging from one to several and parental care lasting weeks to months.

The Felidae lineage arose in the Old World during the Miocene, with early fossil genera such as Proailurus. The family diversified into modern lineages in the late Miocene to Pliocene. Molecular and fossil evidence supports two major subfamilies corresponding to the big-cat and small-cat clades, which gives rise to the broad diversity of forms seen today.

The domestic cat descended from Felis silvestris lybica and was domesticated in the Near East around 9,000–10,000 years ago. Many wild felids are threatened by habitat loss, prey depletion, and human conflict; several species are listed as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered, highlighting ongoing conservation concerns.