What is your favorite spotted cat?

[BigCatConniseur24]

Spotted cats (cheetahs, leopards, snow leopards, Jaguars, clouded leopards etc.) are some of the most beautiful and also some of the most dangerous cats i the world. What is your favorite spotted cat. Mine is the leopard.

 

[ThatOneZooGuy]

Personally, I have to go with the Jaguar as my #1. The elusive nature for such a big cat is a major draw. Coupled with it being the dominant species of the Amazon hunting everything from peccaries to caiman. Jaguars are also gorgeous cats in their own right. These features combined make Jaguars not only my favorite spotted cat, but my favorite cat of any type. Although my runner up is definitely the Snow Leopard for various other reasons.

 

[TheMightyOrca]

Are we including small cats in this discussion? I've always been fond of the fishing cat. They're such a unique species.

 

[BigCatConniseur24]

Personally, I have to go with the Jaguar as my #1. The elusive nature for such a big cat is a major draw. Coupled with it being the dominant species of the Amazon hunting everything from peccaries to caiman. Jaguars are also gorgeous cats in their own right. These features combined make Jaguars not only my favorite spotted cat, but my favorite cat of any type. Although my runner up is definitely the Snow Leopard for various other reasons.

I love Jaguars. They are so strong, powerful, and muscular, but at the same time so strikingly beautiful. I honestly really like both leopards and snow leopards, and I honestly have much more experience seeing Amur leopards and snow leopards which is probably why I’m ranking both ahead of the jaguar. If my zoo got a jaguar though, my opinion would probably change. Jaguars, leopards, and snow leopards are all criminally underrated cats. How difficult are they to obtain compared to say Amur leopards or snow leopards?

 

[BigCatConniseur24]

Are we including small cats in this discussion? I've always been fond of the fishing cat. They're such a unique species.

I like all cats regardless of size (even though I do honestly have a personal preference towards larger and more powerful cats, especially big cats), so yeah we can certainly include smaller cats. What makes the fishing cat so unique despite it being an expert fisher obviously?

 

[red river hog]

Not exactly what comes to mind when you think of a spotted cat, but I've got to go with the Iberian Lynx.

 

[ThatOneZooGuy]

I love Jaguars. They are so strong, powerful, and muscular, but at the same time so strikingly beautiful. I honestly really like both leopards and snow leopards, and I honestly have much more experience seeing Amur leopards and snow leopards which is probably why I’m ranking both ahead of the jaguar. If my zoo got a jaguar though, my opinion would probably change. Jaguars, leopards, and snow leopards are all criminally underrated cats. How difficult are they to obtain compared to say Amur leopards or snow leopards?

I’m not sure how tough it is for a zoo to get a Jaguar, I know quite a few Zoos have them, at least in Europe according to Zootierliste, but my home zoo of Denver doesn’t have one. The first time I saw a Jaguar was when I was fortunate enough to see it at the San Diego Zoo, and they’ve been my favorite cat since.

 

[BigCatConniseur24]

Hey guys,

I’m liking all the smaller spotted cats, but can we please try to focus this conversation around the following species? 1. Leopard 2. Jaguar 3. Snow leopard 4. Cheetah

Thanks! BigCatC24

 

[TinoPup]

Cheetah

 

[TeaLovingDave]

I like all cats regardless of size so yeah we can certainly include smaller cats.

I’m liking all the smaller spotted cats, but can we please try to focus this conversation around the following species? 1. Leopard 2. Jaguar 3. Snow leopard 4. Cheetah

 

[ZooBinh]

Hey guys,

I’m liking all the smaller spotted cats, but can we please try to focus this conversation around the following species? 1. Leopard 2. Jaguar 3. Snow leopard 4. Cheetah

Thanks! BigCatC24

Cheetahs are not big cats . Seems you only want to include big cats, in which case you missed these species : clouded leopards, puma*, and lions*.

You doing this cuts off a lot of conversation, like you're controlling it, considering many people may not have their favorite species be in those 4 you highlighted, which makes it a thread running off your arbritary opinion really....

It also takes away from the original discussion of spotted cats, which size doesnt matter .

so yeah we can certainly include smaller cats.

I’m liking all the smaller spotted cats, but can we please try to focus this conversation around the following species? 1. Leopard 2. Jaguar 3. Snow leopard 4. Cheetah

Example I'm talking about here . Also, dont contradict yourself too much, also shown here .

* spotted as cubs

 

[TeaLovingDave]

can we please try to focus this conversation around the following species?

No, because clouded leopards are the best spotted big cat

Cheetahs are not big cats . Seems you only want to include big cats, in which case you missed these species : clouded leopards, puma*, and lions*.

Except puma aren't big cats either although they are indeed spotty as infants!

 

[ZooBinh]

Except puma aren't big cats either although they are indeed spotty as infants!

Ah I see, thanks for that !

 

[nczoofan]

I feel like growing up going to the Bronx Zoo and the Central Park Zoo made me develop a love for snow leopards. Seeing so many of the cats, and regular cubs was definitely a special experience. With patience they became one of the most photogenic species for me and those pictures are now displayed prominently in my living room.

 

[BigCatConniseur24]

Cheetahs are not big cats . Seems you only want to include big cats, in which case you missed these species : clouded leopards, puma*, and lions*.

You doing this cuts off a lot of conversation, like you're controlling it, considering many people may not have their favorite species be in those 4 you highlighted, which makes it a thread running off your arbritary opinion really....

It also takes away from the original discussion of spotted cats, which size doesnt matter .



Example I'm talking about here . Also, dont contradict yourself too much, also shown here .

* spotted as cubs

You’re right. I’m sorry for contradicting myself and for trying to make the thread about only big cats. You are right multiple people love the smaller cats, and other people’s favorite cats are not in the 4 that I provided. Yes, I realize that cheetahs aren’t big cats (and neither are snow leopards), but they aren’t that far off from big cats. I honestly don’t even know anymore whether I prefer big cats or small cats. I honestly don’t know. One one hand I love all cats, but at the same time I would prefer the cat to be large powerful and intimidating. I honestly don’t know if I like larger or smaller cats. For the time being, I will say that I like all cats. Again, I’m sorry for contradicting myself and for trying to make this discussion about only 4 species of cats. I realize the not every ZooChatter has the same opinion as me obviously

 

[ZooBinh]

You’re right. I’m sorry for contradicting myself and for trying to make the thread about only big cats. You are right multiple people love the smaller cats, and other people’s favorite cats are not in the 4 that I provided. Yes, I realize that cheetahs aren’t big cats (and neither are snow leopards), but they aren’t that far off from big cats. I honestly don’t even know anymore whether I prefer big cats or small cats. I honestly don’t know. One one hand I love all cats, but at the same time I would prefer the cat to be large powerful and intimidating. I honestly don’t know if I like larger or smaller cats. For the time being, I will say that I like all cats. Again, I’m sorry for contradicting myself and for trying to make this discussion about only 4 species of cats. I realize the not every ZooChatter has the same opinion as me obviously

No worries bud . We all are here for a learning experience .

But to contribute, my favorite spotted cat at the moment (yes, it changes ) is the Marbled Cat.

 

[TinoPup]

You’re right. I’m sorry for contradicting myself and for trying to make the thread about only big cats. You are right multiple people love the smaller cats, and other people’s favorite cats are not in the 4 that I provided. Yes, I realize that cheetahs aren’t big cats (and neither are snow leopards), but they aren’t that far off from big cats. I honestly don’t even know anymore whether I prefer big cats or small cats. I honestly don’t know. One one hand I love all cats, but at the same time I would prefer the cat to be large powerful and intimidating. I honestly don’t know if I like larger or smaller cats. For the time being, I will say that I like all cats. Again, I’m sorry for contradicting myself and for trying to make this discussion about only 4 species of cats. I realize the not every ZooChatter has the same opinion as me obviously

Snow Leopards are big cats They're in Panthera. I like a lot of smaller cats, too.

 

[BigCatConniseur24]

I’m sorry about that. I do see and realize that I contradicted myself. I honestly just don’t know whether I like both large cats and smaller cats or whether I only want to like big cats. I mean I want to love smaller cats the same way I do big cats. I don’t know what I like and don’t like honestly. Maybe I should stop judging cats on size. You can certainly be a skilled and accomplished predator and be a smaller medium sized cat. It’s just that I have never really grown up around small cats. My zoo has mostly had big cats for the majority of my childhood. I grew up seeing tigers, lions, Amur leopards, snow leopards, and cheetahs and up until fairly recently my zoo started including smaller cats. So I grew very fond of the big cats. It just feels kind of weird to see a smaller cat in a zoo when you are used to seeing bigger and more powerful cats. Additionally, bigger cats have advantages because they can more easily defend themselves and stand their ground and won’t be dominated by larger animals. I don’t know honestly. Anyways, sorry for the trouble that I created on this thread.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Yes, I realize that cheetahs aren’t big cats (and neither are snow leopards)

Actually Snow Leopards are big cats the sister species of the Tiger in fact.

but they aren’t that far off from big cats

Puma (and cheetah) actually belong in the sister clade to the clade containing domestic cat so about as far from the big cat lineages as one can get!

But to contribute, my favorite spotted cat at the moment (yes, it changes ) is the Marbled Cat

Definitely the one I want to see most

 

[aardvark250]

I guess my favourite spotted cat would be black-footed cat. They are cute yet are excellent predators. Want to see one. If we are just counting big cat it would be snow leopard.