Know Your Cats
Alleged mountain lion sightings have increased all across Pennsylvania, but they haven’t officially been seen in the state since 1871. Most likely, those people are seeing bobcats, which are much smaller and number up to 4,000 here.
House cat
The average house cat weighs anywhere from 7 to 10 pounds, and are often 2 feet long, with another 11 to 18 inches of tail.
Mountain lion
Can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds, depending on the sex, and are 7 to 8 feet long with heavy tails — often a third of the body length.
Bobcat
Usually about 2 to 4 feet long, weighing from 15 to 40 pounds. They have tufted ears, very small tails, and often have spots and stripes.
Human
6 feet tall
JON SNYDER / Staff Artist
SOURCES: Missouri Department of Conservation; Cougarnet.org
Know Your Cats
Alleged mountain lion sightings have increased all across Pennsylvania but they haven’t officially been seen here since 1871. Most likely, those people are seeing bobcats, which are much smaller and number up to 4,000 here.
Mountain lion
1
Can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds, depending on the sex, and are 7 to 8 feet long with heavy tails — often a third of the body length.
Bobcat
2
Usually about 2 to 4 feet long, weighing from 15 to 40 pounds. They have tufted ears, very small tails, and often have spots and stripes.
House cat
3
The average house cat weighs anywhere from 7 to 10 pounds, and are often 2 feet long, with another 11 to 18 inches of tail.
Human
6 feet tall
1
2
3
SOURCES: Missouri Department of Conservation;
Cougarnet.org
JON SNYDER / Staff Artist