Do Cougars Make Good Pets? (Quick Answer)

Do cougars make good pets?

This is a common question from exotic pet owners.

If you are one, you should keep reading to find out more facts about a cougar.

Let’s get started.

Do Cougars Make Good Pets?

The short answer is no, they don’t make great pets.

Yes, they can be tamed like in zoos but not domesticated like dogs and cats.

If you take a young one and raise it with your kids, then yes, but an older Cougar will not make a good pet.

Cougars are shy animals by nature and prefer to stay away from humans.

However, they can be tamed if they are raised with humans from a young age.

In captivity, cougars have been known to become bonded with their handlers and even form close relationships with other humans.

While cougars can be tamed, they cannot be domesticated like dogs and cats.

This means that they will always remain wild animals and may pose a danger to humans, even if they have been raised in captivity.

If you are considering getting a cougar as a pet, it is important to do your research and make sure that you are prepared to provide the animal with everything it needs.

Cougars require a large amount of space to roam and should not be kept in small cages or enclosures.

They also need access to fresh meat and water and should not be fed a diet of dry cat food.

Is It Legal To Own A Cougar?

Cougars are protected under the U.S.

Endangered Species Act and Canadian Species at Risk Act, but they are not considered endangered.

In some parts of North America, they are hunted as trophy animals.

In other areas, such as national parks, they are strictly protected.

A study published in 2015 found that human activity had caused the decline of large mammals such as the cougar by altering their habitat and making it easier for them to be killed by humans or prey on smaller animals.

The study found that the loss of these predators can have a profound effect on ecosystems, leading to a decline in the overall health of an ecosystem.

In most states, it is legal to own a cougar as a pet.

However, there may be some restrictions on how you can care for them.

For example, you might need to get a permit from your state wildlife agency.

You also might need to follow special guidelines for feeding and housing your cougar.

And you will need to make sure your cougar has access to veterinary care.

Related: Do Caracals Make Good Pets?

What Is A Cougar?

A cougar is also commonly known as a puma or mountain lion.

However, it is different from the black panther, which is also not a suitable animal to keep as good pets.

The scientific name for a cougar is Puma concolor.

It once ranged throughout most of the Americas from northern Canada to southern Chile and Uruguay.

But today it has been dramatically reduced in number and exists only in small pockets in North America and South America.

Cougars are large cats with long tails and short fur that can be tawny, grayish, or tan.

They weigh between 77 and 200 pounds (35 – 90 kilograms), with males typically larger than females.

Male cougars are about 30 percent larger than females and may weigh up to double.

Cougars are one of the animals with claws and have strong hind legs, and large paws.

They can leap up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) vertically and 40 feet (12 m) horizontally in a single bound.

Cougars are ambush predators, waiting patiently for their prey to come within striking distance.

When they attack, they aim for the neck or throat of their victim to suffocate or decapitate it.

Once they make a kill, cougars will drag their prey into cover before eating.

Cougars sometimes bury excess food to save for later.

Cougars are mostly nocturnal, although they may be active during the day in some areas.

They tend to be solitary animals, except for females with cubs and males during the breeding season.

Females give birth to litters of two to three cubs, which they raise for about 18 months before the youngsters strike out on their own.

Cougars typically live in forested areas and are most commonly found in North and South America.

In North America, they can be found from Alaska down to the southern tip of Mexico.

They once ranged as far east as the Atlantic coast but have been hunted to extinction there.

The largest population of cougars is found in Canada and the United States.

There are an estimated 30,000 cougars in North America today.

Although this number has grown steadily since the 1970s, when only 15,000 or so animals remained, it is still only about one-tenth of the cougar population that existed before Europeans arrived on the continent.

How Long Do Cougars Live?

Cougars are also known for their long life spans, with some individuals living well into their 20s or 30s in the wild.

In the wild, cougars typically live between 8 and 13 years.

However, there have been reports of individual cougars living much longer than this.

In captivity, cougars have been known to live for more than 20 years.

The oldest recorded captive cougar was 41 years old.

The life span of a cougar is largely dependent on factors such as habitat, diet, and predation.

Cougars that live in areas with abundant food sources and minimal human disturbance are more likely to live longer than those that do not have these advantages.

Similarly, cougars that avoid being killed by humans or other predators will also tend to have longer life spans.

Final Thoughts

Overall, cougars don’t make great pets in your house.

They can only be raised by humans from a young age and kept in captivity in zoos.