There are around 41 species of cats left in the world today, ranging from the common housecat to the much bigger and more magnificent lions and tigers, sometimes referred to as “big cats.”
With the exception of size, all of these creatures are very similar and, in terms of science, belong to a group of highly similar and closely related mammals known as a “clade.”
Except for a few species, all animals like cats are carnivorous, have the same bone structure and form, and have almost identical body proportions. They even share the same kinds of claws.
There is scarcely any mammal group that exhibits this level of resemblance between so many distinct species and genera. Cats are quite distinctive and special because of this.
However, there are several additional carnivores that, despite their appearance, are not cats.
1. Fossa
Scientific name: Cryptoprocta ferox
Summary: Because of their size and cat-like appearance, if you spotted a fossil in a tree, you would undoubtedly think it was a cougar.
Fossas are cat-like predators that are native to the island of Madagascar.
The creature has striking resemblance to giant cats such as the cougar and is the biggest predatory mammal in Madagascar. Fossas, however, are only tangentially linked.
Rather, the closest resemblance they have with a cat is with the Malagasy civet. But Fossa aren’t really cats.
Their claws can only be half retracted, and their skulls are smaller. However, they are similar to animals like cats in virtually every other way. These consist of living and climbing in trees, walking on tiptoes in trees, and spending much of your time alone.
Animals like cats, they hunt at night, and their eyes reflect light. The typical length of a fossas is somewhat less than two feet. Most are 12–19 pounds in weight. But men weigh more than women do.
2. Hyena
Scientific name (family): Hyaenidae
Summary: Due to lineage that puts them more closely related to a civet than a dog, hyenas have the appearance of dogs but the behavior of cats.
When you hear the word “hyena,” most people think of dogs, yet these carnivores are actually far more closely related to cats.
The aardwolf, striped hyena, spotted hyena, and brown hyena are the four contemporary hyenas, and they all act as animals like cats. This covers their hunting, living in groups, marking territory, and grooming habits.
In the past, hyenas were also more like dogs. Most were once like jackals, but ultimately real dogs outcompeted them.
Hyenas grow strong jaws that enable them to break through bones in carrion, giving them access to leftover food that other predators have left behind.
These days, hyenas with striped or spotted coats are largely identical to one another. With the exception of the striped hyena, which is endemic to Central Asia, North and East Africa, and the Indian subcontinent, all of them are native to Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa.
They also differ greatly in size, with the aardwolf typically measuring less than thirty pounds and the striped hyena occasionally weighing over 120 pounds.
Sea also: 12 Best Species That Are Similar to Hyenas(With Pictures)
3. Genet
Scientific name (genus): Genetta
Summary: Genets are quite similar to long-haired cats, while other species can remind you more of a mongoose.
African natives make up the bulk of the Seventeen carnivorous animals in the genet. However, Europe—including France and Italy—is home to the common genet. But after being brought in as a pet, it was introduced.
Genets are arboreal because they live in trees. Their tails are almost always ringed or striped (like the American ringtail).
Like a leopard, they typically have spotted bodies as well. However, all genet species have a black stripe along the length of their spine, but the size and design vary.
Genets may also stand on their hind legs. They resemble meerkats in this instance and often stand for eating or guarding. Furthermore, genets frequently consume fruit and plants since they are more omnivores than the majority of animals like cats.
Furthermore, some genets don’t resemble cats all that much. You would probably mistake the enormous forest genet for a huge mongoose if you saw it.
It might be challenging to distinguish between the pardine and crested servaline genets from cats without studying them more closely.
4. Linsang
Scientific name (genus): Poiana
Summary: Four species of carnivores that resemble cats and are known to have the closest physical resemblance to cats are referred to as linsang or oyan.
A kind of carnivore indigenous to South Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and Africa is known as a lingsang, or oyan. The closest living ancestor of cats is the Asiatic linsang, however all four species have striking similarities to cats.
On the other hand, linsangs differ noticeably from the animals like cats in their appearance.
For instance, the lips and muzzle are longer and more dog-like. Moreover, the body is longer and nearer the ground, particularly in African linsangs.
Nevertheless, there are additional ways in which these carnivorous trees resemble with animals like cats. Though their tails are twice that length, they are typically a little smaller than a foot.
The majority also feature spots, blotches, and stripes. Furthermore, some species, like the banded linsang, resemble a hybrid of a cat and a lemur.
5. Falanouc
Scientific name (genus): Eupleres
Summary: Native to Madagascar, falanoucs are predators that resemble with animals like cats and can seem either way depending on the angle at which they are observed.
Like numerous other creatures on this list, falanoucs are native to Madagascar. Furthermore, their bodies and tails are quite similar to those of cats. But often, the head is longer and smaller, more resembling the head of a mongoose or ferret.
Falanoucs have a consistent hue as well. With the exception of a few that are darker down the spine, they are almost uniformly brown and markless. That distinguishes them from the animals like cats and mongooses.
Moreover, falanoucs vary from practically every other mammal in their tooth morphology. Their pointing canines make it easier for them to snare and catch earthworms and insects.
Unlike cats, falanoucs lack retractable claws. They do, however, climb trees and spend a lot of time there.
6. Civet
Summary: Civets resemble with animals like cats in many aspects, however they typically have an appearance that is a mix between a cat and a dog or a cat and a raccoon.
More than a dozen closely related species of cat-like creatures are grouped together as civets.
Common traits among all civets include their long tails, cat-like physiques, and semi-retractable claws. They do, however, emit musk, which puts them more in line with raccoons and skunks.
Since people still hunt them for their musk to produce perfume, musk is really one of the main hazards to civets in the wild. Their popularity for meat and fur has also contributed to their population reduction.
Tropical woodlands, mostly found on the continents of Africa and Asia, are home to all civet species. They catch fish and small animals, spend a lot of time in trees, and have quite lonely lifestyles, just animals like cats.
7. Binturong
Scientific name: Arctictis binturong
Summary: Living in towering trees, the binturong, sometimes known as the bearcat, is a hefty carnivore that resembles a cat and hunts small animals.
Medium-sized carnivores indigenous to South and Southeast Asia are called binturongs. The animal is commonly referred to as “bearcat” because of its resemblance to a hybrid between a bear and a cat.
Furthermore, although the binturong is a single species, there are nine subspecies, each of which has two different varieties.
Every binturong has long hair, bushy tail, and non-retractable claws. Still, they ascend for a considerable length of time. Binturongs have whiskers, just like cats, which let them feel vibrations.
The majority of binturongs are between thirty and seventy-five pounds in weight, two feet tall, and two feet long (including the tail). The tail is about half that length.
animals like cats, binturongs are nocturnal hunters as well. They resemble with animals like cats more than most other items on this list because of this.
8. Mongoose
Scientific name (family): Herpestidae
Summary: Although they don’t look like cats, mongooses and cats have comparable traits such as tails, claws, and feeding patterns.
There are 34 different species of mongooses that are indigenous to Asia, Africa, and Europe.
Some of them have a striking resemblance to the animals like cats, while others are noticeably more like to ferrets or weasels. Nonetheless, their feeding, hunting, social interactions, and dietary habits are very similar to those of cats.
But unlike cats, mongooses always pursue the same prey inside their burrows.
All of them really have shorter front and hind legs than they have height, which makes it easier for them to dig into animal burrows in order to capture their food. Because of this, it’s doubtful that most mongooses would be mistaken for the animals like cats.
However, some, like the banded mongoose and dwarf mongoose, can have striking similarities, especially up close.
Because they are one of only four species of mammals that are unaffected by a substance present in snake venom, mongooses have also developed specifically to hunt snakes.
Conclusion
These creatures are not felines. Still, they all seem, hunt, and act somewhat alike. More so than animals like cats, most are rather omnivorous. Moreover, unlike cats, none of these animals have flexible claws. Their hunting behaviors, social interactions, and dental features are remain comparable, though. Furthermore, it’s likely that if you saw one in the dark, you would first think it was tha animals like cats before getting a better look.