Canadian beaver vs Cat

Castor canadensis compared with Felis catus

Key Differences

• Canadian beaver is herbivore while Cat is carnivore.
• Canadian beaver is 5.6x heavier than Cat.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Canadian beaver	Cat
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Castoridae (Beavers)	Felidae (Cats)
Genus	Castor (Beavers)	Felis (Small Cats)
Species	Castor canadensis	Felis catus

Evolutionary Relationship

Canadian beaver and Cat share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Canadian beaver

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Cat

NE — Not Evaluated

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Canadian beaver	Cat
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	15 years	15 years
Average Length	1.0 m	46 cm
Average Weight	25.0 kg	4.5 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Canadian beaver

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (15 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Argentina, Chile).

Cat

Habitat

Inhabits deserts and xeric shrublands within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (9 countries), Asia (7 countries), Europe (11 countries), North America (13 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (11 countries), and South America (6 countries).

Canadian beaver

The largest rodent in North America, Canadian beavers weigh up to 32 kg and are master ecosystem engineers inhabiting rivers, lakes, and wetlands across Canada and the northern United States. By felling trees and constructing dams up to hundreds of meters long, beavers create ponds that provide habitat for hundreds of species. Their lodges and canals transform entire watersheds. Once nearly hunted to extinction for their fur, beaver populations have recovered strongly.

Cat

One of humanity's most successful domesticated companions, domestic cats are small, agile carnivores originating from the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) domesticated approximately 10,000 years ago. With over 70 recognized breeds, cats retain strong predatory instincts and have colonized virtually every terrestrial environment on Earth. They are the world's most popular pet, with an estimated 600 million kept worldwide.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 12 countries:

🇦🇷 Argentina 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇱 Chile 🇫🇷 France 🇭🇺 Hungary 🇳🇱 Netherlands 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇺🇸 United States