If you have a cat at home, you may have noticed it will occasionally drop to the floor and roll around, rubbing its back against the carpet. And if you can easily interpret cat language, you would know that your cat is feeling relaxed, safe, and secure, and is quite possibly asking for a little affection.
Big cats are no different. And doesn’t he look sweet? Albeit, choosing to give a playful rub to 600 pounds of muscle, talon-like claws, and razor-sharp sabers may not seem as inviting as petting a little house kitty.
Cats Love Cardboard
Boxes are like toys to cats, as well as resting places. If the box gets flattened while an oversized cat attempts to ease into it, so much the better. Now there’s a cushy blanket to rest on. The cat, no matter if it’s a large cat of prey or a domestic house cat, will rub its scent glands on the cardboard to mark its territory. Pheromones are excreted from the glands on the sides of their face and around the mouth as they rub against the cardboard. When your kitty rubs against your ankles, yes, they are marking you as territory.
Since cats of all kinds love to nap, a piece of cardboard like the one this tiger is conked out on is a great find. Cats spend most of their day resting. On average, they sleep about 12 to 16 hours per day. It is part of cats’ predatory instinct to sleep so much. Sleeping is how they conserve energy for the high-energy demands of hunting. In general, cats live on a feed-rest-hunt cycle. After a large feed, they will lie down and rest for hours.
Pumpkin Treat
Big Cat organizations that care for and rehabilitate wildcats will sometimes give the beasts treats and toys for mental stimulation. This white tiger is certainly relishing its treat. As a bonus, cat caretakers will insert a chunk of meat inside the pumpkin as an even more delightful treat. It’s fun to watch the cat try to figure out where the scent of delicacy is coming from.
When the cats first find the pumpkin, they will kick it around like a ball and begin to check it out. Their mouths are so large that a tiger can pick up and carry an entire pumpkin with its powerful jaws.
Big Cat Foot Rubs
Here's a lion looking for a little attention. You see the way he's on his back, signaling to the zookeeper that he's ready for his foot massage? Alex Larenty, a British zookeeper who cares for Jamu in a lion park outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, says Jamu has total trust in him.
“Trust me, though, you need to know what you are doing, and our relationship is one that has built up over the last six years.” Larenty adds, “Jamu won’t just let anyone touch him the way I do.” Perhaps you recognize Jamu? The 550-pound cat stars in a British TV show called 'Wild at Heart' on ITV.
The Annual Weigh-In
Here's Heidi standing tall, reaching the 6-foot mark on the large ruler she is standing next to. Heidi is an Asiatic lion who lives at the London Zoo. Her height and weight are being recorded. The zoo shares the statistics they gather at the annual event with zoos all over the world.
Heidi is eight years old. She was born in 2011. She’s a talker. So, if you hear some roaring, it’s probably her. She's also the most motherly of her female littermates and likes to groom the other females.