This curious cheetah couldn’t believe his luck when a cardboard box ended up in his confinement at a Manhattan zoo. The cheetah sauntered over to take a look at the recent addition to its territory. Of course, the big kitty rubbed its face all over the box, leaving scent markers to make it his property. Incidentally, cats will also use scratching to mark property in an effort to keep other cats away.
When the large cat began exploring the new toy, sniffing it all over and checking out its various dimensions, something surprising happened! The curious cheetah slipped its head into the small opening at the bottom of the box, and it got stuck! Lifting its head, the box raised off the ground. Like a boxy helmet without a lens shield, the cheetah wandered around blind and humiliated. Thankfully, the shameful moment lasted only seconds.
King of the Wheelbarrow
There's an age-old saying, "If I fit, I sit," that cats will live and die by. This is one such example. Cats are territorial. The king of the beasts in this photo looks fairly set on commanding this great and mighty green machine. On the other hand, zoo ground crews may never again retrieve their wheelbarrow.
If you've had a kitty, it's pretty obvious that your sweet little feline gravitates to high places. From the top of the stairs, or from a secure vantage on the landing, we sometimes see our pet cats studiously observing the action downstairs. In the wild, cats will head up to high places such as trees to hide and prey.
Cats Love to Play
This stunning white tiger named Zabu simply adores its big red ball. In any other situation, Zabu is a fearful and ferocious beast. But here she is playfully romping around with her favorite toy. Just like house cats, fierce wildcats like this tiger don't want to miss out on playtime.
The heavy-weight ball that endures Zabu's playful bites and scratches is actually a stall ball. Stall balls are designed for horses. Horses like to play too! Thankfully and wisely, Zabu doesn't play together with the horses, and we're sure you can figure out why. It has something to do with tigers being apex predators and able to take down animals twice their size. Also, who likes to share?
Boxes, Boxes, and More Boxes
Here’s another caracal. This one is hiding its gracefully blackened ear tufts while it takes a nice leisurely nap. All cats love to conceal themselves inside undisclosed locations. They also prefer to stay snug. Cats require a warmer temperature.
The National Research Council determined that the thermoneutral zone for cats is between 86 to 97 degrees. Cats are most comfortable being super cozy, as if it was not obvious enough. Boxes provide a lot of insulation. The area inside a box is a perfect way for cats to preserve body heat and be insulated on all sides. See, it all makes sense now.
Siberian Tiger Celebrates Snowy Day
Julian is one of six Amur tigers held at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo. Amur tigers, better known as Siberian tigers, are covered with thick, warm fur coats. These animals also have oversized paws that help them trek through snowy terrain.
Julian is one of the most playful tigers at the Bronx Zoo. Besides rolling around in the snow, he enjoys frolicking in the mud. This magnificent beast is always the dirtiest tiger in the bunch! Julian was five years old in this 2016 picture. He weighs 360 pounds. Amur tigers are the world's largest big cats. These creatures naturally roam the Russian Far East all the way to China.