Cat vs European hare

Felis catus compared with Lepus europaeus

Key Differences

• Cat is Not Evaluated while European hare is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cat	European hare
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Lagomorpha (Rabbits & Hares)
Family	Felidae (Cats)	Leporidae (Rabbits & Hares)
Genus	Felis (Small Cats)	Lepus
Species	Felis catus	Lepus europaeus

Evolutionary Relationship

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

Conservation Status

Cat

NE — Not Evaluated

Trend: Stable →

European hare

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cat	European hare
Diet	Carnivore	—
Average Lifespan	15 years	—
Average Length	46 cm	—
Average Weight	4.5 kg	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

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).

European hare

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, among 7 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (10 countries), North America (4 countries), and South America (8 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

European hare

European hare (Lepus europaeus) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 15 countries:

🇦🇷 Argentina 🇧🇧 Barbados 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇱 Chile 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic 🇫🇷 France 🇮🇪 Ireland 🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇪 Peru 🇷🇺 Russia 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇺🇸 United States