If you look at the photo closely, you’ll see a small carton of milk in the zookeeper’s hands. The tiger is looking at it intently with his mouth open to increase its sense of smell. All cats do this. Inside a cat’s mouth is an additional olfactory organ that allows the cat to taste-smell the environment.
All kitties can stand, just like this tiger. It makes them appear larger when warding off a threat. Notice how it makes the tiger as tall as the zookeeper. But it is also a sign of playfulness and a way to get attention. This tiger is clearly hoping to get the attention of that bottle of milk. House cats will stand to receive a treat, and that is exactly what this massive feline is doing.
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.
Stalk and Pounce
Stalking and pouncing are part of every cat’s predatory instinct. The hunting instinct is very strong, and it is similar in every feline. Since cats are inveterate nappers who conserve energy, they will sit and stare at their prey (or toy) for hours, sometimes, before moving in on it. Cats do not want to exert a lot of energy chasing their prey. They want to get into the perfect position and pounce on it in one fell swoop.
Kittens, at just nine weeks old, have mastered the characteristic pounce. All cats will settle into their back legs before commencing the leaping pounce, and wiggle their rear ends in preparation. As funny or cute as it looks, this preemptive wiggle is crucial to making the leap successful. Knowing your cat’s natural behavior can make playtime more fun.
Lounge Act
How comfortable and relaxed does this enormous tiger look? Sprawled across this chaise lounge, he clearly has claimed the best seat in the house. Short of a sibling, we can’t imagine anyone who would contest the 200-pound beast's cushy lair.
At home, a house cat might try to claim the best couch too. Cats tend to take over the furniture. But at least with a house cat, it's an even contest. Our only concern (well, our main one, at least) is that even housecats can do some irreparable damage to couches. So, we can't imagine what number this little guy will do to it.
I'm Feeling Boxed In
Cats are confident, majestic, in-charge animals. They always land on their feet. Cats rarely misjudge jumps or attacks. This snow leopard, we can only assume, is absolutely mortified. He must be indignant that its box would do such a thing to him as get stuck on his head.
Luckily for this playful leopard, the box was shaken off soon enough. Who knows if he’ll go after a box again after this incident? Although, with their legendary curiosity, he will probably try to conquer that box once more someday. Legend has it that they are still fighting to this day.